Building a brand is often like building a house of matches. It takes a great deal of time to construct, but one small act is all it may take to destroy and it obviously can be destroyed much quicker than it can be built. In many cases it is possible that it can not be rebuilt.
I have been watching the news that came out yesterday about David Ortiz and his being named supposedly as an abuser of performance enhancing drugs. I should say supposedly as this list comes from a report which was to have been kept secret and nothing has been officially verified as of this writing. Obviously for David Ortiz this is a huge blow as he is both a tremendous performer as well as the type of positive personality you don't see all that often in sports.
Still as a marketing professional I have to think about how this effects the corporate entity, that being the Boston Red Sox. In many cases the acts of one individual should and normally do have an impact on the organization either positive or negative. Given the large role that David Ortiz played in winning two world series for the Red Sox in 2004 and 2007 and the near mythic role he assume in 2004 you have to be very concerned if you are the Red Sox.
First of all, I have to assume the Red Sox have some type of crises plan in place for these types of situations. I believe that every organization needs to have a crises plan in place for the possible missteps of employees, especially the critical and publicly visible ones. I believe that the Red Sox issued a statement of support for Ortiz and that in my opinion was a very smart move. They recognized his accomplishments and while supporting him, did not offer him a free pass from any misdeeds he may have committed.
Some companies do not have this option. If you recall a few years back when Boeing hired the procurement General for the U.S. Air Force it was found out that this was a quid pro qo. Boeing realized that in order to protect themselves legally and ensure the survival of their brand, immediate action was needed. They not only fired the woman they just hired, they fired the man who hired her. As it turned out, both were later tried and found guilty of fraud which, thanks to their quick action, Boeing was able to avoid being caught up in the whole mess.
The message here is that you need to have plans in place that protect your brand from the possible mistakes or failings of your staff. The first job of a marketing, communications or PR person is to protect the brand. We are the brand's secret service protection and it's our lives for the brand. I would strongly recommend having a plan in place and I would also strongly recommend that you remember there are people involved here. While it may seem easy and convenient to throw them under the bus doing so may make it look like you are trying to save your own skin and scapegoating these people to cover your own self. Remember, there are 99 ways to go wrong and one way to go right so be wary!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
What to consider when hiring a vendor?
One of the most difficult issues that faces corporations is what measurement criteria to use when hiring a vendor. A lot of it leans toward such "soft" measurements as if there is chemistry between the two while a good deal of it is more focused on how well they understand what you are trying to do or, in the case of a PR or ad firm, know your industry.
Considering the importance of hiring someone to help you represent your brand, these are not easy questions to answer. I have to say that I believe them to be imperfect matches and you try and find the one that is the least imperfect. That being said, there are several criteria I would recommend considering when hiring a vendor.
1) Expertise-This one may seem obvious but more often than not expertise is over looked in favor of costs, the glamor of the presentation or even worse, the basic name of the company. Just because XYZ is the biggest firm in the field is not an indication they are the best! Awards are nice, but did they help sell the company or more exactly how did they help the company they won the award for reach its own goals?
2) Cost-Let's be honest, we live in a world where ROI is essential to the success of the organization. If two companies are nearly identical but company A charges $1 and company B charges $1.50 then you go with company A. While cost should be a deciding factor it should not be THE deciding factor. There are many times when it is better to spend a little bit more and get better service. Some scoff at paying $5 extra on new tires for the patching service but when you have a flat and you have to pay $30 to have the tire fixed the $2o back when you bought them doesn't seem so silly.
3) Synergy-While this is the type of touchy, feely thing I tend to abhor, there is a certain amount of truth behind it. You need to be with someone who you think you can work with and who you believe you can trust. Many vendors, especially the larger ones are fans of the "pitch and ditch" style of meeting whereby you meet an "A" list of people who are all impressive and know how to impress. Once you sign on the dotted line they disappear and you are left with the person they just hired and four kids out of college. I believe you need to feel you can trust your vendor.
4) Honesty-This is a second cousin of synergy but it is critical none the less. You need to establish that a vendor is being honest with you and representing the true and complete nature of their work. During a presentation you are likely to hear all about a vendor's skills and successes and how perfect they are for you and how much they want to be your vendor. Quite obviously you will only hear the good so one question I always ask is "tell me about your greatest failure in regards to a client?" Believe me that no vendor EVER has the answer to that one!
5) References-This is a key aspect of dealing with a vendor and any one worth their salt can give you quite a few. But it is important that you as the hiring person do some checking on your own. Yes follow up with their references but find someone else in the field, actually I would recommend letting vendors know who they are competing against and find out what they think about them. An intelligent vendor will give an element of praise but then explain weaknesses by demonstrating how much stronger they are. In essence it is a back door way to find out the relative strengths and weaknesses of your vendor reviews.
Hiring a vendor is not an easy chore but if handled properly it can be done quickly and effectively. The one great thing to avoid is the fear of making the wrong choice. If you over think this task you are almost sure to make that mistake. Trust yourself and your intelligence, gather information and intelligence and you should be in a very strong position to make the right call!
Considering the importance of hiring someone to help you represent your brand, these are not easy questions to answer. I have to say that I believe them to be imperfect matches and you try and find the one that is the least imperfect. That being said, there are several criteria I would recommend considering when hiring a vendor.
1) Expertise-This one may seem obvious but more often than not expertise is over looked in favor of costs, the glamor of the presentation or even worse, the basic name of the company. Just because XYZ is the biggest firm in the field is not an indication they are the best! Awards are nice, but did they help sell the company or more exactly how did they help the company they won the award for reach its own goals?
2) Cost-Let's be honest, we live in a world where ROI is essential to the success of the organization. If two companies are nearly identical but company A charges $1 and company B charges $1.50 then you go with company A. While cost should be a deciding factor it should not be THE deciding factor. There are many times when it is better to spend a little bit more and get better service. Some scoff at paying $5 extra on new tires for the patching service but when you have a flat and you have to pay $30 to have the tire fixed the $2o back when you bought them doesn't seem so silly.
3) Synergy-While this is the type of touchy, feely thing I tend to abhor, there is a certain amount of truth behind it. You need to be with someone who you think you can work with and who you believe you can trust. Many vendors, especially the larger ones are fans of the "pitch and ditch" style of meeting whereby you meet an "A" list of people who are all impressive and know how to impress. Once you sign on the dotted line they disappear and you are left with the person they just hired and four kids out of college. I believe you need to feel you can trust your vendor.
4) Honesty-This is a second cousin of synergy but it is critical none the less. You need to establish that a vendor is being honest with you and representing the true and complete nature of their work. During a presentation you are likely to hear all about a vendor's skills and successes and how perfect they are for you and how much they want to be your vendor. Quite obviously you will only hear the good so one question I always ask is "tell me about your greatest failure in regards to a client?" Believe me that no vendor EVER has the answer to that one!
5) References-This is a key aspect of dealing with a vendor and any one worth their salt can give you quite a few. But it is important that you as the hiring person do some checking on your own. Yes follow up with their references but find someone else in the field, actually I would recommend letting vendors know who they are competing against and find out what they think about them. An intelligent vendor will give an element of praise but then explain weaknesses by demonstrating how much stronger they are. In essence it is a back door way to find out the relative strengths and weaknesses of your vendor reviews.
Hiring a vendor is not an easy chore but if handled properly it can be done quickly and effectively. The one great thing to avoid is the fear of making the wrong choice. If you over think this task you are almost sure to make that mistake. Trust yourself and your intelligence, gather information and intelligence and you should be in a very strong position to make the right call!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
How to handle expectations from your client audience?
I often find it amusing to be a marketing and communications professional. One of the things that amuses me the most is the reaction of other parties in the organization to how marketing, communications and public relations should be run. First of all, everyone has an opinion and believes if you follow it, then the company shall basically have a license to print money.
There is a great quote by baseball Hall of Fame member Leo Durocher. When asked to describe the fans in the stands who criticize his moves said, "baseball is like church, many attend but few understand." To a certain degree everyone believes that they can do marketing and PR. I think to a large degree it is why so many people are drawn to it and , congruently, why so many organizations struggle with it.
I remember one time when I met with this company and it had a woman who was in charge of MarCom and she was sharp as a tack but I could tell by our meeting she was feeling pressured and more than a little deflated. The company was losing sales and dropping market share. It was only after I met her boss that I realized why. First he was a lawyer who just took the job about 3 months previously. He told me that marketing was just a matter of doing what your competitor is doing but only six week ahead of them. I thought that was so silly I nearly laughed. I realized the depth of the problem when he suggested a possible PR strategy which I shared an idea and he looked at me and said, "no, that would never work, what else do you have."
The point to the story is that you have to treat marketing, communications and PR as strategic tools and let your audience know that this is not some bottomless bag of magic tricks. You have done your job and recommend the following. Just like if a doctor tells you to quit smoking or if a lawyer says don't sue, you don't sit there and say, "no I want something more." Marketing people try to please and that is a great weakness which hurts us within the organization. By being strong and passionate advocates for our beliefs, our profession and most important our ability can we elevate marketing to more than just a game that can be twisted and bent to reflect the mood of the moment.
We can only manage expectations by being strong and forceful defenders of what we do and our area of expertise. Don't be afraid to challenge a poser who thinks they understand more than you in your area of expertise but be sure you can back up words with actions. Once we do this, marketing, PR and other communications professional should be viewed in the same role as other professionals.
There is a great quote by baseball Hall of Fame member Leo Durocher. When asked to describe the fans in the stands who criticize his moves said, "baseball is like church, many attend but few understand." To a certain degree everyone believes that they can do marketing and PR. I think to a large degree it is why so many people are drawn to it and , congruently, why so many organizations struggle with it.
I remember one time when I met with this company and it had a woman who was in charge of MarCom and she was sharp as a tack but I could tell by our meeting she was feeling pressured and more than a little deflated. The company was losing sales and dropping market share. It was only after I met her boss that I realized why. First he was a lawyer who just took the job about 3 months previously. He told me that marketing was just a matter of doing what your competitor is doing but only six week ahead of them. I thought that was so silly I nearly laughed. I realized the depth of the problem when he suggested a possible PR strategy which I shared an idea and he looked at me and said, "no, that would never work, what else do you have."
The point to the story is that you have to treat marketing, communications and PR as strategic tools and let your audience know that this is not some bottomless bag of magic tricks. You have done your job and recommend the following. Just like if a doctor tells you to quit smoking or if a lawyer says don't sue, you don't sit there and say, "no I want something more." Marketing people try to please and that is a great weakness which hurts us within the organization. By being strong and passionate advocates for our beliefs, our profession and most important our ability can we elevate marketing to more than just a game that can be twisted and bent to reflect the mood of the moment.
We can only manage expectations by being strong and forceful defenders of what we do and our area of expertise. Don't be afraid to challenge a poser who thinks they understand more than you in your area of expertise but be sure you can back up words with actions. Once we do this, marketing, PR and other communications professional should be viewed in the same role as other professionals.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Are wire services still relevant in today's direct contact age
One question I face when dealing with new clients, especially start ups is if wire services are still relevant for information distribution. Now lets exclude those organizations, like publicly traded companies who for legal reasons have to distribution information via a public forum. They use these services and should continue to use them.
