Category Archives: Marketing/Advertising/PR

Marketing, advertising and public relations

June 10, 2010 · 6:22 am

Helen wheels

I have followed the career of the legendary veteran reporter Helen Thomas for many years and have learned from the examples she has set–up to and including the recent mega-blunder that abruptly ended her historic career.

By example, Helen Thomas taught me that women with intelligence, ambition and guts can make groundbreaking advances in male-dominated fields.

She showed me that love and passion for one’s work, coupled with serious pursuit of excellence, engender job satisfaction and career sustainability.

She showed me that showing up every day, even when one is sick, tired or facing treacherous weather, counts for something.

She showed me that having the courage to ask hard questions helps keep people honest.

She showed me that a person can work productively and happily well into her eighties.

Or maybe not.

In her 2006 book, Watchdogs of Democracy?: The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public, she observed that the news media are steadily losing their objectivity.  The once-bright line between news and commentary is fading, she suggested.

It is no secret that Helen, too, has let more of her personal views spill into her fact-finding and reporting.  Like those she criticizes, she has stepped boldly over that once-bright line.

This week, by example, she showed me something I already knew:  think before you speak or you could regret it for the rest of your life.  Comments made within earshot of anyone can be your demise.  Always behave as though your comments are within someone’s earshot–especially if they are tasteless and offensive.  Better yet, keep them to yourself.

This week, Helen made a horrific comment about Israeli Jews living in Palestine that cost her the precious remainder of her career, as well as a reputation that was 89 years in the making.

I have long looked up to Helen Thomas for reasons too many to list.  I have met her several times and a year or so ago, had occasion to spend time one on one.   My limited personal experience is that she is warm, gracious and humble.  But to me, what has always stood out about Helen is how much she loves her work.

I will always remember watching an interview in which she was asked how much longer she would work before retiring.  I was inspired by her reply, “I will die with my boots on.”

I always thought she’d go abruptly, perhaps right there in the White House Press  Briefing Room, notebook and pen clutched in her red-fingernailed hands.  A couple of years ago, she returned to work after a serious and extended illness and kept plugging away. 

In retrospect, maybe returning to work was a mistake.  As people get older, their cognitive wires get crossed, they lose their inhibitions and they can behave in shocking and inappropriate ways.

I am sorry Helen didn’t get to die with her boots on.

Perhaps she should have slipped off the boots, had one heck of a party and enjoyed a well-deserved retirement from a long and distinguished career, before it was too late.  Before this is what she would be remembered for.

1 Comment

Filed under Marketing/Advertising/PR, News

Tagged as

June 1, 2010 · 7:40 am

Tweener screener

Have you seen him?   He’s an 11-year-old movie critic, who works as “Lights, Camera, Jackson,” and will knock your socks off.

I caught him on television over the weekend and was floored.  This child was as poised and articulate as any adult I’ve heard interviewed.  Even for a child, he’s animated and expressive.  What he can do with his voice and his face are astonishing.  My first reaction was that, in both manner and appearance, he could be a child Paul Giamatti.

He’s been doing movie reviews since he was seven and aspires to be a TV game show host.

I may be late in discovering this preteen prodigy.  Already, he has won a New York Emmy in the category of On-Camera Talent: Commentator or Editorialist.

There is an age-old debate over whether effective public speakers are born or made.  In my consulting practice, I do a fair amount of speaker training, so I’d like to think it’s the latter.  In reality, the truth is likely somewhere in between.

The speakers I work with are typically subject matter experts.  To know what one is talking about is a good start.  But what makes the subject matter really pop is the delivery which, if it doesn’t come naturally, can be an effort to coax—and coach—out.

I doubt Jackson Murphy has needed much coaching.   When asked what was the first movie he saw, he said Mulan, when he was in his “mother’s womb.”  It is evident this child came into the world hip to the entertainment scene.  He talks about story lines, quality scripts and character development as other 11-year-olds talk about Nintendo.

His delivery is remarkable.  Eye contact, hand gestures, voice inflexion, he’s got it all down.  He says “yes,” rather than “yeah,” and uses neither an “uh” nor an “um.”  He finishes each sentence with a crisp, definitive stop.

