PR: getting slammed for taking a stand

PC Magazine takes Novell to task over it's blog post on LA's decision to replace Novell's GroupWise e-mail product with Google Apps. It's good example of how new media has changed the landscape of voices.

This post isn't about products. It's not about which one is better. It's not about the benefits or drawbacks of open source software versus proprietary software. Its about PR. It is the chance to take a step back, and consider how things have changed in PR.

In year's past if company found itself rolled in to a controversial public debate there were in essence three choices: buy a full page advertisement in a major daily newspaper and spell out your case, put the PR department to work or do both.

The former was a guaranteed way to get your point across, though few people buy newspapers for the advertisements, save perhaps, for the classifieds. The latter might net an audience and maybe someone would consider your point of view. However, nothing was guaranteed. That's still true.

The fact that Novell lost this account to Google Apps is big news. It's a controversy in it's own right. I admire LA for being so bold; as the adage goes, no one gets fired for buying from IBM. PC Magazine asks, "How many of those CIOs do you think are looking for a graceful way to bail on Novell ASAP, lest they find themselves in the company's crosshairs when change finally comes?"

Let's flip that question on its head: should Novell remain silent? Should it just sit by and let things go? Maybe. Maybe not. The company is already taking a beating online for expressing its view. It's Saturday. It's likely more will follow. But I don't blame the company for putting a stake in the ground.

LA is a big city: this isn't about a multinational conglomerate bullying a Mom and Pop store. Security concerns over cloud computing are newsworthy and valid. The fact that Novell believes as much probably doesn't catch many industry watchers by surprise, let alone LA.

Even while my PR instinct pauses at the idea of a company publicly singling out a (seemingly) former customer -- on the other hand, I admire the Novell's boldness too. Any company has the right to look out for it interests and it should put forth it's view point. Moreover, I think any company has an obligation to clearly articulate it's position -- the market should be able to read or hear exactly what the company believes: certainly it's natural to disagree with an opinion, but there's little fault in actually having one.

I'm sure Novell did not publish that blog post on a whim; the tone is matter-of-fact. As that post and subsequent online rebuttals demonstrate, new media has changed the landscape. The PR professional's job is to help a company articulate its ideas: to advocate, to influence, to sway perception. Novell's PR department has tapped new media to that end; maybe it will be successful. Maybe it won't. But good for them saying what they mean and meaning what they say.

Disclaimer: About a year ago I worked for a start-up that was acquired by Novell. I was granted severance. The process was cordial. Though I have spoken to some individuals who still work for the company since, my interaction has been of a professional networking nature, not business.

One example of creative PR...that's flopping

Creative PR ideas are hard to come by. Harder still if they actually make business sense.

The Potomac Tech Wire, reported on October 28, 2009:

Sterling, Va. -- SkyBitz, the Sterling-based maker of satellite tracking systems, said that it will deploy one of its mobile tracking units on the flatbed trailer transporting the official U.S. Capitol Christmas tree from Arizona to DC. Beginning Nov. 10, the technology will allow people to track the progress of the 85-foot blue spruce as it crosses the country from Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. Data will include a detailed street-level map of the most recent location, as well as the full route that the tree has traveled. The tree is scheduled to arrive at the U.S. Capitol Building on Nov. 30, with a lighting ceremony to take place the week of Dec. 7. The tree can be tracked at the link below. http://www.trackthetree.com

Why is this a creative PR idea?
The news hooks are obvious: the Christmas season, an American icon, and a national story. More importantly, it's a feel good story with a very soft-sell: in following the tree's movement, SkyBitz is indirectly demonstrating the value of its technology: asset tracking.

SkyBitz plugs GPS devices on cargo so that shippers can track its movement from point to point. If you are a retailer, carrying extra inventory is expensive, so the ability to anticipate delivery times is incredibly important. An executive from SkyBitz once explained, imagine you are a grocery store, and your shipping container of canned goods is placed on the wrong truck in the shipping yard and next heads to San Diego instead of San Francisco. That's the wrong direction and a $100,000 worth of goods you aren't going to get on time. If you are Harris Teeter, you might want a head's up.

