Category: Media Relations

This Week’s Retail Round Up

Posted on | by Ketner Group

With the retail industry changing on a day-to-day basis, there’s always something that’s trending in the news. From the havoc that Lilly Pulitzer created with their launch at Target, to the possibility of having robot technology take over the retail world, this week was filled with some fascinating trends.

Lilly Pulitzer for Target causes shipping frenzy via CNN

Lilly Pulitzer, known for bold colors and prints, announced earlier this year that it would partner with Target to release a new, more affordable line of bags, shoes, dresses and much more. This news created some major hype amongst people all over the country, and according to CNN, lines started forming early as 5 a.m. on Sunday, April 19 for the highly anticipated collection.

Within hours, it was sold out online and in stores across the country. And people were irate. Target announced that the inventory would not be restocked because the collection was only available for a limited time. Once people realized that #LillyforTarget was essentially a thing of the past, people were furious. And today, Target is facing the backlash, but are “learning from these experiences and sharing with our online and store teams,” according to a statement.

Sam’s Club makes being a member more valuable via Retailing Today

Sam’s Club announced on April 22 that they would implement five new services, including those that are focused on financial services, theft protection and the possibility of saving members as much as $2,300 annually. These new services will allow Sam’s Club to differentiate themselves from Costco and other competitors, as well as simplify how their consumers work, live and conduct their businesses. Sam’s Club, who has been dedicated to low prices on bulk goods and quality products for many years, embarked on this change in response to their CEO’s push in increasing the value of membership and multiplying services involved with business, home and life. With these new services, Sam’s hopes to attract new members, maintain their existing ones and promote their $100 Plus level membership.

Services offered from providers with recognizable brands include:

  • Identity theft protection from industry leader Lifelock at a 25% discount on annual rate.
  • Accounting services and tax preparation from 1-800Accountant, a network of accounting experts that provide bookkeeping and tax filing through a simple platform, starting at $29 a month.
  • A Sam’s Club Business Lending Center that gives access to as much as $350,000 of capital by connecting business members to lenders and credit options through Lending Club, Smart Biz and Sam’s Club Business MasterCard.
  • Enhanced payment processing solutions provided by First Data. This will bring in-club business consultants and centralized payments and point of sale technology to business members to help simplify operations.
  • Online marketing services provided by Web.com with a 36% discount. Web.com has created member-exclusive digital marketing bundles, including do-it-yourself (DIY) and do-it-for-me (DIFM) plans for digital marketing services.

Will retailers I-up the latest in robot technology?  Via Retail Gazette

Tech innovator, Toshiba, has introduced a humanoid robot to the retail world in Japan. They have introduced this “lifelike” communication technology to attract people into stores, where androids have been greeting and assisting consumers around the store and aiding human employees. Currently, the robot is being used as an attraction or as a form of entertainment, but Toshiba’s Business Development Division Group Manager, Hitoshi Tokuda, thinks that this robot can revolutionize the shopping experience. Toshiba is hoping to develop a robot that can eventually do what a human does in regards to customer service.

The robot is powered by 43 motors and blinks and talks. Apparently, the robot named Pepper can understand about 80% of conversations and is set to launch across 1,000 stores in Japan. This new development has set the bar high for customer experience for retailers wanting to expand in Japan. These androids could be a solid investment that has the power to change communication and employ more staff, but businesses could also lose their brand’s personality without face-to-face human interaction. These new robots are setting an intriguing stage for the future of retail.

 

Retailers’ Aging POS Platforms in Need of a Makeover via Retail Info Systems News

As the times change, so do the needs of consumers and POS platforms. Older platforms, traditionally used for scanning merchandise and completing basic transactions, are reducing consumer engagement. In fact, most POS platforms are about 6.9 years old; the need for upgraded technology is now becoming essential for empowered consumers that are expecting much more than a register. Consumers are now demanding POS as the “omnichannel point-of-service” where retailers engage consumers and build loyalty. The retail industry needs to address these outdated systems or face potential compliance penalties, security risks and even a hindered ability to reach growing business needs. According to EKN Research, the need for more up-to-date systems is attributed to four key factors including the EuroPay, MasterCard, VISA (EMV)-liability shift, the growing need for mobility, omnichannel POS integration and the introduction of new payment methods.

