Marketing Muse and News

FBI Breaking Its Brand In Battle vs. Apple Inc

2016-03-02T17:36:00.001-05:00

“How to Destroy Brand Credibility In One Simple Mis-Step..” is a lead-in typically associated with a corporation that has stumbled when responding to an event that has triggered an outright PR crisis. However, as the debate between privacy protectionists and law enforcement over-reachers continues to rage over the topic of whether Apple Inc should be compelled to reverse engineer its own product and prove that its product is not as secure as its millions of customers expect it to be, instead of following simple steps, the FBI is breaking down its own brand.

FBI Director Jim Comey, a long-time government prosecutor wonk who took a sabbatical from a close on 20-year tenure in various roles at DOJ to serve as General Counsel for global hedge fund Bridgewater Associcates before being recruited back by Uncle Sam, has effectively shot himself in the foot. Instead of breaking into a terrorist phone, Comey is breaking the ever-fragile brand image of the country’s top domestic law enforcement agency and given yet another reason for everyone to question the brand credibility and integrity of the federal law enforcement agency he’s in charge of.

Courtesy of below extract from just one of dozens of headline stories appearing across the media this morning, here’s why:

(ReCode)-FBI Director James Comey for the first time admitted that “there was a mistake made” when the agency directed that the Apple ID password associated with the shooter’s phone be changed. Comey made the admission today, in response to a question raised during a House Judiciary Committee hearing into the question of encryption. One committee member asked whether the Federal Bureau of Investigation had foreclosed the possibility of obtaining a current backup of a phone used by one of the shooters, Syed Farook, when it directed his employer to change the password on the account. “There was a mistake made in the first 24 hours, where the county, at the FBI’s request, made it hard to make the phone back up by [changing the password of] the iCloud account,” Comey said in testimony. The FBI had previously stated that changing the password wasn’t a screw-up. -

See the entire story via this link

#NextGreatIdea To: Twitter CEO Dorsey cc: Anthony Noto CFO, CMO re TWTR TV

2015-06-11T22:52:00.001-04:00

The next great idea from The JLC Group goes to Twitter CEO Dorsey and Anthony Noto, CFO and CMO: “TwitterTV” (or similar phrase) can be a bolt-on broadcast network to burnish the TWTR brand and keep you relevant. Before you go the way of MySpace. Keep reading.

In connection with Twitter Inc. CEO Dick Costello’s resignation today and the return of co-founder Jack Dorsey who will serve as Interim CEO, suffice to suggest that TWTR has been challenged of late and is in need of fresh ideas (as opposed to scatter shot) that will re-invigorate a brand whose name has become ubiquitous.

For social media-centric corporate branders who remember the evolution and ultimate rapid decay of “MySpace”, one could argue that Twitter has perhaps gotten fat (thanks to having a oversized treasury) and even slightly sloppy in the course strategy execution. Therefore, one could posit that Twitter is in need of fresh and proven strategies that will extend brand engagement across all relevant media platforms.

To: Twitter Inc. (Interim) CEO Jack Dorsey, CFO/CMO Anthony Noto (and resigned CEO Dick Costello)

From: The JLC Group

re: Twitter Inc. Brand Burnishing/Rejuvenation #NextGreatIdea: TWTR TV aka TwitterTV aka other permutations that would reside within the goalposts of the below copyright-able idea

Gentlemen:

The following ‘idea’ is necessarily proffered based on the above thesis. With that in mind, Anthony should welcome this simply because he serves as CFO and for all practical purposes, he also serves as Chief Marketing Officer. As such, Anthony of all people (and if not a creative brand marketing guy by training) will appreciate the notion of “connecting the tag line to the bottom line.”

I respectfully submit that as part of your looking back and looking forward, among other steps, you want to create a Twitter TV show that takes the format of a broadcast news platform akin to the professional style employed by CNN, CNBC, ESPN.

This platform will secure cable network air time within the same block of channels that viewers surf to watch the primary talking head/news programs, such as above-noted.

Concurrently, your 24/7 programming will broadcast via live stream over the web, so that viewers using mobile devices, or those who are moving away from cable TV due to cost, can watch the broadcast. TMZ does this, so it can’t be hard.

