Facebook is Ageless

by Roger Pynn

We hear a lot of feedback from clients who wonder whether Facebook and other viral media are appropriate tools for their brands.  A hospital in a community with a large senior population, for instance, grappled with that question, questioning whether their constituents are “on” Facebook.

When I first read this post by Lauren Pelkey on Eric Qualman’s Socialnomics blog, I thought perhaps I’d been wrong.  Writing about the top brands on Facebook, Pelkey didn’t ring a senior citizen bell with me when I saw Starbucks, YouTube, Victoria’s Secret and Red Bull,  nor was I reinforced by seeing Disney and iTunes in her illustration.

But seeing Oreos among those brands did tell me there’s reason for putting a mature market brand on Facebook and using other viral tools to reinforce brand loyalty.

Why?  Because my 95-year-old mother-in-law munches on Oreos like popcorn at a movie.

By the way, she’s also a pretty Web-savvy gal and I regularly find her interacting with Wheel of Fortune online. Maybe I ought to set her up with a Facebook account so she can become a fan of Wheel’s Facebook page.

Page Views: The Holy Grail

by Kim Taylor

We’ve heard it ad nauseam: ‘print is dead … or dying.’  Newspapers and magazines remain only so we can line our bird cages on the cheap, right?  I tend to think that’s an overgeneralization, but that’s hardly the issue here.

Over the past few weeks, I quietly observed while a magazine I read for years found itself at the center of a ton of online buzz.  First for an article in which their writer waged war against a category of healthy bloggers called Fit Bloggers; and yesterday, for a piece in which yet another writer displayed her utter disgust over “Fatties” being intimate on TV … specifically referring to CBS’s hit sitcom, “Mike & Molly.”

Nearly one thousand people have commented on the story; they’ve made it to Twitter’s Trending Topics; even the ladies of “The View” weighed in.

From a publicity standpoint, you’re thinking gold mine, right?  Holy Grail even.  But, if you read the comments or scan the Facebook page of the writer or magazine, it’s not hard to see which way most folks lean.

It’s also not hard to see what’s really motivating their controversial writing and editing:  page views.  See, both articles were conveniently posted online, where advertisers are lured in by page views and click-throughs … more views, more dollars for the magazine.

Sure, it’s great thinking for short-term revenue generation, but at what cost?  Based on the consensus of its readers, their subscriber numbers will undoubtedly suffer.

So, I wonder, is sensational journalism the only remaining survival method, or will responsible journalism prevail?  For the sake of the next generation, I can only hope it’s the latter.

Why Today’s News Matters

by Dan Ward

While attending a dinner with several area communications professionals, I struck up a conversation with a senior executive for a newspaper group’s interactive division.

I mentioned that, as a dinosaur, I still enjoy reading the hard copy of my local newspaper each day, and I expressed that I often find the online version confusing because I can’t tell which content is “today’s news” vs. news from a week ago or longer.

Her response:  “why does that matter?”

It matters because understanding current affairs … what is right now impacting our community, our businesses, our families, our country’s global interests … is important.  It’s why I subscribe to a newspaper, why I turn to the network news in the evening, and yes, why I click to a news website.

It matters because “online newspapers” should still serve as sources of news (defined as “a report of a recent event,” or “the presentation of a report on recent or new events”), rather than aggregators of content that generates revenue-creating click-throughs.

Delivering Happiness

by Roger Pynn

In his book, Delivering Happiness, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh shares countless “aha” moments and makes a fun and insightful read out of discovering that companies can, in fact, manage their culture.  Hsieh and friends have devoted themselves to it, focused on a fun and supportive environment, and turned their online shoe store into a fortune … as well as a way of life.

Interestingly, as his story reaches its cash register moment when Amazon was about to buy Zappos but with a proviso that it could retain its independence, he recalls that the company had become the focus of a lot of publicity and countless requests that he and his colleagues make speeches at important industry shows and conferences.

Hsieh says many people just assumed the company had mounted a major public relations effort to generate that attention, but instead points out that it was the result of their success.

In fact, that’s the way it should happen.  Actions speak louder than words and effective public relations programs are simply good story-telling built around people who do their jobs well.

Part of the Zappos culture is to share openly and to invite their vendors behind the curtain so they become partners rather than having to spend time negotiating every dime of profit from the relationship.  That kind of openness is sure to generate buzz … and buzz is a major tool of a modern public relations program.

Zappos is proof of the power of viral communication.   Even if they didn’t think that what they were doing was part of a public relations program, they were doing it very effectively … and that should be a lesson to all companies and their senior managers.

More Than Meets the Eye

by Dionne Aiken

According to Wikipedia, typography is the arrangement of type through the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading (line spacing), adjusting the spaces between groups of letters (tracking) and adjusting the space between pairs of letters (kerning).

Whether for print or Web, typography plays a critical role in strengthening a design and supporting the communication of a message, but there is so much more to typography than first glance.

