Tirades and Tantrums

Daniel Wade

Do you remember the last time someone yelled at you at work? Maybe that person became angry, for whatever reason, and communicated displeasure or disagreement with your idea by using cutting or sarcastic language. And while this person didn’t overturn desks or anything (I hope), he or she pretty much threw the adult version of a tantrum. Usually, this type of interaction only breeds negativity and can strain relationships in the workplace. I truly hope this scenario isn’t very familiar!

Renowned marketer Seth Godin brought up an interesting perspective on these types of interactions recently. He says in some industries and workplaces, we allow this behavior because it elicits a response – the “one who yells the loudest gets the attention” sort of philosophy. But, surgeons don’t have to raise their voices and pilots don’t scream at air traffic control to get what they need, says Godin. They are professionals; they merely ask. You see, we give the yellers and tantrum-throwers power when we respond to their actions. What would happen if we didn’t validate them and only responded to appropriate communication?

Photo Courtesy to Flickr User Cecilie Sonsteby

Or, look at it this way. Let’s say you have a need or request that just isn’t getting the desired outcome at the office. Are you doing the equivalent of the Big Bad Wolf and huffing and puffing to get your way? If so, try adjusting your communication approach and see what happens. Professionalism and respectful interaction go a long way toward achieving your desired outcome, regardless of your place on the proverbial totem pole. Besides, as Godin says, “A pitfall of throwing tantrums is that sometimes, people throw them back.”

Set out to define your workplace culture as a place of respectful and professional interaction at all times. If you struggle in that effort, and you very well may, make it part of your personal culture and creed to do so. My guess is you’ll be pleased with the results. 

4 Ways to Harness Inspiration

Brooke Watson

Are you in a professional slump? Is it taking all of your energy to produce fresh ideas and serve your clients? Whatever roadblock you’ve found yourself against at work, it could be that it’s time to rediscover your source of inspiration and take a mental break. However, in our busy world, it is often difficult to find a meaningful and feasible way to do so. Next time you find yourself grasping for creative ideas or suffering from a case of writer’s block, try some of the following tips to get your groove back.

Photo Courtesy to Flickr User
Charles Skipwith Smith

• Remove yourself from the problem. When possible, taking a step back from the issue is almost always a good plan. After so many hours at the drawing board analyzing the dilemma up close, you’re often so focused on one element of the problem that you end up missing the big picture. Being able to include all relevant angles is key when tackling any problem, so being able to take a break and approach the concept from a new perspective will boost your creativity and will ultimately help you be more successful.
• Brainstorm with colleagues. If you’re not already doing this in business, you should give it some serious consideration. While it can initially seem intimidating or even embarrassing to admit that you’re stumped by a recent challenge, it’s actually a trick for gaining a new perspective when you’re short on time. Brainstorming sessions trigger a multitude of ideas and can lead to an answer in a quarter of the time it would have taken you to reach alone.
• Refer to yourself. Another nice trick when harnessing inspiration is looking back in your work portfolio. Do you see any projects completed in the past with a similar theme? What about references to outside work? Oftentimes, you can utilize an answer from the past and modify it to fit your current situation.
• Research. Arguably the most important element to inspiration, it is crucial to understand the culture of the dilemma in order to successfully tackle it. Keep yourself in the know, and study social media trends and recent news to ensure you take a modern approach. Ill-informed creativity is poison to any current project. 

‘It’s wedding season’ – and a few of our other fave commercials right now

Crissy Lintner

We all have our favorite advertising campaigns, and one of my favorites right now is SouthwestAirlines’ “Wedding Season.” This is a continuation of the fall’s campaign of the same name, featuring the same dancing gal at multiple different weddings (touting Southwest’s fare sale). But, what makes an ad campaign great? In this particular campaign, it’s the humor and strategy. The creative geniuses behind Southwest’s Wedding Season campaign developed something around what is a very true reality for many women (and men) right now – wedding after wedding after wedding in city after city after city. They achieved a fun campaign that resonates in a fun way and that some experts think might lead to the eventual marriage of the dancing girl (considering she caught the bouquet in this one). We will see what Southwest comes up with next!

What other campaigns are we loving and watching closely? Here are a few of our faves and why we love them!

The Sonic Guys:

Yes, they’ve been around awhile (a long while), but they still make us chuckle. Kerri sent her favorite one running right now.

The Sonic Guys: Tax Day

And Sarah L. added this to our beloved Sonic Guys series.

United Healthcare: Our Song

Ali and Chelsey both shared this one, which I hadn’t seen yet. We love how funny it is, but what a great way to tie in the message of their Virtual Clinics (which is exactly what they want you to take away from the commercial).

Android: Friends fur-ever

You can never go wrong with animals, right? Intern Brooke shared this one – and oodelally, it’s a cutie. The message? You don’t have to follow the same trends as everyone else. Be unique.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager:“History Channel: Sons of Liberty”

Sarah B. shared this one and all its wit. What a great tie-in to pop culture and the history of the brewery (and its namesake).