Just think what he’ll be able to do once he’s old enough to see an R-rated movie.

2 Comments

Filed under All Things Wordish, Marketing/Advertising/PR, Movies, Television and Radio

Tagged as , , , ,

May 25, 2010 · 8:11 am

The princess bribe

Sarah, honey, how could you do it?  As those of us here in Washington, D.C. could have told you, money for influence is a tricky notion, one that usually doesn’t reflect well in headlines, not to mention on hidden camera.

But you appeared on video, soliciting large sums in exchange for access to your influential ex-husband.  It was painful to watch, especially for you.

Next time, maybe you’ll consider all those who’ve looked up to you all these years.  Think of the children whose parents read them Budgie the Little Helicopter—which by the way, our son loved.  My husband and I used to hide Budgie on nights when we were too tired to read it (it was a little long) but our son always found it and brought it to us beggingly.  You were a part of us even then.

Think of all of us whom you inspired with your Weight Watchers commercials.  The way you pronounced Weight Wohchahs lent sophistication to our point-counting.

We looked up to you and yet you were a duchess we could relate to, with your struggles with weight and overindulgence, and those unflattering swimsuit shots.  We rooted for you when the tabloids exposed your troubles.  But this latest misstep has put your supporters in one sticky wicket.

We understand that, financially, you have fallen on hard times.  There, there, dear.  Come join me for two-for-one night at Ruby Tuesday and we’ll work through it.  That is, if you don’t end up doing hard porridge in the chokey.

5 Comments

Filed under Marketing/Advertising/PR, Movies, Television and Radio, News

Tagged as , , , ,

May 20, 2010 · 7:41 am

Ambush advertising

The new Kraft mayonnaise commercial is not only entertaining but extremely clever.

Have you seen it?  It’s a takeoff on the Extreme Makeover shows.  The wife was always making tiny finger sandwiches, like the ones you’d have at high tea, and the husband was forlorn.  Kraft bursts in and does an extreme sandwich makeover with its new seasoned mayo and an oversized roll, and the result moves both husband and wife to tears.

Advertising Age ran a story earlier this year on Kraft’s push to step up its marketing strategy following the company’s acquisition of Cadbury.  Kraft has produced some pretty memorable ads over the years.  Remember the famous “And I helped!” for Shake and Bake? Ad Age points out that the company continues to wear a bit of a down-home label when it comes to its commercials.

Twenty-four years ago, Neil Postman wrote Amusing Ourselves to Death:  Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business, in which he discussed how television and other entertainment media spill over into politics and public dialogue.  Even after 24 years, while the entertainment media are vastly transformed, a point Postman made regarding television advertising holds true today, as Kraft proves in its Sandwich Makeover campaign:  “What the advertiser needs to know is not what is right about the product but what is wrong about the buyer.”

What better way is there than an ambush makeover to make a consumer feel bad enough about herself to run right out and buy mayonnaise?

Leave a comment

Filed under Food, Marketing/Advertising/PR, Movies, Television and Radio, Reading

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

May 11, 2010 · 7:48 am

Misguided mea culpa

“We did make a slight error in judgment.” 

This was the response of Thomas Chambers, owner of Chambers Funeral Home and Crematorium in Riverdale, Md., last week, after state officials discovered 40 human bodies piled up like trash in a garage.  I’ll spare you the disturbing details.

A public apology is never easy, but “a slight error in judgment” was the best explanation Mr. Chambers could come up with?  I doubt the families of his clients, victims actually, would consider this a slight error.  I trust they were outraged not only by this egregious act but by the man’s lack of compassion, not to mention his refusal to own up to the seriousness of the offense.  As if this weren’t bad enough, he added that the company “would like to stay in business.”  Of course the facility’s license was revoked. 

This story broke just as I was reading What Were They Thinking? by Steve Adubato, a media analyst and commentator who became an expert on crisis communication following his own public blunder while serving in the New Jersey legislature. 

In the book, Adubato examines more than 20 crises involving corporations, government agencies and high-profile individuals exhibiting varying skills in facing the public with a timely and convincing response.  He highlights the strategies of those who have handled crises well and he contrasts them with examples of those who, usually for lack of a plan, handled their public crises disastrously.