Your broadcast studio(s) will necessarily be out-fitted such that primary and/or regional studios in various parts of the globe will be no less professional than what viewers of of major news networks have come to expect.

Your programming schedule will include ongoing commentary of real-time top trending topics and you will have professional talking head commentators who, throughout the day will be highlighting top trends across category (politics, finance, weather, entertainment, health, and of course..’breaking news’ based on twitter data.

Let’s face, Twitter is not only disseminating breaking news in every corner and crevice on Planet Earth, Twitter is making the news in just about any single square mile that has digital access to the Internet. Remember “Arab Spring”? That historic event powered by Twitter (and Facebook) that upended dictators in nearly a dozen Arab countries and has since led to mass chaos throughout the region and morphed into something now known as ISIS (or is it ITSUCKS)?

So, consistent with launching a broadcast news/entertainment platform that will be as recognized across the globe as CNN, BBC, Telemundo, CNBC (ok, throw in FOX too), you will have a team of professional “broadcast journlists”, each being a known quantity to one extent or another. Some will be generalists, others (guest commentator) will be making frequent expert guess appearances to speak to a particular trending topic and to offer analysis accordingly. Your guests will include recognized neuroscientists, data analysis wonks. political commentators, celebrity-followers and financial market geeks who can offer a plain speak interpretation of the metadata being captured by your servers

You will have remote journalists who will be reporting from actual ‘global hot spots’ that your data has determined to be the epicenter of the story itself. They can broadcast via iPhone to add some gritty-ness to the broadcast quality.

This platform will necessarily be upselling advertiser content beyond the current offering embedding ads within simple tweeting. The advertisers that you have since onboarded will have to embrace the notion of knowing you can extend their brand message via the still most popular way to consume content: motion picture. And (obviously) any ad salesperson above the age of 14 could fill the ad slots for a professionally-produced and programmed reality-real-time-news-broadcast-entertainment show that captures the most sought after DMAs.

With regard to the proprietary nature of the above idea, we are well aware that sometime in 2009 or 2010, Twitter Inc. engaged in some type of wacky arrangement with a local production company in Spain that produced something known as “Twittervision” within the local market. The programming ‘content’ for this ‘show’ was news broadcast-flavored and had two guys sitting in front of a backdrop and discussing trending tweets–which presumably your company was curating and delivering via a dedicated feed. Point being, a similar but much less grand idea was tested in a local market whose audience could barely move a needle within the context of the then aspiring Twitter brand. It died on the vine quickly and the strategy might even have been expunged from your marketing department’s files.

Yes, it will require a first year capital investment of as much as $25 million, when including staff payroll, facilities, blah blah blah. Promotion of the broadcast network shouldn’t cost more than another $5mil, although if the budgeted ‘set up’ and overhead costs don’t provide a healthy cushion, you folks need to have your heads examined. By the way, ring up Jeff Zuckerman if you need to find out how much cash you can generate by selling advertising and how much that cash revenue can add to your enterprise value. I’m thinking $1bil in added market value when you simply announce the strategy. The rest is in the hands of the gods, as they say.

You can presume that our firm has underwritten the production of a ‘treatment’ re: programming content and business plan for this bolt-on broadcast network notion. We are happy to engage in a friendly dialogue that would further your execution of this idea with speed and stealth.

As an aside, above should necessarily be complemented with other easy-to-integrate and fast to market schemes that should include widgets that enable digital payments, peer-to-peer lending, donations and other financial transactions. Inside of the respective user’s Twitter functionality. Figure it out. It’s not that hard these days. While you’re at it, think “co-opetition” the next time you sit down with the folks at GOOG and Facebook. You actually can come up with strategic deals that won’t have FTC wonks knocking on your doors.

Contacting our Chief Rainmaker is easy. It’s me.

Jay

#NextGreatIdea To: Twitter CEO Dorsey cc: Anthony Noto CFO, CMO re TWTR TV

A-List Celeb Investors Help Venture Capitalists Advance Beyond "A" Round

2015-05-06T18:05:00.001-04:00

Any ‘venture capitalist’ worth his/her salt already knows that having an “A-List” Celebrity on the A-Round list of investors could be a public relations coup for the VC firm’s marketing and branding strategy. Inevitably, a good PR mention, whether its in Page 6 or any other ‘rag’ read by starry-eyed investors (from Wall Street moguls to the many deep-pocketed socialites and “players”who aspire to have their names displayed on the closing credits of a Harvey Weinstein film) will advance funding from Round A to Round Z faster than a New York minute.

