It's been a little spooky around here!

Greetings and Happy Halloween!

If you’ve been following us via Facebook or Twitter lately, you’ve seen that some serious specter shenanigans have been brewing over here the last few weeks. Our Obsidian ghosts have been busy providing some afterlife advice. Here’s a recap of the messages they’ve left on our front door, in addition to some more late-night whisperings we’ve heard.

Enjoy!

1.    That ghostly silent treatment? The “no comment” position you’re holding. Yeah, that doesn’t work. Speak up if you want to be heard. If not, people will just make up spooky stories about you.

2.    Remember, appearance matters -- even when you’re dead. Trade in those bed sheets for something more fashionable the next time you make a public appearance.  

3.    Choose your medium very carefully. You don’t want just ANYONE talking to your family and friends on your behalf. 

4.    Feeling a little invisible? PR can help!

5.    Tired of hanging around in the same old graveyard night after night? Don’t let yourself be a creature of habit. Mix it up a little and try something new. 

6.    You’re rattling those chains to get people to listen to you, but are YOU listening to them?  
7.    Tired of being such a loner? Teamwork can produce some wicked results. Find a ghostly agency to give you some hauntingly good ideas.
 
8.    Think before you moan – you don’t want people getting the wrong idea.

9.    Fess up when it’s your fault. Don’t blame the family cat for knocking down that candle. 
10.    Timing is everything. No one’s going to attend a 7 a.m. séance.
11.    Results matter. What’s the use if you can’t scare anyone properly?

12.    Don’t be a spectating specter. Get involved and make a difference.

13.    Practice your spooky speak. Remember your role as a from-the-grave rep.

14.    Proofread. How embarrassing is it that you misspelled “boo” on the foggy window? Come on!

15.    Hanging around graveyards is SO 200 years ago. Find a new gig.

16.    Don't be a pesky poltergeist. Scare strategically to make sure you’re reaching your intended victims.

17.    Even ghosts need to get social. Follow us… @ObsidianPR

18.    Don’t mask your true feelings. Be honest with your audience.

19.    Are victims not taking you seriously anymore? Are young girls hounding you rather than running from you? Stop blaming Hollywood and take control of YOUR image!

20.    Has your ghost story gotten old? Shake things up! Change haunts, glow a different color, or try a different scare tactic!

21.    Be consistent but not boo-ring. Your audience isn’t dead…YET!

22.    Don’t be left mourning a missed media opportunity! Stay on top of the trends and ahead of the news! You don’t want your only media coverage to come from the obituaries.

23.    Even the CDC has a crisis plan…for our undead friends’ Zombie Apocalypse! Do you?

My Virtual Office: The Good, the Bad and the Pajama Pants

Kerri Guyton

It’s no secret that today’s technology has allowed for “the virtual office” to exist for many professionals. At Obsidian, we are laptop-based, so wherever we are – be it in the office, at a meeting or at home with the flu – we have 24/7 access to our client documents, presentations, media lists, clipping spreadsheets, etc. However, even office PC professionals can set up shop at any coffee house, café, committee meeting or home dining room table, thanks to iCloud, Dropbox and other file-sharing apps accessible through personal phones and iPads.

I’ve often referred to this concept of the virtual office as both a blessing and a curse – a convenient inconvenience. I always have my work with me (convenient), but then again, I always have my work with me. While en route to a meeting with one client, I may get a call from another client who needs a file emailed right away. No waiting to get back to the office for me! I can send it from the parking lot before going into the meeting. And, while in that meeting, a discussion may initiate a question about a specific communication strategy outlined in last year’s PR plan. Within minutes, I’m relaying the strategy and corresponding tactics we purposefully laid out for them last year. It’s quite magical really.

On the flip side, I often extend my work day in an effort to accomplish more, get ahead and stay in the loop. If the mood hits me at 9 p.m., I will pull up the website copy I was working on before leaving my laptop to pick up my kids from day care. I will respond to those last few emails that came in after hours before closing my eyes to sleep, and when I’m tossing and turning at night, I will get up, plug in and catch up on the industry newsletters piling up in my inbox. While extra efficient and appreciated by my clients, this practice on a routine basis will lead to lethargy, which in the end, works to my clients’ disadvantage.

