With a little bit of flair something routine can turn a non-story into a media frenzy.  Recently unemployed, JetBlue flight attendant, Steven Slater, is a good example of what I am talking about from which PR people can take a lesson.

Let’s consider that right now, in the skies above us, there is a flight attendant losing his or her temper at an unreasonable passenger.  Having traveled extensively for 15+ years I can almost guarantee that this is happening now and that it happen every day, but we rarely hear about it.  What occurred in this case?  Slater decided to take some beer then leave the plain via the emergency slide.  It was probably not the right thing to do, but the guy’s got style.

So what good can you take from this?  When you have something you want media coverage for do something a little mysterious.  (Why did he take the beer? Was he going to drink it on the tarmac?) Then do something unexpected.  (We all know about the emergencies shoot, but no one would open one if it wasn’t an emergency, right?)  This technique is especially effective for new product launches and launching new integrated marketing campaigns.  It allows you to lead with some buzz rather than the ho-hum.  “Acme Widget Company launches version 5.2 of its Super Widget,” is a snooze.  “Alien technology allows new widget to solve the industry’s biggest problems,” is getting somewhere.

Have some fun, take some risks.  Take some beer and use the emergency slide.
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Super Bowl Buzz 02/10/2010
 
The primary tenet of Marketing Public Relations (MPR) implores marketers to garner media mentions and spread word-of-mouth through connectors that are not compensated for doing so.  Strictly speaking, advertising is not MPR, but in the case of the commercials run during the Super Bowl, I will confidently argue that the true value of these spots is their MPR component.  Certainly, if you have been anywhere in the plugged in world in the last week’s time you’ve heard or read about these ads and talked to someone about them.  Many media outlets from the Today Show, to NPR’s Marketplace, to Ad Age have given their analysis, and therefore, given loads of media mentions.  But what about buzz?

Here’s where I can use your help.  I have created a short survey and I ask you to complete it and to spread the word.  I am happy to share the results with you and I am working on a prize for a drawing.

Click her to start.  It will take you less than 10 minutes.  I promise.

Thanks for your help.  And thanks to Time Magazine’s Website for the links.
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Take notice, the current philosophy of marketing is moving from the marketing concept where “customer is king” and shifting toward the interaction concept, where relationship is king, and the brand is owned by both the firm and the customer.  In this segment of PRI’s To the Best of Our Knowledge, author of New York Times Magazine’s column, “Consumed,” Rob Walker discusses how word-of-mouth can support or radically change the meaning of a brand.  This well illustrates how stories conveying reputation, relationship, experience, and symbolism define the value of a brand.

Become an MPR Fan on Facebook
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There are things I wish I had included in the text, but just didn’t have the room for them.  The MPR campaigns executed by Diageo in support of their Captain Morgan brand rum and themed around the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections are an example.   They incorporated social media by having www.captainmorganforpresident.com link to a Facebook fan page, and they used traditional media by distributing some great press releases, albeit tongue-in-cheek to the mainstream press.  In 2008 the release they spelled out the “Captain’s” platform and posted a YouTube video.  In the 2004 release they promoted an event during the Republican convention giving rides to the Hamptons to people who wanted to get away from Manhattan and the bustle of the convention.   Really a great concept with strong execution.

Reflections:

What makes a great press release?  What elements of greatness does the 2004 Diageo release show?

What are the common threads that tie traditional media, social media, and event PR together?
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Thanks to the most creative Creative Director I know, Bill Childs (Morning Call/Tribune) for sharing this.
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An article in the June 21, edition of the New York Times Magazine outlines a new promotional plan by Hyatt.  The campaign aims to build loyalty among the hotel chain’s best customers by having hotel staff perform “random acts of generosity.”  The idea, of course, is that those customers on the receiving end of these acts will experience the feeling of gratitude and reciprocate by booking more stays at Hyatt properties.  The article nicely backs up the notion of loyalty building by citing a paper written by University of Washington professor Robert Palmateri entitled, “ The Role of Customer Gratitude in Relationship Marketing,” the will appear in the July 2009 edition of the Journal of Marketing.

In addition to being a loyalty builder, this promotion is also an MPR campaign.  It is particularly interesting because it has potential for great success, while facing some classic MPR challenges.  Hyatt is faced with handling a couple double edged MPR swords.  First is that of media coverage.  Mainstream media outlets like the NY Times and USA Today are covering the story, and the blogosphere is chattering with posts appearing on the Economist’s Gulliver blog, several hotel/travel industry blogs, and even posts on personal blogs and Twitter accounts.  The potential downside, however, is that all of these otherwise excellent media mentions can serve to take the “randomness” out of the campaign, thereby diminishing its authenticity and credibility.

The campaign’s generosity is also targeted all Hyatt customers regardless of how often they use the chain’s services.  This is a good idea because it will not make any particular class of customer feel left out, and will likely help spread word-of-mouth across a broad cross section of Hyatt customer types.  It can be argued, however, that most customers are not the “road warrior” types and, therefore, don’t have a large circle of influence among frequent travelers.  In light of this fact, would it be reasonable to suggest that Hyatt concentrate on the high frequency and high luxury (that is- high profit) customers?  As there is a standard set within the travel industry for treating good customers better than the average ones, this sort of segmentation can increase the effectiveness of the campaign without alienating too many customers.  We’ll be able to judge Hyatt’s success by how long they keep this up, and, perhaps, by the number of imitators this campaign spawns.

If any readers experience this treatment at a Hyatt, please post a comment to this blog entry or shoot me an email.

Reflection:

What MPR opportunities is Hyatt missing?

Is there anything in particular that Hyatt can do to allow them to maximize their use of MPR without diluting the fact that they are truly performing random acts of generosity?

Is a broad segmentation approach best?

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Here’s an interesting debate starter.  Sarah Palin, or at least some folks claiming to represent her, have started an MPR campaign to attempt to get veteran talk show host David Letterman fired.  The Palin camp has accused Letterman of making indecent remarks about Palin’s 14 year old daughter.  In retaliation to Letterman’s comments, the pro Palin people have created a website , distributed a press release, organized a rally outside the Ed Sullivan Theater where Letterman tapes his show, and created a Facebook page.  The website even includes tips on how someone can use their power as a connector to further the cause.  The tips are:

1. If you are on Twitter, send out tweets now asking people to go to http://www.firedavidletterman.com and sign the letter.

2. Write blogposts identifying the sponsors! (see the far left column for the list) {They also mention writing to the sponsors}

3. Call your local talk radio program today and promote the site http://www.firedavidletterman.com

4. Join the Facebook Group "Fire David Letterman" and message all your friends on Facebook to join the group.

5. Call 3 friends tonight and ask them to sign the letter at http://www.firedavidletterman.com

6. Email all your contacts and ask them to sign the letter at http://wwwfiredavidletterman.com

It is not my place to say who I believe is right or wrong on this issue.  It is my business to point out that even those with limited mainstream media experience and a limited budget can take on the big established media players.  Almost anyone can employee techniques of media relations, social media, and word-of-mouth (MPR-that is) much the same way these Letterman lampooners have.

Reflection:

What is the motive of the Palin camp?

What are the Palinites doing right relative to using MPR?

What could they do better?

Does Letterman or CBS have something to gain or lose? How should they respond, if at all?

 

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