In the venture capital and hedge fund world (the latter being more sensitive to the notion of disclosing their investors’ names) if you have a Hollywood celeb on board (not on “The Board”, just on board and next to the Silicon Valley titans who have signed up with OPM, the PR and Marcom folks call it “another good way to leveraging assets.” In the corporate marketing world, its called exploiting your investors’ brands to advance your own brand. And, it works.*

*This isn’t meant to suggest that the investment made by the celeb actually works out in the end, if you just arrived on Planet Earth, here’s what you might not know: a majority of venture capital funded deals don’t work out. Same rule applies to those who put up money for a film, a theatrical production or any other vanity investment. But we digress from the title of this post, which intends to lead you to a fun read courtesy of today’s NY Times Deal Book column “Sprinkling a Little Celebrity Stardust on Silicon Valley” submitted by STEVEN DAVIDOFF SOLOMON…Below is the opening excerpt, you’ll want to read the entirety via link back to NY Times..

Snoop Dogg is raising a venture capital fund to invest in the marijuana industry.

That’s not a headline from The Onion. The hip-hop star is indeed putting together a $25 million fund to invest in marijuana-related industries, according to TechCrunch.

He is part of a growing wave of celebrities — including Justin Bieber and Ashton Kutcher — investing in start-ups. It is easy to interpret this phenomenon as a possible sign of the coming apocalypse, but it may be something more, highlighting the always precarious nature of the venture capital industry itself.

Celebrities have always tried to make extra money through investments and endorsements. Elizabeth Taylor had a clothing line and a perfume. Planet Hollywood, which fell into bankruptcy, was started with help from Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

These kinds of investments and endorsements were different. Celebrities were trying to cash in on their fame, selling or investing in things that their association would enhance. Sean Combs may have known little about selling vodka when entered into a deal with Diageo to market Ciroc, but he knew a lot about style.

The model now is Bono, U2’s lead singer, who invests without trying to leverage his celebrity to make that investment work.

In 2004, he joined the venture capital firm Elevation Partners. The idea was that Bono could be a visionary in the media and technology world. Bono may be the coolest person on earth, but that coolness didn’t really translate for Elevation Partners. The firm made some pretty bad investments in Palm and others, and was saved only by a big trade in shares in Facebook before its initial public offering. It returned a fair profit to its investors, but the fund has not raised a new round of money. In short, it is hard to see how much value Bono provided.

This hasn’t stopped him, however. Bono and Mr. Kutcher recently announced that they would be advisers to the private equity firm TPG Capital on investments. Bono may do better this time around, but one wonders what value he brings to TPG other than that 1980s-era hipness.

Why would experienced deal makers want rock stars and actors to advise them? Why would entrepreneurs seek their money?

There is a certain cachet with all that stardust, of course, and perhaps some free publicity. As far as investing goes, however, some might cynically suggest that celebrities’ dollars are merely dumb money that companies are happy to take.

But there is more to it.

In the venture capital industry, profile is important. Andreessen Horowitz, for example, arguably gets better deals because it is known for paying fat prices and hitting some big home runs in its venture investments. In such a competitive market, a celebrity investor is like another badge. It is a sign of honor and a signal that someone important cares about you.

This is the stardust theory, but again, there is more here. Celebrity investing may really be about the thing that drives Silicon Valley — networking. One top venture capital lawyer recently mentioned to me that he attends more 100 lunches a year. That’s a lawyer.

And celebrities are good at networking and dealing with people.

KEEP READING!..Here’s the NYT link

A-List Celeb Investors Help Venture Capitalists Advance Beyond "A" Round

ROI re Hedge Fund Marketing, Social Media and Branding Best Practices

2015-04-14T15:29:00.001-04:00

Brand positioning is inherently an iterative and ongoing strategy that requires an arsenal of tactical approaches in a world that has become increasingly crowded thanks to the‘socialization’ of every tiny tidbit of information that could possibly be imagined.