I have worked in my pajama pants while at home with a sick kid (efficient), and I have worked in my pajama pants with the stomach bug and a deadline culminating on the same day (crazy); but overall, my virtual office suits me well. The convenience pays off more than any cost, and it’s what makes me the reliable and efficient PR professional that clients enjoy.

The XX Marks the Word-of-Mouth Spot

Thomas Whitehead

By now, many of us are very familiar with the phrase “word-of-mouth” and have been inundated with tons of mentions about what it is and isn’t. As a matter of fact, with the overuse of the term in marketing and communication circles, some have even predicted that the phrase has lost its meaning and value. 

However, last month, a British rock band, The XX, proved exactly how vital and special word-of-mouth communication can be. While you were listening to “Call Me Maybe” for the umpteenth time, The XX tried a unique experience to promote their upcoming second album, Coexist.

A week before the worldwide release of the album, the band sent it to an individual fan and asked this person to take a listen. If they liked it, the band invited them to share it with others and asked them to do the same. Working with Microsoft, the band was able to track the distribution of the album organically as the album was shared throughout the world, eventually crashing the band’s website. You can even click here to see the timeline in which the album was shared.  

In an era in which brands overreact if they have enough fans, likes and traffic, it is important to see what matters: content and customers. This experiment proved both are essential above everything else. 

If you have the right product that people enjoy, value, appreciate and desire, then they will consider what you have to offer them. You can promote and push yourself all day long, but if it’s not of value, then you have no chance with your customer base. 

Secondly, you have to trust your customers and identify which ones will emerge as brand champions for you and your business. However, this is something you cannot take for granted. People need a reason to want to speak on your behalf. I am sure there are some people who received The XX’s album who did not like it and chose not to share it at all. But, the band was not concerned about them. They wanted to make sure their fans were able to appreciate the new music all the same and catered to ensuring they enjoyed it. 

So, the next time your business begins talking about ways to get 5,000 followers or reach $10 million in sales, remember that it begins with the power of one, and then focus on what it takes to maintain that sense of a personal relationship with all of your customers.

A lot can be learned from a mistake

Crissy Lintner

During one of my recent training runs for the Dallas Half Marathon, I accidentally ran 10 miles. How, you may ask, can one accidentally run 10 miles? Well, folks, it happens if you encounter the sign “Trail closed ahead,” and you don’t check the handy-dandy GPS to determine a similar route and mileage. So, during mile nine-ish, I found my mind wandering to work – a welcome distraction from the pain and agony we runners endure. I began thinking about the great parallels between PR mistakes and distance running mistakes.

As with training for a half marathon, PR mistakes are a common occurrence that can be prevented if one makes the effort to follow the plan – or to plan at all. I’ve written about this in a previous blog post (Before the Launch). I would never sign up for a half marathon the day before the race after zero training and expect to even make it to the finish line. Likewise, a company can’t expect PR success without planning. The effects of this mistake manifest in many ways: low attendance at an event or grand opening; people being unable to find you online; or in worst-case scenarios, a lawsuit over copyright infringement. Taking time to effectively research, plan and incorporate PR initiatives can make your business goals reachable.

Another common mistake is not listening to your key stakeholders. For runners, this is akin to not listening to your body when you need to rest in order to avoid injury. Consider the Netflix to Qwikster to Netflix debacle in 2011. The CEO made the decision to change pricing, packages and the company name without proper research among its current customers (and without planning). The situation became a negative PR firestorm that ended with major backpedaling by the CEO - right back to the original name and format before Qwikster even launched. But what remained? The negative impression about Netflix, its CEO and a slew of lost customers. Had Netflix given more thought to the idea, and taken time to ask and listen to key stakeholders, the rollout might have been successful.