The question for the rest of the body out there is given the cost of the various wire services, and their scatter shot approach to hitting the news , is if wire services remain relevant to the rest of us? I would have to argue that for most companies the answer is no.
In this day and age there are a number of reasons not to use wire services. First and foremost they represent a cost of several hundred dollars up to several thousand dollars. When you use these services you are hitting an outlet and not necessarily a reporter. Given the immense volume of releases issued on a given day, (90% of them are of no news value what so ever), there is an excellent chance any one release will be buried on the day it is disseminated.
What I recommend to clients is that this is an opportunity to build a relationship with key reporters who you should be building your relationships with your A list reporter. So this means that the Wall Street Journal is out as a publication in most cases. What a smart, smaller company is doing is going after its a list of industry centric publications and hitting up your a list contacts there. You should be offering these folks the information prior to public distribution and in rare cases, if you're trying to build a relationship with a key editor, offer the information under embargo or in even rare cases as an exclusive.
Wire services are going no where that much I can guarantee you. They do still serve a need but I have to say that they are not something that a small company needs and should be used only because there are regulations that require it. They bring no value add to your business and WILL NOT result in hits. Yes you will show up on Yahoo or Google News but that is as relevant as graffiti. When was the last time you noticed a graffiti vandal's tag?
So spend your PR dollars wisely. The wire services will try and lure you in with the bells and whistle's but in the end you are spending your money on items that do not deliver value. In these days of smaller budgets and increased ROI you are better of distributing it on your own.
The question for the rest of the body out there is given the cost of the various wire services, and their scatter shot approach to hitting the news , is if wire services remain relevant to the rest of us? I would have to argue that for most companies the answer is no.
In this day and age there are a number of reasons not to use wire services. First and foremost they represent a cost of several hundred dollars up to several thousand dollars. When you use these services you are hitting an outlet and not necessarily a reporter. Given the immense volume of releases issued on a given day, (90% of them are of no news value what so ever), there is an excellent chance any one release will be buried on the day it is disseminated.
What I recommend to clients is that this is an opportunity to build a relationship with key reporters who you should be building your relationships with your A list reporter. So this means that the Wall Street Journal is out as a publication in most cases. What a smart, smaller company is doing is going after its a list of industry centric publications and hitting up your a list contacts there. You should be offering these folks the information prior to public distribution and in rare cases, if you're trying to build a relationship with a key editor, offer the information under embargo or in even rare cases as an exclusive.
Wire services are going no where that much I can guarantee you. They do still serve a need but I have to say that they are not something that a small company needs and should be used only because there are regulations that require it. They bring no value add to your business and WILL NOT result in hits. Yes you will show up on Yahoo or Google News but that is as relevant as graffiti. When was the last time you noticed a graffiti vandal's tag?
So spend your PR dollars wisely. The wire services will try and lure you in with the bells and whistle's but in the end you are spending your money on items that do not deliver value. In these days of smaller budgets and increased ROI you are better of distributing it on your own.
Monday, July 27, 2009
When the boss is wrong!
One of the hardest things to do now or, for that matter, is to tell the boss that you disagree with them and believe they are wrong with their conclusions. We seem to have morphed into a culture where the boss is as close to a deity as anything else. What ever the boss says is like Moses coming down from the mountain top with commandments. More often than not the boss is wrong and can make poor decisions based on incomplete information or information that is just out and out wrong.
As a marketing and public relations person you have a very strong need to hold the fort as it were and make sure that nothing is done to harm the brand, which we are responsible for defending. In many circumstances, higher ups will wish to please their own higher ups and will say "hey, just do this." All marketing and public relations people have an obligation to push back when needed and say, "no that is not really in the organization's best interests." Now of course it goes without saying that you need to have your facts and arguments ready if you are going to do this. It should not be a fight over ego or territory.
Of course one has to set a limit regarding what they are willing to do. Trying to turn back the tide is of course a fool's errand and it is more likely than being bombastic and picking fights every time, one should choose the course of education. Being able to point out an example of when the wrong choice was made and how you might have handled it differently is an ideal teaching moment, to use a phrase from last week.
One thing marketing and public relations people also need to do a better job on is educating higher ups on what their role is. One example is from an organization where I previously worked. They were very news release happy. To the point where they were doing 2 to 3 per week. All of it was white noise and senior executives, including the CEO expected full front page coverage for each announcement. Needless to say nothing happened and I was able to tell them why.
At first I met a lot of resistance and the always laughable, "you don't know what you are talking about." So I put them on a diet and limited releases to 1-2 per month. This resulted in a more deliberative fashion to the development of news releases, a more strategic usage of PR and in the long run, strong relationships with the news media.
So the key here is education, fact and ultimately endurance. Educating the boss is not a sprint. Far from it, this will be a marathon and not a sprint! But ultimately if you have strength and perseverance you will prevail!
As a marketing and public relations person you have a very strong need to hold the fort as it were and make sure that nothing is done to harm the brand, which we are responsible for defending. In many circumstances, higher ups will wish to please their own higher ups and will say "hey, just do this." All marketing and public relations people have an obligation to push back when needed and say, "no that is not really in the organization's best interests." Now of course it goes without saying that you need to have your facts and arguments ready if you are going to do this. It should not be a fight over ego or territory.
Of course one has to set a limit regarding what they are willing to do. Trying to turn back the tide is of course a fool's errand and it is more likely than being bombastic and picking fights every time, one should choose the course of education. Being able to point out an example of when the wrong choice was made and how you might have handled it differently is an ideal teaching moment, to use a phrase from last week.
One thing marketing and public relations people also need to do a better job on is educating higher ups on what their role is. One example is from an organization where I previously worked. They were very news release happy. To the point where they were doing 2 to 3 per week. All of it was white noise and senior executives, including the CEO expected full front page coverage for each announcement. Needless to say nothing happened and I was able to tell them why.
At first I met a lot of resistance and the always laughable, "you don't know what you are talking about." So I put them on a diet and limited releases to 1-2 per month. This resulted in a more deliberative fashion to the development of news releases, a more strategic usage of PR and in the long run, strong relationships with the news media.
So the key here is education, fact and ultimately endurance. Educating the boss is not a sprint. Far from it, this will be a marathon and not a sprint! But ultimately if you have strength and perseverance you will prevail!
Friday, July 24, 2009
How one comment can ruin your entire week, or worse!
I am sure that this past Wednesday at lunchtime, President Obama was thinking about what he was going to say during his press conference that evening. I am sure he had a number of key points he was going to address and even had a few gems in there that he was sure would be all over the newscasts the next morning. However, the next morning very little of what he had to say about health care was in the news.
Instead, it was the the one time, in fact the very last question when he decided to veer off topic and address a topic he had no information on that he entire enterprise of his press conference basically collapsed. The president made a mistake that a lot of spokespeople made and that is he spoke with an authoritative tone about a topic he knew nothing about. By this of course I mean the arrest of the Harvard professor by the Cambridge police.
Now the first clue he was on thin ice is when he said, "I don't have all the facts." That right there is a perfect time to shut up. If you do not have all the facts on a subject you do not speak to the news media about it. The news media turns to spokespeople because you are supposed to have all of the facts! So the answer the President gave was wrong headed and to use his own term he "acted stupidly."
The downside is no one really can remember what he was saying about health care now. A press event devoted to a very important topic has now been pushed to the back burner by one really dumb statement. You do not wander away from the talking points unless you want to open up just a massive can of hurt on yourself. As the old saying goes, you are asking for trouble!
This all ties back to the world of organizational public and media relations where the PR person needs to make sure the spokesperson is fully educated on the talking points. More succinctly, good training in speaking with the news media is required so that spokespeople know to give enough information to give the media what they need but at the same time not set off a firestorm by offering information that is basically inconsequential to the purpose of the meeting or interview.
Whomever let President Obama take this question on did him a very great disservice. He has a daily press briefing and the issue can be handled there. And the president was wrong not only in what he said but in how he said it!
Thankfully the storm clouds, literal ones here in Boston, are starting to clear and it looks like a nice weekend. The Price Center Red Sox game is tonight so if we can dry off that would be wonderful!
Have a great weekend readers!
Instead, it was the the one time, in fact the very last question when he decided to veer off topic and address a topic he had no information on that he entire enterprise of his press conference basically collapsed. The president made a mistake that a lot of spokespeople made and that is he spoke with an authoritative tone about a topic he knew nothing about. By this of course I mean the arrest of the Harvard professor by the Cambridge police.
Now the first clue he was on thin ice is when he said, "I don't have all the facts." That right there is a perfect time to shut up. If you do not have all the facts on a subject you do not speak to the news media about it. The news media turns to spokespeople because you are supposed to have all of the facts! So the answer the President gave was wrong headed and to use his own term he "acted stupidly."
The downside is no one really can remember what he was saying about health care now. A press event devoted to a very important topic has now been pushed to the back burner by one really dumb statement. You do not wander away from the talking points unless you want to open up just a massive can of hurt on yourself. As the old saying goes, you are asking for trouble!
This all ties back to the world of organizational public and media relations where the PR person needs to make sure the spokesperson is fully educated on the talking points. More succinctly, good training in speaking with the news media is required so that spokespeople know to give enough information to give the media what they need but at the same time not set off a firestorm by offering information that is basically inconsequential to the purpose of the meeting or interview.
Whomever let President Obama take this question on did him a very great disservice. He has a daily press briefing and the issue can be handled there. And the president was wrong not only in what he said but in how he said it!
Thankfully the storm clouds, literal ones here in Boston, are starting to clear and it looks like a nice weekend. The Price Center Red Sox game is tonight so if we can dry off that would be wonderful!
Have a great weekend readers!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
The lost art of kindness in today's business world !
In today's business climate there is no room for kindness. In fact that would seem to extend to education and government as well. I find this very ironic because if you look back on our greatest success they have been through the combined works of people where helping each other out and extending a hand was a common factor. We all think of times like World War II and 9/11 when we put aside our individual selfishness and united for a common cause.
One of the best examples I remember is the movie Apollo 13 which showed how a bunch of otherwise competitive people came together together to solve a problem. While there are certainly situations where competition leads to success, joint measures work the best as we have seen.
Another example of this is when you are interacting with potential business partners or employers. Employers always seem to think that they own the relationship with interested parties and as such they believe they can ignore any party they meet with whom they have no further interest in. This part is not only rude but from a branding strategy it says a lot about your company. I know an HR person at a large tech company who laments the fact they can not recruit college students. When I asked about their outreach program it was the usual stuff where they meet on campus and bring some into school. I asked what about the others and she told me they don't do anything to them. I said, this tells people you don't care about people you only care about those who can help you out.