 

Amazon Takes aim at the B2B market via Retailing Today

Amazon is now thinking about delving into the B2B world with retailers like Staples to launch Amazon Business marketplace that is stocked with millions of business products. Amazon says that their business customers will benefit from free two-day shipping on eligible items, multi-user business accounts, approval workflow, payment solutions, tax exemptions, customer support and so much more. Amazon Business will give businesses the convenience of shopping online in an expanded marketplace with the selection, convenience and variety of Amazon.

Some of the features of Amazon Business we think are super awesome are:

  • Business Accounts: Create a single or multi-user business account, invite additional users to join the account and define groups of users to easily share payment methods and shipping addresses.
  • Free Two-Day Shipping: Fast, free shipping on orders of $49 or more on tens of millions of eligible items, plus access to even faster shipping options.
  • Multi-Seller Marketplace: View multiple offers on a single product page for easy price comparisons, as well as shop sellers that consistently meet the performance and service requirements that businesses expect.
  • Business-Only Pricing: Business-only prices on select items and quantity discounts from select manufacturers and sellers.
  • Business-Only Selection: Business-only items combined with Amazon’s vast selection provides access to hundreds of millions of products, including hard-to-find items like traffic signs, industrial deep fryers, antibodies, 55-gallon steel drums, dent pullers and much more.
  • Purchasing Approval: Create approval workflows to enable better spending controls.
  • Amazon Tax Exemption Program: Make tax-exempt purchases and manage tax exemption permissions across an organization.
  • Amazon Corporate Credit Line: Place orders and finance purchases using a Pay-in-Full Credit Line or a Revolving Credit Line.
  • Comprehensive Product Information: Rich product pages and studio-quality photography, as well as dimensions, CAD drawings and manufacturer how-to videos.

 

 

What other retail stories in the news caught your eye this week? We’d love to hear what you think about the Target/Lily Pulitzer ordeal, and if you’ll be using Amazon Business for your company!

The Power of One Generation

Posted on | by Ketner Group

“They” say millennials are changing retail. Being one, I can say I agree with this statement. We’ve all seen the articles and research reports that talk to the impact that the millennial generation has had on the retail industry, but for me it’s a reality that I live and breathe everyday.

This past weekend I treated my sister to a shopping spree, as part of her Christmas gift. (I know, a little late, but better late than never!) It’s been widely reported that millennials are extremely brand loyal, and I, unknowingly practiced that this weekend. My sister and I went to Barton Creek Square Mall in Austin, Texas, and we only visited stores that we have had previous positive experiences with, including White House Black Market, Gap and Nordstrom. We didn’t even take the time of day to pop into the other stores. I would rather spend a little more on an item knowing I’ll have a more enjoyable shopping experience in that store, rather than spending time at their lower cost counterpart.

An article last spring in Bloomberg broke down how millennials are spending – stating they are more frugal and careful about what they buy. Through my personal experiences I find this true, not just for me, but for my friends. Leading into the shopping spree last weekend, I told my sister what our budget was, of course factoring a $50 buffer because I know our shopping habits. I planned for the months leading up to not have a weekend of triple digit spending make me have a financially-fueled emotional break down. I researched the stores I thought we should check out and sent my sister links to outfits and stores that were reasonably priced.

Another attribute about millennials, and something that is very near and dear to my heart, is that we prefer paying for experiences, not products. Honestly, I’d rather have airline miles or rewards that turn into miles rather than a new pair of shoes. Okay, I’d still like the shoes, but I’d give up other parts of my spending habits to go on a trip. But if my spending can lead to those experiences, then even better! Millennials are now even being coined the “Burning Man Generation,” due to their spending on experiences instead of things. Millennials are living proof of the old saying “you can’t take it with you.”