Within the context of the financial services industry, and in particular the ‘hedge fund’ space, the rules of engagement vis a vie socializing your value proposition so as to engage a broader audience is a topic of spirited discussion, if not strongly-positioned debate.

Given that ‘finance industry folks’ are trained to be constrained courtesy of a legacy culture of secret sauces and proprietary strategies, complicated compliance concerns and a traditional view that “less is more” when it comes to being transparent whenever discussing what sets you apart from competitors, social media tactics are only starting to gain traction. No surprise when considering that the most relevant metric that any credible HF operator is rightfully focused on is ROI, HF marketers are measured most by the assets under management they bring in to their firm, and the institutional investor that is writing the check.

Valuation metrics such as ‘good will’, “brand recognition” and brand perception are illusory at best for the hedge fund world (other than when HF due dili wonks are distilling the balance sheet of a fast growth company whose valuation includes those aforementioned metrics). The common wisdom for HF “Stars” seeking 15 seconds or more of fame to promote their firm is typically focused on getting interviewed on CNBC (or better still, Bloomberg TV), a speaking role at an industry conference (which typically requires a ‘pay-to-play’ sponsorship), and of course, frequent attributed comments in business news publications and gossip page sightings at one of the dozens of fund raising events that memorialize financial industry celebrity in perpetutity.

Since we broached the topic of how the JOBS Act would change the branding landscape nearly 2 years ago, there’s since been no shortage of news articles, white papers, and of course, a litany of financial service friendly social media ‘expert brand marketers’ shedding light on best practices for those “hedgies’ seeking to leverage new and more liberal advertising regulations (e.g. the “JOBS Act”) and better ways to navigate today’s brand positioning ecosystem. That said, the following article published in March edition of The HedgeFundJournal.com and written by another (and arguably more recognized firm) that specializes in the HF brand communications space is a great read, if only because the take-aways underscore and provide enhanced credibility to the exact observations and talking points that we’ve shared right here over the past 2 years.

Without further ado, and giving credit when due (to Peppercomm), here’s a respected expert insight…

The JOBS Act at Year One… A changing hedge fund communications landscape

The private world of hedge funds is looking more like Madison Avenue. Hedge funds today are everywhere – in daily headlines, social media, public web sites, live TV coverage, and even highly visible Las Vegas bashes. They are also increasingly in the portfolios of institutional and retail investors.

Once a shadowy, inaccessible and little understood part of the asset management world, hedge funds are growing, diversifying, extending product lines, acquiring competitors, targeting new markets, stepping up client relations – in short, acting more and more like the large, sophisticated businesses they’ve become. Driving and supporting this business transition is a changing attitude toward and approach to marketing communications. As hedge funds have grown to $2-trillion-plus in assets, they are tackling issues and opportunities like brand, visibility and reputation, all in the face of stiff competition. 23 September 2014 marked the first anniversary of the enactment of the Jumpstart Our Businesses (JOBS) Act, and provides an opportunity to look at how hedge fund communications have evolved. The JOBS Act was designed to spark US economic growth, in part by allowing hedge funds to solicit accredited investors. As a result, hedge funds are now allowed to employ tactics such as engaging the media, building accessible websites, advertising and even social media. And while neither we nor others point to the JOBS Act as the sole driving force behind the implementation of new communications strategies by hedge funds in recent years, no one denies that these changes are taking place. So what has changed in hedge fund communications since the JOBS Act went live?

Here’s a run-down of the key areas that are most affected, including social media, websites, traditional media, advertising and executive hiring.

Hedge funds go social

Live blogging from hedge fund conferences. Activist managers tweeting about dinners and deals. Long-form YouTube videos explaining the economy. Hedge fund marketing decks posted to LinkedIn. Today’s conversations are moving online, and the hedge fund industry is following suit. Though the pace of change is deliberate rather than dramatic, it’s nonetheless real change, as hedge funds begin the transition from being a topic of conversation to leading the conversation.