I caught on the news some of the President's news conference. I was shocked and appalled by how we inserted himself into the mess with Henry Gates and the Cambridge P.D. Now personally, I believe both parties are a bit at fault. Gates for not cooperating with a simple police request and the police for not handling the matter better. But for the President to say he didn't know all the facts and then lay all blame at the feet of the Cambridge Police. And they say that Biden says the stupid things!
One of the best examples I remember is the movie Apollo 13 which showed how a bunch of otherwise competitive people came together together to solve a problem. While there are certainly situations where competition leads to success, joint measures work the best as we have seen.
Another example of this is when you are interacting with potential business partners or employers. Employers always seem to think that they own the relationship with interested parties and as such they believe they can ignore any party they meet with whom they have no further interest in. This part is not only rude but from a branding strategy it says a lot about your company. I know an HR person at a large tech company who laments the fact they can not recruit college students. When I asked about their outreach program it was the usual stuff where they meet on campus and bring some into school. I asked what about the others and she told me they don't do anything to them. I said, this tells people you don't care about people you only care about those who can help you out.
I caught on the news some of the President's news conference. I was shocked and appalled by how we inserted himself into the mess with Henry Gates and the Cambridge P.D. Now personally, I believe both parties are a bit at fault. Gates for not cooperating with a simple police request and the police for not handling the matter better. But for the President to say he didn't know all the facts and then lay all blame at the feet of the Cambridge Police. And they say that Biden says the stupid things!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
How do you say hello in this day and age?
The concept of how to say hello in the current virtual world is one that I find very interesting. For years the introduction was one of the highest forms of validation in the business world. Often two men, (because there were few women working at that time) would meet over drinks, dinner or at a club and discuss the issues of the day and then if they found each other agreeable, they would exchange business cards.
This was a very time honored tradition and more often than not the initial meeting could only be arranged by a mutual acquaintance so there had to be a common frame of reference to begin with. It was also considered to be very bad form to discuss one's actual business during the initial meeting so as you can see it was very much a formal and ritualistic endeavor to network.
In today's age the opposite is true. We can connect with people that we may never meet. The informality of the meetings are really a case of one friend emailing another seeing if they might want to meet with a third friend. Usually based on the mutual friends word, the two will meet together often times virtually. So then the question becomes how does one say hello in this day and age.
Well, I have always favored the " Hello, this is Rick Sheehy," approach when answering the phone. I always sign off emails to new introductions as Sincerely, Rick Sheehy. I believe this way I demonstrate a knowledge of proper communications and show a professionalism that is often lacking in today's overly casual environment.
I am also a firm believer that communications needs to be refined so that we teach people, especially younger people that there are various methods of communications , (and by that I am not talking about tools.) Too often people think that the casual vernacular they use when speaking to friends is appropriate in the workplace. In some circumstances it may be, but in most professional work situations a different type of language is required so where a simple nod may have sufficed before, a more robust good morning Bill or hello Nancy may be the more reasonable tool to use while in a more professional setting.
In unrelated news the Red Sox continue to disappoint by slipping into second place. As usual, the scrubs of the league are beating up on the Sox. This is typical Red Sox, if you put the greatest team ever made on the field the Sox will beat them handily. The 1962 Mets will take 2 out of 3 from them.
After a one day return to June weather it seems like we are heading back to normal summer weather. God I hope so!!!
This was a very time honored tradition and more often than not the initial meeting could only be arranged by a mutual acquaintance so there had to be a common frame of reference to begin with. It was also considered to be very bad form to discuss one's actual business during the initial meeting so as you can see it was very much a formal and ritualistic endeavor to network.
In today's age the opposite is true. We can connect with people that we may never meet. The informality of the meetings are really a case of one friend emailing another seeing if they might want to meet with a third friend. Usually based on the mutual friends word, the two will meet together often times virtually. So then the question becomes how does one say hello in this day and age.
Well, I have always favored the " Hello, this is Rick Sheehy," approach when answering the phone. I always sign off emails to new introductions as Sincerely, Rick Sheehy. I believe this way I demonstrate a knowledge of proper communications and show a professionalism that is often lacking in today's overly casual environment.
I am also a firm believer that communications needs to be refined so that we teach people, especially younger people that there are various methods of communications , (and by that I am not talking about tools.) Too often people think that the casual vernacular they use when speaking to friends is appropriate in the workplace. In some circumstances it may be, but in most professional work situations a different type of language is required so where a simple nod may have sufficed before, a more robust good morning Bill or hello Nancy may be the more reasonable tool to use while in a more professional setting.
In unrelated news the Red Sox continue to disappoint by slipping into second place. As usual, the scrubs of the league are beating up on the Sox. This is typical Red Sox, if you put the greatest team ever made on the field the Sox will beat them handily. The 1962 Mets will take 2 out of 3 from them.
After a one day return to June weather it seems like we are heading back to normal summer weather. God I hope so!!!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Managing from fear!
Beyond a doubt with live in panicky times. Now my own belief is that we will be looking back on this period in five years wondering what all the fuss was about, but none the less the current temperament is one based on fear. I find it interesting and would like to talk about how much of today's decision making is based on fear. For example there was an interesting report, one which helped to drive the markets, that said most corporate CEO's think the recession is ebbing and business is returning to normal, yet they were afraid to make any investments for a number of reasons.
Also, if you look at Capitol Hill, there is a discussion going on about health care. I don't think anyone would argue this is a necessary discussion and one that may be long overdue, what seems to be the issue is that we are hearing we need to do it now or gloom and doom will prevail, or if we do in fact do it now, time to wait for the for gents on their horses. The only common denominator is fear.
That seems to be the problem with both government and business today. Both of these supposedly intelligent bodies are in fact paralyzed by that fear that leads to paralysis. If you recall what FDR said during his first inaugural address , "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Every school child knows that quote. What is less known is what he said after. He described the fear gripping the nation at the time as nameless, "unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." While today is not any where near as dire as it was during the depression, despite the work of the chicken littles of the world to make it seem that way, we are working and living in an environment that is the opposite of the irrational optimism of ten years ago. Ideally, we should find a middle ground to live in but that is not likely to happen anytime soon.
What we need is for business leaders to actually be leaders for once. Stop thinking you can control everything and realize that there is actually some risk in the world and taking a short term loss for long term success may actually be good. I know that is anathema to the titans that be but it is also the truth. Risk free reward is not going to happen! Mindless risk as we know is very harm full but doing a 180 degree turn is not going to fix anything. How nice it would be to see managers take a real calculated risk and then once or twice take a leap of faith and maybe help get everything back to what passes for normal!
Also, if you look at Capitol Hill, there is a discussion going on about health care. I don't think anyone would argue this is a necessary discussion and one that may be long overdue, what seems to be the issue is that we are hearing we need to do it now or gloom and doom will prevail, or if we do in fact do it now, time to wait for the for gents on their horses. The only common denominator is fear.
That seems to be the problem with both government and business today. Both of these supposedly intelligent bodies are in fact paralyzed by that fear that leads to paralysis. If you recall what FDR said during his first inaugural address , "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Every school child knows that quote. What is less known is what he said after. He described the fear gripping the nation at the time as nameless, "unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." While today is not any where near as dire as it was during the depression, despite the work of the chicken littles of the world to make it seem that way, we are working and living in an environment that is the opposite of the irrational optimism of ten years ago. Ideally, we should find a middle ground to live in but that is not likely to happen anytime soon.
What we need is for business leaders to actually be leaders for once. Stop thinking you can control everything and realize that there is actually some risk in the world and taking a short term loss for long term success may actually be good. I know that is anathema to the titans that be but it is also the truth. Risk free reward is not going to happen! Mindless risk as we know is very harm full but doing a 180 degree turn is not going to fix anything. How nice it would be to see managers take a real calculated risk and then once or twice take a leap of faith and maybe help get everything back to what passes for normal!
Monday, July 20, 2009
What makes a visionary?
If there is one term that is overused in today's business world, I would say it is the word visionary. A lot of CEO's and start ups truly believe that they are visionary because they have just invented the ever lasting gobstopper or something along those lines. I looked the term up in the dictionary and you know it was so vague that the term could be applied to almost anyone.
I found the lead definition, "to have or possess a vision," to be completely silly. There is nothing in the definition that speaks about executing on your vision. I have an idea to make a fat-free and tasty snack bar. But that doesn't make me a visionary unless I have the means to take this product to market and turn my idea into something physical.
Now some can become visionaries because they inspire others. Certainly Gandhi and Dr. King were visionaries because they inspired others, but individuals who do that and whose vision survives their death are few and far between. By this same measure Hitler was a visionary because he inspired people to take action. Actions that were among the worst ever committed.
When it comes to real visionaries one person really stands out in my mind. That is Joseph Lister who is the man most responsible for antiseptic medical practices that we take for granted today. Prior to Dr. Lister, medicine was a breeding ground for germs and disease. More people died of sickness unrelated to their medical problems than anything else. Through patience, action, proof and most of all hard work, Dr. Lister was able to change the world through his vision of the need to eliminate filth from hospitals.
Today is also the 40th anniversary of the moon landing which is one of the great events in human history. I do laugh at the kooks who say it never took place. I do think it is sad that we've never done anything like it again. Again, vision is lacking at NASA and the idea we may not go back to space for 5 years after the launch space shuttle launch is unreal!
Lastly, keep in mind that everyone in their own way is a visionary. If you change you own little corner of the world then you qualify as a visionary there. Vision is saying, this needs change and I need to change it!
I found the lead definition, "to have or possess a vision," to be completely silly. There is nothing in the definition that speaks about executing on your vision. I have an idea to make a fat-free and tasty snack bar. But that doesn't make me a visionary unless I have the means to take this product to market and turn my idea into something physical.
Now some can become visionaries because they inspire others. Certainly Gandhi and Dr. King were visionaries because they inspired others, but individuals who do that and whose vision survives their death are few and far between. By this same measure Hitler was a visionary because he inspired people to take action. Actions that were among the worst ever committed.
When it comes to real visionaries one person really stands out in my mind. That is Joseph Lister who is the man most responsible for antiseptic medical practices that we take for granted today. Prior to Dr. Lister, medicine was a breeding ground for germs and disease. More people died of sickness unrelated to their medical problems than anything else. Through patience, action, proof and most of all hard work, Dr. Lister was able to change the world through his vision of the need to eliminate filth from hospitals.
Today is also the 40th anniversary of the moon landing which is one of the great events in human history. I do laugh at the kooks who say it never took place. I do think it is sad that we've never done anything like it again. Again, vision is lacking at NASA and the idea we may not go back to space for 5 years after the launch space shuttle launch is unreal!
Lastly, keep in mind that everyone in their own way is a visionary. If you change you own little corner of the world then you qualify as a visionary there. Vision is saying, this needs change and I need to change it!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
A perfect summer's day!
Well I should add this is a perfect summer weekend. The sky is clear and it seems as though the humidity has abated so we can now sit back and enjoy a nice day. To make things even better, it is a Sunday so we can really enjoy the day. I remember back to the days when I had a hammock and on a day like this, I would be out laying on it for about ten minutes before I fell asleep. Summertime naps are the perfect accoutrement to days like this.
