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.

Let’s keep it green, folks. Keep it green.

Sarah Lichterman

At the Obsidian office, we know how to recycle. We have two separate trash bins – one for cans only and one for other materials – and keep a mountain of newspapers and magazines that are all recycled or donated to the Humane Society of of Memphis & Shelby County and the Humane Society of North Texas.

Recycling is the process of making new products from products that have already been used, thus extending the life and usefulness of something that has already served its original purpose. Most, but not all, products can be recycled. These include but are not limited to aluminum, batteries, biodegradable waste, clothing, electronics, glass, metals, paper and plastic.

The No. 1 reason to recycle is to protect and preserve the Earth’s environment. Recycling helps conserve our natural resources, reduces landfill space, conserve energy and reduce water and air pollution and the green house gas emissions that cause global warming. In addition, this growing trend is creating an industry and related jobs.

Recycling in the workplace can be made easy. You can provide bins that are clearly marked for recycling. If you do not have recycle pick-up at your office, you can assign someone each week to take it to a public drop-off center. There are five locations around Memphis, visit here for more details.

Recycling goes beyond just using bins. In the workplace, you can use energy-efficient light bulbs, recycle old printer cartridges and company cell phones, utilize emailing of documents instead of printing hard copies, print on both sides of the paper, use electronic posters and banners, use porcelain mugs instead of Styrofoam cups for coffee and bring lunch in a reusable container. These are just a few of the many ways to reduce your personal and company’s carbon footprint.

The Naughty List

Courtney Liebenrood Ellett

Please read this sentence aloud: “You know, the restaurant we ate at on Friday was super luxurious, and the staff was wonderful. However, the dining area was outdated, and the tables were sort of tiny. We had a good meal though.”

Now – and don’t cheat by glancing back up – tell me, which words do you recall most easily? If you’re like a majority of the general public, you just mumbled “outdated” and “tiny” to yourself.

Studies show that negative words, experiences and ideas crowd out positive ones in our minds. When we hear a negative word, it is what we remember the most. Check out this recent New York Times article that addresses why this is just human nature. 

Why should we care? It is important for PR professionals and business leaders to understand this phenomenon as it can have serious, and possibly damaging, effects on client relationships.

Imagine that you’ve just received word from a hotel representative that your room is not available. Ask yourself which explanation makes you feel better, knowing that you’re really hearing the exact same message: Sorry, lady, we gave your room away.

Option 1 (wrong): I’m sorry, ma’am. The suite you reserved already has another guest in it. We accidentally double-booked it in our reservation system, and the other person checked in first. Sorry for the mistake; I’m not sure how it happened. Would you be OK with a smaller room?

Option 2 (right): Ms. Ellett, we’re so sorry, but it seems the suite you booked isn’t available as we promised. We’re working diligently to get everything straightened out so you can thoroughly enjoy your stay here at our hotel. Please have a seat in our lounge, relax and enjoy a beverage on the house while we get this taken care of. We’ll get back to you within five minutes and get you all settled in.”

The point is this: Even when the news isn’t all Pollyanna in nature, it can be handled in a way that makes your audience feel better about the situation. The way we say something can make all the difference in the world.

Here are some tips to remember:

• Don’t say negative words.
• Never repeat negative words – even if it is your intent to deny them.
• Think about all of the positive words you want associated with your company. Ensure any front-line colleagues know these words.
• Think about all of the negative words you DO NOT want associated with your company. Again, ensure client-facing staff members know to avoid these words.
• And remember, jargon – words your audiences don’t use on a regular basis – is considered a part of the negative word club. If you must use jargon, immediately explain what you mean.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to avoid the naughty list, give us a shout.

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.