ArticuBLOG

La La La, I Can't Hear You: Silence vs. Noise in PR

No comment.

We see this statement all too frequently in the news.  A default response when someone does not want to address an issue, it’s the equivalent of a child plugging his ears and shouting at the top of his lungs, thinking that if he doesn’t have to deal with something unpleasant, then it doesn’t exist.  However, an individual or corporation’s assertion that there is “no comment” with regard to a specific issue usually means just the opposite, and the decision to stay silent about a controversial issue often snowballs into a nightmare of negative publicity.

When news broke about Tiger Woods’s SUV accident and the subsequent controversy that followed, his PR camp stayed silent as Tiger was slammed in the news, first for his actions and subsequently, for not addressing them publicly.  They lost control of the message by not reacting swiftly, and public opinion of Tiger Woods plummeted to an all time low.

Contrast this with a recent Walmart story.  The company was recently in the news for a racial comment made over a loudspeaker at one of its New Jersey locations, prompting outrage and confusion.  Walmart, a company that touts its regard for diversity and ethics, immediately issued an apology over the store’s P.A. system, followed up with a formal public apology, offered counseling services for customers in the store at the time of the incident, and emphasized that they would collaborate with local officials to investigate the comment, which is being investigated as a bias crime.  By reacting swiftly, Walmart projected an image of corporate responsibility and devotion to its customers.

Static PR campaigns that lack an acute sensitivity to the audience and a solid, cohesive messaging plan are largely unsuccessful, which is why at Articulate we are constantly readjusting and reevaluating to suit our clients’ changing needs.  An open dialogue between agency and client is a key element of a mutually beneficial relationship with tangible benefits, and we strive to foster that relationship by proactive outreach, getting our desired message through loud and clear.

A recent Google news search with the keywords, “Walmart, racial comment” brings up 812 articles: a search for “Tiger Woods, affair” brings up 5,935 results.  Though the Walmart incident was recent and the storm surrounding Tiger’s dalliances has been brewing since last year, it’s still evident that Walmart’s proactive PR response minimized its negative news coverage and in fact, garnered positive sentiment from consumers, far surpassing the code of silence that Tiger’s PR camp imposed for months after his SUV accident.  So while all PR isn’t necessarily good PR, a swift response is better than squeezing one’s eyes shut and hoping that negative publicity will just disappear.

By Courtney Hart

Four Rules of Social Media Engagement – From Rick Astley?

Early on a beautiful Friday morning in New York, iced coffee in hand, it takes a creative headline to catch my eye as I go through the tasks to finish up the work week.

This morning a headline from Ragan’s PR Daily newsletter did just that: “What ‘80s pop singer Rick Astley – the Rickroll guy – teaches us about social media.”

Did Ragan’s just give me a reason to listen to “Never Gonna Give You Up” at 9 a.m.? Why yes they did, but the blog post accompanying the video provided some interesting thoughts on the connection of the lyrics to the rules of social media. You can read the full post here: “Rick Astley & Social Media,” but the four social media lessons are:

1. Be there
2. Be yourself
3. Be part of the community
4. Be committed to being awesome

These four points are easily relatable to our involvement in social media as individuals, but what about for a corporation? We’ve identified that in order to be successful in social media we need to be authentic to ourselves and participate constantly. In order for a corporation to be effective in their social media presence, it’s important that it becomes an important part of the PR program, not an afterthought added on simply to say “oh yeah, we’re involved in social media too.”

Mashable recently posted an article providing a great example of social media presence for a B2B company. Palisade Systems has adopted Twitter as an integral part of their PR efforts, and through following industry experts and analysts and constantly participating in conversations in the space the company has been able to build valuable relationships and build name recognition – one of their high-level business goals.

Palisade Systems follows the four “Rick Astley” rules of social media, and has achieved business goals as a result. If you’re interested in learning more about how your B2B company can adopt a successful social media PR strategy, get in touch! For now, Happy Friday and enjoy some Rick Astley to end your week:

 

 

By Ashleigh Egan

The Fine Art of the User Conference

I’m heading down to sunny Miami this week for Sparta Systems’ annual user conference, TrackWise Connection, and it’s gotten me to think about the perception of user conferences in general within the industry.  We’ve done considerable work over the years in helping our clients plan and execute their user events, and while the user conference can receive flak in the tech universe for being little more than a boondoggle, we’re big believers in instead using it as a platform to provide your most important audience with value beyond the technology they use in the day-to-day machinations of their jobs.

First and foremost, the user conference should be viewed as a way to invest in your most important audience, and give something back to the people in the trenches, for whom the use of your technology is essential to helping them perform their roles.  Putting together a program of valuable educational content can go a long way toward giving users the tools and knowledge to make more effective use of your technology, ultimately enabling them to better demonstrate their own value within their companies.  Add to this the opportunity to engage with these folks in an informal, face-to-face setting, and the benefits typically result in a lasting relationship that secures them as loyal users, even when they move on to other opportunities.

This isn’t to say, however, that the well-programmed user conference shouldn’t leave a little time for fun.  Planning evening activities and even the occasional afternoon excursion can really loosen things up, and give users the opportunity to spend time networking in a more casual atmosphere than the typical cocktail party can provide.  You don’t have to break the bank with these types of activities, but it’s important to make your users feel appreciated by allowing them the chance to cut loose from the more formal educational setting with activities that help them to relax and enjoy the company of their peers.

Lastly (and selfishly), the user conference can be an invaluable opportunity to educate your users on the value of PR, and potentially even secure a few new references who’ve yet to commit to communications activities.  This doesn’t necessarily have to include getting written approval from a customer to participate in a press release, media interview, etc.  Instead, with a little creativity, it can include things as basic as securing customers’ input on how to better engage them, whether it’s by targeting the publications they’re reading, reaching out with social media tools such as Twitter (even potentially gaining a few new followers for your handle) or taping some off-the-cuff video interviews for posting on your company Web site.  There are plenty of ways to use the user conference for PR activities, and with a captive audience of your customers at hand, not doing so would be an enormous missed opportunity.  

The easiest excuse for companies not to plan a formal user conference is the financial one – i.e., that with the economy in its current state, the idea of spending so much of the company’s resources on such a seemingly frivolous event would be foolish.  Yet whether it’s merely a single-day local event or an elaborate three-day getaway, a well-programmed user conference is an investment in your most important audience, one that can reap benefits in both the short- and the long-term.

By Mark Van Hook