I am keeping up on my summertime reading as well. I just finished "The Fence" by Dick Lehr. Lehr is best known as the author of "Black Mass," which showed how the FBI got into bed with Irish thugs like Whitey Bulger and let them have Carte Blanche to do what ever they wanted. This book is about a cover up by members of the Boston Police Department and how from the Mayor on down, no one ever came to the aid of a black plains clothes officer who was mistakenly beaten by his brother officers. It was bad enough that he was beaten so badly, but what made it worse was that the police force rallied to those accused of beating him and the Commissioner and Mayor never said a word against the violence. It is an amazing read!
Summertime is a great time for exercising. Today, I will walk Max for sure but don't forget it is perfectly fine to exercise your mind. Give it a shot some day, take a walk with your brain!
Well, I am off to enjoy a gorgeous summer day!
I am keeping up on my summertime reading as well. I just finished "The Fence" by Dick Lehr. Lehr is best known as the author of "Black Mass," which showed how the FBI got into bed with Irish thugs like Whitey Bulger and let them have Carte Blanche to do what ever they wanted. This book is about a cover up by members of the Boston Police Department and how from the Mayor on down, no one ever came to the aid of a black plains clothes officer who was mistakenly beaten by his brother officers. It was bad enough that he was beaten so badly, but what made it worse was that the police force rallied to those accused of beating him and the Commissioner and Mayor never said a word against the violence. It is an amazing read!
Summertime is a great time for exercising. Today, I will walk Max for sure but don't forget it is perfectly fine to exercise your mind. Give it a shot some day, take a walk with your brain!
Well, I am off to enjoy a gorgeous summer day!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Summertime and its joys
Last night was a great summer's night. The air was milky with a high degree of humidity, the Red Sox game was on and I had fried clam strips to eat. To me that is about as good as it gets during the summer. I have to admit that one thing I never understood about people in the Massachusetts area is why they crank up the AC once the temperature turns 80? We are crammed into our homes for 9 months of the year thanks to Arctic weather and now that it is nice out we have the chance to enjoy nice weather and I see all these people going around with their windows rolled up or I hear the hum of lots of different air conditioners.
Last night I slept great and I did not use an AC to do so. It is summer time and this is how you are supposed to feel! God, imagine those poor fools who didn't sleep during summers prior to Mr. Carrier's invention? I for one enjoy the AC.
I also enjoyed watching Clay B stifle the Blue Jays last night. I hope we are seeing the 2007 version of him with that awesome control and wicked slider. If the talented Red Sox in the minors can contribute to the teams success then I like our chances this year and for the next five to ten!
And food fans the clams last night were from the Red Wing on Rte 1 south in Walpole, MA. They were simply amazing. That is the only word I can use to describe them. If there is any food that I am becoming addicted to it is them. Wow what more can I say????
Well off for the usual Saturday routines plus breakfast.
Last night I slept great and I did not use an AC to do so. It is summer time and this is how you are supposed to feel! God, imagine those poor fools who didn't sleep during summers prior to Mr. Carrier's invention? I for one enjoy the AC.
I also enjoyed watching Clay B stifle the Blue Jays last night. I hope we are seeing the 2007 version of him with that awesome control and wicked slider. If the talented Red Sox in the minors can contribute to the teams success then I like our chances this year and for the next five to ten!
And food fans the clams last night were from the Red Wing on Rte 1 south in Walpole, MA. They were simply amazing. That is the only word I can use to describe them. If there is any food that I am becoming addicted to it is them. Wow what more can I say????
Well off for the usual Saturday routines plus breakfast.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Why is everyone so afraid of real risk?
A sad fact of life in many organizations today is that we have never moved far from the "Man in the Gray Flannel Suit," the classic novel and movie from the 1950's. Organizations pay a lot of lip service to "thinking out of the box," and "paradigm shifting." Sadly, these are nothing more than feel good, happy thoughts so that we feel we are doing something when in most cases the opposite is true.
Many organizations fear change like a child in a haunted house. They see change as an unknown and worse of all it may be something they can not manage. A number of organizations subscribe to the religion of six sigma or what ever business philosophy is in fashion and then drink the Kool Aid until the next philosophy over comes it. Sadly, this encourages only short term thinking and doesn't require a true examination of whether or not there are long term objectives we should be setting as goals and trying to achieve.
I have witnessed myself organizations who follow the path of least resistance and then reward this underachievement by saying," oh you have done a great job of meeting a meaningless goal, thank you for not calling to our attention that our reward system is based on not taking any risk what so ever." Look at history everyone! What was accomplished without taking some risk? Do you think Columbus set sail for the new world without tremendous risk? What about Apollo 11? How about any company when they started from Ford up to Amazon? Risk is good and should be embraced and risk aversion should not be punished.
Sadly, we are living in a world where the word risk is being treated as a bad word. Our current economic situation was not caused by risk. It was caused by greed and stupidity. Part of risk is realizing that there is a moment to pull back. Risk is calculating what you need to reach the mountain top and what needs to be done right. Stupidity, and its cousin arrogance, is climbing the mountain without being prepared or educated about what the downside may be out there. Laziness is climbing a hill one-tenth the height of the hill.
So risk is not our enemy. Our enemy is stupidity, it is laziness it is a system that rewards stale and old ideas and doesn't allow for any innovation for fear something may possibly go wrong. Take a risk in life. The benefits of risk, when taken properly, far outweigh the potential for harm.
Now the second half starts for the Red Sox today! I remember when if the Sox were in first at the All-Star break we would be dying. Not any more. I can't wait!
Many organizations fear change like a child in a haunted house. They see change as an unknown and worse of all it may be something they can not manage. A number of organizations subscribe to the religion of six sigma or what ever business philosophy is in fashion and then drink the Kool Aid until the next philosophy over comes it. Sadly, this encourages only short term thinking and doesn't require a true examination of whether or not there are long term objectives we should be setting as goals and trying to achieve.
I have witnessed myself organizations who follow the path of least resistance and then reward this underachievement by saying," oh you have done a great job of meeting a meaningless goal, thank you for not calling to our attention that our reward system is based on not taking any risk what so ever." Look at history everyone! What was accomplished without taking some risk? Do you think Columbus set sail for the new world without tremendous risk? What about Apollo 11? How about any company when they started from Ford up to Amazon? Risk is good and should be embraced and risk aversion should not be punished.
Sadly, we are living in a world where the word risk is being treated as a bad word. Our current economic situation was not caused by risk. It was caused by greed and stupidity. Part of risk is realizing that there is a moment to pull back. Risk is calculating what you need to reach the mountain top and what needs to be done right. Stupidity, and its cousin arrogance, is climbing the mountain without being prepared or educated about what the downside may be out there. Laziness is climbing a hill one-tenth the height of the hill.
So risk is not our enemy. Our enemy is stupidity, it is laziness it is a system that rewards stale and old ideas and doesn't allow for any innovation for fear something may possibly go wrong. Take a risk in life. The benefits of risk, when taken properly, far outweigh the potential for harm.
Now the second half starts for the Red Sox today! I remember when if the Sox were in first at the All-Star break we would be dying. Not any more. I can't wait!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Branding yourself and your organization via social media
Social media is a great unknown in marketing and public relations and anyone who claims they understand it is flat out wrong or trying to throw one by their client. Like any new methodology of marketing or communications, social media has both its pluses and minuses. To hear social media evangelists speak you would think that we are at the dawn of a new age and this is the greatest thing since Gutenberg started printing the bible.
The fact is that, like most things, social media brings both positives and negatives and the potential for both risk and reward to the marketing mix. First of all, from a personal perspective, people see their Facebook pages as intensely personal outgrowths of their personalities. As a result they will post what ever catches their fancy. However if an employer or family member sees these posts, the wrong idea can quickly be established. A social media posting should be seen the same as any other public posting. Once you post it, the subject is out in the open for all to see.
The same holds true for organizations and social media. We're seeing a rush to jump on the social media band wagon that reminds me of the rush to have a web site and have all the latest cool tools on web sites that still dominates web theory. Very little, if any, thought is given into how these materials integrate into an overall marketing and branding strategy. Rather, in classic cart before the horse methodology, the Twitter site or Facebook page is put up and then the powers that be try and figure out, what next?
What I have found fascinating is that senior level executives will parse and argue over what wording to use on a news release, but then allow anything to go on Twitter or Facebook or even worse yet, have no idea or policy about what their staff is saying online. No company will ever let an engineer post a news release yet few have any firm policy on what they can say via social networking sites.
My recommendation is that social networking be treated as all other essential communication tools. There should be very strict rules regarding what can be posted on them and who can speak on the company's behalf. Also, social networking should join web development and other marketing communications functions as key components of the overall marketing plan. By using this methodology, companies should be able to successful navigate these dangerous shoals.
In non-related news there was a bank robbery outside of Boston yesterday. The robber tried to escape in a bright red Vespa. Well as one might have guessed he did not get that far. I hear this story and I am reminded of the old joke of the undercover cop told to go into a crowd and be inconspicuous. His superior then saw him dressed in a gorilla costume. When asked why he disobeyed orders the officer said, "I didn't, who is going to be looking for a guy in a gorilla costume?"
The fact is that, like most things, social media brings both positives and negatives and the potential for both risk and reward to the marketing mix. First of all, from a personal perspective, people see their Facebook pages as intensely personal outgrowths of their personalities. As a result they will post what ever catches their fancy. However if an employer or family member sees these posts, the wrong idea can quickly be established. A social media posting should be seen the same as any other public posting. Once you post it, the subject is out in the open for all to see.
The same holds true for organizations and social media. We're seeing a rush to jump on the social media band wagon that reminds me of the rush to have a web site and have all the latest cool tools on web sites that still dominates web theory. Very little, if any, thought is given into how these materials integrate into an overall marketing and branding strategy. Rather, in classic cart before the horse methodology, the Twitter site or Facebook page is put up and then the powers that be try and figure out, what next?
What I have found fascinating is that senior level executives will parse and argue over what wording to use on a news release, but then allow anything to go on Twitter or Facebook or even worse yet, have no idea or policy about what their staff is saying online. No company will ever let an engineer post a news release yet few have any firm policy on what they can say via social networking sites.
My recommendation is that social networking be treated as all other essential communication tools. There should be very strict rules regarding what can be posted on them and who can speak on the company's behalf. Also, social networking should join web development and other marketing communications functions as key components of the overall marketing plan. By using this methodology, companies should be able to successful navigate these dangerous shoals.
In non-related news there was a bank robbery outside of Boston yesterday. The robber tried to escape in a bright red Vespa. Well as one might have guessed he did not get that far. I hear this story and I am reminded of the old joke of the undercover cop told to go into a crowd and be inconspicuous. His superior then saw him dressed in a gorilla costume. When asked why he disobeyed orders the officer said, "I didn't, who is going to be looking for a guy in a gorilla costume?"