Lowe’s: Fitted Sheets

We’ve all been there - nothing is more frustrating than folding a fitted sheet, and the folks at Lowe’s have tapped into that very thing with their “Fitted Sheets” commercial. Relevant and still hitting home the original message (Lowe’s can help you DIY anything and leave you feeling empowered), it’s a great mixture of humor and branding. 

Subaru: Loyalty and Backseat

I have to agree with Courtney – the Subaru commercials are pretty wonderful. They showcase the brand as a feeling: love. And they humanize their brand in a very effective way. Their commercials show their commitment to safety and loyalty as a reliable and trusted vehicle. And none is as sweet as this particular commercial.

Allstate: Mayhem

And as Kelli said, “I find that most commercials annoy me way more than they are great, but I do have a renewed love for Mayhem ever since the most awesome campaign ever with the Mayhem Sale at the Sugar Bowl.” I have to agree – that was a great campaign bringing home the point that, well, if you’re not home, your stuff isn’t necessarily safe! Really, Kelli likes all of Mayhem, so check out the series on the Allstate YouTube account here.

Do you have a favorite campaign right now? Go share on our Facebook page!

What’s in Your PR Survival Kit?

Lauren Hannaford

Earlier this year, I had a jam-packed day of meetings – four consecutive meetings in different locations to be exact. As I left the office the evening before, I failed to put some key items in my bag. These items were pretty standard office supplies – a notebook for taking notes, a few client folders and a pen. When I arrived at my first meeting the next day, I realized I had paid no attention to what was in my work bag, or purse for that matter, and had to borrow a piece of paper and a pen from my co-worker. I always have at least one pen somewhere, but this particular morning was a preparation #fail!

This may not seem like a big deal at all. It’s just a pen and a piece of paper after all. However, not being prepared with even the smallest of details can completely throw off your day and even your meetings. So, what do you pack in your work bag to make sure you’re prepared for the day?

Here’s a list of items that may seem obvious, but in the grand scheme of being prepared, could be critical to your day:

 - A pen!

- A notepad!

- Your computer

- Computer charger (or an extra)

- Phone charger

- Breath mints or gum

- A camera of some kind

- AP Stylebook (if you don’t subscribe online)

- Business cards (if you still use those)

- Online passwords (I recommend the Dashlane password manager)

Another way to look at this is to examine what your “etiquette” survival kit should look like. Now that you’re prepared with the tangible tools you need to get through the day, are you prepared with your best manners and attitude?

- A smile

- A professional, happy voice

- A great handshake

- Knowledge of how to 

  properly introduce

  someone or yourself

- Quick response time

- Willingness to go the extra 

  mile

- Willingness to jump in and problem-solve

- Poise when faced with a difficult 

  discussion

- Ability to accept criticism and feedback

- Ability to listen well

What do you include in your PR survival kit? Comment below.

Writing Advice: 5 Ways to Increase Readability and Efficiency of Your Writing

Sarah Lichterman

On average, I spend about 70 percent of my workday writing. This makes efficiency very important if I want to be productive. Whether it’s an email, press release, social media or website copy, to name a few, it’s important to write clearly in order to hold the attention of your audience and maintain readership.

Jim Dougherty, blogger at LeadersWest, cites the book “What Makes a Book Readable” by William S. Gray and Bernice Leary in this post on Ragan.com to explain the four important aspects of readability: content, style, design and organization. Below are the top five tips (in no particular order) that I learned from this post that have helped make my writing more efficient and, in turn, improve readability. 

Write for an audience of seventh-grade readers. In the world of PR, writing is the most popular form of communicating your message to various audiences. So, why complicate your message in order to make audiences understand it? Most people will skip over words they don’t know or stop reading altogether, so try to avoid that by using easy words, shorter sentences and fewer adjectives, adverbs and jargon.

Make sure your transition between ideas makes sense. When trying to write more efficiently, it’s easy to cut out parts of an idea that you may think are assumed, when they are needed for your message to make sense to someone unfamiliar to the topic. An easy way to make your transition more cohesive is by utilizing your anchor word. Here are several techniques you can use to do this:

• Repeat the anchor word from one sentence to another.
• Use a synonym or antonym of the anchor word.
• Reference the anchor word using a pronoun or other pro-form.
• Utilize a word that is commonly paired with the anchor word.
• Write in a parallel sentence structure.
• Connect sentences or ideas with conjunctions such as because, and, but, so, or, etc.

Be mindful of the platform you are using. Don’t start every writing assignment with the same state of mind. Take a few moments to think about the appropriate structure of your writing for that specific platform. Next, I suggest thinking about your audience, then your message. For example, a press release and email pitch are similar. However, you need to be aware of the expected writing rules and behaviors for each – such as length and tone - to clearly communicate your message.

Use simple fonts. I love the Papyrus font. I am probably one of the few. However, that does not mean I use it often. I like it because I think it looks cool – a terrible reason on which to base a decision of a font choice for work. Be kind to your readers and choose a readable font such as Cambria, Times New Roman, Arial or Helvetica. Also, pay attention to font, background colors and font size, especially for digital communication.

Emphasize important elements with a structured layout and design. In the age of short attention spans, reading one page of pure copy can be painful. Break up your writing by using headings, italics and bold lettering. Also, use bullet points and numbered lists when able. Most readers skim through documents, so having structural elements can help them navigate quickly through your writing without missing the important parts of your message.