For example, what makes a good typeface, and how do we select the best typeface for the job? What visual cues are there in type that make our eyes stop and start reading as we follow a line of text? Or what makes something easier or more difficult to read? Why is OpenType one of the most widely used font formats?

A few weeks ago I attended a Typography Workshop conducted by Ilene Strizver of The Type Studio, wherein she answered all of these questions and more. In a segment called “Kerning Demystified,” Ilene took us through a series of exercises and examples using the following tips as a guide to problem-solve and troubleshoot type issues:

1. Sand in Hourglass Principle – visually and conceptually there should be the same amount of negative space between/amidst characters
2. Like Letterforms Have Like Spacing – theoretically, there should be the same visual amount of space between related character shapes: straight-to-straight characters have one distance or relationship, straight-to-round (or vice versa) have slightly less, and round-to-round slightly less than that
3. Three Letter Rule – look at letters in groups of three to better recognize kerning issues
4.  No Touching EXCEPT Diagonals – some exceptions, i.e., custom ligatures, etc.
5. Consistency is Critical! – there should be a consistent look to type overall

This last segment was very powerful; not only did we walk away with a ton of valuable information, but we also left equipped with tools for identifying and resolving type issues. Ilene encouraged all participants to continue practicing these exercises beyond the workshop in an effort to strengthen typography skills and to make better type choices.

I encourage you to take a closer look at type next time you’re out and about. You’ll begin to notice there’s more than meets the eye.

What makes a catastrophe a “PR catastrophe?”

by Dan Ward

Alyson Shontell’s Oct. 13 piece in the Business Insider reads like the view of a true business outsider.

Shontell explores 12 so-called “PR Catastrophes,” leading her article with the question, “Is PR dead?”  First of all, 12 incidents involving individual companies from as far back as the 1980s are insufficient evidence at best of the death of an industry.  But more importantly, I think many of Shontell’s examples are mis-labeled.

What makes a catastrophe a PR catastrophe?  Is it a PR catastrophe simply because it occurs in public view?  Just about any corporate “catastrophe” would qualify. In my view, the incident must have either been caused by a failed communication strategy or by negligence on the part of the public relations team to qualify as a PR catastrophe.  Shontell, instead, lists several incidents where PR either had little impact, or in fact, saved the day.

For instance, Shontell calls the announcement of Steve Jobs’ leave of absence a PR catastrophe, because it resulted in drop in Apple’s share price from $92.70 on Jan. 8 to $82.33 on Jan. 20.  She claims it as a PR catastrophe because Jobs had earlier denied that he was ill.

I’m not defending that denial, but any time an inspirational CEO who is inextricably linked with a company’s brand takes a leave of absence, expect the share price to fall.  By Shontell’s reasoning, should we declare the return of the share price to more than $94 by Jan. 28 a PR success?

Shontell goes on to suggest that the 1982 case in which Tylenol capsules were laced with cyanide qualifies as a PR catastrophe, again using a drop in share price as the example.  Sorry, Ms. Shontell, but if you would speak with any PR “Insider” in the businesses you cover, they will likely tell you that this case is a shining example of public relations at its best.  Actions speak louder than words, and the actions Tylenol took to recall its products and institute new industry-leading safety practices saved a company that today remains a leader in the global pain medication market.

That’s not to say that all of her examples were misguided.  Where was Merck’s PR team when it became clear to insiders that Vioxx posed a heart attack risk?  Where was BP’s PR team when Tony Hayward flew home to watch the yacht races?

When PR plays a role in damaging a brand’s reputation, it owns a share of the responsibility, but just because a catastrophe makes the evening news doesn’t mean PR is to blame.

Guinness Records are Hot Again

by Roger Pynn

What we’ve always considered a staple for generating long-lasting global recognition, setting a Guinness World Record is once again gaining popularity and challenging the creativity of organizations out to promote their brands.

Here in Orlando, our friends at the Orlando / Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau capitalized on the opening last week of the new Amway Center to reinforce its savvy and hugely successful Orlando Makes Me Smile! campaign by setting a Guinness World Record for the most people creating a Smiley Face.

At last count there were half a dozen Guinness Record certificates on our walls here at Curley & Pynn – for everything from creating the World’s Largest Crayon (a project for Dixon Ticonderoga’s Prang Crayon brand) to several major events at Universal Orlando Resort including the World’s Longest Drum Roll promoting the opening of the Hard Rock Hotel and the World’s Largest Cocktail in partnership with Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville during the opening of Universal City Walk.

Now our friends at the University of Central Florida are chatting up an attempt by their College of Education to help set a world record for the most people reading the same book on the same day with 3- and 4-year-olds from the UCF Creative School for Children reading “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats along with UCF education students and volunteers.

The reading event was designed to call attention to the importance of reading.

The Guinness Books and Records will be around a long time and they assure searchable reference to your accomplishment.  Beyond that is the opportunity to engage large numbers of your stakeholders (employees, customers, friends and neighbors) in a fun way.  Not to be overlooked, however, are what can be huge logistical challenges.  Believe me … making a 10-foot tall crayon was no walk in the park, and just for safety’s sake we made two.