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
How do you market the potential health benefits of a product?
I was speaking to a potential client the other day about their product. Without giving away the details it is a product that can offer a healthier alternative to a product line currently on the market. Think of this as diet soda to soda with sugar.
Now the issue is that the health benefits are not medical ones. We do not lower cholesterol or improve your heart rate. This is simply a better way to live your life and offers a number of benefits when compared to the alternatives. This is what makes it such a challenge because the marketing of this product needs to be forceful enough to capture the attention of the audience while not stepping on any of the myriad of land mines that exist.
What I have recommended and would recommend in this case is that the client pursue a policy that stresses the unique benefits of the product. Don't simply market it as product X with these benefits but instead stand up and claim that this product stands out in the market place because it can offer you the following benefits that no other product can. Be brave, be bold and stand apart from the crowd.
As for the health benefits themselves, they should really not be the focus of a non-medical product. They can be a secondary element of the marketing strategy, but the focus should be on what unique benefits the product brings to the market. If the health benefits are one then fine, but health benefits are so transitory that one needs to be careful and remember the graveyard of all health fads when going down this route. Instead focus on the tangible product advantages.
I did watch the all-star game yesterday and was sad to see Tim Wakefield not make it into the game. Supposedly he was there to eat up innings if the game went into extra innings but after waiting so long it would have been nice to see him pitch one inning.
The weather was so nice yesterday that I took a long lunch and went to Sullivan's in Boston for lunch and ate what had to be the sweetest clam strips ever made! God they were great!
Well back to work and I have a few other online discussions with potential clients which should prove interesting.
Now the issue is that the health benefits are not medical ones. We do not lower cholesterol or improve your heart rate. This is simply a better way to live your life and offers a number of benefits when compared to the alternatives. This is what makes it such a challenge because the marketing of this product needs to be forceful enough to capture the attention of the audience while not stepping on any of the myriad of land mines that exist.
What I have recommended and would recommend in this case is that the client pursue a policy that stresses the unique benefits of the product. Don't simply market it as product X with these benefits but instead stand up and claim that this product stands out in the market place because it can offer you the following benefits that no other product can. Be brave, be bold and stand apart from the crowd.
As for the health benefits themselves, they should really not be the focus of a non-medical product. They can be a secondary element of the marketing strategy, but the focus should be on what unique benefits the product brings to the market. If the health benefits are one then fine, but health benefits are so transitory that one needs to be careful and remember the graveyard of all health fads when going down this route. Instead focus on the tangible product advantages.
I did watch the all-star game yesterday and was sad to see Tim Wakefield not make it into the game. Supposedly he was there to eat up innings if the game went into extra innings but after waiting so long it would have been nice to see him pitch one inning.
The weather was so nice yesterday that I took a long lunch and went to Sullivan's in Boston for lunch and ate what had to be the sweetest clam strips ever made! God they were great!
Well back to work and I have a few other online discussions with potential clients which should prove interesting.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
How does one brand an illness?
There is an interesting quandary faced by individuals who work for a not-for-profit whose goal is to eliminate or make treatable an illness. How do you brand the effort so that people feel the need to give, without stigmatizing or reducing to some type of pity project the ones you are trying to help. I have a great deal of experience dealing with individuals with cognitive disabilities and to a certain degree it is easy to brand this program because we are not seeking a cure in most cases and we can portray the organization as providing a unique community service providing people with the same dignities all of us aspire to and maybe take for granted.
This becomes a lot more difficult when you are dealing with people who have an illness that may not be apparent but still impacts how they live their lives. Take epilepsy as one example. Those who live with that illness take medication which controls their illness and if current statistics are correct 3% of the public has this illness. So if you are in a room with 100 people in it there are 3 epileptics. Yet unless they have a seizure you will never know they are there.
So if you are the National Epilepsy Foundation, do you call out how many people have this illness, do you show the impact a contribution will have or do you try to motivate people via a call to action. In many cases all 3 seem to work. I have noticed the Epilepsy Foundations work and I respect it because they take a hidden illness and have managed to brand it very well without stigmatizing those who have it.
I like their branding for the following reasons. They sell the facts pure and simple. In selling the facts, they make it a point to dispel the more common misconceptions. Lastly, they make it clear that someone with this illness could be someone you know quite well but never knew had epilepsy. That aspect of making the illness a personal issue for the possible client, sponsor or customer is a fantastic way to brand an illness without seeming crass or insensitive.
All in all this is a fascinating and difficult debate that non-profits will suffer with for their lives. They treat very dangerous ground and lack the ability to develop a clear marketing strategy that most companies can use to market their products clearly. Non profits need to work within a field of sensitivity that makes sure they are not stigmatizing, pandering nor understating their mission. In some regards, they need to be forceful while being sensitive!
Well that's enough for one day I think! Have a great Tuesday!!!
This becomes a lot more difficult when you are dealing with people who have an illness that may not be apparent but still impacts how they live their lives. Take epilepsy as one example. Those who live with that illness take medication which controls their illness and if current statistics are correct 3% of the public has this illness. So if you are in a room with 100 people in it there are 3 epileptics. Yet unless they have a seizure you will never know they are there.
So if you are the National Epilepsy Foundation, do you call out how many people have this illness, do you show the impact a contribution will have or do you try to motivate people via a call to action. In many cases all 3 seem to work. I have noticed the Epilepsy Foundations work and I respect it because they take a hidden illness and have managed to brand it very well without stigmatizing those who have it.
I like their branding for the following reasons. They sell the facts pure and simple. In selling the facts, they make it a point to dispel the more common misconceptions. Lastly, they make it clear that someone with this illness could be someone you know quite well but never knew had epilepsy. That aspect of making the illness a personal issue for the possible client, sponsor or customer is a fantastic way to brand an illness without seeming crass or insensitive.
All in all this is a fascinating and difficult debate that non-profits will suffer with for their lives. They treat very dangerous ground and lack the ability to develop a clear marketing strategy that most companies can use to market their products clearly. Non profits need to work within a field of sensitivity that makes sure they are not stigmatizing, pandering nor understating their mission. In some regards, they need to be forceful while being sensitive!
Well that's enough for one day I think! Have a great Tuesday!!!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Should the role of marketing and PR change to reflect the current economic climate?
I was having a discussion on the role of marketing and PR in the current economic client with a colleague recently and a good question came up. Should PR and marketing change their respective roles based on the current economic turmoil. After considering the question, I came up with a truly enigmatic answer, yes and no.
First of all, marketing and PR HAVE changed as a result of the economic situation we are currently facing. For one thing, all marketing and PR professional know that their budgets are often the very first things to be cut while at the same time they are expected to ramp up what they are responsible for doing. In other words, give us more with much less and do so while smiling. This is something that has changed and ,despite repeated studies that have more or less proven the need to keep marketing and PR spending levels consistent, we are forced often times to deliver the same results as before with a budget sometimes a fraction of what it was before.
Still, there is a great degree to which marketing and PR have not changed. Their role within the organization still remains as it always was. Brand management, protecting the message and ensuring that the message is delivered to key stakeholders is still the domain of public relations and marketing and will remain so regardless of economic conditions. It is the role of responsible PR and marketing people to ensure that this mission is not eroded to an extent that the brand is placed in peril.
It is also the role of the PR and marketing people to ensure that the role of marketing and PR does not fall victim to mission creep. That is the situation where the PR person suddenly finds themselves in charge of something that is outside their normal job set skill set like all of a sudden managing HR communications (if it was a separate role) or event management. It is very easy to see how in this day and age one can feel pressure to acquiesce and appear to be the team player, but if by doing so you hurt the corporate then you are doing more harm than good!
On other topics I have to say it was a great weekend weather wise in Boston and by golly we deserved it! The weather was perfect for the tall ships and maybe now that the weather is turning up the shop keepers and hotels on the Cape will see their fortunes turn up.
Josh Beckett pitched a masterful game over the Royals yesterday. It is such a relief to see a pitcher go all 9 innings in a major league game and to pitch a shut out none the less. I also want to give a tip of the hat to Dustin Pedroia who decided that it was more important to be with his ill wife than to take a trip for personal glory. Sure she is in the hospital and has wonderful care, but to Dustin family comes first. Once again, D.P. proves he is a classy guy!
First of all, marketing and PR HAVE changed as a result of the economic situation we are currently facing. For one thing, all marketing and PR professional know that their budgets are often the very first things to be cut while at the same time they are expected to ramp up what they are responsible for doing. In other words, give us more with much less and do so while smiling. This is something that has changed and ,despite repeated studies that have more or less proven the need to keep marketing and PR spending levels consistent, we are forced often times to deliver the same results as before with a budget sometimes a fraction of what it was before.
Still, there is a great degree to which marketing and PR have not changed. Their role within the organization still remains as it always was. Brand management, protecting the message and ensuring that the message is delivered to key stakeholders is still the domain of public relations and marketing and will remain so regardless of economic conditions. It is the role of responsible PR and marketing people to ensure that this mission is not eroded to an extent that the brand is placed in peril.
It is also the role of the PR and marketing people to ensure that the role of marketing and PR does not fall victim to mission creep. That is the situation where the PR person suddenly finds themselves in charge of something that is outside their normal job set skill set like all of a sudden managing HR communications (if it was a separate role) or event management. It is very easy to see how in this day and age one can feel pressure to acquiesce and appear to be the team player, but if by doing so you hurt the corporate then you are doing more harm than good!
On other topics I have to say it was a great weekend weather wise in Boston and by golly we deserved it! The weather was perfect for the tall ships and maybe now that the weather is turning up the shop keepers and hotels on the Cape will see their fortunes turn up.
Josh Beckett pitched a masterful game over the Royals yesterday. It is such a relief to see a pitcher go all 9 innings in a major league game and to pitch a shut out none the less. I also want to give a tip of the hat to Dustin Pedroia who decided that it was more important to be with his ill wife than to take a trip for personal glory. Sure she is in the hospital and has wonderful care, but to Dustin family comes first. Once again, D.P. proves he is a classy guy!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Thank God for the Sun on Weekends!
Wow I find myself nearly dumbstruck by how nice it was yesterday and amazed that it happened on the weekend! It seems that with Murphy's Law and all that events like this usually happen in the inverse. So that we would receive nice weather when we are not able to enjoy it, during the week for example. I was amazed at how nice it was and as a result was able to take Max out for a nice long run and walk which completely wiped him out!
Sadly, a restful night of sleep was interrupted around 2AM by some amazing thunderstorms. While I do enjoy a good thunderstorm, I am not about to get out of bed to admire them. Also, I have seen enough rain during the past several weeks to last me one and a half life times. But even the rain was perfect because it was during the overnight and everything will be dry this morning!
The Red Sox gave me quite a scare last night. I was watching the game with the Sox leading 9-1 and left to go home. I turn the game on at home and all of a sudden it is 9 to 7??? I nearly had a stroke but amazingly the offense came through and won 14 to 9. I was too worried and too tired to watch the entire game and if they lost I would not have slept a wink so I was glad they won. Good news that Big Papi keeps swinging his hot stick!