Retail is shifting and millennials are spearheading this movement. It’s scary but empowering to know my generation is playing a huge part in changing the retail scene. Knowing that we have this power, how will the next generation – know as Generation Z or Boomlets – change it even more?

The New Super Excited Intern

Posted on | by Ketner Group

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Hi, my name is Kamilla Rahman and as you can gather from the title, I’m the new intern for Ketner Group. I’m currently a sophomore public relations major at The University of Texas at Austin  hailing from the great city of Dallas, Texas.  I’m an account executive for Texas Tower Public Relations, the only student run PR firm on campus, working exclusively with non-profits in the Austin area. Additionally I’m on the social media committee for ORANGE Magazine and UT’s PRSSA chapter, as well as a member of the Texas Belles.

During my freshman year I interned with eduCAUTION, inc., a short film that enlightens the issues with the student debt crisis in America, helping out with promotions and event planning for the premiere at SXSWedu in 2014. The film gained quite a lot of attention from the media and other film festivals, and it was really rewarding to see my team’s hard work pay off.

After freshman year I became a marketing intern for Rahman Financial. I worked alongside my dad and the marketing team to refurbish their marketing strategies by researching potential clients, analyzing turn key technologies and redesigning their brochures and business cards. Though working for my dad seemed mundane at first, it was a great opportunity to learn about marketing in the financial world and about my father’s profession.

During the first semester of my sophomore year I worked as a marketing intern for UT’s Frank Erwin Center. I got the chance to work many special events including concerts and UT basketball games to ensure sponsored advertising ran during the events. During my time at the Erwin Center, I assisted the publicist with the Erwin Center’s Applause blog, grass roots marketing plans and much more. Sitting courtside at basketball games and up close to the stage at concerts made working at the Erwin Center an unforgettable experience.

Once the second semester of my sophomore year started, I was determined to find an internship at an agency. After weeks of stressing myself out from emailing a plethora of companies in the Austin area and sifting through tons of internship databases, I stumbled upon Ketner Group PR + Marketing. I emailed them, and I actually received an email back in a timely manner. Honestly, I was shocked. I was ecstatic when I received a phone interview. I was basically floored when I got a second interview. And I can’t even begin to explain my excitement once I was actually offered the internship.

I knew I wanted to intern at the Ketner Group the moment I had my phone interview with Kathleen. She was so sweet on the phone and made the interview surprisingly fun, rather than dreadful. Once I had my second interview with Catherine, I had the chance to meet Jeff and Sara. Everyone was so nice, and I got a chance to learn what retail technology really is, and what Ketner Group does for their clients. There is a lot of technology powering today’s leading retailers, and Ketner Group sits right at the heart of it!

During my interview I could really tell that everyone enjoyed their work and the people around them. And that’s the number one thing I’m looking forward to while interning at Ketner Group. For me personally and thinking about my future career and job, I think liking your job, the people around you.

Retail Tech & KG @ SXSW 2015

Posted on | by Ketner Group
Media Tech SXSW Image Think
Visual capture of Mashable CEO Peter Cashmore’s featured session at SXSW Interactive

It was a whirlwind of a week for KG at South by Southwest Interactive, and now that we’ve recovered from our java jitters and breakfast taco binge, we wanted to bring you the best recaps and insights on SXSW we’ve seen so far!

Several media outlets had their own opinion on the state of SX and trends we’ve seen become the hot topic

A few tech announcements and launches were made as well, including the rise of Meerkat and the Google Glass cause of death.

For the KG team, we really resonated with several of the gender-focused sessions highlighting the gender gap in technology and how next-generation retail companies are turning that on its side. We also loved this chat on optimizing content for growth!

We live and breathe retail at KG, so of course we hit up the amazing retail sessions throughout the conference. Our esteemed colleague and Editor-In-Chief of RIS News, Joe Skorupa, (who also moderated the OrderDynamics Ghost Economy panel) published an amazing recap of SXSW Interactive.

As well, UK publication The Guardian did a splendid write-up on retail’s growing presence at the innovative convention where retailers meet techies meet investors meet media meet tacos.

