Who can say no to free!?

By Karissa Bursch

Over spring break, I attended the music festival South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. According to the website, the SXSW conferences and festivals “offer the unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies.” In other words, it’s a chance for a music-lover like myself to go wild on an overload of free and amazing shows for almost 24 hours a day. Thousands of Austin residents and outside visitors flood the city for the event. Needless to say, it’s a great PR opportunity for companies across the nation to connect to distinct, dense audiences all in one location.

PR professionals definitely took advantage of this opportunity. Along with the usual means of promotion, such as flyers, stands and billboards, I saw a very interesting collection of promotional items and hand-outs throughout the day, such as sunglasses, stickers, pins, drinks, cups and more, as a part of many companies’ and organizations’ PR plans.

The PR side of my brain started working as soon as I saw those free promotional items. People were just throwing them at me out on the street. As they shoved pairs of sunglasses into my hands, they would should shout,“You can’t say no to free!”

Many times I felt no recognition when I viewed the logo and was unsure of what product the brand was associated with. This lack of connection brought to my attention a major flaw in the idea of throwing free promotional items at the public. Many times these items lack connection to the brand and one of an organization’s main goals should be brand recognition with its publics.

I think PR practitioners have to make an effort to not rely on the idea that “any promotion is good promotion.” There still needs to be effort behind it with the driving goal of making the public understand where the free item is coming from, what the brand offers and why they should care.

Free promotional items can, in fact, be very successful. For example, in PR Couture’s Blog “Diary of a Fashion PR Intern: Streetwear Fashion Tips”, guest blogger Hadiyah Daché wrote that free promotional items were one of the main reasons for the success of her first client, Plush .357.

“Ironically, promotional items such as stickers and buttons played a large part in the PR success as well,” Daché wrote. “It got to the point where stickers and t-shirts became collectibles.”

Near the end of her blog she gave advice about the use of free promotional items and encouraged PR practitioners to make those free items personal with the help of word-of-mouth.

“Stickers, buttons, free shirts, graffiti, pens, hats, heck anything considered a “promotional item” is definitely your friend,” Daché wrote. “Give the public a memento and encourage them to pass it along to their friends. These items keep your name in the public and makes your brand easy to recognize!”

Free promotional items are great. I’ve never had to spend much money on pens, notepads, stress balls or USB drives because of it. Still, remember that there is a message and purpose behind these free items. Make sure your audience knows the brand that is imprinted on the item and understands the message behind the brand and the gesture of a free item. Meanwhile, keep on enjoying all of those free handouts!

Originally posted on PROpenMic.

(Insert Hashtag) Social Good

By: Victoria Corley

Social good: Two words that easily describe a specific “good” that is shared and beneficial for all (or most) members of a given community.

Other words that may be interchangeable for “social good” are philosophy, ethics, and political science.

These small words make a huge impact in the world of public relations every day. No matter what trends you’re following on Twitter or the types of news an RSS is feeding to your computer, there is always a campaign reaching you, and asking you to help. Regardless of the condition of our economy, Americans are giving back. But how?

In our lifetime, it has become easier than ever to #giveback and help with a cause. No matter where you are, even online, there will be an opportunity to experience a campaign that is targeted to you … the up-and-coming philanthropist.

From tweeting donations to buying songs on iTunes, we have the opportunity to give back, but what does this mean for the PR professional?

Social good has ironically become a hot topic in social media. It is great that giving is now conveniently a click, tap or download away, but it is much more than that.

No longer is “giving-back” just giving; it’s a business. It is easy for people to spend money. But when solicited for funds, they are quick to say no. It’s now the job of a PR professional to market a cause in a way that gives the consumer an urge to spend. Social media has become the modern-day billboard for those marketing objectives.

Social media cause campaigns are similar, but not identical to traditional cause marketing. Where traditional cause marketing involves the cooperative efforts of a for-profit business and a nonprofit organization for mutual benefit, social media cause campaigns allow for more flexibility.

Blogs like Mashable have helped in giving “social good” a new meaning. If one happens to StumbleUpon a Mashable article about Gaga & Bieber’s newest collaboration, you won’t find it under the entertainment section of the site, but rather under the social good tab.