Well once the clouds are gone we will have another sunny day which I can not wait for! Thank God for summer weekends!
Sadly, a restful night of sleep was interrupted around 2AM by some amazing thunderstorms. While I do enjoy a good thunderstorm, I am not about to get out of bed to admire them. Also, I have seen enough rain during the past several weeks to last me one and a half life times. But even the rain was perfect because it was during the overnight and everything will be dry this morning!
The Red Sox gave me quite a scare last night. I was watching the game with the Sox leading 9-1 and left to go home. I turn the game on at home and all of a sudden it is 9 to 7??? I nearly had a stroke but amazingly the offense came through and won 14 to 9. I was too worried and too tired to watch the entire game and if they lost I would not have slept a wink so I was glad they won. Good news that Big Papi keeps swinging his hot stick!
Well once the clouds are gone we will have another sunny day which I can not wait for! Thank God for summer weekends!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
And now, the dangers of summer
I hate to be one to complain after all the rain we have had but the sun will bring with it more than just a brief respite from drizzle and downpours. Sadly, one of the inevitable outcomes of so much rain is going to be a flurry of mosquitoes and the accompanying health concerns such as West Nile virus. The nice thing I enjoy about weekends is just the relaxing routine and this is going to be one of these weekends. After the rush of last weekend with July 4, today is about relaxing, doing the laundry, running some errands and I could not be happier.
I was very pleased to see the Red Sox and Jon Lester win last night. Lester pitched one heck of a game and thankfully he won! I do have to say the umpire blew the call on Ellsbury crossing the plate. Now I am not umpire but the fact that Ellsbury was across home and in the dugout, eating a hot dog may have been a clue that he beat the throw?
I did have some time last night after dinner to watch Taken with Liam Neeson. It actually started promising but then because the classic stupid action movie where all the bad guys have Uzi's and can't hit anything and the good guy, Neeson in this case, has his fists or less and takes out all the bad guys to rescue his daughter. Not a terrible movie but not a good one either.
If you are looking for my pearls of wisdom regarding business, I only share them during the week so check back then!
I was very pleased to see the Red Sox and Jon Lester win last night. Lester pitched one heck of a game and thankfully he won! I do have to say the umpire blew the call on Ellsbury crossing the plate. Now I am not umpire but the fact that Ellsbury was across home and in the dugout, eating a hot dog may have been a clue that he beat the throw?
I did have some time last night after dinner to watch Taken with Liam Neeson. It actually started promising but then because the classic stupid action movie where all the bad guys have Uzi's and can't hit anything and the good guy, Neeson in this case, has his fists or less and takes out all the bad guys to rescue his daughter. Not a terrible movie but not a good one either.
If you are looking for my pearls of wisdom regarding business, I only share them during the week so check back then!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Why networking is about more than your next job
Networking is a key tool in today's business environment. That's for sure. But many people seem to think that networking exists solely for the purpose of finding a job. I was speaking with a friend of mine a few days back who had an opening and was looking for some help to fill it. She told me how sad it was to see all these people whom she had met at one point come out of the wood work and say, "oh do you remember me from XYZ event, well I saw your opening."
Needless to say, she found this very off putting. Quite obviously these people had believe that one previous interaction or maybe a prior conversation or two had put them on some level whereby they were very close and were able to network to a much higher degree than someone just off the street. In some regards, someone just off the street may be a better candidate because there is no supposition of familiarity that these people are trying to project.
True networking is within a small circle and extends to include business life as well as none business life. If you belong to a network you keep your network involved on major areas of interest that might concern them. I know to some this is a gray area but it really should not be. If you know of some great charitable event and think others in your network maybe interested, you share it with them. If you are having a baby or get a new job, go ahead and share that. But keep in mind a network is like the proverbial ripples on a pond. The further out in the network, the more likely they are not interested.
So I would counsel what I counsel to college grads I network with, use the person you are networking with to gain from their experience and insight. Don't go into networking thinking it is entirely focused on securing a job. Also, find time to enjoy networking. The social aspect is one of it's best components!
On the less serious side, I woke up this morning to a thermostat that read 49 degrees. For July 10th that is just not right! Well at least the sun is shining bright and the forecast is for a nice weekend! Perfect for laundry!!!
Needless to say, she found this very off putting. Quite obviously these people had believe that one previous interaction or maybe a prior conversation or two had put them on some level whereby they were very close and were able to network to a much higher degree than someone just off the street. In some regards, someone just off the street may be a better candidate because there is no supposition of familiarity that these people are trying to project.
True networking is within a small circle and extends to include business life as well as none business life. If you belong to a network you keep your network involved on major areas of interest that might concern them. I know to some this is a gray area but it really should not be. If you know of some great charitable event and think others in your network maybe interested, you share it with them. If you are having a baby or get a new job, go ahead and share that. But keep in mind a network is like the proverbial ripples on a pond. The further out in the network, the more likely they are not interested.
So I would counsel what I counsel to college grads I network with, use the person you are networking with to gain from their experience and insight. Don't go into networking thinking it is entirely focused on securing a job. Also, find time to enjoy networking. The social aspect is one of it's best components!
On the less serious side, I woke up this morning to a thermostat that read 49 degrees. For July 10th that is just not right! Well at least the sun is shining bright and the forecast is for a nice weekend! Perfect for laundry!!!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Thoughts on how the weather teaches us about marketing
Like a great number of my fellow Northeastern U.S. citizens, I am living through the summer that never was. Aside from one nice weekend last week around July 4th, we have been in nothing but cold dark and miserable weather. There have been either all day long showers and drizzle or horrific thunderstorms neither of which are fun.
I can't help but think of all the people who run seasonal resorts in Maine or Cape Cod. Unlike those in the mountains, who have the ski season to fall back on, the resorts in Maine and on the cape rely on the summer for the bulk of their revenue. What has to make this even worse is that with the economy the way it is, they certainly do not need another weight on their shoulders to make their lives even more difficult.
The point here is that sometimes you can have a great marketing plan in place and be ready to go to market and events out of your control will then intrude and make lemons of your lemonade. Does this mean your plan was bad no, nor does it mean that you failed by not having a plan B. There is no plan B when it comes to an act of nature. Rather what needs to be done is you need to have an emergency plan where you can pull back a bit and then when the environment returns to a more agreeable setting, you are ready to seize back the initiative.
I remember reading a history of the Boer War fought, at the turn of the century between the Boer's a Dutch colonial group who colonized today's South Africa, and the British. The Boer commanders gave one order to their troops and it was save your resources and fight the battle's you can win. That way you win the war. That is true when dealing with attempting to market against the unknown element that is mother nature. You plan your marketing, but have a reserve group in place to act when and if your first plan is not able to be used.
In my other favorite news, I was so happy to see that Tim Wakefield proved he is an All-Star last night. 8 strikeouts is in my opinion a perfect cap to being named to his first All-Star team. Also, speaking of the weather, we had a monsoon here yesterday for the second straight day. I thought New England was a temperate climate, not a tropical one? Oh well it is fun and cool to watch.
Well work will not wait. Some writing to do and then an errand in Newton. I hope the hot dog guy is there with his cart in Wellesley Hills. Yum!
I can't help but think of all the people who run seasonal resorts in Maine or Cape Cod. Unlike those in the mountains, who have the ski season to fall back on, the resorts in Maine and on the cape rely on the summer for the bulk of their revenue. What has to make this even worse is that with the economy the way it is, they certainly do not need another weight on their shoulders to make their lives even more difficult.
The point here is that sometimes you can have a great marketing plan in place and be ready to go to market and events out of your control will then intrude and make lemons of your lemonade. Does this mean your plan was bad no, nor does it mean that you failed by not having a plan B. There is no plan B when it comes to an act of nature. Rather what needs to be done is you need to have an emergency plan where you can pull back a bit and then when the environment returns to a more agreeable setting, you are ready to seize back the initiative.
I remember reading a history of the Boer War fought, at the turn of the century between the Boer's a Dutch colonial group who colonized today's South Africa, and the British. The Boer commanders gave one order to their troops and it was save your resources and fight the battle's you can win. That way you win the war. That is true when dealing with attempting to market against the unknown element that is mother nature. You plan your marketing, but have a reserve group in place to act when and if your first plan is not able to be used.
In my other favorite news, I was so happy to see that Tim Wakefield proved he is an All-Star last night. 8 strikeouts is in my opinion a perfect cap to being named to his first All-Star team. Also, speaking of the weather, we had a monsoon here yesterday for the second straight day. I thought New England was a temperate climate, not a tropical one? Oh well it is fun and cool to watch.
Well work will not wait. Some writing to do and then an errand in Newton. I hope the hot dog guy is there with his cart in Wellesley Hills. Yum!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Is it wise to take a vacation when self employed?
I was speaking to some of my other self employed friends about how wise it would be to take a vacation while self employed. Granted, with the weather we have had in the Boston area, many don't feel like they want to take a vacation never mind see the need for one. But still the question is very valid and one that requires deep soul searching. As an hourly employee, not working basically means you are not earning money. What do you do on vacation but really spend money. So as you can see it is a week of financial bleeding.
I would say that we self employed should take some time off if for no other reason than sanity's sake. I don't think we can afford a full week off, but we should still consider that there are serious physical and mental health issues that come without taking time off to, as the old cliche goes, recharge the batteries. Vacation time has been shown to be a proven means of increasing intellectual capabilities and overall job satisfaction. In addition, a clear link to taking time off and increased overall job performance has been clearly established.
That being said, one should go to great lengths to ensure to clients they are not being abandoned. A vacation needs to be scheduled around large projects and slow times in clients calendars. We do not have the luxury of back up or colleagues to pick up the slack for when we are not around. Also, while a vacation does not require you to be in constant contact with clients, lets face it, you might as well stay home if you're going to do that, you should check email or have some means of checking in for emergencies. But do that early in the morning!
Nice to see the Red Sox bounce back thanks to a great pitching performance from Josh Beckett. Right now I am arguing they are the best team in baseball. They are on top of the best division in baseball so that by extension should make them the best team in baseball I believe.
Now if only summer would arrive. Yesterday was unreal with the downpours and thunder. Now I can't say that the thunder was very heavy down here but the rain was almost of a tropical nature. I found it much more interesting to watch the rain than to work on my writing. I didn't watch the foolishness on television because I am not into the culture of the celebrity. Nature always proves that it is the most fascinating spectacle on the planet.
I would say that we self employed should take some time off if for no other reason than sanity's sake. I don't think we can afford a full week off, but we should still consider that there are serious physical and mental health issues that come without taking time off to, as the old cliche goes, recharge the batteries. Vacation time has been shown to be a proven means of increasing intellectual capabilities and overall job satisfaction. In addition, a clear link to taking time off and increased overall job performance has been clearly established.