In conclusion, it is important not only to think about who your audience is, what your message is, where it will be seen and why you are communicating it, but also to think about how your readers will receive the message. Readability is the answer, and efficient writing is the key to successful communication.

Are we providing value?

Kerri Guyton

There is so much that we can do for our clients. We provide a variety of services from strategic communication counsel and planning, media relations and crisis management to social media strategy and implementation, content creation and advertising/marketing counsel. And, which services we provide depends on the specific needs of the client. However, when we are contracted under a limited retainer, we must focus on the services that provide the most value. That value not only varies by client, but it can sometimes be challenging to figure out, and every once in a while, impossible to provide.

What Clients Want vs. What They Value

We’ve learned that sometimes what clients want and what they value are two different things. Some clients think they want us to take on their social media efforts when in the big scheme of things, social media doesn’t have an impact on the company’s sales or growth goals. It’s just something they feel like they “have to do,” so it actually provides little value to them. Our time could be better spent creating a strategic communication plan focused on increasing awareness of the company in targeted markets or with specific audiences.

We mostly learn about what the client values by listening and asking the right questions. A seemingly random comment in casual conversation can sometimes be the golden nugget that tells us more about the client’s vision than anything he or she actually says in a business meeting. Once we identify those “nuggets,” we can focus our efforts on producing results in those specific areas. That’s when we provide real value.

The Time Crunch

No matter how much you try to cram into a day, you will never have more than 24 hours. Similarly, in the world of retainer contracts, there is only so much we can accomplish within the agreed upon hours. And while Obsidian is known for sometimes giving more in order to get the job done in the best way possible, our team rosters are booked in a way that doesn’t allow for overage as a norm. Otherwise, other clients suffer and our team doesn’t sleep. So, we have to be focused on the best use of our time within each client retainer.

There may be 30 hours of work per month that can be done to meet the overall goals of the retainer, but if we are contracted for 10 hours, then we must focus on the most impactful one-third of that list each month. Like the new GEICO commercials say, “It’s what you do.”

When the Value Just Doesn’t Add Up

Sometimes, the value that the client is looking for just can’t be provided from our list of services. Often, this is the case for a client looking for an immediate uptick in sales or one who is itching to be in the news without a timely, newsworthy story to tell. We often say that PR is a marathon, not a sprint. So, if a business is failing due to rapidly declining sales and hires us as a “last-ditch effort” to turn sales around over 30 days, that owner most likely will not see value in our efforts. Increased awareness or a change in perceptions about a brand or its product can’t necessarily be done in the first month of the retainer.  And, we know that changing perceptions about something – such as a product that used to be hot and for some reason or another is now not - takes time. So, given the appropriate amount of time to research perception, identify target audiences and craft impactful strategies and tactics, PR can certainly help “turn a company around” – it just most likely won’t happen in 30 days. 

It can be so easy to get caught up in executing all of the things that need to be done on any one account because we know that all of it will make a difference to the client – especially when many of our tactics are things that weren’t being done at all before they hired us. However, we must question whether what we are doing is really providing the greatest value for our clients. If it’s not, then we may not even get the chance to see the fruits of our labor. When budgets get cut, those line items that don’t provide tangible value are the first to go. We always want to make sure that PR is something a company can’t let go of and is valued just as much as a great attorney or accountant.

The Greatest Public Relations Firm in History

Sarah Burgess

Disclaimer: Before we begin, I just wanted to clarify that the views presented in this blog post are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Obsidian Public Relations.

When I was in college and finally made the switch from landscape architecture to communication (who knew landscape architecture had so much math?), my first class in the Department of Communication was Introduction to Public Relations. On the first day of class when our professor was giving us a brief overview of the course, he said something peculiar that has lingered in my mind ever since. In so many words, it went a little something like this:

“So, you have a tour of events coming up and want to get the word out to as many people as possible – let’s say one-third of the global population. That’s a lot of pressure, so what are you going to do to get your message to the masses? Oh, I forgot to mention that you can’t use social media, advertising, websites, media relations or any of the main ways that knowledge is spread today. You’re only tool is word of mouth. Things just got pretty complicated, didn’t they?

Photo Courtesy to Flickr User Omoo

Well, that’s precisely what a group of gentlemen successfully achieved nearly 2,000 years ago! That’s right, Jesus had the best PR firm in history – the 12 disciples.”

Since that day, I haven’t been able to shake that analogy from my brain. These men made advanced preparations for his visits to towns and prepared the masses for the coming of Jesus (among so many other things). That’s some pretty intense event planning and PR! I mean, think about it – in their relatively short time with Jesus (he was 30 when his ministry began and 33 when he died), his disciples managed to spread a message and create a ripple effect so radical that it STILL makes headlines!

Whether you are a believer or not, you cannot deny that he certainly had some of the best PR assistance the world has ever seen. After all, because of the hard work and dedication from these simplistic storytellers, there are roughly 2.18 billion Christians today. With results like that, it really puts into perspective just how important PR can be for the success of an awareness campaign.