It’s a good review of what not and what to do when your organization has a major issue. The only thing astonishing is that CEOs continue to make the same mistakes when confronting a crisis, and the most important point to practice is having a crisis plan in place before you need it. But in my experience, most organizations will not invest the time or fund preparing in advance. Instead, they  risk gambling with their brand values.

Maybe adding more public relations content in business school curricula might help in the long-term, maybe not if our legal friends control outgoing communications during a crisis. The best way of course is to balance the court of law with the court of public opinion.

But, I have to chuckle — once again — at the in bedded way this journalist like many of his peers  jabs at at the public relations profession.  I especially like the way he refers to Howard Rubenstein as “the public relations agent” in the correction at the end of each online page. This hearkens back to the phrase press agentry most often associated with Hollywood and PT Barnum http://bit.ly/cn0j7Q.

At one point he also refers to a senior communication professional as a communications “coordinator” implying that our profession plays no counseling role. While I may sound annoyed here, I am not; I am over that phase. I am amused that this outdated perception persists. Goodman’s perspective may stem from being an outsider; one that has never had to work through a crisis or more aptly prevent one as a public relations professional.

Having been on the inside while working in a corporation or as an agency counselor like scores of my peers, I enjoy a great deal of satisfaction from assisting organizations of all sizes — for-profit and not-for-profit — successfully protect their brands and missions by helping them balance the needs of each stakeholder and  do what’s right.

Once inside the site, you’ll find fun things like downloads for images or wallpapers for your desktop, links to ads, videos of their commercials and much more.

You have to enter your birthdate for alcohol-related website, but what about social media channels? From what I’ve experienced, you don’t have to, which brings up a lot of interesting issues.  I recently read an article in Brandweek entitled “Social Media Is Murky Area for Marketers” and there are some good points made here.

One of the main points is that alcohol-related brands are allowing minors to wander into their social media channels. As of now, there’s no real way to monitor this unless the brand aggressively self-polices itself and blocks users who are underage. Sounds like a lot of work and it could be a daunting task if you have a few hundred thousand fans, like the Coors Light Facebook page.

A few other good points from the article are:

- If you advertise alcohol on Facebook, make sure you’re targeting users who are 21+. No kidding?!?

- Twitter doesn’t require users to enter an age upon registration. Take a peek at the Smirnoff Twitter page. Wonder how many of those followers are under age? I like the ideas here of sharing drink recipes and so forth.  Smirnoff also does a great job of creating conversation.

- The FTC is planning to issue a report in 2011 tallying up the number of minors wandering onto social media channels of alcohol-related brands. This should be interesting.  The only outcome I can see happening here is that new laws will come into place banning alcohol-related brands from having any social media channels, or there may be the development of a more sophisticated age verification system further down the road.

Whatever the outcome is, the important thing here is to remember “responsible engagement”, as quoted from the article.  More importantly, no matter what kind of brand you are, you need to actively monitor your social media channel. Don’t set it and forget it. Be involved, foster conversation, and if necessary, remove those who violate your rules and, in some cases, the law. One thing I would recommend, like the Coors Light page smartly does, is to post a notice that states your rules. Well done, but it could be spelled out more clearly in the Info tab or by creating a customized FBML tab as well.

Curious to know, what are your thoughts on the issue?

Look at Sony’s Walkman brand. Everyone called their portable music player a “walkman” at some point, right? Then there’s the copy machine. There are those of us who are still guilty of saying things like “I’ll make a Xerox of it.” Really? You’ll take a piece of paper and instead of photocopying it, you’ll miraculously turn it into an expensive piece of machinery made by the Xerox corporation? Interesting.

Or what about Google? It’s become a part of our every day language. Instead of saying “I’ll do an internet search on it”, most of us simply say “I’ll Google it.”

Funny. They’re all brand names, but mean different things to us. I suppose it’s the ultimate form of a brand’s strength that it has such a huge market share AND awareness that it affects the world’s perception of the entire category.

