Shankman vs. Kami

So, I have been following the Peter Shankman/ Kami “thing” the past few days. It sure is interesting.

For those who don’t know, I’ll sum it up in a nutshell. Appears that Kami asked Peter to pick his brain. Peter tweeted to his many thousands of followers, “New Rule: If your email starts off with “I want to pick your brain,” my reply starts off with “at $400 per hour.” And while Peter appeared not to make reference to Kami’s request, it did come back to her and then a tempest in a teapot begun, with both parties throwing mildly sarcastic barbs at the other.

And the really cool thing is that since both are so well connected on the web, it has elicited lots of online chatter (On Shankman’s blog, close to 120 people have commented at the time of me writing this)

So what’s interesting about this sorta heated exchange? Here’s my take:

1. Kami (and I have never had the pleasure of even speaking to her), asked Peter a seemingly innocent (yet loaded) question. Perhaps Kami did want to pick Peter’s brain, and while there is nothing wrong with picking someone’s brain, one has to pay the person whose brain you are trying to pick. Did Kami want to pick Peter’s brain for free? Hell, I don’t know. Maybe yes and maybe no --- but that really is kinda not the issue here. The issue here is how both parties reacted

2. There for sure is some arrogance/ sassyness here --- by both Peter and Kami. And let me say that a little arrogance/ sassyness is not necessarily a bad thing. Arrogance may be a little strong, but sassy may be more accurate. I have traded many emails with Peter over the years – arrogant he is not. Au contraire. I have found Peter to be one of the most approachable and regular guys in the biz. My emails are acknowledged and Peter for sure, is an all-round nice guy. Kami? Never met or spoken to her, but I am sure she is also a “nice guy” who likely resented being chided in so public a forum

That said guys, you both a solid social citizens.Keep it up … I am watching from a distance.

And as Shankman says, “Blue skies and long surfs.”

Shankman (@skydiver) really gets it

You know, in my 16 years in PR, I have seen a lot of so called “experts” come and go. And please, don’t think that this piece is a proverbial “blow-job” to use a PR term, but there is one guy who “gets it” better than almost anyone else I know. His name: Peter Shankman, the founder of HARO.

So, why do I say that Peter is an expert? Well, there are a few reasons:

1. Peter is not afraid to share. I know it’s one of the cardinal rules of social media. But many, (if not most) social media gurus are afraid to share their knowledge, contacts or experiences. On the other hand, Peter shares a lot. He often bares all, even down to his vigorous travel schedule

2. Many social media types I have met have a fear of giving “props”. For those of you who don’t know what “props” are – a “prop” is a compliment. Many times, in his 3 daily HAROs, Peter will pay someone or so-and-so a compliment. What this really means is that Peter acknowledges that other people know their stuff too.

3. Peter has some interesting hobbies. Like come on – who in their right mind would run Iron Men and jump out of planes – for thrills. No-one that I know of, except Shankman – and he makes no pretences about his hobbies.

4. Peter knows social media very well – and like all all pros, he knows when to hold’em and knows when to fold ‘em. What do I mean by this? For good reason, he has his rules – and he enforces them, even at the expense of being possibly politically incorrect.

a. This is what he sent to his HARO readership yesterday … “Hey guys - It might be a good time to review the rules of HARO again. We only have five, and they're incredibly easy to follow. Here's the thing - When you signed up for HARO, you promised you'd follow them. So the fact that I had to ban someone yesterday for not only pitching BLATANTLY off topic, but then posting about it on a blog, makes me think that it might be a good time for EVERYONE to reread the rules again. It's a quick easy read. I really, really encourage it. OK? Let's keep playing well in this fun sandbox. Read the rules here: http://shankman.com/the-five-rules-of-haro/.

5. Finally, Peter does seem like an all-round good guy. Now, I have traded emails with Peter. He follows me on Twitter (@sackman66) and I follow him too. I have spoken to Peter about a year ago on the phone, and although we have never met – I do get the idea he’s a good guy.

To be sure, there’s nothing I want from Peter, and this is not intended to be a “blow-job”, but it’s just nice to acknowledge the good someone else does.

Now here's a company that gets it

You know, there are not that many companies out there that really, (and I mean really) get it. One such company is Mucho Burrito (http://www.muchoburrito.com).

Here's why:

I happened to be in Mississauga last week and stumbled across Mucho Burrito. I had never heard of the chain before. In I walked --- one would think I was a king (from the way I was treated) and although there were several other people eating, I felt like I was the most important person there.

Being a picky eater, I order a lot of things "on the side". Nothing was too much trouble. The vegetarian burrito arrived just as ordered and was absolutely scrumptious.

So why do I say, they really get it? Well, a few things:

1. I was greeted with a smile
2. Nothing was too much trouble
3. Everything was squeaky clean, so much so, that I felt like I could almost eat off the floor
4. The food was yummy
5. I was upsold (in a polite way)
6. I was thanked with a smile
7. They were not giving their product away, but rather their fair price reflected quality food in an enjoyable environment

What more could I wish for? A Mucho Burrito outlet to open near where I live (Thornhill)

The New Tiger Ad --- Eeeeerieeeee

So, I’ve just watched the new Tiger ad for the gazillionth time. I guess it’s good to know that Nike still supports Tiger. Let’s face it – what Tiger did was downright sleazy. A beautiful wife, a fantastic life and he goes and plays around with wanton women? What are you thinking Tiger? Think with your brain, not with the little guy between your legs! Nonetheless, I have talked about that issue extensively and it’s not the topic for today’s post.