Social media cause campaigns have created a new outlet where PR professionals develop comprehensive communications plans that are all about “feeling good.” These campaigns provide small businesses an opportunity to gain exposure without breaking the bank, while allowing large companies to reach millions of consumers in a matter of hours.

Social cause campaigns can be run by individuals and nonprofits without big company sponsorships. They provide easier, faster involvement with supporters and require fewer resources.

Obvious examples of “social good” campaigns are the Tide Loads of Hope campaign and the Pepsi Refresh Project. It could also be something as simple as Edge’s Anti-Irritation campaign.

It is safe to say that inflation hasn’t ruined everything. A dime can still be used as a screwdriver, and PR professionals can evoke the public to do “social good.”

For the Love of Starbucks

By Katy Echols

I love Starbucks. I love its coffee. I love its service. I love its deep comfy chairs and trendy music. And I love that there is one on every corner. Obviously, I am not alone in this obsession.

For coffee lovers nationwide, Starbucks has become a haven. It can easily be named one of the most iconic companies of our generation.

So how did Starbucks become a star? How does it earn those big bucks?

If you ask any avid Starbucks-goer how many of the company’s commercials they have seen, they will probably say “one” or “none.” Unlike most companies, Starbucks has not used a traditional technique of exposure to gain fans.

“It really is about connecting with someone in a more intimate, experiential way that we think will have longer lasting ability to build affinity than a 30-second TV commercial or an ad,” said Anne Saunders, senior vice president of marketing at Starbucks.

After solidifying its brand, Starbucks stuck with a local focus, becoming a “third home” to its communities. It relied on consistent service and quality to get people talking. And once they started talking, it seems they didn’t stop.

This word-of-mouth technique has served the company well in more ways than one. Not only has Starbucks been effective by separating itself from the mass of commercials and advertisements thrown at the public, but the technique itself lends Starbucks an air of sophistication. By not submitting to the hype of commercialism in its marketing, Starbucks demonstrated what it values: people rather than profit.

Starbucks’ mission statement is “to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.” This statement explains why Starbucks operates the way it does. It is focused on the local, the individual and the service of one cup of coffee, rather than getting wrapped up in making a buck. (Though this strategy has earned them a few.)

For PR practitioners, this technique is good to keep in mind when creating campaigns for clients. More than that, we can glean an important overall lesson: It’s not always effective to do what everyone else is doing. Sometimes it’s not about keeping up with trends.

Think about what everyone else is doing. To beat them at it, you have to do it better. Alternatively, think about what they are not doing and give it a go. Going against trends garners creativity and can make you stand out even more.

In recent news, Starbucks has kicked off an image revitalization campaign for its 40th anniversary. This revamp included a new logo that it considers to be a “subtle but meaningful update.” Starbucks showcased its new logo in a tribute commercial that reinforces what Starbucks is all about: You!

While this message aligns with what Starbucks has always represented, the new logo has not gone over so smoothly. It has been called a “mid-life crisis.”

Has Starbucks peaked in its marketing genius? Here’s hoping (and I know all coffee lovers will cross their fingers with me) that Starbucks is here to stay.

Lindsay Lohan’s Top 5 PR Lessons

by Amanda Coppock

As often as stars like Lindsay Lohan are in the public eye, you would expect them to understand how to use better public relations to their benefit. Lohan, for one, clearly has missed out on how to use PR to save her career. While we “normal people” cannot afford to use trial and error to determine what is best for our reputation, we can learn by observing what not to do. Lohan has clearly never had a lesson on good PR, but there are several lessons we can learn about what not to do by observing her. So, live from Lindsay Lohan’s ruined reputation, are the top 5 lessons we can learn from her about PR:

• Number 5: It’s important to separate your private and professional life—As a celebrity, this is a lesson that Lohan has had a hard time learning, partly because being in the public eye makes keeping things private more difficult. However, many celebrities such as Beyoncé and Jay-Z, have gone to extreme lengths to keep their private lives private. Lohan clearly hasn’t gone to such, or any, lengths to keep her private life private, and it has negatively impacted her career.