There are obvious implications for national security as well. Port security and shipping containers have often been cited as a major security risk. If someone tampers with your container in the middle of the Pacific, Uncle Sam might want a head's up too.

What I like about SkyBitz's PR move is that it's tied to its business value proposition. It's a creative way to offer a feel good story -- at a national level -- that demonstrates the value of their technology.

Any drawbacks?
Yes. First and foremost, the Website, http://www.trackthetree.com is down. It's been down -- from the best I can tell on Firefox, IE and Chrome -- from the moment I saw this announcement which is now approaching two days. A great idea, a great story and one technology glitch takes the wind out of your sails. No pun intended.

Secondly, I take exception to the quote used in the press release making this announcement:

"We are excited (emphasis added) to provide this unique and interactive experience for everyone, young and old, to get engaged in this event and the activities and history that surround it," said SkyBitz Senior Vice President of Marketing Craig Montgomery.

Seriously? Excited? Of course you are, I'm excited too! Let's give them some facts or statistics -- something that defies expectations and is relevant to the business. For example:

• On average, how many miles to Christmas Trees cover each year?
• What is the average length of travel for the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree?
• How far will this year's tree travel relative to historical distances?
• How many miles does any Christmas tree travel for the average consumer?

What am I driving at?
It's a great idea...it's creative, it's business oriented, it's good. It could be great. But it's not doing so well. I did a quick Google News search which displayed zero editorial placements, the Potomac Tech Wire notwithstanding and Reuters, which picked up their press release. I also did a Google blog search -- one placement to date in 2009: Tulsa Daily Commerce and Legal News. Yes, I searched Twitter too: 10 Tweets.

What should SkyBitz do?
SkyBitz has a good story. First, fix the Web site -- make sure that it works. Second, add some color to the story. There have got to be a million interesting facts about how Christmas trees and the associated travels. Maybe there's a green theme too -- don't discount that -- green is important. Third, think big. There's much that can be done with this: how about partnering with NORAD to track Santa on Christmas Eve. How about controversy? Who knows, maybe NORAD's got it wrong!

Final thoughts
I'm playing Monday morning quarterback -- its easier to sit in an arm chair and provide constructive criticism, and a lot harder to think creatively when we all have so many other tasks to juggle. I understand that, however, if you are going to do it....do it right. I believe SkyBitz has got something here and it seems to me they have done this before; it just needs some fresh air.

Disclaimer
About five or six years ago, I did some freelance work for a small PR shop that counted SkyBitz as a client. I pitched a SkyBitz story and landed them a segment on CNBC about port security. I didn't get to actually see the interview because Washington, DC was pounded with an uncanny amount of snow -- to the tune of three feet -- the night before; my little Toyota Corolla couldn't make the trip. Now I drive a Jeep, am happily employed and I haven't talked to anyone from SkyBitz since then. My affiliation with SkyBitz is dubious, but chalk one up for the FTC.

PR lesson: a picture's worth a thousand words

The White House's communications staff has taken a beating over its ill advised move to attack Fox News. While it probably wasn't smart, I've heard some commentators say it's a brilliant strategy: making a big deal out of Fox keeps the real challenges of the day -- like the stagnant unemployment numbers or the indecision with regards to Afghanistan -- off the airwaves and out of ink.

Even so, the White House PR staff may have scored a small victory. The White House allegedly asked (ordered?) doctors attending photo opportunity in support of the Administration's health care policy to wear white lab coats. What better image could there be for a President pursuing a health care policy than a hundred or so doctors, who clearly look like doctors, looking on adoringly as he takes the podium? Few, if any.

Some media and bloggers, mostly the kind that lean right, though not all, have run a story chiding the White House for a creative PR stunt. These outlets have also run accompanying lab coat images, or b-roll in the case of broadcast, over and over and over. The negative stories, with these images, nets out as helpful, not harmful.

What do you think people will remember? The story or the photo?

This isn't a new tactic. I recall a graduate school case study with very similar circumstances, where Reagan's images were more powerful than the news stories attacking him. Ironically, the negative stories actually shored-up his support.

