Digital Park

Abercrombie and Fitch’s skinny scandal: Smart marketing or just plain mean?

Sandra Fine — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:11:31 +0000

When I first began seeing outrage in my Facebook feed over Abercrombie and Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries’ alleged comments about not wanting larger people shopping in his store, I immediately headed over to Snopes.com to see if it was true. It sounded like it “had the makings of a tall tale turned legend, similar to the false lore about Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” origins or the bogus story of Oprah throwing designer Tommy Hilfiger off her show following racist comments.

It turns out this one is true – sort of. Business Insider and ABC News took it upon themselves to investigate whether large sizes can be found at A&F stores. When they couldn’t find the sizes, they dug up a 2006 interview in Salon Magazine, where Jeffries is quoted saying, “In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids. Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends.”

Coupled with some unflattering comments from retail analysts and a refusal of comment from A&F, the teen clothing giant has a bit of a crisis on its hands – again.

The truth is, every brand has the right to identify its customer and cater exclusively to that customer if they so choose. I know a lot of size 4’s who won’t find a thing in their size at Lane Bryant, which caters to plus-sized women. If we want to go deeper down the rabbit hole, what about non-pregnant women who will have trouble with Pea in a Pod? Where are bras to be found at Men’s Wearhouse?

It may seem like a silly analogy, but it’s true. It would be a double standard to ask A&F to be required to carry sizes above 10 when Lane Bryant doesn’t carry sizes below 12.

The problem lies not in A&F’s product choices, but in the lack of human empathy contained in Jeffries’ public (albeit seven-year-old) comments. A&F has always been criticized for being insensitive and overly sexual, especially for the pre-teen age group they target. The question is whether A&F actually craves or laments negative publicity. Many say that A&F’s strategy falls in line with the “all press is good press” mentality, for better or worse. This latest scandal is just more fuel for the fire, but it seems to have a struck a deeper chord than ever. Jeffries calling minors unattractive and poking at their self-esteem is just plain mean and frankly, shameful.

A&F and Jeffries could continue selling their clothes and marketing to their dwindling size 0 target audience while focusing on the positives of their customers, rather than attacking their non-customer.

But, the truth is, the good guys don’t always win. According to Yahoo Finance, it’s too soon to know how the controversy will affect the brand’s sales, but the publicity has pushed the stock price to its highest on the year. It reminds me of a Chic-fil-A’s anti-gay marriage comments, which spurred many protests but helped the retailer achieve record growth in 2012.

It boils down to knowing your customer and keeping a close eye on how their attitudes change over time – and adapting with them. Chic-fil-A’s conservative customers were quick to back them with more loyalty than ever before. But with mom controlling the purse strings for teenagers, and many noting that more than two-thirds of American consumers are plus size, A&F’s marketing strategy may be just as outdated as Jeffries’ fateful Salon interview.

It will be interesting to see if the so-called cool popular kids of today’s post-millennial generation are willing to fight for their brand. If they do, I gotta Instagram it. #YeahRight #GrowUpJeffries.

Five main marketing takeaways from SXSW Interactive 2013

Christine de la Huerta — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:26:46 +0000

A few weeks back from SXSW Interactive 2013 and my mind is still swirling with all the inspiration and ideas transmitted at this admittedly overwhelming five days of Austin wonderment.

Immediately upon returning to the office, everyone asked me, “What did you think?” It really takes a while to let it all sink in and coalesce, and figure out what major takeaways will stick long after the sessions, workshops, lounges, parties and after-parties become a fading daydream.

SXSW is known as the largest gathering of the brightest minds from digital, tech and social media worlds. You find inspiration everywhere. Not only at the motivational keynote addresses, but also at the meet-ups, sessions and even your counterparts waiting in line with you or riding the conference shuttle.

Between Raph and I, we attended approximately 30 sessions and workshops on topics ranging from new journalism to big data and storytelling to social media along with things we never thought of! We tweeted in real time as we heard many experts relay their nuggets of wisdom. You can still find all of the on-the-ground, day-to-day coverage right here.