In the PR world, it is important to know what aspects of your life should not carry over to the workplace. On an eHow blog, journalist and communication specialist Bill Bucy provides several steps on how to achieve this separation. He recommends controlling the amount of private information you offer, not feeling obligated to share because others do, being careful about social relationships with coworkers and evaluating each situation individually. Maintaining this balance can keep you happier and ensures that your workplace interactions are appropriate.

• Number 4: Don’t rely on past success to carry you —Let’s be honest. Aside from negative life choices, Lohan is best known for films of the past. The last film she starred in that became popular was released in 2004. For a young actress, that is quite some time to go without starring in a hit film.

In PR, it is critical to always improve upon your past successes. Think of it as a competition to one-up yourself. The PRSA Code of Ethics includes Expertise, part of which reads, “We advance the profession through continued professional development, research, and education.” It is critical for a PR professional to consistently improve and focus on self-education.

• Number 3: Dress for success —Lohan’s wardrobe choices for court have been far less than professional. Between her tight, white minidress and her revealing tops, Lindsay has made a less-than-good impression while in court.

PR practitioners know that appearance affects how others perceive us. Showing up to an interview or a first day on the job in a revealing or offensive outfit would most likely lose us the job as well as respect. People make judgments about your abilities within your first few minutes of meeting and wearing a conservative suit will get you much farther than showing off your goods.

• Number 2: Take responsibility for your mistakes —While in court, Lohan’s judge said, “I don’t care that you are Lindsay Lohan. This case does involve jail time, period. If you plead in front of me — if this case resolves in front of me — you are going to jail.” Lohan has clearly used her status as a starlet to try to avoid the consequences she deserves. Essentially, this judge told her that it would be better to admit fault than to keep using her name to try to get out of punishment.

In our field, it is important to realize what went wrong after we make a mistake. If you make a mistake, own up to it and do everything in your power to correct it.

• Number 1: Not all publicity is good publicity —Even Lohan is beginning to realize this point. In an interview with Extra she said, “[I want to create] great movies, great films, [and tell] great stories. That’s what I’ve aspired to do my whole life and personal instances in my life got in the way. But, I don’t want that to be known for that anymore.” What Lindsay clearly hasn’t realized is that if you put yourself in situations that raise the public eyebrow, you will be in the news for the bad things.

As PR professionals, we should aim to achieve only good publicity for our clients. Having a client in the news is not worthwhile if it’s a story that could tarnish his reputation.

So before taking risks with your own reputation, consider how far this Disney star has fallen. The transition from “Parent Trap” to trapped behind bars may have been avoided had Lohan kept her own PR in mind.

The Dilution of the Film Industry

By: Miriam Fry

When a movie idea is pitched to a studio executive, one thought is running through her mind: “Will this movie make money?” And while yes, making money is important, is it the most important part of the industry? To what lengths do we go to make money? What do we sacrifice?

In a recent GQ article written by Mark Harris titled “The Day the Movies Died,” Harris detailed the negative implications of focusing too much on marketing/PR and making money. He said instead of making a great movie, directors are focused on the bottom line. Today’s studio executives have decided that making a drama is too risky and that filmmakers and others involved should instead go with their best bet to make money. That, of course, is to make a movie based on something that is already a brand.

“Everyone has cut back on not just ‘Oscar-worthy’ movies, but on dramas, period,” said Jan Dinks, the producer of Milk and American Beauty. “Caution has made them pull away. It’s infected the entire business.”

Harris pointed out that movies in the works for 2011 include a long list of sequels (conveniently, they already have a brand) and four adaptations of comic books, which also already have a brand! June 10 is the set release date of Fast Five, the fifth movie in the series of The Fast and the Furious.

You’ll see a trend here, and it does not stop. There is nothing in the line-up that is intriguing and different like Inception was in 2010, Harris argues.

What does this say about the film industry? Producers and studio executives are not willing to take a risk with a movie idea, for fear that it will need an original marketing plan or that the movie/plan might fail. Most movies today are being made from a marketing and PR standpoint instead of a film standpoint.

Harris also said that one demographic dominates the Hollywood marketing strategy, the “ADD-addled, short-term-memory-lacking, easily excitable testosterone junkie.” Categories left out of the mix are women and those born before 1985. According to Harris, women are not worth taking the time to figure out, and if you were born before 1985 you are old because you have developed taste. A taste that is obviously not for sequels or remakes.