Now, think of some of the great sayings of old: “Look before you leap,” “A penny saved is a penny earned,” and this little gem: “Think before you speak.” Or act. Consider the current presidential campaign’s many “oops” moments. While President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are probably two of the most well-trained individuals in the USA right now when it comes to media interviews and public speaking, they are also humans prone to missteps when taken off guard. As with a political campaign, an executive can derail his company by not taking time to prepare for an interview. And, as we have seen, what you say can and will be used against you. (Trade secret: There’s no such thing as “off the record.”) Don’t make the mistake of not thinking through and writing out your talking points, rehearsing your responses and preparing for all possible questions. A great PR partner will help you in this effort so you don’t wind up on the nightly news for your own “oops” moment. 

I could go on with more PR mistakes and parallels to training for a half marathon, but for now, I’ll leave you hanging. Wait – did you just ask what the tie in to training was for “Think before you speak”? I’m glad you caught that. Here it is: If you don’t think things through (such as how hot it is in Texas from June to October, which means waking up before dawn so as not to die from heat exhaustion, which means earlier bedtime, which means the baby needs to magically be on a schedule again so you can go to bed earlier…), you’ll find yourself committed to running 13.1 miles and a bit sleep deprived in the process. ;)

Behind the Headline

Lauren Hannaford

If you’re a PR professional, you know that strategic media relations is one of the most well-known aspects of our discipline. What some clients may not know is the process we go through to help garner those news stories, radio interviews, blog mentions and TV segments. Well, it all starts with a headline.

When our clients present us with newsworthy content that should be pitched to news media, one of the very first things we do is visualize the headline for the news release or subject line for a pitch email. With some news, it’s really easy and fun to think of that headline. With other news, it can be a bit more challenging. Whatever that content may be, producing a very strong headline is the key to grabbing the attention of your news contact.

I’m sure many of you have heard this a thousand times. “Make sure you write a good headline, so you get noticed!” That sounds simple, but many times, professionals can get into a rush and don’t spend enough time writing a clear, strong headline.
 
Lackluster headline:
“Students to run laps as part of fundraising initiative”

Enticing headline/email subject:
“500 students to do the Hokey Pokey while running for a cause”

My hope is that a reporter reading this would think, “What? They are going to do the Hokey Pokey and run at the same time? AND raise money?” Then, get to the point in the body of your email and give them the usual suspects: Who, What, When, Where, Why. Spending just a little more time on your headline could result in some great coverage for your client. And, we love when that happens!

On a funny note, here are some pretty awful headline fails. Does anyone remember “Missippi’s literacy program…?”

You talkin' to me?

Courtney Liebenrood Ellett

Tim Westergren, the founder of Pandora, emailed me the other day. Yep, that’s right. And today, just 30 minutes ago, I got a message from him on my cell phone.

The above statements are absolutely true, but they might not mean exactly what you think they mean. No, Tim and I aren’t friends, and Pandora isn’t one of our clients. But I am a loyal Pandora listener. And that is why Tim contacted me.

Tim sent me (and most likely the other 52 million Pandora listeners) an email about an important piece of legislation that has just been introduced in Congress that could end long-standing discrimination against Internet radio. He asked me to contact my senator to urge him to support the Internet Radio Fairness Act. And guess what? Tim then provided Sen. Bob Corker’s contact info right there within the email. Sure, that info is easy to find, but to me, it was more than a convenience factor. I now KNEW that Tim was talkin’ to me. 

So, did I email Sen. Corker right away yesterday? I did not, but I did pay a lot of attention to the email and put it on my to-do list. Besides, and I hate to admit it, I’ve never contacted a politician before in my life – about anything! Then came the message on my phone. I was on my daily walk (listening to Pandora, of course), and between songs, Tim took the opportunity to follow up with me. It took maybe 10 or 15 seconds to reinforce the message of the email, and my next song started playing.

I came home from my walk, got on my laptop and emailed Sen. Corker right away. Within minutes, I received a “Thank you for contacting my office” email in response.

So yeah, Tim from Pandora was talkin’ to me. And better yet, I was listening.