To illustrate this trend consider Fig.1 from GNIP, a leading social data provider, which tracks monthly mentions of the term “hedge fund” on Twitter. Mentions over the last two years have peaked at nearly 80,000 per month and have rarely fallen below 40,000.

We are seeing a similar trend on the hedge fund conference circuit, one of the few places where fund executives have been known to shed their cloaks of secrecy and share economic and strategic insights. A relatively new element at these major conferences is that they are now social media-friendly, leading attendees to live-tweet their experiences. As a result, audiences have expanded from the select group in attendance to anyone with Internet access. For example, the use of the #DeliveringAlpha hashtag increased by 9.4% from 2013 (5,053 Tweets) to 2014 (5,527 Tweets) on the day of the event. Similarly, there was a 62.6% year-over-year increase in the use of #IraSohn. The #DeliveringAlpha hashtag was even briefly trending on Twitter in July, with 53.5 million estimated impressions.[1] But how are hedge funds themselves using social media? Two recent examples: Carl Icahn’s tweet about his dinner with Apple’s Tim Cook was retweeted nearly 500 times, [2] while Bridgewater’s Ray Dalio YouTube video explaining how the economy works has been viewed more than a million times.[3]

For a more comprehensive gauge, we looked at the 292 members of Absolute Return’s list of hedge funds with at least $1 billion in assets.[4] Peppercomm research shows that 10% of the largest 292 hedge funds are on Twitter. Of these 29 funds, six have protected accounts. The remaining 23 have an average of more than 15,000 followers and average about 11 tweets per month. By removing the three firms with the largest following – PIMCO, BlackRock and J.P. Morgan Asset Management – all of which have expertise and products well beyond and including hedge funds, those numbers drop to an average of 515 followers, with just four Twitter accounts generating new content more than once a month. In total, 10 hedge funds tweet at least once a month and seven hedge funds tweet at least 10 times per month.

The lack of participation among 22 of the 29 hedge funds on Twitter suggests a lack of a strategic plan for how to use social media. Indeed, all but four of these Twitter accounts were launched prior to any JOBS Act legislation. Hedge funds are slowly coming to terms with the importance of social media. Many fund managers are shocked to find out how often their firm is mentioned on Twitter, yet they lack the experience to engage. “We can no longer keep our head in the sand,” said the manager of a billion-dollar credit fund who plans to join Twitter. We also looked at LinkedIn, where hedge funds are more visible. Here, 66% of the largest hedge funds have a LinkedIn page. Of these 188 funds on LinkedIn, only six have posted any updates, and only four post more than 10 times a month. The 188 funds collectively manage $1.24 trillion and have an average of 2,305 followers – each one representing a prospective investor, employee or journalist. Every decision not to post content is a missed opportunity to engage – a wasted opportunity to establish expertise or deepen a relationship. Social media can be an effective tool if used properly. We expect to see more hedge funds using social media platforms to establish thought leadership, share insights and improve their digital profile.

An expanding web presence

A website should be a focal point of any organisation’s communication strategy. This includes hedge funds, which have grown accustomed to operating in secrecy. Thanks to the JOBS Act, that is now showing early signs of change. We looked at Absolute Return’s 2014 rankings of the largest 100 hedge funds in the world and found that 91% of them now have websites, including 90.6% (87/96) of US-based hedge funds.[5]

Among these 87 funds, 48.3% have closed or simple splash pages[6] and 6.9% have basic or very simple pages.[7] That means a majority of US hedge funds, 55.2%, have simplistic websites that provide little more than a logo. Extending this sample size to look at hedge funds with $1-$5 billion in assets, 77.5% (141/182) of US hedge funds have websites. Again we see the majority of them, 65.2%, have simple websites. However, change is happening. In 2013, only 44 out of the 185 global hedge funds with $1-$5 billion in assets had websites (23.8%).[8] By June of 2014, an additional 39 funds launched websites for the first time, and 11 more moved from a closed site to a more open site, according to a Peppercomm survey. Although these mid-sized funds may not have as many marketing resources, they are beginning to understand the importance of a website. In addition to basic firm information and team bios, websites can also provide a controlled means to distribute content relevant to a firm’s strategy, thus helping to establish the firm as a thought leader.