Throughout my career I have counseled clients who speak in the public realm, whether they are witnesses at a congressional hearing or fielding media questions about an unpopular corporate maneuver.  Failure to prepare ahead of the crisis—using carefully chosen words that show sincere acceptance of responsibility and assurance that appropriate corrective measures are underway—can cause any financial loss to be overshadowed by the cost of an unrecoverable loss of personal or professional trust.

On a much smaller scale, I have just had another occasion to question how public apologies are crafted.

As I was preparing this blog entry, my Internet connection failed.  I called my provider who said, “I am sorry you are experiencing problems.  I show an outage in your area.”  This reminded me of the person who stops short of an apology by saying “I am sorry if your feelings were hurt.”  It offers a hollow gesture without taking any responsibility. 

An hour later, my Internet connection resumed.  Then it failed again.  I called again and got a different representative who went a bit further:  “I apologize.”  Okay, that’s better.  “But there’s not much we can do.”

I really wanted to give her some tips but resisted.  Instead, I asked her if she knew what might have caused the outage. 

She said, “No, they don’t like to tell us that.”

1 Comment

Filed under All Things Wordish, Marketing/Advertising/PR, News, Reading

Tagged as , ,

May 7, 2010 · 7:44 am

Chain-free zone

Good morning and greetings from Boone, North Carolina.

My husband and I are here for our son’s graduation from Appalachian State University.  I just couldn’t let the festivities begin without telling you a little about this charming place, where we’ve been coming a couple of times a year for the past four years.

Not everyone knows about Boone or Appalachian State.  App State entered the national consciousness in 2007 when its then-two-time Division I-AA national championship football team beat the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in the season opener.  It was the largest upset in college football history and landed the Mountaineers on the cover of Sports Illustrated.  Later in the season, they won the championship for the third year in a row.

Appalachian State sits high in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, in what’s known as the Ski Capital of the South.  The student population is about 15,000.  One of the institution’s most famous alumni is Steven J. Dubner, co-author of Freakonomics.

Boone itself is artsy and bohemian.  It’s surrounded by a number of elite resorts, so there’s a cultural dichotomy that sometimes causes friction on the local political scene.

I think what stands out most about downtown Boone is the absence of chain stores and restaurants.  Up and down King Street, Boone’s main avenue, you’ll find one character-filled small business after another.

On King Street, you’ll find no Gap; just The Jean Pool.  There’s no Abercrombie; there’s the Mast General Store.   I was sad to see that the second-hand store, Love Me Two Times, has closed its doors.  There’s no CVS; just Boone Drug, which still has a lunch counter.  There’s no Panera; it’s Our Daily Bread.  There’s no Hair Cuttery; there’s Split Endz.  No Starbucks, only Higher Grounds and The Beanstalk.  No Chipotle; only Black Cat Burrito. The closest Chili’s is an hour away, which is fine because there’s the The Boone Saloon.   And if are you are looking for a cheap place to stay on King Street, you’ll find no Days Inn; only a nondescript  motel with a sign that reads:  2 people 1 bed $29.

What more can I say?

2 Comments

Filed under All Things Wordish, Family and Friends, Marketing/Advertising/PR, Travel

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 28, 2010 · 4:44 am

Operation Buzzword

Marketing firms have perfected the art and science of crafting compelling campaigns.  The best campaigns reach a level so deep that targeted consumers are left with indelible memory retention, emotional engagement and motivation to act.  Think back to some age-old advertising slogans.  Even after more than 20 years, we remember the peace of mind we had upon hearing “Don’t leave home without it.”  Or “Plop plop fizz fizz, oh what a relief it is.”  Or “You’re in good hands.”  

We know that marketing  and ad campaigns see the light of day only after they have been fleshed out, flushed out, looked at upside down and inside out, extensively field and focus group tested, to ensure the message reaches targeted eyes and ears in the most stirring manner possible.

I found it interesting to read recently that military operations are named using a similar process.  In “Operation Name Game:  Where Military Might Meets Marketing,” The Washington Post’s Christian Davenport looks at how U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are named–so as to rile the troops, intimidate or soften up the enemy or comfort those on the home front. 

