There’s no “I” in team

Katie Pemberton

“No man is an island…and therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

In John Donne’s Meditation 17, he emphasizes the interconnectedness of mankind. It’s also a pretty accurate metaphor for our culture here at Obsidian PR. You see, although each client is officially represented by ONE Obsidian staffer, that client also has the ideas, expertise and experience of the entire agency in its corner. That’s because no account rep is “an island.”

As you may have read about in a previous “From the Rock” post, group brainstorming is a pretty major part of what we do here at Obsidian. There are many times that brainstorming among the entire Obsidian staff might be used for a client:

• When the relationship starts, to get everyone’s input on broad things, like overarching goals, or more specific things, like story pitching ideas or social media tactics
• When the client is starting a new initiative or event and the account rep wants to consider ALL ideas for promoting, helping plan and execution
• When the client has a problem or issue and needs our help overcoming the challenge
• When the client wants some ideas for a tagline or new company or product name

I can tell you as an account rep who has handled several of these types of projects, it is a major asset to the work I do to have our team providing input, guidance and feedback.
 
In addition to the formal brainstorming, there are many other ways that Obsidian functions as a unit, preventing any account rep from ever being the sole person servicing a client. 
Both the Dallas and Memphis locations have a manager of the team who keeps an eye on all client work from an aerial view, providing guidance and ideas to the account rep that she might not have seen from where she is “on the ground” executing tactical work.
 
Yet another example of how Obsidian fosters a great community and group dynamic is how we are all able to fill in for each other when needed. For example, if an account rep is going to be out of town during an important client event, he will transition all of the materials, from the publicity timeline to the contact list and the event planning notes, to another account rep, and that account rep will execute the last-minute promotional tactics, attend the event to field media, coordinate timing as needed, etc. Each account rep will ensure that client work is taken care of (by other staffers, if needed) while out of the office.
 
But sometimes things come up for a client, such as a media crisis, that can’t be predicted, which has actually happened with a client while the account rep was out of town. Fortunately, Obsidian’s culture is such that the team manager was totally up to speed on the client’s issue, and the other account executives had a solid foundation of information about the client from all the collaborative activities we had done. The team manager and the other account executive tag-teamed the crisis and handled it seamlessly while the original account rep was 1,500 miles away.
 
I also like Donne’s advice not to “send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” He was talking about death, but I look at it in a more abstract and therefore positive way. I equate a bell tolling to when we have had a great success for a client, such as a front-page news story. Even if it wasn’t one of MY personal clients, I am still excited for the success of one of OUR clients, and one of OUR account reps. So that bell…it still tolls for me.

Before the Launch

Crissy Lintner

Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to work with numerous companies and startups to plan for and implement strategic communications initiatives to launch new products, services, brands or businesses. Whether we helped in naming the business from day one or simply handled the media relations, the common denominator is this: We were involved from the early stages.

I often hear this from business owners: “We’re in development right now and simply not ready for a big PR splash.” And I absolutely agree that if you’re in the midst of getting organized operationally, you are not ready for the official external launch. However, don’t make the mistake of missing out on the benefit of involving a PR team in the early stages of any endeavor.

There’s so much more to PR than the big “splash” into the media and public arenas. Public relations serves a bigger purpose than simply getting a great article on the cover of your local business news section. We are an integral aspect of building your communications arsenal. And our efforts take planning! We advise that at least three months or more be designated to the ramping up of PR efforts before the launch of any new company, product or service line. Why? Because you have to be ready operationally before any reporter, blogger or consumer has the opportunity to set eyes on you.

Here are a few things that we feel are the most important to have in place before the launch: 