Of the 87 largest US-based hedge funds with websites, 37.9% had newsroom components and 31.9% showed indications of thought leadership. Hedge funds in the $1-$5 billion range are also generating content – 23.6% have newsroom components and 15% are acting as thought leaders.

Read all about it

Media attention towards hedge funds is at record levels. We forecast “hedge fund” mentions in all media will top 100,000 articles in 2014 and will reach a record high above 35,000 mentions in top-tier financial media.[9] That’s up nearly five-fold over the last decade and holding at record levels over the past few years.

The media have always been fascinated with hedge funds. Big performance numbers, blow-ups, insider trading, big compensation, colourful characters, aggressive investment strategies and the mystique of the industry make for a potent media cocktail.

Part of this growth can be attributed to the media’s endless demand for content. But the growth is also a clear reflection of the hedge fund industry’s increasing importance and visibility. As hedge funds diversify business lines, launch more mainstream products and initiate activist programmes – and as their AUMs grow – more press follows.

“It’s massively different working with hedge funds than it was 10 years ago,” said one veteran reporter. “And I’m seeing changes in the last year – a little more open to talking with the press and a more strategic interest in engaging – though certainly that’s not across the board. Some managers continue to have zero interest in engaging with us.” But for others, the way is clear. According to one well-known firm: “Institutional investors are headline risk-sensitive, so building a strong brand is necessary to play defence. The more successful you are the more headline risk you have, so it’s important to be proactive.”

Advertising – look closer

The JOBS Act opened the door for hedge funds to advertise. Ad sales executives and the media expected a deluge. Save for Balyasny Asset Management breaking the ice in February, advertising by hedge funds one year into the JOBS Act seems like more of a trickle than deluge. But is that the whole story? A closer looks reveals that it’s asset management firms and intermediaries that advertise, much less by the hedge fund firms themselves. Recent issues of Pensions & Investments magazine, for example, contain numerous advertisements that market hedge fund – or alternative – strategies and expertise from Invesco Advisers Inc., Voya Investment Management, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, PIMCO and Manulife Asset Management.

Similarly, in the intermediary distribution channel, alternatives are showing up in advertisements, but, again, not ads from hedge fund companies themselves. Recent issues of FA Financial Advisor magazine, for instance, contain ads from Principal, Pensco and Steben specifically referencing alternatives. Editors and publishers point to a “huge increase” in interest among readers for hedge fund-linked liquid alternatives content, but expressed being “surprised by the fact that more firms have not taken advantage of the opportunity to market themselves.” One publisher is even in the process of launching a hedge fund supplement featuring sponsored profiles and commentaries – so-called native advertising – “from various firms who heretofore may have been restricted from participating.” The dramatic growth of retail-oriented liquid alternative products is behind some of this advertising and is a big factor driving change in the hedge fund communications landscape.

Marketing gets a seat at the table

Behind these changes in the application of marketing tactics is a new attitude toward marketing communications strategy among hedge fund executives. Recent hires in newly created communications positions at firms including Two Sigma, Pine River, Davidson Kempner, Black River and others underscore the growing importance of this function at hedge funds, and especially at larger firms. We have also directly witnessed a significant pick-up in business at Peppercomm – from hedge funds large and otherwise – implementing brand and communications programmes to help strengthen client relationships and grow new assets and markets. “The passage of the JOBS Act has created a lot more internal discussion about the firm’s brand, communications with investors, expanding the branding digitally, and related topics,” said one newly hired hedge fund communications executive, adding that engaging with target audiences via thought leadership, content and social media might help further the firm’s brand.

New environment – next steps

One year into the JOBS Act and the hedge fund communications landscape is evolving to include social media, web sites, traditional media, advertising and bigger issues like brand and visibility.

However, the JOBS Act is only a piece of a larger trend. New competitive pressures, new products like liquid alternatives, and a desire for client relationships built on more than performance numbers are pushing hedge fund executives towards greater acceptance of new and developing communications channels. In this new environment, hedge fund executives should:

Take a brand view – hedge funds need to be aware of their position in the marketplace. Every hedge fund has a brand, defined as the way that their stakeholders (investors, media, partners, etc.) view them. They should define what they stand for and take actions to define, build and support that brand.