What were some of your favorite Interactive sessions this year? How was it different from past experiences you’ve had at the conference? We’d love to hear from you!

Until next year, SXSW!

PR Spring Cleaning: Four Key Steps to Raising Your Company’s Media Profile

Posted on | by Jeff Ketner

Spring is the season of new beginnings—and one of the busiest times of year for Ketner Group and our clients. We recently wrapped up our annual voyage to New York for the National Retail Federation conference, and are now getting ready to go full swing into SXSW 2015! KG clients are making exciting new product and customer announcements in the coming months, and we’re busily working with them on fresh ideas and opportunities for PR and marketing campaigns.

With Daylight Savings Time upon us in a little over a week, now is the time to do a bit of “spring cleaning” for your PR program. Believe it or not, retailers will soon be thinking about their new technology investments in preparation for the back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons, so it’s essential for technology vendors to keep up a high profile with PR and marketing campaigns.

What can companies do to kick start spring fever? Here are four simple suggestions:

Pick up the pace with press releases. Press releases are an essential way of gaining earned media coverage and creating buzz for your company. We love to see our clients generate one to two newsworthy announcements each month, as it’s a way to let key editors, analysts, influencers and prospects know your company is on the move.

Pitch, pitch, pitch. In today’s always-on news cycle, the media are hungry for content, and fall is ripe with opportunities. Holiday shopping will be one of the top business stories this fall and winter, for example, and many of our clients have story angles that feed directly into potential coverage in the coming months.

The key is to be relevant and creative. Do you or your customers have particular expertise that might be valuable to media? Then pitch your ideas; after all, the media is continually looking for interesting stories.

Focus on analysts. Industry analysts play a critical role in the technology ecosystem. How long has it been since you’ve briefed the key analysts covering your space? If it’s been 6-12 months or longer, it’s time for an update, regardless of whether or not your company is a client. After all, analysts need to understand your products, strategy and customer base in order to do their job; and since they often advise end-user companies on vendor selections, it’s essential that the analysts are up to date on your company.

Refresh your content. It’s no secret that content is king. Now is the time to refresh your website with fresh content, short videos, case studies, infographics, e-books, case studies and vehicles for telling your company’s story. Most of our clients’ software solutions have hefty price tags and solve critical business problems, so prospects will be on your site often to look for relevant, up to date content.

Friendly reminder from the Ketner Group – Don’t forget to set your clocks forward on March 8! Happy Daylight Savings Time day!

Ebola Relief in Liberia: Introducing #RetailFightsEbola

Posted on | by Jeff Ketner

The Ketner Group team is fortunate to work with clients doing groundbreaking work in diverse technologies including mobile, cloud, supply chain, machine learning, advanced analytics and other innovative areas. We work with really smart people who are helping shape the future of how retailers interact with consumers, which is pretty heady stuff.

Every once in a while, though, we get to work on a PR campaign that is something special. And that’s certainly the case with #RetailFightsEbola, a campaign from the Retail Orphan Initiative (RetailROI) that’s rallying the retail industry to fight Ebola in Liberia. Ketner Group has been privileged to handle PR for the Retail Orphan Initiative since it began six years, but this latest campaign raises the bar even higher.

A quick word of explanation: RetailROI is a charitable foundation that brings together retailers, technology vendors and editors and analysts to make a difference in the lives of orphaned and vulnerable kids around the world. Rather than duplicate the work of existing charities, RetailROI provides grants to charities that are already on the front lines of providing care in some of the poorest countries in the world – including Liberia.

Working with its partner charities operating in Liberia, the #RetailFightsEbola campaign is rallying retailers, manufacturers and individuals to provide much needed medical and hygienic supplies to Liberia. The goals are two-fold:

  • Raise $1,000,000+ in donated goods from retailers and manufacturers. RetailROI is working to provide specific items requested by its partners and the Liberian Ministry of Health, including first aid supplies, as well as food, clothing and linens to help with practical aid and care for survivors and the more than 3,400 children that are newly orphaned from the disease.
  • Raise $250,000 in financial contributions from companies and individuals for immediate relief. The financial contributions will help RetailROI partners provide additional relief until the goods arrive. 100 percent of the funds go directly to Ebola relief – ensuring the funds go where they’re most needed.