Now for the key takeaways. Sure, everyone is talking about 3D printing, the hardware boom, cool new apps, and exciting social start-ups.

But beyond the rush to meet “Grumpy Cat” and with hindsight being clearer, we wanted to point out some of the more concrete PR, marketing and social media themes that stood out to us as being more useful in our everyday work.

It all comes down to this: The next big thing in marketing is not the device but the 21st century brand adapting to consumer needs. (A nugget of wisdom we picked up at an OMMA Mobile session.)

Mobile matters

The one thing nearly every session we attended mentioned was the impact mobile has been having on nearly every industry. The best campaigns are truly omni-channel, and mobile is a platform ripe for innovation. Essentially, SXSW panelists encouraged us to think about mobile first and foremost in marketing.

There is a new reality for brands in the age of mobile that can be summed up like this: There is no more online vs. offline. Which brings us to…

Frictionless customer experience

Remember when Mark Zuckerberg made a big deal about frictionless experiences? Facebook’s implementation of the concept received mixed reactions, but its heart was in the right place. A frictionless customer experience is what we all really want.

Some marketers set out to develop tactics along specific channels, but that’s not putting yourself in the customer’s shoes. Instead, we should go out of our way to make things easy for the customer. Customers don’t think in categories of SOLOMO (social | local | mobile). They just want an experience that is easy and tailored to their needs.

As Russ Unger, senior UX Leader for GE Capital, said during his solo session, “A good experience is invisible.”

The importance of storytelling

The classic tenets of storytelling apply to your brand and your online content strategy. In our session with Mark Williams and Carri Bugbee, they discussed the idea of having a storytelling plan: Who is your main character? What is the context for the story? What challenge must be overcome? How does the story end? What’s the theme?

Mark showcased Isaiah Mustafa’s Old Spice ads as a good example of omni-channel storytelling that had an arc. (In this case, it was the Old Spice guy joining the Internet.)

Today’s social channels have reached a certain maturity. It’s not enough to simply acquire new fans, followers or likes. What’s more important is how you engage with customers once they are there.

For many brands, a message is best told through its unique story, rather than a sales pitch. A relatable story with emotional touchpoints to capture audiences and unfold with rich details. That’s the stuff of long-term brand loyalty. In other words, it’s not enough to post shallow, “like this” type updates.

Even with all the hype we heard regarding “big data,” Wall Street Journal Senior Writer James Grimaldi put it best, “Good data doesn’t necessarily make a good story. It has to have a human element. Narrative is your friend.”

Find your visual voice

How you visually present your content is increasingly crucial to your brand story.

Visuals are becoming more and more central to the online experience, with visual platforms like Pinterest and Instagram growing exponentially and accounting for the largest growing segment pushing web traffic. In addition, fans are 44 percent more likely to interact with brands if they post pictures than any other media.

The bottom line is…your brand and your content need a visual definition to compete online today.

Put the customer first

We know that Breakout Brands put the customer first, aim to do more to make customers lives better and inspire emotional attachments that can be measured at the cash register. You should tell your story from the customer perspective. For instance, if you’re a toothpaste company, don’t just post about your product. Share a mom’s story about the first time their children brushed their teeth by themselves.

As marketers, we are not connecting with customers, users or registrants. We’re connecting with people, and people want to feel that. According to rbb’s research, 83 percent of people would pay more for a product or service from a company they feel puts them first.

Raph and I discussed these concepts at our official Breakout Brands Meet Up during SXSW and also took note of numerous breakout brand behaviors and insightful tidbits throughout the conference, which we collected for you here. We also gave out some cool swag!

All in all, it was an excellent mashup of ideas and inspiration. Stay tuned; we will be expanding more on all of these concepts in future blog posts.

Recapping PR News’ one-day boot camp for emerging PR stars

Christine de la Huerta — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:02:49 +0000

I had the pleasure of speaking at PR News’ One-Day Boot Camp for Emerging PR Stars yesterday along with Christopher Smith from Bank of America. We tackled a topic near and dear to many in our field: How to build brands, find followers and attract fans on social media.

