|
#1 |
Top Of Mind: New York Times in crisis |
|
|
#2 |
The Idea Of That Thing: Searching for customers |
|
|
#3 |
Next Time Try This: Communications Rule of 9 |
|
|
#4 |
For The CEO: Responding to negative media coverage |
|
|
#5 |
Hits & Bytes: corporatebabble.com |
|
|
#6 |
What We're Reading: Creating Customer Evangelists |
Sometimes, you just have to take your medicine. Just ask the New York Times.
The venerable paper that has both launched and demolished the reputations of many other companies is in a fight to save its own.
Will the Jayson Blair crisis kill the New York Times? No. Has it fallen from the ranks of the most reputable media? Debatable. Will it take years to rebuild its storied reputation? Absolutely.
The Times is not the first first-rate newspaper to suffer at the hands of a deceitful reporter. In 1981, the Washington Post had to return a Pulitzer Prize won for a fictitious story about an 8-year-old heroin addict written by Janet Cooke. The Post managed to survive that crisis.
To the Times, we will offer the same advice we always do: tell the truth, tell it all, and tell it fast. The sooner people understand and forgive; the faster the New York Times can begin the long, slow rebuilding process.
Guest Columnist, Chip Gallent
Nearly 80 percent of first-time website visitors find those websites through a search engine. In fact, search engines have surpassed television advertising as the top means of customer acquisition, according to the Direct Marketing Association.
Most companies and websites have failed to incorporate basic search engine programming, a.k.a. "search engine optimization," into their marketing mix. With a couple of modifications, websites can realize their quest for a top 10 rank in key search engines like Google. Here are some keys to know:
- Search engines like text links. Therefore, switch all navigation/menu to a text-based system. Fancy graphics are nice, but search engines cannot interpret graphics or pictures of words on your site. While you're at it, get rid of that Flash introduction. Search engines can't read content using Macromedia's Flash technology either.
- Make sure to use page titles correctly. Every page on a website should have a title indicating content and containing as many relevant keywords as possible.
- Think high school and become popular. Many of the search engines use what is called "link popularity" to help rank your website. Link popularity is the number of links from other websites to your website. Your ranking will rise if you can get all of your friends, associates, vendors, partners and clients to put a link to your site on their website. In turn, you should kindly reciprocate the favor.
/20030304.html).
When you want to reinforce the importance of communicating messages repeatedly, put this equation on a flip chart or board and ask your group if they know the "Communications Rule of 9":
Rule of 99 x 1 = 0
3 x 3 = 1
Answer: When you tell people nine different things once, on the average they remember "zero". When you tell them three things three times, they remember one.
Negative media coverage happens, especially if your company or an employee at your company does something to deserve it.
Sometimes, that negative story necessitates a response from the company. Here are some criteria that CEOs and their staffs should consider before picking up the phone to demand a meeting about a negative story.
- Was the story complete? Did the reporter leave out a key fact or key issue that is essential to understanding the whole situation? Did the reporter ask for your opinion and input on the story's key facts?
- Were the facts accurate? Did you get the impression the reporter used reputable sources and double-checked their statements?
- Was the story balanced? Did both sides have the equal opportunity to comment and make their case?
If you can answer a definitive (and defensible) "no" to any of the bolded questions above, then you should consider calling the reporter. Reporters like to know when they have inaccurate information or have missed an important point. Here are our tips for effective feedback to reporters:
- Reference only the story in question. Drudging up the past is neither appropriate nor helpful.
- Speak to the facts and keep your emotions in check. Your competitor's quote may have you seeing red, but the reporter is only quoting the source.
- Don't call into question the reporter's motives. Recognize that reporters strive for as much objectivity as possible in the midst of competing forces trying to "spin" them to one side of the story.
Observing is a great form of learning, even when it is the case of what not to do. Corporate Babble searches the day's news to provide daily lessons on flacksterism and corporate double-speak. We especially like the website's amusing style and highly recommend the "A. Spokesperson" cartoon for a weekly laugh.
Creating Customer Evangelists
by Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba
Word of mouth is vital to any successful marketing effort. Creating Customer Evangelists is a step-by-step approach for converting loyal clients to a volunteer sales force. McConnell and Huba lay out and provide examples of their six strategies:
- Customer Plus-Delta: how to understand what motivates your customers
- Napsterizing Your Knowledge: building value for your knowledge by allowing widespread use
- Build That Buzz: identifying and capitalizing on opportunities to showcase your products and services
- Create Community: helping customers bond with you and each other
- Bite-Size Chunks: use small bits of your service to open the door and wet a prospect's appetite
- Create A Cause: find a meaningful pursuit to impress others
The book contains great examples and case studies from Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Southwest Airlines, and IBM.
© Copyright 2003 Atkinson Public Relations