The same applies to the Y.M.C.A., better known today as the Y.  It’s true. After 43 years, the Young Men’s Christian Association has decided to drop the MCA and simply refer to itself as the Y.

Why?

I’m not quite sure, other than to simplify things.  That’s the best I can make of it. However, according to a company news release, Kate Coleman, the Y’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer says ““We are simplifying how we describe the programs we offer so that it is immediately apparent that everything we do is designed to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve health and well-being and support our neighbors and the larger community.”

I suppose that make sense.

In addition to the name change, they’ve got a new logo.  Their new logo is much more vibrant and modern and it still includes the YMCA text.  However, there are a few things I question:

1. What about the Y.W.C.A.? Will there be a merger in the future? You never know.

2. More importantly, will the company lose it’s true heritage?

In my opinion, changing your name, logo, uniforms, stationary or what have you is completely useless unless the brand’s culture changes with it. I think the Y has always served its communities well and will continue to do so. I’m not worried about them losing sight of that.

One thing is for sure, I’ve always referred to the YMCA as the Y, as did thousands of people long before their new re-branding effort.  You have to wonder what took so long.  It’s a good thing they waited until now, and didn’t do this in the mid 1970’s… the Village People would have had to write an entirely different chorus line!

]]> http://www.mason23.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=365 2 http://www.mason23.com/blog/?p=361 http://www.mason23.com/blog/?p=361#comments Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:36:34 +0000 Derek Beere http://www.mason23.com/blog/?p=361 There are times I question what makes news these days. As I passed our wall-mounted TV in the lobby this morning with my cup of coffee, I paused to see CNN reporting “breaking news” that Shakira was about to reveal the outfit she will wear during the closing ceremony of the World Cup. Really? Is this news? I suppose it is if you’re in the fashion business and your dress is Shakira’s outfit of choice, but come on! I couldn’t help but laugh.

Right now, the sports media and even the mainstream media are obsessed with NBA superstar LeBron James and where he’ll end up. Will it be the New York Knicks? Miami Heat? Will he stay in Cleveland? There’s even talk of Chicago. The media is buzzing wondering the same thing, but not to worry, because he’ll make his announcement tonight from the Greenwich Boys & Girls Club.

During my lunch I was browsing some LeBron James headlines. I’m not the biggest NBA fan, but the frenzy and excitement the media has created even has me interested. I thought Fraser Seitel’s piece on FoxNews.com was pretty clever. The article is entitled “LeBron James– Public Relations Genius” and for good reason.  For the full article, you can find it here, or continue below for the highlights:

- It’s celebrity news- and GOOD celebrity news. It’s not about another celebrity death, drug arrest or adultery case. It’s positive news.

- All of the advertising revenues from tonight’s press conference are being donated to LeBron’s charity of choice- the Boys & Girls Club of America. How about that?

- Whatever city he chooses to play in will instantly make that city a fanatical sports town, generating millions of dollars in revenue. How’s that for an economic stimulus?

- If he leaves Cleveland, all bets are that he’ll leave a huge chunk of money and commitment to a Cleveland charity.

Way to go LeBron! If you ask me, he’s done the right thing. He’s played the system to HIS advantage, but, hasn’t lost sight of his philanthropical side.  He’s got a great star image and let’s hope he can steer clear of the temptations many star athletes fall victim to.

My guess: he’ll end up in Miami.

Rather than developing a short-lived “positioning” statement that others could eventually duplicate, Mason focused on each organization’s values and what is true to each as we do with all client brand work. In other words, we focus on excellence instead of just being different. Different is not always better. For more on this approach, read The Counselors Academy white paper, “Think Excellence, Not Difference.”

In the case of the hospital, while it may be correct to have said that Hospital for Special Care is the recognized ‘authority’ in comprehensive rehabilitation and long-term care for children and adults with complex illnesses and injuries and sought by the medical community nationwide for its expertise, we chose the word resource over authority.

Resource is more fitting with the hospitals supportive and patient-centered philosophy, medial care and work in research. Resource also conveys a sense of knowledge and trust.  After all, do you trust everyone and everything that proclaims it’s an authority to be knowledgeable?