The simple fact is that social is a way of thinking, not a trick. It must be integrated into a holistic communications approach, and brands and PR companies alike must adhere to the specific best practices of each platform to maximize them.

Below we have Storified a recap of the insights I presented yesterday. We’d love to know your thoughts about this topic in the comments!

rbb takes Breakout Brand strategy to SXSWi 2013

Christine de la Huerta — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:51:07 +0000

It’s that time of year again! More than 20,000 digital pros from around the country are gearing up for the 2013 edition of their favorite inspirational melting pot, South By Southwest Interactive.

Personally, I can’t wait to geek out at the keynotes and panels and find out what’s new and next in the world of interactive.

Among what’s next is our very own meetup, where we look forward to introducing attendees to rbb’s Breakout Brand strategy – an evolutionary brand approach that emphasizes customer engagement, interactive marketing and the value of emotional connections with customers.

rbb has detailed the Breakout Brand strategy in a white paper that explores the key drivers behind customer buying behavior. We will share some of our extensive national research on the strategies that companies can use to connect with consumers in personal and lasting ways.

At the same time, we will tap into the amazing talent at the fest to do a little focus group research on the spot. We will look to uncover how technology can help fulfill some of the functions to becoming a Breakout Brand through interactive consumer experiences that provide emotional connections. We will also compare notes on some of the breakout brand behaviors we are witnessing at SXSW.

The “Best-of Breakout Brands” meetup will take place on Sunday, March 10 at 12:30 p.m. CT at the Driskill Hotel in downtown Austin. If you’re not able to attend in person, we hope you will join the conversation on Twitter using #breakoutbrand.

You can follow along with rbb’s entire SXSW experience March 8-12 on Twitter at @rbbPR. We will be sharing insights from the sessions, pictures from the parties and as much wisdom and inspiration as possible to bring you the best of the fest.

Yahoo telecommute ban is not about productivity – it’s about power

Christine Barney, APR — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:40:20 +0000

As the buzz about Yahoo’s ban on working from home continues to escalate, it struck me that the outrage over “to ban or not ban” misses the big picture.

Both sides can make arguments that have some merit. Yahoo claims this is “right for Yahoo right now” – but says who? Obviously not the current and former Yahoo employees who are shaken and confused by the change and have chosen to speak out.

The decision comes from someone at the top who more than likely has engaged in very little of the “water cooler creativity” with the rank and file that was determined to be so critical to company success.

I believe in an employee-driven workplace where those who do the job have the best insights into improving productivity and maximizing innovation in their areas. If Yahoo employees had come together and said, “For our organization, mandatory on site presence is key to success,” then my blog would stop right here. But clearly that is not the case at Yahoo.

The people at the top, talking “at” employees rather than “with” employees, have taken the attitude that momma knows best. It’s condescending, arrogant and bad business for everyone.

While I’ll leave the specifics of how workplace flexibility impacts recruitment, retention and creativity to those who have already weighed in like Richard Branson (for) and Donald Trump (against), I did want to add one point.

Some contend that people slack off or are less productive when they are working remotely. Forcing non-productive employees to be that way in front of you rather than behind your back accomplishes nothing. Allowing poor work performance is the result of poor management, not a bad HR policy.

If you manage by results achieved, the slackers are quickly identified by their supervisors no matter where they work. In addition, if you manage by team metrics and give team members an outlet to peer review, slackers are even more quickly identified because no one wants to carry another’s load.

Again, an employee-driven workplace is the key to maximizing productivity and profits, and it sounds like Yahoo could use a lot more of both of those things. A blanket ban on how/where to work that has little to no employee buy-in is a step backwards, not forwards.

Yahoo and many brands talk about the value of listening (to customers), so why not “practice what you preach” in your own house and start listening to your employees?

The meat on public relations measurement: Part 1

Sandra Fine — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:24:45 +0000

“Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.”