Why Liberia? For starters, it’s one of the countries hardest hit by Ebola as well as one of the world’s poorest countries, with an average national income of only $412 USD per capita annually. Moreover, RetailROI has reliable partner charities on the ground, including a remarkable organization called More Than Me, whose original mission was to provide education and opportunity to the most vulnerable girls in Liberia’s West Point slum, but has recently expanded to combat Ebola.

“Liberia’s government is primarily focused on mobilizing hospitals, treatment centers and coordinating with others to help with the treatment and keeping order,” says Katie Meyler, founder of More Than Me. (Check out her recent photo journal from the Ebola crisis in Vogue.)  “When it comes to practical aid for those most at risk, the vast majority of the work and distribution is being done through community groups and non-government organizations with boots on the ground like us. Survivors of this disease lose everything; their entire household and belongings are burned to stop the spread of the disease, and several thousand survivors are now orphaned children.”

More Than Me and other RetailROI partners have reduced the number of new cases by up to 90% in some of the areas hardest hit by the disease, through education, community outreach and delivery of basic medical and hygiene supplies. These efforts have been so successful that the Liberian Ministry of Health reached out to them to expand their work to additional Ebola hotspots within the country – and that’s the impetus behind #RetailFightsEbola.

As Greg Buzek, co-founder and donor trustee of RetailROI, explains, “The goods that Liberia has requested are readily available from nearly any supercenter, drug, clothing or grocery store in the U.S. We are asking retailers and manufacturers to donate products at their cost from overstocks or out-of-season goods. This is retail’s chance to make a difference in the lives of people that desperately need our help at the source of the outbreak and will be key to helping contain this epidemic.”

Retailers or individuals who would like to get involved or donate to #RetailFightsEbola, please visit www.retailroi.org/ebolarelief for more information. Please help us spread the word!

Digital Retail’s Brightest Take Over Seattle This Week for Shop.org 2014

Posted on | by Ketner Group

The annual Shop.org summit is already underway, and it has been a fast and furious few days for the team here at Ketner Group and our wonderful and innovative clients who are exhibiting at the show this week. The months and weeks leading up to Shop.org was full of planning sessions, scheduling meetings with media and analysts and preparing show announcements for our clients. This is a very exciting time of year for the KG team as it represents the unofficial kick-off of the holiday shopping season. We are working with all of our clients on some really exciting holiday-themed campaigns over the next few months, but more on that in another blog post!

Shop.org is a must-attend event for anyone in digital retail. In their own words, it is “a 2½ day event specifically for digital and multichannel retailers. Get the rush of discovering new ideas, getting actionable takeaways and building strong relationships with the brightest and most innovative players in the digital retail world.” The more than 5,200 attendees, 280 exhibitors and 100+ speakers represent the entire digital and multichannel retail community: senior management, marketers, merchandisers and solution providers.

In the first two days alone, attendees have had a chance to participate in various keynote sessions, roundtables and panels. Highlights include:

  • Jamie Nordstrom of Nordstrom speaking on the importance of evolving with your customer or “you die”
  • The Amazon.com story featuring leading Forrester Research analyst Sucharita Mulpuru and veteran Silicon Valley journalist and author, Brad Stone
  • A special NRF members-only session focusing on “Decoding the New Consumer Mind”

To see the latest and greatest news, tweets and photos from Shop.org – click here!

For those of you still in Seattle and need some advice on a successful Shop.org (or if you have some free time available before your flight home) check out Shop.org’s blog, “12 Tips for Making the Most of the Summit.”

Video Courtesy of Shop.org

Girls Can Run the World

Posted on | by Ketner Group

When my husband and I found out that we were pregnant with our first child, we were of course thrilled! Starting our own family was very important to us and we couldn’t wait to find out whether it was a boy or a girl. A few months later we got the word – we would be having a baby girl. I was beyond excited and immediately started shopping for cute baby girl dresses, bows, socks (with plenty of Texas Tech gear, of course) and started planning the color scheme and décor for her nursery. She was going to be the sweet, perfectly styled baby girl I always wanted.