1. Name – This seems like a fundamental aspect of starting a business. The name is usually the first thing to come, right? But have you done proper research to see if there are other businesses sharing that name or if the corresponding web domains are available? What is the story behind your name? Does it fit your mission as a business in some form or fashion? (see Kelli's post, "What's in a name?", for more about this topic)
2. Website – Gone are the days of looking up phone numbers in the Yellow Pages. A professional and easy-to-navigate website is integral to business success. Additionally, copy must be well written and should easily communicate your brand.
3. Strategic PR plan – Through proper research, a PR strategy with tactics should be in place prior to launch. This will outline all avenues that will be taken to communicate your launch through media, social media, direct marketing, events, etc. to your target audiences. A proper PR plan should also span beyond the launch, as far as a year ahead, taking into account future growth plans, milestones and other key aspects of the business. 
4. Marketing arsenal – The marketing arsenal is important when it comes to B2B and B2C business building. Do you have appropriate marketing materials (business cards, brochures, rack cards, sales sheets, etc.) to leave behind when pitching your business or for customers to take to learn more about your products or services? Is your sales team or frontline staff armed with appropriate speaking points or key messages about your business or new product? Ambassador training can many times make or break message alignment − from leadership to sales staff. 
5. Media materials – Your media kit and other materials should have ready-to-go information about your business for media use. This includes leadership bios, headshots, fact sheets, company history, relevant white papers or case studies, boilerplate, news release template, general talking points, targeted media list and b-roll. Having this taken care of in advance eases stress in the immediate weeks leading up to launch. 
6. Social media – There’s relevancy in almost every form of social media to nearly every business. Begin your social media presence (or be ready to publish) before launch. And know which social media outlets are the best for your type of business. Don’t forget to include links to social media pages on your website and in marketing materials.

So, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that PR is only useful when you’re ready to release your news. Remember that effective communications strategy takes planning and long-term vision to ensure proper success!

What's in a name?

Kelli Eason

All good consumers are judgmental. I’ll admit that I often decide whether or not to visit an establishment or buy a product based on its name alone. Sometimes, this works in a brand’s favor. For example, Arm & Hammer has built a strong brand around its name. Because the Arm & Hammer laundry detergent, deodorant and baking soda are so good, I’m willing to bet the kitty litter is too. (If you’re wondering…that kitty litter turned out to be a pretty good purchase.)

For new brands, this can be a challenge. Business owners often ask: How can we create a brand that people will remember for all the right reasons, that will communicate what we do and that we can establish as a leader in our industry? I’ve made a list of a few key things Obsidian considers when naming and establishing a brand.
 

1. The language barrier.
   
   Everyone has heard the classic examples of translations gone wrong: Schweppes Tonic Water was poorly translated in Italy (and who wants to buy Schweppes Toilet Water?), Kentucky Fried Chicken’s “finger lickin’ good” slogan translated to “eat your fingers off” in China, and Coors’ “turn it loose” slogan translated to “suffer from diarrhea” in Spanish. 
   
   You may even be familiar with the most recent global gaffe – Kraft Foods’ new snack food company, Mondelez. After investing millions in the brand, a linguistics professor from Northwestern University (a mere 20 minutes from Kraft’s global headquarters) pointed out the problem. Kraft meant the word to be a mashup of the French “monde” meaning world and “delez,” loosely translated to mean delicious. Unfortunately, those familiar with Russian may also recognize the slang term for “oral sex.” Uh oh. According to Ad Age, Kraft says they did plenty of research, and considered the risk for misinterpretation low.
   
   If there’s any chance your brand could go global, do yourself a favor and do your due diligence first. Keep it simple, and start with a handy dandy tool like Google Translate. 
   
2. Create a brand.
   
   While it may be tempting to name a business “Catherine’s” after your daughter, consider how that brand will stand out in the ever-increasing sea of brand names. Considering that the name has been in the top 100 most popular girls’ names for the past 100 years, it may be a risky thing to do.
   
   Some of the best brands are built from the ground up, so consider creating one for your product or business. For example, Rolex is just a made-up word, according to the book The Best of Time: Rolex Wristwatches: An Unauthorized History. Despite not a single consumer knowing what a Rolex was, the founders managed to create a brand that is now synonymous with high-quality, luxury wristwatches.
    
3. Protecting the brand.
   
   Do you use a Band-Aid to cover a cut? Do you sneeze into a Kleenex? Have you ever used an escalator? Do you recognize which of these things are actually specific brand names?
   
   While a brand becoming the standard for everything may seem like a nice idea, it’s important to protect your brand from becoming synonymous and, eventually, obsolete. “Escalator” is a classic example, as it used to be a brand name for a specific type of moving staircase. Unfortunately, it lost to the generic standard.
   
   Band-Aid is another brand that is working fervently to protect its name. Have you noticed that the kids singing in the commercials now say “I’m stuck on Band-Aid brand ‘cause Band-Aid helps heal me?” 

Have we missed any that you’d like to add? Just leave them in the comments below!