The point here isn't to debate politics, polices, or even ethics -- rather it's to make a PR point. The President clearly believes in his policies (though that doesn't make them right) and his PR staff's job is to get the message out in order to sway public opinion in his favor. Attacking Fox News probably won't help the Administration, but a photo opportunity just might. After all, a picture's worth a thousand words.

PR's worth a read section - October 15, 2009

Here's a look at some good reads around the Web for PR pros:

• Putting the smack down in crisis communications. @philipshaw passed this one along on Twitter -- a case study (of sorts) about how Ryanair has dealt swiftly with a BBC broadcast program the airline says is inaccurate. The Web notes here are certainly detailed and well thought out.
  


• Do humor and PR mix? Unlikely, but Andrew Fowler notes, "...for those willing to brave the risk, humor can propel your client or company to new heights." I found this read thanks to one of Ragan.com's daily newsletters. You can read the post here.



• So, you don't Yahoo? Maybe not. The MediaPost cites a survey by the UK-based research firm YouGov that "...found Yahoo's buzz score had tumbled from 35.4 on Sept. 22 to 25.5 as of Monday."
  


• When do you intervene online? Someone's talking about your brand online, when do you step in -- and when do you let it go. I wonder if the rules have changed on this in the last 18 months -- three year's ago I might have let a nasty comment on a blog get buried. Today, those posts fly around the Internet on Twitter wings in no time. Krim Stephenson lays out some thoughts including, "Maintain the right tone." Yes, Krim, we can all do well to bear that in mind. Some of us need to be reminded more often than others. Nice post!
  

Got a good read? Share it here, send it to me on Twitter, or find me on Delicious.

It's 12:30 a.m.-- are the cool kids listening?

Once upon a time, we all wondered how Twitter might make money. My, oh my, how the seconds changed things. The new question is: why isn't Twitter making money...a ton of it?

It's 12:30 a.m. on a Wednesday night. A small crisis is emerging on a corporate Twitter account I monitor. I can see it emerging on my Blackberry. Dutifully, I rise from bed, head to my desktop and attempt to log into Twitter. Then I get this message:

"Locked out! We've temporarily locked your account after too many failed attempts to sign in. Please chillax for a few, then try again."

What? Why? I don't understand. I try again. Same result.

Chillax? You guys really typed those letters to form something akin to a word, "chillax?" Yeah? I know you guys are way cool, got the whole start-up thing nailed and all, but "chillax" on your support page is like Eminem reading Chaucer on stage in the movie 8 Mile: Mom's spaghetti.

With the mini-crisis on my mind, and unable to respond on Twitter, panic starts to set in. I navigate to Twitter's home page seeking support options. There it is. I click on it. Lots of text about "what is Twitter" but very little in the way of actual useful support. Not a single e-mail address -- that I can find -- not a single phone number, only Twitter addresses.

No problem. I'll Tweet Twitter using the @twitter handle. Since Twitter is instant, this will remedy the problem quickly, I'm quite certain. I Tweet. Nothing. I Tweet them again, this time copying @mashable and @techcrunch on my Tweet. I'm a PR guy. That would make me jump if I were sleeping, I hoped it might rouse Twitter.

Still nothing. They are probably chillax. Social media companies so cool, they don't have to "listen" -- or abide by emerging social media norms.

Mini-crisis is ongoing and I can't do a thing about it because Twitter has locked my account -- for reasons unbeknownst to me. I have no idea why...it worked this afternoon, and now it doesn't. Then it occurred to me, I'm desperate, I need help now. Right now. I'd pay for support, like the open-source model. I'd pay for support, like the SaaS-model. Or premium model like LinkedIn. I'd pay. I'd pay. I'd pay.

So why isn't Twitter making money hand over fist? Why aren't add on services like Backtweets offered on a Twitter log-in page, for a fee of course? Why aren't services like Bit.ly, which offer URL shortening and tracking services integrated by Twitter? Why can't I see an analytical bar graph every time I earn a ReTweet? Forget the cottage industry, there's demand for this stuff today, tonight, right now!

The whole is greater than the sum of it's parts: put the package together, Twitter! After all, I love Tweetburner, but, six or 12 months from now....where are they going to be in terms of a business model? I wish them well, but a spade is a spade. However, you package that with Twitter-proper, and it's money! For customers, users and Twitter.