Then it hit me – I’m having a girl. I pondered about what she’d be like – would she be the shy girl like me or would she inherit my husband’s strong personality? I also thought about all the things that go along with raising a girl – from teaching her how to fix her hair, helping her deal with friendships, how to cope with boyfriends and having the serious “talks” about her body. It was all very overwhelming to think about, but I knew that my husband and I would be up to the task.

Nine years later, it turns out that my beautiful Madeline most certainly got her father’s personality and height! She is mentally and physically strong, intelligent and inquisitive and has all of the qualities and the confidence of a good leader. (Case in point, she refused to get in the back of the tug of war line with the rest of the girls, insisting on being at the very front with all of the boys in the class!) Of course she has squabbles with her little girl friends from time to time, which has resulted in hurt feelings and some tears. But Madeline is not the type of person to dwell on things for too long, and is very quick to bounce back from anything that gets her down. I’d like to give my husband and I a “high-five” for all of this, but the truth is that I believe that 50% of her personality, and the personalities of all young girls, come with them on the day they were born.

The other half, well, that’s on us as parents and the rest of you out in the world. What can we as parents and the “global village” do to help our young girls grow into strong and capable members of society? What’s more, what can we all do to help them become the leaders of tomorrow?

When I heard about the #BanBossy campaign, I was immediately intrigued. Ban Bossy is a public service campaign designed to help girls flex their leadership muscles while having fun do it. It was developed in partnership with the Girls Scout of the USA, Rachel Simmons (co-founder of the Girls Leadership Institute) and LeanIn.org. According to their website,
Girl Scouts
“When it comes to girls and ambition, the pattern is clear: girls are discouraged from leading. When a little boy asserts himself, he’s called a “leader.” Yet when a little girl does the same, she risks being branded “bossy”—a precursor to words like “aggressive,” “angry,” and “too ambitious” that plague strong female leaders. Calling girls bossy is one of many things we do to discourage them from leading. It’s no wonder that by middle school, girls are less interested in leadership roles than boys, a trend that continues into adulthood.”

The campaign provides leadership tips for girls, teachers, parents and Girl Scout leaders, to encourage confidence and leadership for young women. I thought this would be a wonderful lesson for Madeline’s Girl Scout troop. My two female co-workers (who also used to be in Girl Scouts) graciously offered to co-lead the meeting with me and talk to the girls about what it means to be a leader and how important it is to speak up and stand up for yourself and your friends.

Girl Scouts Silly
The meeting was a hit! We divided the girls into groups and had each of them act out different skits that allowed them to showcase different scenarios on being a leader and being a good friend. We talked to the girls about what it means to be “bossy” and that it is ok to be “the boss.” The girls loved hearing us talk to them about being the very best they can be and the importance of being confident young ladies.

One of the girls told us that sometimes people call her a “know it all” but that she really didn’t care. Awesome. That same girl told us later in the meeting that she wants to be President of the United States, and I’ve just learned from her mother that she has instituted a family newsletter with deadlines, assigned columns, etc. Even more awesome. Watch out world, this girl is going places!

As for Madeline, I know she is going places, too. My husband and I will continue to do our part to nurture her confidence, but I ask that the rest of you help us in the process. Please encourage Madeline and all young girls to dream big. A woman’s place is anywhere she wants it to be.

I encourage you to check out Ban Bossy and the below campaigns designed to encourage and inspire young women:

PR as Storytelling: What Flash Boys Teaches Us About the Art of Technology Storytelling

Posted on | by Jeff Ketner
By Justin Hoch at http://www.jhoch.com (_MG_2932)

I’m a huge Michael Lewis fan. And like countless other readers, I’m eagerly devouring his latest book, Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt, which rocketed to the top of the New York Times best-seller list immediately after its publication.