Be strategic – hedge funds considering building a website or engaging with audiences via traditional or social media or other means need to think strategically. What are the communications goals? Who are the target audiences? How will investors react? These are all important questions to ask before exploring new communications channels.

Engage your audiences – the JOBS Act may not tell hedge funds what to do, but it does help allow them to explore new ways of communicating. For some hedge fund firms, this may mean no change at all. For others, it provides opportunities to engage current and prospective investors in strategic, controlled and impactful ways.

Thomas Walek is President, Capital Markets and Financial Services, for Peppercomm. He received The Hedge Fund Journal 2015 Award for Outstanding Contribution to Hedge Fund Media Communications. – See more at: http://www.thehedgefundjournal.com/node/10025#sthash.5DUekgXF.dpuf

- See more at: http://www.thehedgefundjournal.com/node/10025#sthash.5DUekgXF.dpuf

ROI re Hedge Fund Marketing, Social Media and Branding Best Practices

CEO Rule #5 : You Make The Brand Work. You Must Be a Virtuoso.

2015-04-10T18:09:00.001-04:00

The JLC Group firm ‘slogan’ “We Connect the Tag Line to the Bottom Line” is intended to be an all-purpose metaphor for the role we play when working with corporate executives and leading entrepreneurs. In the parlance of one of our more well-recognized financial industry clients, we’re a “multi-asset specialist” and we often deploy a tactical, multi-strategy approach to increasing a client’s ‘Alpha’ aka return on assets without exposing the client to uncorrectable risk.

For those less familiar with financial service industry vernacular, our practice areas include a tight cross-section of capabilities: marketing/communication, public relations, as well as strategic partnerships, branding tactics, advertising schemes and sales strategies. As such, in many engagements we inevitably find ourselves serving as a “CEO Consigliere.”

Our role is therefore not merely to use our creative thinking skills to leverage a snappy slogan via branding schemes that produce profits, but more important, and much like a ‘real’ Consigliere, our job is to objectively assimilate the value proposition of the enterprise and help the leadership of that concern connect the spirit of the company’s products, services and culture –i.e. the company’s assets, to help make that enterprise more profitable.

Because this writer has served stints as CEO of a public company as well as one or two private companies, (and in an earlier life, reported directly to the CEO in various other jobs), I still find myself connected to thought leaders with similar titles, and because most engagements have The JLC Group working directly with the client firm’s CEO or CMO, we were struck by the title of recent study published in this month’s Harvard Review, “Measuring the Return on Character” and conducted by leadership consultant KRW International. Maybe it was the “Return on..” that caught my attention, but I’m glad it did. The study is a good read for any executive that aspires to innovate and profit accordingly. Or perhaps an even better read for a leader who has lost his path to bottom line profitability. Here’s why:

To frame the KRW findings (authored by Fred Kiel), the research focuses on the personal characteristics of corporate CEOs and respective bottom line performance. Leaders were broken down into 2 simple categories, one being “Virtuoso CEOs”— leaders frequently engaged in behaviors that reveal strong character—for instance, standing up for what’s right, expressing concern for the common good, letting go of mistakes (their own and others’), and showing empathy. And, there are “Self-focused CEOs”—warping the truth for personal gain and caring mostly about themselves and their own financial security, no matter the cost to others.

As expertly underscored in the above recent-noted study, researchers found that CEOs whose employees gave them high marks for character had an average return on assets of 9.35% over a two-year period. That’s nearly five times as much as what those with low character ratings had; their ROA averaged only 1.93%.

In addition to outperforming the self-focused CEOs on financial metrics, the virtuosos received higher employee ratings for vision and strategy, focus, accountability, and executive team character.

When asked to rate themselves on the four moral principles, the self-focused CEOs gave themselves much higher marks than their employees did. (The CEOs who got high ratings from employees actually gave themselves slightly lower scores—a sign of their humility and further evidence of strong character.) The take away: Leaders can increase their self-awareness through objective feedback from the people they live and work with. But they have to be receptive to that feedback, and those with the biggest character deficiencies tend to be in denial.

How can such leaders get past their denial and overcome their character deficits? Seeking guidance from trusted mentors and advisers helps a great deal.