Seriously, I'd pay for these things. Twitter isn't a game anymore...it's serious, it's brand monitoring, it's reputation, it's a marketing channel, it's a sales channel, it's a customer support channel, it's a relationship channel, it's big time. Sell it in exchange for better service! SLAs included.

For all this musing, nearly an hour has passed. I still can't log in. I have no way to reach Twitter. They aren't "listening" tonight. Oh, to be a cool kid.

Changing names: an unnecessary risk in rebranding

I generally think of brand names in the context of customers. Name changes, or rebranding efforts, are usually associated with the ability to attract or retain new customers. People tend to buy from names they trust, so market perception of a brand name can have an important impact on sales.



Changing a name is a big undertaking, but sometimes companies have few alternatives.
For example, the security firm Blackwater, changed its name to Xe (pronounced "z") after a seemingly endless flow of (self-inflicted) negative publicity. Few elected officials would publicly support a Blackwater contract, given the firm's reputation for being quick with the trigger. That was problematic since the company counts the government as a key customer.

Another firm, Brinks Home Security changed its name to Broadview Security several months ago when the parent company spun off the alarm systems division. Brinks had a long history -- and solid brand identity -- in the security business so changing is name to something new is as risky as it is expensive. Broadview is spending anywhere between $70 to $120 million to pitch the new brand to customers on television ads, according to Forbes.

But it also occurred to me Broadview has an additional target audience to consider other than customers: the bad guys. It would probably be unrealistic to conduct market research on this segment, but it seems to me it drives at the heart of the alarm maker's business: are would-be criminals more or less likely to attempt breaking into a dwelling with a Brinks or a Broadview logo posted in plain view?

The advertisements running as part of the rebranding campaign don't seem to indicate that's a problem. In both the 30 and 60 second spots, just having an alarm system doesn't actually prevent break-ins, rather the sounding alarm causes criminals to abort the process.

I'm not in the trenches at Broadview, so its easy for me to second guess the company's decision. Still I can't help but think this was an unnecessary risk to change a venerable name to something new and absent a reputation -- especially since Forbes reported the firm could have kept the Brinks name for as long as three years.

At least Broadview didn't go with a line extension -- a-la Diet Brinks -- that would have brought a patrol car visit from the Ries' Pieces police.

Four Must Read Resources for PR Pros

There's no shortage of information for public relations professional on the Web, but time is always short. To that end, the key is to sift through what's important. I like to read everything I can get my hands on and therefore subscribe to a lot of stuff. In the course of doing so, there's a handful of resources that are both free, and I've found, quite valuable.

Here they are in random order:

PR Daily: After scouring the web for the best industry stories, the staff at the PR trade publication Ragan's kicks out a daily e-mail newsletter with links to the best stuff. This is a must read for any PR pro. The links and stories included daily are sometimes serious, sometimes outrageous, sometimes quite useful. You can subscribe for here.

PR Newser: Part of the Mediabistro pipeline, PR Newser wraps up the days events with pithy and often scandalous notes. It's a good read for sure, and one thing worth pointing out, the editors are PR pros and therefore have an excellent sense of what's relevant. You can subscribe to this e-mail newsletter here.

O'Dwyers PR Blog: I'm always sure to check the drumbeat on O'Dwyers PR Blog two or three times a week because it has sharp analysis of current PR events. They call the shots like they see them, and though I don't always agree with their conclusions (especially the political analysis) I certainly respect the time, effort and thought that goes into their posts. The one aspect about this blog I admire the most is that they will put a stake in the ground when everyone else is mum. It's enough to keep you thinking. You can read this blog here.

Alltop for PR: An online magazine rack of sorts -- at least that's what the founder calls it. Alltop.com pulls together the best blogs of a given topic: simply type your topic in the search bar and presto, instant content. If you search by the key word "PR" you'll find good reads from Brian Solis, Shel Hotz, and Deirdre Breakenridge and dozens of other industry thought-leaders all on one page. Read Alltop for PR here.

Got a good resource for PR pros? Please share it in the comments section.