What does this say about PR? Luckily for us, that it’s important. Perhaps the most important factor aside from the profit made. The PR person has an influential voice at the table and a distinguishing role in the whole process of movie production. Too often people think that PR practitioners are only good for party planning and tweeting. As we see in the movie industry, we’re good for much more than that. And a movie pitch does not get the green light until producers know that it can be marketed positively.

Although it’s comforting that PR is important, today what we’re seeing is an over-reliance on PR and marketing that dictates what kind of movies are made: bad ones. Movie makers are sacrificing content just to make money. They are producing the “safest bet” in terms of money and results at the box office, while leaving us with mediocre entertainment that we’ll most likely waste our money and time on… ultimately diluting the film industry.

No Ordinary Video Game; No Ordinary PR Campaign

By Wesley Vaughn

Video game reviewers have billed it as “not your ordinary first-person shooter.” Combining lightning-fast gameplay, striking visuals and a brazen attitude, Bulletstorm separates itself from the pack of typical video games.

It makes sense that its public relations campaign would do the same.

Bulletstorm, a game developed by People Can Fly and Epic Games and published by Electronic Arts, was released on February 22. But, the coverage for the game began earlier in the month, thanks in part to a not-so-ordinary PR tactic.

The Call of Duty series has been one of the most prominent first-person shooter franchises in the video game industry. Though it has remained successful, the latest versions of the game have received criticism for becoming boring – not the description normally desired for a video game.

The makers of Bulletstorm attempted to capitalize on this lack of excitement by not only creating Bulletstorm, but also Duty Calls. Released on February 2, Duty Calls is a free-to-download video game that satirizes the dullness of Call of Duty.

What an ingenious way to target an audience. Recap: Video game developers develop a video game that both advertises for their upcoming video game and makes fun of their competitor for people who play video games.

It didn’t take long for Duty Calls to cause a stir among video game media and gamers. This stir undoubtedly brought attention to Bulletstorm that it may never have received.

Enough attention that it prompted Fox News to ask if Bulletstorm was the worst video game in the world. Epic Games President Mike Capps said that he appreciated the publicity either way.

“For a game that’s over-the-top, they [Fox News] probably helped sell more units than they convinced people to pick at us,” he said in an interview.  One website has reported that Bulletstorm could end up with sales beyond $4.5 million.

None of this may have happened without Duty Calls. The idea and execution of reaching a target audience so well with a quality-marketing tool created enough discussion to send Bulletstorm to the mainstream.

Are there other examples of a marketing tool such as Duty Calls in other industries?

Sarcasm So Works the Best

by Katherine Baker

When you think of a YouTube video that you have watched dozens of times, what do you see? Do you see animals, babies, double rainbows or maybe even men getting kicked in the crotch?

Well, that’s what Smart Water associates with “viral videos,” as seen in its newly released video advertisement featuring Jennifer Aniston.

Jennifer Aniston’s public relations team had her use sarcasm to get a point across about how videos go viral, while promoting Smart Water.

And it worked.

An article on Green Muze stated, “In the latest Smart Water campaign, Aniston’s PR people have created a ‘viral’ video using everything from cute dancing babies to hundreds of puppies to labelling the video a ‘sex tape’ to garner more views/hits and sell more bottled water.”

Jen’s PR people did not want her to just talk about how she loves Smart Water for this particular ad. They wanted to implement viral video tactics by channeling other videos that have already gone viral and add the element of humor. Portraying this ad as a “sex tape” was a funny and somewhat brilliant move for Smart Water. I laughed out loud when I saw what the video really was about.

Sarcasm and irony incorporated with celebrity endorsement works for PR.

As noted in Hannah McDaniel’s blog post, “Pauly D. does not approve this message,” celebrity opinions make for humorous, yet effective, ads.

Using non-traditional elements with celebrity personalities is going “viral” in the PR and marketing industries, just like these particular videos.

So PR professionals, hop on the sarcasm bandwagon when considering your next campaign.. or don’t. Because imitating other funny videos in your own video is so not funny.