A few tips if you’re thinking of attempting a record breaking event:

1)      Contact Guinness ahead of time to be sure they have an interest.  Just because you set or break a record doesn’t mean they will certify or publish it.

2)      Make sure you understand and follow all of Guinness’ requirements.  They aren’t difficult, but they are specific (such as requiring having a public official on hand to certify your results – which, by the way, can be as easy as finding a Notary Public to be on hand).

3)      Be certain what you are doing is relevant to your brand.  UCF’s reading project is a good example … what is more relevant to education than teaching kids the importance of reading?

4)      Have an experienced special events and logistics team.  You’ll likely have volunteers to coordinate, media to deal with and any number of last minute logistical issues to nail down.

5)      Don’t forget to have fun.  These aren’t things to take seriously.  They are supposed to be light-hearted so celebrate what you are doing and let the media know you understand this isn’t the most important thing happening in the world this day … but it is something people will find fun and interesting.

Failing Harder … to Fill the Logo GAP

by Dionne Aiken

It was Thomas Edison who once said “I failed my way to success.”

That said, if you’ve been following any of the buzz lately about the unveiling of the new GAP logo, you’ll agree they have a long way to go.

Twitter, Facebook and design blogs continue to flood with dismay and negative feedback about this epic design faux pas, especially given the history and brand image the GAP has upheld for years.

Despite the negative buzz, we see heightened social media engagement on the topic through a paradoxal Twitter account @GapLogo – tagline “I have feelings, too. Jerks.” and their Facebook page serving as platforms for continued engagement on the topic encouraging discussions and a mass exchange of ideas.  This has also sparked design competitions for incentives and has increased traffic substantially to blogs and other social media outlets.  Here’s a tweet from UnderConsideration:

We see social media used by a major brand the way it should be.  Showing the utmost transparency and engaging customers on a personal level.  It’s quite brilliant actually.

Looking beyond the mayhem, this silver lining of engagement and level of consumer responsiveness reveal a heightened sense of brand loyalty.    The fact that the GAP is uber-sensitive to this means that they are a few steps closer to finding a solution.  Until then … “fail harder.”

I know a lot of bloggers have polls about thoughts on the logo. We get it; everyone hates it.  But, what do you think should be done about this?

O stands for Oops

Guest Post by John Marini

Let’s face it, no one likes to have their mistakes pointed out.  But, if you want your message to be received, it’s critical you turn to someone who can spot your faults.  I’m not talking about brown shoes with black pants; I’m talking about the value of proofreading. Grammatical mistakes and typos in the communications industry are an easy way to lose credibility very fast.

Although my children have outgrown it, I keep a book that serves as a reminder of the importance of proofreading.  “Rhyming ABC,” by Fisher Price, is a hardbound children’s book.  Each letter is accompanied by rhyming words so preschoolers can begin associating words with those letters and in turn start learning the alphabet.  Trouble is, the author did not know their own ABCs or something went wrong in the editing process because the copy I have skips over the letter O.  There are no pages missing; there is just no mention of the letter O.

I wonder what kind of process the publisher had in place to catch such errors before that mistake was made and what policies may have been instituted as a result.

The adage about legal representation that says “He who represents himself has a fool for a client,” is akin to someone proofing their own work.  It should only be done as a last resort, no matter how good you are.

I came face-to-face with numerous examples recently while helping my wife sort through cover letters and resumes for a job she was looking to fill.  There were candidates that may have been qualified to do the job but were eliminated from consideration because grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes gave me the impression their attention to detail was lacking.   Those mistakes could have easily been corrected if someone else looked at their work.

The only thing more important than writing something is having it properly edited.

So the next time you think you are sharp enough to proof your own writing, consider that Fisher Price book and all those job seekers who are still unemployed.  I encourage you to put your pride aside and let someone else do it.  After all, it’s better to say you’re right than oops.

Anti-Social Media

by Roger Pynn

Orlando Sentinel Columnist Mike Thomas hit the nail on the head with a blog post that explains why people are so disgusted with political campaigning.

It also points out the futility of trying to correct mistakes.

Whether the public is intentionally misled by an attack ad or victimized by the media’s increasingly frequent errors, as Thomas points out it is likely that half of those misinformed will never see either an expose’ by someone like Mike or a correction stuffed in a corner on Page Two.

That’s why we often counsel clients against wasting energy asking for a correction that is more than likely to confuse people who never saw the original piece. Better in this age is to recognize long before you are maligned (on purpose or not) that you must maintain aggressive ongoing communication with those who matter to you, your cause or organization.

Fortunately, many of the tools that are abused by political operatives and which motivate media to push the publish button before vetting information are also available to those who want to create meaningful dialogue with all who have an interest.

Because some of the behavior Thomas refers to has its root in what we call “social media,” you have to wonder whether a better moniker can be found.