This is a popular saying for those who study analytics (apparently this phrase hung in Albert Einstein’s office at Princeton University) and it certainly sums up today’s public relations measurement debate.

The problem with measurement is not so much a question of whether we need to do it (yes), but how we’ll do it and how we’ll sync up as a community to ensure we’re comparing apples to apples.

The industry has stepped up to steer this along through the Coalition for PR Research Standards. With members from a multitude of national PR organizations like PRSA and the Council of PR Firms, the Coalition is working toward a list of standards that define the terms that help us speak in a common language (reach, engagement, awareness).

This is a valuable process but it shouldn’t be mistaken for a solution. For example, just because you know what awareness is and how to calculate it doesn’t mean it should be the sole measure of your campaign. Consumers who are aware don’t necessarily translate to consumers who act the way you want them to. (Read rbb’s Breakout Brands consumer insights study for more on this.)

Designing a measurement program for your brand is a comprehensive campaign in and of itself. The right measurement strategy, presented properly, can help earn more dollars, generate buy-in for the next campaign and make PR the star of the marketing team.

As any PRSA Silver Anvil judge will tell you, setting the right objectives and mechanisms for measuring their outcomes is key to any successful program. It’s certainly critical to our results-driven philosophy at rbb and why we take such pride in winning awards, because we know the outcomes made a difference for our brand partners.

I’ve recently taken on the responsibility of Director of Results Measurement for rbb to focus on just that: Continuing to evolve rbb’s measurement philosophy and sharing our approach with those who are committed to support the relationship between PR and business results.

The work being done by the Coalition is important and we’ll follow it closely. We abide closely by PRSA’s Code of Ethics and a standard will help ensure that, as the PR profession continues to evolve to include social media strategists, content creators, former journalists and other single practitioners, there is a guiding example to follow.

Take, for example, advertising equivalencies (ad eq.). Many PR professionals use these as a method for finding common ground with marketing executives and others with a background in advertising. In basic form, this metric assigns a value to earned media in relation to how much it would have cost to buy it in advertising.

The problem, as pointed out by the Institute of Public Relations, is that there is no evidence of the linkage between the value of a news piece and advertising. And this is a metric that has stayed stagnant while the media universe has seen more change over the last five years than nearly any other industry.

PR has always had an undeserved inferiority complex compared to its cousins on the advertising and marketing side, so for one, I’m glad to bid adieu to ad eqs.

So then what? This is the burning question on every PR person’s lips and one that my new role will allow me to explore in depth and share with you. Some people might not like my initial answer which is, there is no cookie cutter answer. A B2B HR company may have nothing in common with a consumer products brand. So why should they use the same metrics for success? The measurement of a program should be as custom designed as the program itself.

It’s what rbb’s Breakout Brand philosophy is all about. Don’t follow the leader – look beyond the status quo to really find out what makes your target audiences tick and what makes them choose you over the competition. Be ethical, understand the rules and then break out by listening and learning.

Measurement is a cafeteria plan – there’s something for everyone. But first, you have to know your dietary restrictions, what really makes your mouth water and how much room you have in your belly.

I look forward to planning the measurement menu together with you.

Why the phone interview is not dead

Kristy Kennedy — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:39:05 +0000

There has been talk for some time about the death of the phone interview. With newsrooms shrinking and reporters wearing multiple hats to meet mountains of deadlines, you could assume that more and more reporters would prefer email interviews.

However, my experience as a PR professional has shown me that the phone interview hasn’t reached its expiration date.

There’s a time and place for every kind of interview, but let’s take a look at the major strengths of email versus phone:

There can certainly be a degree of overlap for each of these points. In general, though, email allows the interviewee more time to process questions and provide on-point messaging, which can be great but also predictable. Phone interviews can be more off-the-cuff, allowing for a more natural, human voice to emerge. Yes, the interviewee risks being caught off guard by a question he or she wasn’t prepared for, but the rapport built between the journalist and interviewee can lead to much more rewarding results. However, there are times when a email interview may be beneficial to control your messages and better edit what you say (or what you don’t say).

