Before I start I want you to know that I am not endorsing or denouncing gold as an investment.  Thankfully, that’s not my line of work.  What I want to point out is how being prepared for an interview can really pay off, or at least avoid a public relations disaster.

In this piece ABC new attempts to expose the misdeeds of the gold selling business, and singles out industry leader, Goldline in particular.  The investigative reporter, Brian Ross, points out possible nefarious activity by gold sellers then uses commentary from a democratic congressman and a liberal watchdog group in support of his argument against Goldline, while the words, “Glenn Beck Endorses Company,” runs in the graphic snipe at the bottom of the screen throughout most of the piece.  Ross also mentions the other conservative commentators who endorse Goldline.  This is a poor journalistic effort in which their thesis seems to be that if liberals don’t like it but the Fox News crowd does, then it must be bad.  Did they bother to interview a real expert?  A professor? A seasoned commodities trader?   A financial advisor? Um, no.

Now, it should have been clear to the folks at Goldline that ABC News was looking for that “gotcha moment.”   When invited to be interviewed they could have anticipated that the set up piece (Ross’s report) and interview questions would be accusatory, and it would have been very easy to decline the request.  But they did not.  This was a risky move.  While I don’t know whether Goldline Executive Vice President Scott Carter is a prince among men or a complete shyster, I do know is that he did a great job with this interview.  Carter expected the questions he received and had answers well enough prepared to seem like he was answering them off-the-cuff.  He stayed on message and used short, simple speech.  He remained positive and enthusiastic, never saying “no comment.”  He even had his “Three Quick Points,” that seemed to be designed to lead into a story or two, but by that time George Stephanopoulos had to cut him off to go to a break.

Is it possible that Carter came off a bit too slick, and that some viewers don’t trust him or his industry?  Probably, but I’d bet those folks either lean to the left politically, or don’t plan on buying gold anyway.  Not a big deal for Carter because that’s not his audience, and I will say with some certainty that he got through to his intended audience in a very positive way.
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Advertising is not PR, social media, or word-of-mouth, except that, well, it is.  Especially when a campaign is tied to a big budget or a radical departure in the way a company does business.   Let’s face it, the media and consumers talk about ads, which in turn creates buzz that makes more news and spawns more word-of-mouth.  I bring this up because I am intrigued by General Motor’s “May the Best Car Win” campaign.  No matter whether it is by design or not, this campaign has a significant marketing public relations component, and I think the GM execs are missing the mark by applying a dated solution to a contemporary problem.  In a time when consumers look for products tailored to their needs from companies that actively interact with them, GM is using the old school “we’ve put our money where our mouth is” approach.  This is basically a “take it or leave it” arrangement.  (Sure I can take it now, and decide to leave it in 60 days, but it’s still all about the product.)  There is no interaction and no hint of awareness about the needs and desires of the customer.  This is a great example of archaic sales philosophy that just won’t work to reposition a fallen mega-corporation.  It is going to be the company that positions itself a partner in a customers’ driving experience that will win in the long run. (The experience extends beyond customers’ transportation needs, and includes the symbolism of the automobile as a marker of personal style and connection with the physical environment.)

To make matters worse, GM selected the wrong messengers.  With global awareness and environmental consciousness sharing the front of consumers’ minds with distrust for the corporate establishment, making gray haired, white males in suits the face of the GM turnaround is a non-starter.  Anyone remember Marshal McCluhan?  If the medium is the message, what are consumers taking away from any message delivered by GM chairman, Edward Whitacre, and his soon to retire colleague, Bob Lutz?

 This may just be to be the latest no va (don’t make me translate) introduced by GM. 
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Twitterview 06/17/2009
 

In Burrell Luce’s June 2009 newsletter (http://www.burrellesluce.com/newsletter/)  they give five tips for conducting “Twitterviews.”  That is, conducting an interview via Twitter.  The tips are simple but demonstrate the impact MPR can have as well as pointing out the ability for social media promotion to cross over into mainstream media.

Reflection:

Select a person you’d like to interview for a specific purpose, and plan a Twitterview using the five tips. (Obviously, the purpose is to contribute to reaching an MPR goal.)

 

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