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"You were born an original. Don't die a copy."
John Mason
"A problem is only a tough decision waiting to be made."
Unknown
"Patience is the companion of wisdom."
St. Augustine |
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PResidential politics
Before and after the election, a number of people asked us which candidate won the public relations battle. Platforms aside, most of us would say that president George W. Bush was the winner.
Bush's message was largely consistent throughout the election. He focused on accomplishments of his first term and plans for the second term. He also emphasized the leadership he demonstrated in the aftermath of September 11 and his willingness to make decisions that followed his convictions, e.g. the war in Iraq.
Sen. John Kerry spent much of the election, especially the last few weeks, attacking the president as much as or more than emphasizing his own agenda. The Kerry campaign routinely seized on the latest news of the day, such as missing explosives in Iraq or lower-than-expected job numbers, in an attempt to find a message that resonated with voters.
To his credit, Kerry scored the public relations highlight of the election by quickly conceding the election and not dragging the country through a repeat of the 2000 election. Ironically, the concession demonstrated a great ability for statesmanship -- something that dogged him throughout the election.
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Refine your message
Continuing with the political theme, the election provided some lessons about defining messages in your communications. Here are three approaches political consultants use:
- Define yourself. This approach is the easiest for most companies. This type of communication focuses on the benefits that your organization provides to clients, members, patients, consumers, etc.
- Define your competition. This approach requires more subtlety because, politics aside, most businesses rarely criticize their competition publicly (some national advertisers are exceptions). However, you can emphasize the challenges -- additional time, extra cost, missed opportunities, etc. -- if someone chooses not to use your services or products.
- Solve a problem. People buy because they have some pain. Through case studies and other testimonials, you can emphasize how you solve a key customer problem better than anyone else.
These three approaches will also help you simplify and clarify your message.
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How to remember names
If you are like most people, you will meet a number of people during the holiday season whom you want to remember after the holidays are done. Next time you need to remember someone's name, try using the "LMER" approach:
- Look and listen -- Get a strong mental picture of people as you listen closely for their names.
- Mind picture -- Create one picture in your mind using the person's full name.
- Exaggerate -- The more exaggerated and colorful the picture, the easier it will be to remember.
- Repeat -- Repeat the name silently to yourself several times and also try to use it in conversation.
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Picking a winning product
CEOs face strategic investment choices every day. The sum of those choices can decide how well the company performs in the long run.
The following formula is one way to evaluate the potential success of a new product or service in the marketplace. The ultimate goal is to score highly in all four categories.
- Providing high purchase motivators
- It must be less expensive than existing products/services (lower price).
- It must provide better features than existing products/services (greater benefits), e.g. BMW's "sheer driving pleasure."
- Eliminating purchase barriers
- It must not have any switching or adoption costs (easy to use).
- It must be readily available (easy to buy), e.g. Dell's online ordering system.
This approach, developed by Eric Mankin, president of Innovation & Business Architectures, allows companies to quickly evaluate their products and services against the competition. It can also serve as a roadmap in the R&D process.
In a recent article for Working Knowledge, a Harvard Business School newsletter, Mankin applied the formula to several products, including Procter & Gamble's SpinBrush and the Upromise affinity investing program. Click the following link to read the entire article:
http://hbsworkingknowledge.hbs.edu/item.jhtml?id=4378&t=strategy
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atkinsonpr.com
http://www.atkinsonpr.com
Atkinson Public Relations has launched a new website building upon what we started with the Atkinson Advisor. The new site features four sections -- Launch, Grow, Survive, and Change -- that focus on the needs of companies at different stages in their development. Each section contains in-depth articles by the Atkinson team about communication issues, such as positioning, effective media relations, creating a crisis communication plan, etc. We will update the website with new articles during the first week of every month. For the first time, we also have a complete archive of all past editions of the Advisor. We hope you find the new website a valuable resource. Let us hear your feedback -- good or bad.
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From Worst to First
From Worst to First: Behind the Scenes of Continental's Remarkable Comeback by Gordon Bethune with Scott Huler
In From Worst to First, Bethune tells a classic turnaround tale and affirms that common courtesy and common sense still have a big role in business success.
Bethune stepped into the role of Continental Airlines' CEO in 1994 as the company was on the brink of its third bankruptcy filing in a decade. With chutzpah and copious communications, Bethune and the Continental Airlines employees brought the beleaguered company from the edge of extinction to the airline industry's No. 1 position in a few short years.
Bethune and his 40,000 plus workforce listened to upset customers and apologized for past mistakes. They then developed, communicated, and executed a plan with clearly defined goals and incentives. Employee commitment to the plan resulted in customers and partners returning in droves.
Frank and conversational, From Worst to First is full of down-to-earth ideas and is a reminder that doing the right thing is good business.
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