What is the topic though, is the new ad. In a nutshell, I echo the sentiments of Ian Mackellar of BBDO Toronto. He says it’s “creepy” and I agree.

First, as close as Tiger was to his dad, his dead is dead and to make matters worse, his dad died in May 2006, possibly even before his son started fooling around and certainly before Tiger’s out-of-control sexual desires became public.

Second, it’s eerie. No, make that very eerie. The late Mr. Woods says “I am more prone to be inquisitive. I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are and did you learn anything.” It’s almost like:

1. The late Mr. Woods had some sort of premonition of his son’s philandering
2. The words of the late Mr. Woods could have been attributed to anything that would play itself out in his son’s life
3. Thanks to technology, it was not the voice of the late Mr. Woods, but rather a Mr. Woods sound-alike

In any event, it’s very eerie and I don’t like that aspect of the ad

Three, by all means be subtle, but if this is Tiger’s re-entry statement into golf, it’s extremely weak. Tiger’s not talking. Tiger’s not playing. Tiger’s not doing anything. He’s motionless. Perhaps paralyzed with fear? Me thinks so.

I think Shawn King, vice-president and chief creative officer, Extreme Group said it well and make a very good point here - "This the first time I've watched a Nike ad for golf and thought more about Nike than I did Tiger Woods." - And that is exactly what Nike wants. It wants us to think more about it, than either Tiger or the game. Mission accomplished Nike.

Now, I know Tiger’s been dragged through hell and back the past few months, and while I don’t condone playing around, he really has paid for it --- big time.

Did Nike do the right thing? Absolutely. Take it a step further. Nike is a brilliant marketing machine. The ad rocks, in a macabre, sinister way. Most other brands loved Tiger as long as he was at the top. As soon as they sniffed trouble, they ran for the hills as fast as they could. Nike actually supported Tiger even during his darkest hours – and they did not get into his poor behaviour.

Tiger’s poor behaviour does not say much about him as a human and only time will tell whether he has what it takes to compete at the sport’s highest levels. Let’s see what happens in Augusta this week.

Five Steps To Know In Building Out Your Social Media Plan

As social media continues to dominate the PR landscape, I certainly believe that social media can propel your business to the next level. And while you discuss its benefits with your friends and your co-workers — but you just can’t seem to get things moving. Maybe the executive team isn’t listening, or maybe you just haven’t done what it takes to be heard.

Ever since we became involved with social media (about 18 months ago), I’ve been keeping a list of tips about what has worked within companies — including ours.

Start small and test. Regardless of what your job function is, find a piece that you think may benefit from social media. In sales? Prospect in LinkedIn or Twitter. In HR? Build out your presence and post open positions on Facebook. Just make sure to keep close track of the time that you spend — as that will undoubtedly be asked of you.

Record victories. You’ve been keeping track of your efforts and now have made progress. Anecdotal wins are great, but hard data is what is going to resonate with the most senior of audiences. Document any numbers you can: page views, conversions, leads, hires, sales, etc.

Communicate. This is a critical juncture. When enough victories (and the accompanying data) have been amassed, it’s time to let key people know. Start with your boss– mentioning the wins and focus on efficiency. Think, “I spent an extra two hours this week networking and sharing information on Twitter, and I have landed three new, strong leads.” While you may be excited and want to go direct to the C-Suite with this information, I caution you to communicate in ways that show you’re in this for the long haul. It’s important to generate as many allies as possible– and your boss is key.

Assemble an interdepartmental team. Meet individually with the heads of each function/group/department. In all conversations, try your best to leave out the phrase “social media” if at all possible. The point of these “new strategies” is to help meet existing goals. If you introduce the group you’re assembling to senior leaders as a “social-media team,” they might assume it’s an experiment of sorts. This is about using new channels to achieve company goals, not about trying to get more fans on Facebook. Allow the heads of each department to select his/her own representative on the team. If you align the team with core goals, department heads will be less likely to appoint junior staff members.

Produce. Now that you have a interdepartmental team, the collective voice is stronger, and “vetted” projects can take shape. This team should continue to test, record and report victories — now with the attention of the C-Suite.

Too Fat To Fly?!?!?!

I’ve been following the “Too fat to fly" story on Southwest pretty carefully over the past few days. And it’s funny, sad, interesting and ridiculous – all at the same time.

As you probably know, a Southwest pilot asked the movie director, Kevin Smith, to leave a flight Saturday night, claiming Smith was too large - and insisting that he buy a second seat on the airplane.

Southwest has a well-established policy of asking people deemed too large for their seats to purchase a second seat.

For the past few days, he’s directed a social media assault against Southwest, with tweets about the incident flowing minute-by-minute. Here are two back-to-back tweets he sent around 5 p.m. ET Monday. I put them together as one sentence.