Mason received three gold awards in the strategic campaigns category; a gold award for Hospital for Special Care’s reputation and brand management, one for The United Illuminating Company for marketing energy efficiency, and one for Connex Credit Union’s integrated communications program.

In the tactical categories, Mason received a gold award for the Hospital for Special Care video program “Three Lives”. Mason also was awarded two silver Mercury Awards in the tactical category, one for The United Illuminating Company’s “Home Energy Solutions” program and one for Mason, Inc.’s social media strategy and implementation.

“This has been an exciting year for us, and we are honored to receive six awards,” said Francis Onofrio, APR, President, Mason, Inc. “These awards represent the very best in public relations, and we are  very proud of our achievements. Not only do they reflect our creativity and strategic thinking, but they’re also a testament to the strong relationships we have built with our clients to create programs that help them achieve their goals. I congratulate the entire Mason team and our clients on an exceptional year.”

The Mercury Awards recognize outstanding work in public relations, communications and marketing professions throughout Connecticut and are sponsored by the Connecticut Valley, Southern Connecticut and Westchester/Fairfield Public Relations Society of America chapters.

About Mason, Inc.
Bethany, Conn.-Mason, Inc. is a brand development and integrated marketing communication firm with award-winning expertise in new media, digital and traditional programs. Mason is on the forefront of today’s most-innovative technology, but grounded in business strategy.

Clients rely on Mason insight for uncovering and communicating what is at the heart of their brands. From developing authentic brand platforms to message development through implementation at every point of contact, Mason connects people to brands and brands to people.

Mason clients include Acadia Insurance Co., Calcagni Associates Real Estate, Connex Credit Union, Cookson Electronics, Hospital for Special Care, Odyssey Logistics & Technology Corp., The United Illuminating Co, and Yale-New Haven Hospital. For more information, please visit http://www.mason23.com or tap our insights at www.mason23.com/blog.

As Mr. Bennett and I spoke about social media as it pertains to healthcare I was able to learn some things, and there are a few points that I would like to share.  Below are three questions hospitals and businesses should be asking themselves.

1) Do you have a social media policy?

You have heard it before, and you will hear it again. Your employees ARE online. Whether it is while they are at work or when they go home. Either way, they are on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites sharing information about their lives and their jobs. Make sure they know what they can and cannot say as it relates to their job and your hospital.

If you are looking for examples of quality social media policies head over to Ed’s website and look at the list he has compiled.

2) Who takes the lead on the social media initiative?

In most cases the appropriate person to handle the social media initiative is in the marketing and communications department. The reason for this is because they are (or should be) the people with the best understanding of your hospital’s brand. However, the initiative does not need to begin there. For example, if your goal is to use social media for recruiting, then the HR department should be involved. Either way, the person that should be taking the lead is someone that is a visionary and someone that can make that vision a reality.

3) Why do most hospitals get involved in social media?

This answer is one that is consistent across most industries. Social media provides a company with an opportunity to communicate directly with its customers. It is not much different in the healthcare world.  Social media marketing is being used for recruitment, idea sharing, and for crisis communications.  As Mr. Bennett noted, “With social media you are in the room listening to what people are saying about you.”

As a person who has been in his field since the internet launched, Ed Bennett has seen the healthcare industry falter in the sense that in general it has been slow to adapt. Thanks to his work and research, hospitals will have an easier time finding the information they need to be successful in social media. Check out his blog here, and his lists here.

However, what if your company is facing a crisis with an ex-employee who has the only access to an outlet that you had been using for marketing? Basically, your brand is now in the hands of someone who could disclose confidential — even harmful information.

This is an issue that Mason recently managed for one of our clients, and here are some basic steps to take care of the issue. I will lay out what happened and what we did to resolve the issue.

Situation 1: An employee was in charge of communications for a company, there were cut backs and the employee was let go. The company had a Facebook fan page that was controlled by the now ex-employee. The employee begins releasing internal memos on the Facebook page and commenting publicly about an old, but sensitive issue.