Lewis is a gifted storyteller who excels in bringing previously obscure topics to life, as he did with the arcane world of baseball statistics (Moneyball), Michael Oher’s journey from the streets of Memphis to NFL offensive lineman (The Blind Side), and how subprime mortgages and Wall Street greed fueled the Great Recession (The Big Short).

Lewis has a particular genius for explaining and making us care about topics that were previously unknown to typical readers: think on-base averages in baseball, or real-estate derivatives. But he’s outdone himself this time: Flash Boys shines a much-needed light on the dark side of Wall Street and how insiders have gamed the system through high-frequency trading systems, creating an unfair advantage that’s measured in microseconds – about 1/200th of the amount of time it takes to blink your eyes.

It’s storytelling at its best, complete with heroes, villains and mind-boggling technology. And like the most important stories of our time, it’s touched off a national debate (complete with lawsuits and a U.S. Department of Justice probe).

At its heart, Flash Boys is a technology story. And for all of us who make our living in high technology PR and marketing, it offers important lessons in the art of telling compelling, believable stories. What can we learn from Michael Lewis’ latest best-seller? Here are a couple of principles to keep in mind.

Keep it simple. As technology PR pros and storytellers, our job is often to write about topics that are difficult to understand. We have to resist giving in to buzzwords and techno-speak, instead focusing on explaining features and benefits in everyday words that any business editor or reader can understand. Many years ago an Austin American-Statesman humor columnist poked fun at a press release I wrote in one of his columns, taking me to task for using one tech buzzword after another. True, he wasn’t the target audience (he grabbed the release from a business writer), but the lesson has stuck with me ever since: keep it simple.

Simplifying complex topics is part of Michael Lewis’ genius and one of the reasons he’s such a popular storyteller. As one reviewer notes, “When it’s Michael Lewis doing the writing, previously incomprehensible topics become clear as day. That’s dangerous stuff for financial types who fare best when their activities are dense and misunderstood, and perhaps a tad threatening to the rest of us in the writing trade who wish we could be in Lewis’ league. Even Grandma can read Flash Boys, understand it and be entertained by it.”

Keep it credible. Keeping it simple is only part of the equation; as PR pros, we also need to remember to keep it credible. That means stripping out the excess adjectives and adverbs; for a press release, is company XYZ really the “leading provider of (fill in your favorite tech phrase here)?” The best writing strips out unnecessary language and gets straight to the point, without the fluffy language or over-the-top adjectives that create a barrier to credibility.

Focus on your heroes. Flash Boys turns an obscure band of Wall Street brokers and technologists into heroes. Brad Katsuyama, the highly principled, mild-mannered trader who is the central figure in Flash Boys, comes alive as an ordinary person who asks tough questions when his computer systems start behaving differently during routine trades. And now, he’s seemingly everywhere: from the cover of the New York Times Sunday Magazine to 60 Minutes. He’s the hero at the center of the debate over high-speed trading, proof that every good story deserves a great cast of characters.

It’s a reminder to all of us that if your CEO or client has a unique or particularly inspiring storyline, put him or her at the center of the story. But what if you’re dealing primarily with a technology rather than a person – which is so often the case in technology PR? Then look for ways that the technology touches people in everyday ways they can easily relate to. Do everything possible to personalize it. Does the technology make people’s work routines easier, or allow them to work better, faster or more accurately? Then say it, as simply and cleanly as possible, using examples to drive home your point.

Even better, if your company or client has customers that are willing to talk, make them the focus of your press releases and PR outreach. After all, nothing is more believable than seeing how companies and individuals put technology to work in the real world. We may not be writing about the next Flash Boys, but as PR professionals, we’re charged with telling great stories. And writers like Michael Lewis can inspire us to do our very best.

 

PR Crisis Management: Always Be Prepared

Posted on | by Catherine Seeds
photo credit: PR Pret-A-Porter, Crisi Management: Titanic Case post

Over the past several months, my Netflix account and I have been BFF’s. After listening to my colleagues go on and on about all of the great television series I’ve missed out on over the past, oh, eight years, I decided it was my mission to become more cultured in my television viewing, and ditch shows like American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. I started with AMC’s Mad Men, then made my way through NBC’s Friday Night Lights – television at its best in my opinion.

