It's all about people

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.

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

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!

You get it R

This morning I was on the phone with a potential client ---let's call her R. Here is someone who gets it and very few do! Why? Very simply R:

1. Recognizes we don't work for free

2. Negotiates well and is always acting in the best interests of her employer. We love a savvy and knowledgeable client

3. Has done her homework. R is no neophyte when it comes to PR and the services we provide

4. Understands timing and plans around it

5. Was not all business - we talked about other stuff besides business - bottom line? R is not about being a one-hit wonder. Rather R looks to build bridges

R - I look forward to chatting again Jan 4. Happy festive season

What It Takes To Be A Good Client

Just last week we were pitching a new piece of business and whether or not we win (we were the smallest and least expensive of 3 agencies to be on the short list), the client asked a very intuitive question that I have not heard in several years, "Sacke, what in your mind makes an ideal client?" Clearly, this question does not come up often, for most clients think they can sit back, relax, have us to all the work and then watch the incremental sales come in.

Accuse me for being overly honest, but nothing could be further than the truth.

So George, (sorry to mention you by first name), here's a short elaboration of what we discussed:

1. Bring us to the table early.
This is key. It's no use us being prepped after the gig. Brief us early. Brief us well and tell us the real deal. Leave the sugar coated words at home. Armed with knowledge early in the plan pays massive dividends.

2. Keep away from the "hurry up , but we'll keep you waiting syndrome"
Nothing is more frustrating or disconcerting than having us work through the night to make your last minute deadline, and then waiting a week to get back to us with comments. This is the antithesis of effective PR. Time is of the essence in everything we all do.

3. Trust our counsel
We have won your business - not an easy task. Now you have to trust us. We have dealt with your issues before, so you have now to embrace our counsel. Yes, while any PR agency may err,we promise it will be far less frequent than you will err as it relates to PR. And if we err too frequently for your comfort - fire us!

4. Don't believe the hype
It was the group Public Enemy (a great rap band), who said it best some 20 years ago. We've seen it all before. Tell us reality. Keep it real. Tell us your achievements rather than what you think you'll achieve. While we all agree planning is important, it's far more important that your planning be realistic as opposed to it being just a plan (mired in dreams).

5. Embrace us early, often and warmly
Don't be afraid to ask us our opinion. Tell us what's on your mind. The warmer the hug, the better the results we will deliver. After all, we are not mind readers ... we do everything else though!

That said George. Win, lose or draw, we hope our insights will help in your selection.

Well done - McCain Foods

So the great and mighty UN has designated 2008 the International Year of the Potato ... yup, the lowly Potato. Guess what? Canada's very own McCain Foods will be the sponsor - this is a great PR coup.

Potatoes should be a major component in strategies aimed at providing nutritious food for the poor and hungry, the UN announced recently. Rich in carbohydrates, vitamin C and protein, the potato yields more nutritious food more quickly on less land, and in harsher climates, than any other major crop.

"McCain Foods has a 50-year history of understanding potatoes," president and CEO Dale Morrison said in a news release.

"With our knowledge and our global presence, we are in a unique position to support the objectives of the United Nations in educating the world on the value of potatoes and by introducing potato farming capabilities to developing countries and impoverished nations that will deliver high nutrition, low cost solutions to the world's poor and hungry."

McCain Foods has more than 20,000 employees at 60 production facilities on six continents. Guess what? and here's the kicker --- the privately owned company has annual sales of more than $6 billion and is the world's largest producer of french fries and potato specialties.

Is that a PR win or what? I guess the guys at McCain have been spending a lot of time at the UN of late. Well done!!!

We all have a thing to learn about from Steve Wynn

I was at The Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas the week before last, playing poker. Nope, wasn't a tournament - just a regular cash game.

They have the best bottled water I've ever tasted. Better than Dasani. Better than Evian. Better than Perrier. It just feels smooth when I drank it. I'd never had that experience before.

So, when I saw a worker replenish my water, I complimented her on the water.

Her response? Not -- "Thank you." But -- "Does it make you want to gamble?"