That being said, one should go to great lengths to ensure to clients they are not being abandoned. A vacation needs to be scheduled around large projects and slow times in clients calendars. We do not have the luxury of back up or colleagues to pick up the slack for when we are not around. Also, while a vacation does not require you to be in constant contact with clients, lets face it, you might as well stay home if you're going to do that, you should check email or have some means of checking in for emergencies. But do that early in the morning!
Nice to see the Red Sox bounce back thanks to a great pitching performance from Josh Beckett. Right now I am arguing they are the best team in baseball. They are on top of the best division in baseball so that by extension should make them the best team in baseball I believe.
Now if only summer would arrive. Yesterday was unreal with the downpours and thunder. Now I can't say that the thunder was very heavy down here but the rain was almost of a tropical nature. I found it much more interesting to watch the rain than to work on my writing. I didn't watch the foolishness on television because I am not into the culture of the celebrity. Nature always proves that it is the most fascinating spectacle on the planet.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Battle for the brand!
Many organizations spend a tremendous amount of resources trying to figure out how best to brand themselves. Of course there is a very good reason as a company's brand is what it is all about! When people ask me about the idea of branding and what I think of it I think of what is good versus what is bad I tell them the story of Friendly's Restaurants.
For those who don't know, Friendly's is an ice cream based restaurant chain based in the northeast of the United States. They make a really good ice cream drink called a fribble and the food on their menu, while fast food, is not the worst food one will fine. They have one major issue in my mind and that to me is that their restaurants are absolutely filthy. With a few exceptions you will sit at a dirty table, find filthy restrooms or see floors that have not been cleaned all day. So no matter how good your meal was, you will leave with the feeling that you have not had an enjoyable experience, therefore Friendly's does not do a good job at managing their brand.
The brand should be seen the way a farmer sees his or her crop. A good farmer can tell you what is in each one of his/her fields, what the weather forecasts are and probably what the current prices are for what they farm. They know all the pests and know the best ways to treat them. For the farmer, their brand is their very name and reputation. While for a lot of organizations a good brand can mean having a good name, that is only one definition of it.
Having a good brand can mean having a name for quality, or security or for being innovative or even in the case of Walt Disney World for being fun. The point I am making here is that the brand clearly defines to your target audience why your product is the superior choice on the market and why when they time comes for the purchase decision, your name is the name that they think of as the best possible choice!
Speaking of brands one that I think suffered an irreparable hit was Sarah Palin's late last week when she stepped down as Governor of Alaska. In my opinion she came across as very winy and self absorbed and basically gave the impression that she could not take the pressure that comes with being a public figure. She complained about all the media attention she was getting, yet she did choose to put her family in the spot light like this. She is a perfect example of someone who wants the limelight but doesn't want it to shine too bright or too hot. Personally, I think she is all done as a national political figure but will probably hit the lecture and book circuits for big bucks.
I can't believe the Sox were shut out by a no name pitcher last night. Of course that is what has been happening all year. If you're a lousy, no name pitcher, the Sox will be hopeless against you. Give them your ace and its lights out ten run win for the Bo-Sox! But kudos to the Red Sox fans for giving Nomar a big standing ovation when he came up to bat for the first time!
In other non-news its hopefully the last we will hear of Michael Jackson today. Amen to that and good for Congressmen Peter King for having the guts to say what a lot of people thought!
For those who don't know, Friendly's is an ice cream based restaurant chain based in the northeast of the United States. They make a really good ice cream drink called a fribble and the food on their menu, while fast food, is not the worst food one will fine. They have one major issue in my mind and that to me is that their restaurants are absolutely filthy. With a few exceptions you will sit at a dirty table, find filthy restrooms or see floors that have not been cleaned all day. So no matter how good your meal was, you will leave with the feeling that you have not had an enjoyable experience, therefore Friendly's does not do a good job at managing their brand.
The brand should be seen the way a farmer sees his or her crop. A good farmer can tell you what is in each one of his/her fields, what the weather forecasts are and probably what the current prices are for what they farm. They know all the pests and know the best ways to treat them. For the farmer, their brand is their very name and reputation. While for a lot of organizations a good brand can mean having a good name, that is only one definition of it.
Having a good brand can mean having a name for quality, or security or for being innovative or even in the case of Walt Disney World for being fun. The point I am making here is that the brand clearly defines to your target audience why your product is the superior choice on the market and why when they time comes for the purchase decision, your name is the name that they think of as the best possible choice!
Speaking of brands one that I think suffered an irreparable hit was Sarah Palin's late last week when she stepped down as Governor of Alaska. In my opinion she came across as very winy and self absorbed and basically gave the impression that she could not take the pressure that comes with being a public figure. She complained about all the media attention she was getting, yet she did choose to put her family in the spot light like this. She is a perfect example of someone who wants the limelight but doesn't want it to shine too bright or too hot. Personally, I think she is all done as a national political figure but will probably hit the lecture and book circuits for big bucks.
I can't believe the Sox were shut out by a no name pitcher last night. Of course that is what has been happening all year. If you're a lousy, no name pitcher, the Sox will be hopeless against you. Give them your ace and its lights out ten run win for the Bo-Sox! But kudos to the Red Sox fans for giving Nomar a big standing ovation when he came up to bat for the first time!
In other non-news its hopefully the last we will hear of Michael Jackson today. Amen to that and good for Congressmen Peter King for having the guts to say what a lot of people thought!
Monday, July 6, 2009
What a gorgeous weekend
I am hard pressed to remember a 4th of July or any other holiday weekend when there was such an absolutely perfect stretch of weather. Sitting outside yesterday and reading was an absolute joy and it made me realize just how much I missed the sun during the month of June. The sun felt so absolutely divine that I was so sorry to see it set at night. The best part of all I think was that in atypical New England fashion, we did not jump from winter right into summer. No this glorious interlude helped us relax and break ourselves into the routine and it was fantastic!
Now being the sports nut that I am and the devoted Red Sox fan, I have to say that while I was thrilled with all the Red Sox who made the American League All Star team, the inclusion of Tim Wakefield was in my mind the perfect cherry on top of the sundae that was the week that just passed. Wakefield has pitched in the bigs for 17 years and never made the All-Star game and not only does he deserve the trip to St. Louis this year but I think it is long over due. In this era where you have to do only one thing as a pitcher and nothing more, Wakefield has done everything the Red Sox ever asked him to do! Great job Wake!
I was fascinated by Sarah Palin quitting as Alaska governor. According to an interview I saw with a Vanity Fair writer, Palin did a very poor job in the McCain campaign and made very few friends and admirers among national Republican parties. Personally I thought she was a long shot if she ran in 2012 and I think this action killed any shot she ever had. And let's not forget that she has a number of ethical clouds hanging over her and there were strong doubts that she would be re-elected to serve another term in 2010 in Alaska.
I have to also say how horrified I am over the 8 people killed in traffic accidents on the 4th of July. By and large they included two things, alcohol and speed/not wearing seat belts. There are two things I think of when I see drunk driving accidents. First, if the driver survives, and they usually do, and is drunk then they have committed murder just as if they put a gun to the person's head and pulled the trigger. Send them to prison for life and you will see less DUI. Second, if you test over the limit you lose your licence to you finish your trial. Currently in Massachusetts its 30 days. Third, we need the auto manufacturers to construct a system that will not turn over the ignition unless the seat belt is engaged. The technology is there why isn't it being used? Just like the technology to have anti-lock breaks and air bags. Make it mandatory!
Well today is a hard day for people because we're all back to work so enjoy the nice weather!
Now being the sports nut that I am and the devoted Red Sox fan, I have to say that while I was thrilled with all the Red Sox who made the American League All Star team, the inclusion of Tim Wakefield was in my mind the perfect cherry on top of the sundae that was the week that just passed. Wakefield has pitched in the bigs for 17 years and never made the All-Star game and not only does he deserve the trip to St. Louis this year but I think it is long over due. In this era where you have to do only one thing as a pitcher and nothing more, Wakefield has done everything the Red Sox ever asked him to do! Great job Wake!
I was fascinated by Sarah Palin quitting as Alaska governor. According to an interview I saw with a Vanity Fair writer, Palin did a very poor job in the McCain campaign and made very few friends and admirers among national Republican parties. Personally I thought she was a long shot if she ran in 2012 and I think this action killed any shot she ever had. And let's not forget that she has a number of ethical clouds hanging over her and there were strong doubts that she would be re-elected to serve another term in 2010 in Alaska.
I have to also say how horrified I am over the 8 people killed in traffic accidents on the 4th of July. By and large they included two things, alcohol and speed/not wearing seat belts. There are two things I think of when I see drunk driving accidents. First, if the driver survives, and they usually do, and is drunk then they have committed murder just as if they put a gun to the person's head and pulled the trigger. Send them to prison for life and you will see less DUI. Second, if you test over the limit you lose your licence to you finish your trial. Currently in Massachusetts its 30 days. Third, we need the auto manufacturers to construct a system that will not turn over the ignition unless the seat belt is engaged. The technology is there why isn't it being used? Just like the technology to have anti-lock breaks and air bags. Make it mandatory!
Well today is a hard day for people because we're all back to work so enjoy the nice weather!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Recovering from July 4th!
July 4th is without a doubt one of my favorite holidays! For one thing it celebrates the founding of the greatest country in the history of the world! But I also like the fact that it is a holiday where the focus is also on having fun without getting dressed up or having to do a lot of shopping or anything like that. Yesterday was a day that was so ultimately perfect one couldn't have hoped for anything better. After nearly a solid month of drizzle and downpours and temperatures more often found in April, we had a solid, sunny and warm day that made you realize how gorgeous a summer can be in New England.
The other great thing about July 4th is all the fireworks. Newton usually has a great show and while I will say last night's show was fun and interesting, it was much more restrained than in years past. Maybe it was budgetary but I think it was yet another example of Mayor Cohen's getting even with the voters who refused to push through another tax increase last year. I also can not believe that the fair at the playground did not have a french fry stand. I was really looking forward towards a random dose of heart stopping deep fried starch.
There were lots of items on the menu but the best by far was the brisket we received from Tennessee BBQ. It was moist and very succulent and the sauce added just the right compliment to the brisket. The usual holiday desserts were there and boy they were good as well!
So luckily today is a day to just relax and take things easy. I think digestion is the word of the day! I will not ruin the day by talking about the Red Sox!
The other great thing about July 4th is all the fireworks. Newton usually has a great show and while I will say last night's show was fun and interesting, it was much more restrained than in years past. Maybe it was budgetary but I think it was yet another example of Mayor Cohen's getting even with the voters who refused to push through another tax increase last year. I also can not believe that the fair at the playground did not have a french fry stand. I was really looking forward towards a random dose of heart stopping deep fried starch.
There were lots of items on the menu but the best by far was the brisket we received from Tennessee BBQ. It was moist and very succulent and the sauce added just the right compliment to the brisket. The usual holiday desserts were there and boy they were good as well!