Ultimately, I’d argue the phone interview is far from dead. To give you an example, here are a few insights from my day-to-day experience in PR:

In general, I do more phone interviews than email interviews
The ONLY time I do face-to-face interviews is for broadcast, events, trade shows or media background meetings
More media like to do phone interviews alone (no PR wranglers)
Interview times are more limited and reporters don’t have a laundry list of questions prepared in advance, opting for more general questions

There are always things that interviewees can do to maximize their phone time with a reporter to make sure they get added to the reporter’s rolodex of go-to sources. Here are a few quick tips to make the most of the phone interview while it’s still around:

Know the details of the interview, including date, time and phone number (even a back up number)
Use a land line if at all possible
Don’t answer your cell while on the call (yes, I’ve had this happen)
Follow up with items asked for in a timely fashion to help facilitate the story
The more accessible you are the more likely the reporter is going to call you again, whether that’s being available in a half hour or after 5 p.m.

In the age of social media, texting and emails, we sometimes forget to actually pick up the phone and use it. Making communication personal can leave an impression that lasts beyond the current news cycle.

What do think we’ve lost as we’ve moved away from phone conversations, and what’s your biggest phone faux pas? Let us know in the comments below!

PRWeek guest blog: Procurement specialists can be a marketer’s ally

Christine Barney, APR — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 17:26:28 +0000

My last column with PRWeek focuses on procurement. Say the word and most marketing people cringe and immediately think about their budgets being cut.

But as rbb has worked more and more with outside procurement specialists, and especially began working with a leading procurement company, it’s clear that the thinking about procurement has changed and smart agencies should get on board or be left behind.

Our client, Procurian, calls it the “New Procurement.” The days of just negotiating for cost savings are over because a one-time budget slash doesn’t deliver enough of the real savings companies demand.

Under this new philosophy, procurement should help make smart decisions that bring more added-value to the table like using specialty firms or unbundling contracts for more bang. They should have experience in the marketing field to understand various agencies and their areas of focus to make the relationship smoother for all.

The right external specialists who have not only deep market intelligence, but the infrastructure to manage the process, and the ability to see the process through to make sure everyone complies offer a win win for both sides of the negotiating table.

As my article states, just like good neighbors make good fences, good contracts make for good PR partnerships. Next time you’re faced with a procurement process, think about what you do that adds value to a client and be prepared for forthright discussions on how both sides mutually benefit.

PRWeek guest blog: Emotional connections can be measured at the register

Christine Barney, APR — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 17:19:16 +0000

Our Breakout Brand strategy is in the news again. Earlier this week, PRNews ran a great story about our Customer Insights study, which show the value of brands focusing on the customer, not the competitor.

Today, my second guest blog post at PRWeek went live, and it’s about how emotions can drive brand success.

What do Zappos, Apple and Starbucks all have in common? These are brands that create powerful, memorable customer experiences. That approach can have a tremendous impact on a company’s bottom line.

According to a survey by the polling firm IBOPE/Zogby International for rbb Public Relations, of the 2,000 adults surveyed, 83 percent said they are willing to spend more on a product or service if they feel a personal connection to the company.

Read my full post at PRWeek for three specific steps to adopting Breakout Brand strategies to make your cash register sing.

PRWeek guest blog: What clients really want – The Three As

Christine Barney, APR — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 20:29:07 +0000

Like last year, I was asked by PRWeek, a dominant industry publication, to be their featured guest blogger for the week. I was more than happy to oblige, and my first post on what clients really want appears today.

My post focuses on an idea that seems counterintuitive at first – the last thing people think about when hiring a company is their actual ability. My point is that most clients who’ve done their research already know a PR firm can do the job, so I believe that prospective clients are more concerned with how you do the job. In other words, is there chemistry? How well will you work with their team?

It may seem superficial, but it’s a philosophy that can help boost client satisfaction. Read my post at PRWeek to see how affability, availability and ability really come together when building a successful relationship.