Many years ago, a wise friend said to me, "If you want to succeed in marketing, PR or sales, you only have to remember one thing, people sell to people.” And it's so true!
Today, more than ever before, reporters are flooded by email, video and other electronic communications, just as they were flooded with paper back in the snail-mail days. While they need access to large amounts of information, eventually they must prioritize what they will publish or distribute. So, it’s not about how many messages you send, but about how many are digested, followed by some action taken. Your chances of being published are greatly enhanced when the person making the decision knows you. Solid personal relationships are the foundation for getting your message across, not your expertise with or commitment to laptops, cell phones, iPods and other technology.
Technology is not a substitute for personal effort, face-to-face contact or even voice contact. The human touch is still required. You may think it’s more efficient to send 1,000 emails to every press outlet available, but it is decidedly less effective than maintaining relationships with 10 or more journalists and editors in your market.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
The Internet Sure Is Changing Things
Last month Facebook's 23-year-old founder, Mark Zuckerberg, boasted to hundreds of advertisers and agencies that raised more than a couple of eyebrows - "Once every 100 years, the way that media works fundamentally changes."I think Zuckerberg's pearl of wisdom rings true in many ways.
Today, more than ever before, media and advertising are changing. Just look at the rush of 40 year-olds flocking to social networks like Facebook. The net is for sure living up to its promise – that of changing media and advertising from a one-to-many stage to a many-to-many experience.
For us in PR, this could make Zuckerberg's seemingly irrational exuberance seem not so irrational after all. Matter of fact, the profound changes to which he was referring are already under way. What's changed most today is how information is accessed. Up until now, the Internet has been a complex, and sometimes even messy search tool, used to sort through huge globs of information. But what comes next?
Search, (and it does have huge benefits), doesn't do a great job of helping people collaborate.
I see the social connections of sites like Facebook as a credible alternative to search in how we find information, consume media and make product decisions—all as a result of peer recommendation – after all, peers by definition, have common interests. Obviously referrals are very powerful and we tend to trust people we know rather than advertisement containing blithe marketing messages
Today, more than ever before, media and advertising are changing. Just look at the rush of 40 year-olds flocking to social networks like Facebook. The net is for sure living up to its promise – that of changing media and advertising from a one-to-many stage to a many-to-many experience.
For us in PR, this could make Zuckerberg's seemingly irrational exuberance seem not so irrational after all. Matter of fact, the profound changes to which he was referring are already under way. What's changed most today is how information is accessed. Up until now, the Internet has been a complex, and sometimes even messy search tool, used to sort through huge globs of information. But what comes next?
Search, (and it does have huge benefits), doesn't do a great job of helping people collaborate.
I see the social connections of sites like Facebook as a credible alternative to search in how we find information, consume media and make product decisions—all as a result of peer recommendation – after all, peers by definition, have common interests. Obviously referrals are very powerful and we tend to trust people we know rather than advertisement containing blithe marketing messages
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Here's someone else who get's it
Someone else who gets it is Nortel's Chief Marketing Officer - Lauren Flaherty. Why?
Simple ... she's an entrepreneur! And that's what's needed today, especially at Nortel. Make no mistake,I am a shareholder in Nortel - and have dollar-cost averaged down in recent years. I have stuck with the company through its turmoils.
After having spent 26 years at IBM, clearly in a very senior position (Vice President, Worldwide Marketing for small and medium businesses), she left ... and made a bold move to struggling Nortel. This is to be respected.
Lauren saw parallels between Nortel and IBM and is a builder at heart. Again,this is what Nortel needs in a chief marketing officer.
Lauren is firing on all cylinders to breathe life into Nortel and is honest about it. In a recent interview, Lauren was asked how far along she is in revitalizing the Nortel brand. Her answer ..."On our way". I love that!
She's guardedly optimistic and dare I say realistic. Additionally, Lauren is not looking to outspend her larger competitors, she's looking to execute better - and that's a key that large companies often miss ... they think throwing big bucks at marketing is the way to go. I think not!
In a recent interview she said "... when I go into a market I want to go in with full force. I want to go in with my sales team fully enabled, my channel partners fully enabled and engaged, and every cylinder of the marketing engine firing: PR, marketing communications, direct, events, basically a consolidated hit into a focused market."
I love this approach!
Lauren in a world of big talk, I like your style and wish more marketing people thought like you.
Continued success!
Simple ... she's an entrepreneur! And that's what's needed today, especially at Nortel. Make no mistake,I am a shareholder in Nortel - and have dollar-cost averaged down in recent years. I have stuck with the company through its turmoils.
After having spent 26 years at IBM, clearly in a very senior position (Vice President, Worldwide Marketing for small and medium businesses), she left ... and made a bold move to struggling Nortel. This is to be respected.
Lauren saw parallels between Nortel and IBM and is a builder at heart. Again,this is what Nortel needs in a chief marketing officer.
Lauren is firing on all cylinders to breathe life into Nortel and is honest about it. In a recent interview, Lauren was asked how far along she is in revitalizing the Nortel brand. Her answer ..."On our way". I love that!
She's guardedly optimistic and dare I say realistic. Additionally, Lauren is not looking to outspend her larger competitors, she's looking to execute better - and that's a key that large companies often miss ... they think throwing big bucks at marketing is the way to go. I think not!
In a recent interview she said "... when I go into a market I want to go in with full force. I want to go in with my sales team fully enabled, my channel partners fully enabled and engaged, and every cylinder of the marketing engine firing: PR, marketing communications, direct, events, basically a consolidated hit into a focused market."
I love this approach!
Lauren in a world of big talk, I like your style and wish more marketing people thought like you.
Continued success!
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