So luckily today is a day to just relax and take things easy. I think digestion is the word of the day! I will not ruin the day by talking about the Red Sox!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Happy Independence Day
OK now I am a stickler for using proper language and diction when speaking so the correct way to announce one's celebration of today is not to say Happy July 4th but Happy Independence Day. That is the name of today's holiday. It's a tad ironic too since the Articles of Independence were approved on July 2 and only signed by a handful of the members of the Continental Congress on July 4. I can't recall the exact date but I believe it was August until the majority of the members had signed and 1778 when the last signature was affixed.
I do enjoy this period in American history and find it a fascinating time. While these men did a wonderful job with what they created, they are the perfect example of the law of unintended consequences. When they said "All Men are Created Equal" they were thinking of white men and obviously did not consider Blacks or Native Americans among their equals. Still the message they created was one that espoused equality and the chance to let each individual be judged by the content of the character. What they created was far from perfect but if the Founding Father's got one thing right it is that they were wise enough to realize they did not have all the answers and gave future generations the chance to make changes when and where need be.
I love the 4th of July with the BBQ's and Fireworks and even the Patriotic music. I love how this is a day when many new people decide to join the family that is American citizenship. I love how this is a day when people can be proud to be American and can also enjoy all of the benefits of that citizenship which can mean sitting on a beach if that's what you choose. Because America has always been at its core about making a choice or a decision. Be it right or wrong, we have freedom to make it. So Happy Independence Day everyone!
I do enjoy this period in American history and find it a fascinating time. While these men did a wonderful job with what they created, they are the perfect example of the law of unintended consequences. When they said "All Men are Created Equal" they were thinking of white men and obviously did not consider Blacks or Native Americans among their equals. Still the message they created was one that espoused equality and the chance to let each individual be judged by the content of the character. What they created was far from perfect but if the Founding Father's got one thing right it is that they were wise enough to realize they did not have all the answers and gave future generations the chance to make changes when and where need be.
I love the 4th of July with the BBQ's and Fireworks and even the Patriotic music. I love how this is a day when many new people decide to join the family that is American citizenship. I love how this is a day when people can be proud to be American and can also enjoy all of the benefits of that citizenship which can mean sitting on a beach if that's what you choose. Because America has always been at its core about making a choice or a decision. Be it right or wrong, we have freedom to make it. So Happy Independence Day everyone!
Friday, July 3, 2009
The underestimated power of reputation
I had a very interesting conversation with a colleague yesterday on a topic that is of concern to all PR and marketing people but of very little concern to the C-level folks. That would be reputations. Now of course if you were to ask a CEO how important they viewed reputation of course they would answer that it is of critical importance and is their organization's most valuable asset. But the simple fact of the matter the two of us concluded is that the reputation is the furthest thing from the mind of the CEO and other executives unless something goes wrong or there is the potential for them to look bad personally.
I recall how many bad decisions are made by CEO's from Ken Lewis at Bank of America on back to Jeff Skillings and Ken Lay at Enron. The question you have to ask yourself is, where these people thinking of corporate reputation when making their decisions? The answer is a fairly obvious no! Like most corporate folks, they are focused entirely on the short term and on delivering results that matter for the next quarter or two at most. If you look at most senior level executives they are themselves MBA's or are surrounded by them.
The saddest thing you find at most business schools is that they teach that all situations can be managed and they lack a fundamental view of business ethics. As a result, senior executives do not worry about the results of their actions because they believe anything can be "managed," and they also believe it to be the job of marketing and especially PR to manage any crises that should arises. While crises management is absolutely within the realm of PR, it should be seen in the same light of health care in that the best way to deal with a potential situation is to ensure that they never take place.
Well I had to run yesterday before the big AM thunderstorm hit and what a boomer it was. The past 30 days have been totally miserable and it came as no surprise to me that Boston has had 12 consecutive days of rain! This has been a totally miserable period and I can't wait for the hordes of mosquito's that will come during the next few weeks. I can't say why but this weather has me in the mood for fried clams. I have already made more trips to the Red Wing in Walpole on July 2 than I did all of last year.
On the Red Sox news, last night was quite as the Sox had an off day but thanks to the Seattle Mariners the Sox now have a 3 game lead on the Yankees. I couldn't help but notice in the few innings I caught of the Yankees game that there were loads of empty seats in the "fat cat" section of the new Yankee Stadium, but in the parts where the real fans sit, hardly a seat could be found. Typical of the way the owners see the fans and very well outlined in a book I just read called "Bottom of the Ninth. "
It shows how in the late 1950's and early 1960's there was a plan for a third major league which the American and National leagues were sure to crush. But the new league was offering ideas like revenue sharing and free agency as well as a strong commissioner which the major leagues did not want. However the National Football League was ready and willing to use some of the suggestion and as such quickly passed baseball in popularity and has never looked back. Check this book out!
I recall how many bad decisions are made by CEO's from Ken Lewis at Bank of America on back to Jeff Skillings and Ken Lay at Enron. The question you have to ask yourself is, where these people thinking of corporate reputation when making their decisions? The answer is a fairly obvious no! Like most corporate folks, they are focused entirely on the short term and on delivering results that matter for the next quarter or two at most. If you look at most senior level executives they are themselves MBA's or are surrounded by them.
The saddest thing you find at most business schools is that they teach that all situations can be managed and they lack a fundamental view of business ethics. As a result, senior executives do not worry about the results of their actions because they believe anything can be "managed," and they also believe it to be the job of marketing and especially PR to manage any crises that should arises. While crises management is absolutely within the realm of PR, it should be seen in the same light of health care in that the best way to deal with a potential situation is to ensure that they never take place.
Well I had to run yesterday before the big AM thunderstorm hit and what a boomer it was. The past 30 days have been totally miserable and it came as no surprise to me that Boston has had 12 consecutive days of rain! This has been a totally miserable period and I can't wait for the hordes of mosquito's that will come during the next few weeks. I can't say why but this weather has me in the mood for fried clams. I have already made more trips to the Red Wing in Walpole on July 2 than I did all of last year.
On the Red Sox news, last night was quite as the Sox had an off day but thanks to the Seattle Mariners the Sox now have a 3 game lead on the Yankees. I couldn't help but notice in the few innings I caught of the Yankees game that there were loads of empty seats in the "fat cat" section of the new Yankee Stadium, but in the parts where the real fans sit, hardly a seat could be found. Typical of the way the owners see the fans and very well outlined in a book I just read called "Bottom of the Ninth. "
It shows how in the late 1950's and early 1960's there was a plan for a third major league which the American and National leagues were sure to crush. But the new league was offering ideas like revenue sharing and free agency as well as a strong commissioner which the major leagues did not want. However the National Football League was ready and willing to use some of the suggestion and as such quickly passed baseball in popularity and has never looked back. Check this book out!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
15 days of rain and counting!!!
Good lord when will it stop if ever? We are now at 15 consecutive days with some rain here in Boston. I don't think there has ever been a more miserable start to the summer! Even now as I sit here I hear the peal of thunder which has become ever so more usual. I expect within the next half hour to have a heck of a T-storm as the sky which should be bright is now as dark as late evening! I have never sat through a tornado but boy this sure looks like it may become one.
In some good news, I was glad to see that the Red Sox won yesterday! I thought originally that they were ahead 5 to 1 and lost it in the ninth so imagine my pleasure and surprise to find they were down by that score and rallied to win it in the 11th I believe. The bullpen did a heck of a job and yes even Julio Lugo did a great job.
Last thing I will say today before the thunder scares me away from the keyboard is that I watched Frost/Nixon last night on DVD. I loved the acting and think that Frank Langella was simply robbed of the best actor Oscar. He didn't simply portray Richard Nixon, he WAS Nixon. What an amazing performance and he should have received an Oscar. Well sorry for the brief note today reader's but check in tomorrow for more storm news!
Stay dry!!!
In some good news, I was glad to see that the Red Sox won yesterday! I thought originally that they were ahead 5 to 1 and lost it in the ninth so imagine my pleasure and surprise to find they were down by that score and rallied to win it in the 11th I believe. The bullpen did a heck of a job and yes even Julio Lugo did a great job.
Last thing I will say today before the thunder scares me away from the keyboard is that I watched Frost/Nixon last night on DVD. I loved the acting and think that Frank Langella was simply robbed of the best actor Oscar. He didn't simply portray Richard Nixon, he WAS Nixon. What an amazing performance and he should have received an Oscar. Well sorry for the brief note today reader's but check in tomorrow for more storm news!
Stay dry!!!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Oh what a terrible morning
Well I had the chance to meet a colleague last night who was interviewing for a job. The hiring manager told her there was a project which unto itself is not that unusual. However, he wanted her to design a marketing and communications program for the next 3, 6 and 12 months for the company's principal product line. He wanted her to treat this as if she were working for the company. Needless to say she didn't do it and though it cost her the job it just goes to show another example of hiring managers trying to get something for nothing because they think they can.
Another sorry example I heard about was from a WSJ online article about a hiring manager who will not speak to anyone who is unemployed and expects only employed people willing to work for his company. I may be wrong, but I believe the article also said that he wouldn't pay to move people and would only pay a small increase. Now first of all the PR person who placed this article doesn't really get the idea that you are supposed to make your client look good when placing them in front of the news media. Sadly, this made them look mercenary and not interested in hiring the best candidate available.
I am still gobsmacked, to quote my British friends that the Sox blew a 9 run lead against the Orioles last night. This is the Orioles people!!! You don't lose to the bloody Orioles! Just a bad game and hopefully the worst one of the season!
OK I am tired of these gray mornings and want some nice summer sun! It does come out in the PM and gets hot and muggy. If it does that again today I am so heading for the Dairy Queen up the street. If not, I will try and get some work done but it is so hard to focus because there is no bright sun to cheer us along!
Oh and I am on a self imposed Michael Jackson boycott. From this point on, I refuse to discuss what is already a stale news topic. Maybe I can help achieve my ultimate goal of putting TMZ out of business!!!
Another sorry example I heard about was from a WSJ online article about a hiring manager who will not speak to anyone who is unemployed and expects only employed people willing to work for his company. I may be wrong, but I believe the article also said that he wouldn't pay to move people and would only pay a small increase. Now first of all the PR person who placed this article doesn't really get the idea that you are supposed to make your client look good when placing them in front of the news media. Sadly, this made them look mercenary and not interested in hiring the best candidate available.
I am still gobsmacked, to quote my British friends that the Sox blew a 9 run lead against the Orioles last night. This is the Orioles people!!! You don't lose to the bloody Orioles! Just a bad game and hopefully the worst one of the season!
OK I am tired of these gray mornings and want some nice summer sun! It does come out in the PM and gets hot and muggy. If it does that again today I am so heading for the Dairy Queen up the street. If not, I will try and get some work done but it is so hard to focus because there is no bright sun to cheer us along!
Oh and I am on a self imposed Michael Jackson boycott. From this point on, I refuse to discuss what is already a stale news topic. Maybe I can help achieve my ultimate goal of putting TMZ out of business!!!
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