Most recently, I’ve started watching ABC’s Scandal and AMC’s The Walking Dead and realize that both shows have a common central theme – crisis management on steroids! Both shows deal with crises in very different ways – obviously taking down zombies is much different than taking down a dirty politician in Washington D.C.  But, the chosen profession for the main characters in each show very clearly includes “crisis management” in their job description.  Olivia Pope on Scandal is a political “fixer” which means she is a lawyer/PR specialist who handles the problems of the rich and powerful in Washington D.C. Rick Grimes on The Walking Dead is a local sheriff in small town Georgia, leading a rag tag group of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world and constantly tries to figure out how not to get overrun by herds of hungry zombies.

But, in the real world, crisis management involves more than a highly paid TV writing team and good actors.  You need to have a plan. If you don’t have a crisis management plan solidified for your organization, there are plenty of resources available online for professionals in all industries. For PR executives, I suggest taking a look at the blog “10 Steps to Managing a PR Crisis” written by Marc Cowlin of Meltwater News.

Marc’s blog includes his playbook of crisis communication best practices that he’s learned over time.  His tips for a seamless PR crisis include:

Take a deep breath. When a PR crisis comes about the first thing you need to do is: nothing.  Stop, close your eyes and take five slow deep breaths. We make better decisions when we are calm and in control than we do when we are panicked.

Circle the wagons.  Take a few minutes to get in touch with all customer facing employees (other PR team members, the social media team, customer service, etc.) Brief them on what happened, the steps you will follow to react to the issue, initial instructions on how/if they should communicate externally, expected timeline for reaction and how they can help.

Investigate what happened. Now that you’re calm and everyone’s informed, you need to get the full story. Use your connections in the organization to determine exactly what happened. You need to know the entire story from an internal perspective, and how your customers perceive the incident externally.

Understand business impact. Is this PR crisis having an immediate impact on business? Will it have a future impact on the business? Before you react, it’s important to know how your decisions will impact the business, revenue and your brand reputation. 

LISTEN UP! Use your PR and social media monitoring tools to take the pulse on the reaction of the media and your community. This step will tell you if the crisis has made it to the attention of your customers or media yet. From there your goal is to gauge the significance of the PR crisis: just how big is this issue?

Decide on corporate position and messaging. Armed with the full story, an understanding of the business impact, and a complete picture of the reaction so far, you will have a clear idea of the position your company should take. From there you can write up a quick messaging platform and get buy in from your executive team.

Make decisions on channels of distribution. Based on your corporate positioning and overall messaging, you need to determine the channel/s that best deliver them to your audience. These days there are many channels to consider: you can post on your corporate blog, through social media, in a press release, directly to the media, or a combination. When making this decision, keep in mind the basic differences in each channel. Every situation will be different, and you’ll need to use the info you’ve gathered so far to decide on the best distribution.

Get the word out. You’ve done your homework, gotten the buy-in on messaging, and have decided on distribution channels.  It’s now time to get your message out to the channels you’ve chosen.

Monitor reaction and react as needed. With your message out in the world, you need to circle back with your public facing teams. Is your PR crisis still a crisis? What happens next will ultimately depend on the reaction of the media, your community and in social media. There are no hard and fast rules and you’ll need to make the call in real time.

Learn from the process. Everything you learn will help your company understand how to avoid future crisis and will help you to efficiently managing your next crisis. Take what you’ve learned and apply it to the next time you have a fire to extinguish.

As PR professionals, it is our job to be prepared to help guide our clients and teams through a crisis quickly. According to Brian Ellis, owner and executive vice president at PadillaCRT, the first 48 hours of any crisis are crunch time. “If you are not ahead of the crisis by that timeframe, it’s likely it will run you over,” says Ellis.

On the flip side, with any given crisis, there is always opportunity. John F. Kennedy once said, “When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity.”

Here’s hoping that the “danger” part of your crisis doesn’t include zombies!