Response: The employee was no longer the authority behind the brand, and because he was using a site that had a copyrighted logo on it, Mason was able to reach out to a contact at Facebook and have the site taken down.

Situation 2: The employee sets up a new Facebook fan page using the same logo to release even more information that was detrimental to the brand.

Response: Again, we reached out to our contact at Facebook and informed her that there was copyright infringement through the use of the logo, and the page needed to come down. It did.

Situation 3: The employee uses a free service to set up a website that has the identical URL that the company has, except with a number at the end of it. For example, www.xyz1.com instead of www.xyz.com. The website has many items on it that were meant to be internal and should not have been released.

Response: Mason determined what service was used to build the site and contacted them directly. The site was pulled down immediately. Then we performed a search through the html to see if we could identify a username or email address so that we had proof of who was responsible.

Finally after pulling down multiple Facebook pages and websites the issue cooled down and the person went away. Through all of this, in addition to advising internal stakeholders and preparing reactive media materials, there is one step that we did that made all of the difference. We created a legitimate Facebook fan page and maintained it so that people knew it was the company speaking to them, and they never lost the important engagement factor.

There are many things that could have been done to prevent some of this from happening, most obviously giving control of all social networking profiles to more than one person! Remember, social media is about conversations and engagement. Stay transparent and honest with your customers about situations and you will protect yourself and your brand online.

I stumbled upon an article on MSNBC appropriately entitled “Make the logo bigger: 10 rebranding disasters” and I got a good chuckle out of it.  I also learned a few things, which is why I feel this is Mason blog worthy.

The article references some of my favorite brand blunders, most recently the Tropicana orange juice packaging fiasco.  If you don’t remember, PepsiCo decided it would be a good idea to change the entire look of the Tropicana orange juice carton. The result? The new look created confusion amongst the public. Hordes of unhappy customers bombarded PepsiCo with emails, phone calls and letters complaining about the new look and requested a change back to the familiar packaging. Power to the people – the efforts worked! PepsiCo reverted back to the existing design and all is happy in the world of orange juice. You can read my original blog post on this specific issue by clicking here.

The MSNBC article goes on to cite some recent rebranding disasters, including London’s new version of the Olympic logo, Radio Shack trying to be hip by referring to itself as “The Shack“, Capital One desperately tried to update its look with the overplayed, boring swoosh design, and in a poor effort to “start fresh”, Comcast changed their name to Xfinity in 11 of its U.S. markets. Seriously?

I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of rebranding efforts for all kinds of clients, ranging from smaller local businesses to major national brands.  It’s what we do and we’ve had some great success stories along the way. The one thing I’ve learned is that if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. Many companies get overexcited and feel that a new name, a new logo, or a new “mission” will “fix things” and help them dominate the market place. I’m not quite sure what the reasoning is in some cases, but it couldn’t be the furthest thing from the truth. I couldn’t have said it any better than the article itself, so I’ll quote it:

“The lesson? A successful rebranding involves overhauling a company’s goals, message and culture – not just changing a name or logo.”

Case closed and I couldn’t agree more, but I would like to hear some personal stories or alternative thoughts on this.

While it may be their job to cover your industry and your business, journalists will cover it for their readers’ sake, meaning it’s not about giving Global Robust Solutions, Inc., Best Manufacturing, Co. or Dandy Donuts publicity or what some marketers like to call “free advertising.”  This means that as your company’s representative, whether you are the CEO, project engineer or communications officer, you need to be prepared to withstand scrutiny, and not only from a product perspective.

Today, journalists are more skeptical than ever in the wake of the AIG and Wall Street woes. Add that experience to corporate accounting and CEO scandals such as the not-too-distant Enron and Tyco examples, and you have a challenge.  What’s more, factor in downsizing and the fact that reporters are wearing multiple hats these days often responsible for print or broadcast coverage as well as online posts.

You must be able to articulate your company’s business plan and role as corporate citizen as well as your product benefits. Successful institutions know that goal setting, brand authenticity and a track record of trust are paramount.  …Journalists known this, too.