“Everyone’s so scared to admit to fault/fuckup, for fear of getting sued. In front of y'all, I say this: I'll never sue @SouthwesternAir, no matter WHAT facts may emerge. I don't want any @SouthwestAir $$$, I want south western justice! You should get that, as you guys are Texans!”

Southwest jumped on the issue fast. By Sunday afternoon, the airline had addressed the issue on its blog, Nuts About Southwest. “First and foremost, to Mr. Smith; we would like to echo our Tweets and again offer our heartfelt apologies,” Southwest spokesperson Christi Day blogged. “We are sincerely sorry for your travel experience on Southwest Airlines.”

According to Day, Southwest attempted to call Smith to apologize personally.

Day explained the incident in the blog post; Smith spent Monday insisting that aspects of the blog post are untrue. For instance, the blog post said, “Mr. Smith originally purchased two Southwest seats on a flight from Oakland to Burbank—as he’s been known to do when traveling on Southwest.”

Outraged, Smith said on his Twitter page that he does not regularly purchase two tickets on Southwest and, if even if it were true, slammed the airline for sharing personal information about a customer.

This whole Smith incident is a problem for Southwest that could last longer than the usual whiplash-inducing news cycle. Here’s why:

1. Smith is a movie director. He’s got a big voice – and he’s listened to very well. To note is that me has more than 1,500,000 followers on Twitter. I don’t know Smith, but one thing I know about Smith is that he’s pretty influential. He talks. People listen. Furthermore, since he is a movie director, it’s conceivable to think Southwest could become the butt of jokes in Smith’s future movies.

2. Smith is promoting a movie, right now. That means every reporter he speaks to will ask him about the incident. Judging by Smith’s reaction to the incident, he’ll be very happy to respond.

3. Smith is social media savvy. The airlines is praised often for its social media chops. And rightly so, the company has tackled many high-profile PR problems with its blog. However, Smith is an avid Twitter member with more than 1.6 million followers. Southwest has slightly more than 1 million followers.

4. Smith is representative of two-thirds of America. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 67 percent of U.S. adults, older than 20, are overweight or obese. (I don’t know how much Smith weighs, (in fact, I have not read a single article talking about his weight) but in 2008, Smith told The Los Angeles Times that he planned to take a break from directing to lose weight before it compromises his health.)

5. Smith received a personal apology from Southwest. This is probably the biggest strike against the airlines. How often does the company personally apologize to all the other people it asks to buy two seats on Southwest flights?

It’s an interesting story from many aspects. You may want to follow Kevin on Twitter @ThatKevinSmith

Rules of Social Media

This last week, we won a new piece of business for a client that wants to get into social media. While very satisfying to win the business, we put a lot of time and energy into educating the client. And to be fair, social media is more difficult to understand than media relations.

Media relations = asking a reporter to write good things about your client
Social media = something completely different and depending on who you ask, you'll hear differing opinions as to what it really is. Watch for my next posting which will talk more about social media

But in the interests of not getting overly academic in this blog posting, I just wanted to dispel some common internet marketing myths - each of which were instrumental in us winning this new piece of business:

1. Internet marketing is expensive—You don’t have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to start building a profitable online presence. There are several inexpensive things you can do right now to immediately grow your online presence and to attract targeted traffic to your website.

2. You need a flashy website to be successful—While a flashy website might make the designer pat himself on the back, these designs rarely lead to an increase in sales. Sure, a professional-looking design is important, but what really makes a quality design is one that adheres to web usability best practices, contains simple navigation, and is laid out cleanly.

3. Internet marketing isn’t good for B2B services—Over $650 billion was spent on online B2B transactions in the U.S. alone last year. Spending continues to grow in spite of the recession. If you offer services to businesses, a strong online presence is essential to your success.

4. High search engine rankings mean high sales volume—Getting decent search engine placement is only half of the battle. What you do with that traffic is what’s really important. Your landing pages need to be designed to maximize conversions. Otherwise, visitors will just click the “back” button on their browser as soon as they land on your site.

5. Social media is a waste of time—A growing number of companies are finally starting to see the light, realizing social media marketing isn’t just a passing fad. When done properly, social media marketing is an effective way to increase brand awareness, build links to your website, learn more about your target audience, and enhance your credibility with consumers.

6. Once I achieve good search rankings, I can stop trying—Wrong. Just because you have top search engine placement for your keywords doesn’t mean you can take your foot off the pedal. The search engines are constantly changing their algorithms and updating their results to provide their users with the most relevant results possible.

7. Quantity of traffic is all that matters—Traffic stats are what the snake oil internet marketing salesman almost always hide behind. They show clueless clients how they’ve exponentially increased the traffic to their site, convincing them that they’ve done their job. Here’s the thing: anyone with even the slightest knowledge of internet marketing can increase traffic to a website. That’s not what matters. What matters is the quality of the traffic you attract. What’s the point of tricking a bunch of people into viewing your website who have no interest in your products or services? Quality of traffic and conversion rates are far more important than quantity of traffic.

To our new client - welcome aboard. It's now 1:49am - and I am signing off for the day