Now that's a mission statement!

The Wynn has trained its people to make sure they are consistently aligned with the company's mission -- get more people to gamble more often --- ie. spend money and from the looks of the hotel's decor, that's precisely what they are doing. Big time!

If that means having a beautiful registration area with the most luscious flowers I've ever seen, then order the flowers. If that means having a great restaurant so I don't ever have to leave the hotel, then build it. If that means having friendly staff (and they really were a notch better than any other hotel I've stayed in in Vegas), then teach them to be friendly.

It all comes back to their mission. Everyone in the hotel is on the same page.

Even the elevator is aligned with the message. There are buttons for all the floors, the spa and the casino. That's it. There's no button for "First Floor" or "Street Level" or, heaven forbid, "Exit." That would be inconsistent with the message.

Is your company aligned to its message? Can your employees articulate that message? Wynn does. Can you?

The Big Freaking Idea? (Not!)

We're often asked for a big idea when pitching new business and keeping existing business. Everyone seems to want to get the next best thing since sliced bread, and then, not want to pay for it. Let's forget the money for a minute for something far more important - the big idea itself.

We've been around the block a few times and been asked for the big freaking idea --- at the expense of sounding like a jaded PR guru, I maintain, there's no such thing any longer. The last big freaking idea I saw was when Bill Gates conquered the CN Tower in Toronto and I bet that costs oodles of dough.

Rather, I hold that the big freaking idea is actually a collective of far smaller initiatives, that while perhaps each may lack punch by themselves, when grouped together can be very impactful.

It's the new way of thinking and I like these new ways a lot over the old ways of thinking

It's about being hip

I am out here in San Diego doing some work for a real, real cool client. Their offices are amazing, a plethora of color - it radiates energy --- way cool! They are very successful, and they're not heavies. In other words, they don't take themselves overly seriously. They work hard and they play hard --- and there's something to be said for that. And they don't get too down on themselves when they mess up. We all mess up a little at some point in our lives - we make the correction and move on. It's important to remember this in business - no-one really goes out of their way to do business with a heavy.

What does it take to be good at PR

We're hiring right now and it sure is not easy to find the right person. But to me, it's a useful process. There's an old talmudic saying, "The fool is someone who does not learn from everyone else." And it's so true in the hiring process.

So as a job seeker in PR, here's some of what you need to know to succeed.

Patience: If you don't have it, throw in the towel. Now, if only we could get our clients to be patient.

Be nice: Ever met a PR person who comes off like a jerk? These people don't stay in their jobs too long.

Control your emotions: The worst PR people are either too passive or overly aggressive.

Have nerve: Be it the nerve to cold - call a reporter on deadline, or the nerve to disclose bad news, it takes a streak of cold blood to be able to do PR.

Hunger for knowledge: The best PR people can put things into context. They can narrow or broaden a particular ifdea and sesamlessly tailor it for each reporter,depending on their requirements.,

These are just a smattering of what you need to succeed. Best wishes

The Boss was in town

So, the Boss was in Hogtown Monday night and I was all ready to spring for a couple tickets to take my lawyer friend Rob ... I even kinda had it all planned out. Get into the rock and roll mood with perhaps a shot of the bourbon and go to the Air Canada Centre - at least we would not have been the oldest people there.

Then fatigue took a hold, one thing led to another and before I knew it, I was productive in another way ... grinding out more emails until I shut the 'puter down at close to mid-night.

Yesterday morning's Star gave the Boss an awseome review. I guess I missed something big. Another time!

Has anyone figured this out?

So what's not up for debate now is that the PR biz is changing before our very eyes. It seems clear that titan pubs no longer carry the relevance they once did in our world and that of our clients.

When we hung our shingle out 10 years ago, a blog? podcast? technorati? You got to be kidding. It's the rage now. Welcome to the new frontier of public relations in today's web.2.0 world. It's also neat, that albeit we are late to the game (somewhat), we're here!

Welcome to our new blog

Hello and welcome to our new blog. Look for some insightful comments in the days ahead from the world of marketing communications. It's a pleasure to be online!