For example, he points out that campaigns directed internally at the troops (e.g., Operation Scorpion Sting) are named differently from those aimed at local population (e.g., Glad Tidings of Benevolence) to elicit the desired response.

He added that campaign crafters are also charged with identifying potential downsides, to avoid serious consequences – such as being ridiculed in late night monologues.  Davenport upholds Winston Churchill as one of the best marketeers in history but notes Churchill didn’t have to worry about Leno.

But think about it.  The same opinion research, buzzwords and psychographics are in play among military strategists that might have gone in to Staples’ Easy Button.  Click; it’s that easy.  Northrop Grumman should get in on that one.

Read Davenport’s piece; it’s brilliantly written.

Leave a comment

Filed under All Things Wordish, Marketing/Advertising/PR, News

Tagged as , , , , ,

April 9, 2010 · 6:18 am

Little old lady who?

“Deputies Kill a Fla. Grandmother Armed With Gun”

“Grandmother Defeats Home Invader”

“Slamming Granny: Grandmothers for Peace Get Hard Time”

“Australian Grandmother Fights Shark” 

These are just a few headlines from print and broadcast stories of late.  In addition, The Washington Post reported recently that “Donna M. George was a grandmother living in a gated community in Fredericksburg when she sold prescription drugs out of her kitchen — while babysitting for her three grandchildren.” 

I am not sure precisely what image the news media are trying to conjure by naming Grandmother in the headlines but I am pretty sure it’s not me or my peers. While I am not yet a grandmother, plenty of my friends in their 40s and 50s are.  If they did anything newsworthy, why would their grandmother-hood be of note? 

No, I suspect the image the media are after is the stooped over, gingham-clad lady with a gray bun atop her doddering little head.  You know, Tweety Bird’s Granny.  It’s that lady’s role in a crime or act of heroism that makes the story all the more sensational. 

I have news for headline writers.  Today’s Grandmother looks like I do.  No gingham shirt dress, no bun.  Today’s granny wears low rise jeans and a ponytail.  She listens to Christina Aguilera, pops her gum and says “I’m like” when she means “I said.”  While, admittedly, she may eat a few more prunes than she used to, she also runs marathons and goes to wine tastings.  She might even write a blog.

1 Comment

Filed under All Things Wordish, Marketing/Advertising/PR, News, Reading

Tagged as , ,

April 5, 2010 · 7:50 am

A Giant spelling error

Re-branding.  It’s going on all around us.  Giant Food, one of the Mid-Atlantic region’s largest grocery chains, has just completed a massive re-branding.  This year they rolled out new corporate colors and a very cool logo.  My local Giant has transformed the inside and revamped all the signage in accordance with the new brand.  As a consumer, I appreciate the added in-aisle signs pointing specifically to what’s on the shelves. 

Anyone who has worked for a large corporation knows the magnitude of re-branding and the sizeable price tag attached.  I presume there was extensive research leading up to the effort—focus groups, studies of consumer behavior and due diligence on the legal and intellectual property implications.  I suspect a beefy staff of compliance experts oversaw the rollout.  But they omitted an important function—the spellchecker.  

I try not to be too judgmental (most times) but I can’t roll my cart down the frozen food aisle without bristling at the sign pointing to the “Sherbert.”   This word is commonly mispronounced.  It’s tempting to want to make it rhyme with Herbert.  But it’s sherbet, people, not sherbert!  

At least half a dozen times now, I have approached the customer service desk, now cheerfully re-named the Solution Center, at the front of the store, to alert management to the slip, but chickened out as I got close.   If I drew their attention to the error, would I be perceived a snob?  I often operate under the skewed assumption that people are grateful for being made aware of their errors.  But they don’t usually accept this edification as the gift it is intended to be.  Would management be any less offended if I alerted them to an expired sell-by date on a product still on the shelf?  

Likely the signs come from a central warehouse anyway and the store managers have no direct control or concern over what comes down from corporate.  Still, this is a Giant mistake.

1 Comment

Filed under All Things Wordish, Food, Marketing/Advertising/PR

Tagged as , ,