That said, according to the article, character isn’t just something you’re born with. You can cultivate it and continue to hone it as you lead, act, and decide. The people who work for you will benefit from the tone you set. And now there’s evidence that your company will too. Read the entire story via this month’s Harvard Review,

Learn more about KRW’s findings in Return on Character, by Fred Kiel (Harvard Business Review Press, 2015).

CEO Rule #5 : You Make The Brand Work. You Must Be a Virtuoso.

Branding 201: Hedge Fund Marketers Now Mind What They Call Themselves

2015-04-01T13:01:00.001-04:00

When politics and perception intersect, companies operating across various industries and disciplines often find themselves facing an “image issue.” Personnel Managers have become Human Resources and Human Capital Executives, Stockbrokers have since labeled themselves “Financial Advisors” and the list goes on and on. In the financial services space, labels are changing almost as quickly as traders change their fashion-focused striped socks.

As noted in March 26 WSJ column by Rob Copeland “What’s In A Name? Funds Hedge”, there is a burgeoning trend on the part of so-called ‘hedge funds’ to recast themselves in a manner that distances themselves from the ubiquitous phrase that has more negative connotations than not, as best evidenced by Copeland’s opening line: “One of the keys to running a hedge fund is learning how to say you don’t.”

Because brand recognition in the hedge fund industry is more often driven by positioning vs. reported trading positions and related returns, and because many in this highly-competitive industry are continuously competing for investment assets to manage, its no surprise that some of the smarter marketers among this crowd are going to great lengths to stifle the swagger image and in particular, the sexy phrase “hedge fund.” Instead, other terms are being introduced that more easily pass muster with asset allocators such as public and corporate pension funds, endowments, and Family Offices; folks who want better than average returns, but, as best evidenced by CalPRS, the world’s largest public plan sponsor, have down-graded allocations to the ‘hedge fund category.’

The takeaway is that this $3trillion industry (as measured by assets under management) with more than 15,000 ‘managers’ is undergoing a rebranding phase. To those who embrace the notion that “Perception is Reality”, based on our own branding and positioning guidance and related financial industry marketing experience here at The JLC Group, we’d opine that It’s All About Presentation; appealing to the sensibilities of your targeted audience is the key element to framing your value proposition. Within the context of an industry in which there are more than 15,000 direct service providers catering to politically-sensitive fiduciaries, distinguishing what sets you apart is crucial. How you label yourself is, per Copeland’s observations, evermore critical.

Sidebar note: A perfect illustration of nuance-sensitive name convention from a hedge fund industry service provider is coincidentally a JLC Group client, Rareview Macro LLC. Among other value-adds, the firm publishes a daily, subscription-based investment newsletter focusing on global macroeconomic insight and investment strategies. The client, “Rareview Macro” positions itself (appropriately when taking into account complementary services) as “global macro think tank”, and the company’s name, “Rareview,” coupled with the banner of its daily commentary “Sight Beyond Sight” is, in our humble opinion, metaphorical magic.

As Copeland continues in his piece:

“Grappling with years of uneven performance, image problems and deep-pocketed clients who have publicly distanced themselves from the industry, hedge-fund managers are taking pains to avoid the moniker….

Baupost Group LLC, Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC and Pershing Square Capital Management LP are among the industry stalwarts looking to change the script. In communication with clients and public filings, they have ditched the term “hedge fund” in favor of catchall descriptors such as “alternative asset manager,” “investment holding company” and “private partnership.”

The entire WSJ column can be viewed by clicking on this link.

Branding 201: Hedge Fund Marketers Now Mind What They Call Themselves

Brand Awareness 201: Sight, Sound and Motion Sells. Corporate Sizzle Reels

2015-03-26T15:32:00.001-04:00

Brand burnishing is about creating ‘sizzle’. If you don’t already know that, you’re about to be run over the bus that your competitors are sitting in. For New York City-based firms, your choices for corporate videographer services are nearly endless. but your choices for truly best-in-class [i.e. those who are uniquely intuitive and can translate your value proposition in a manner that resonates with your audience as well as your marketing budget] are arguably limited.

Connecting the Tag Line to the Bottom Line requires a combination of strategies that complement each other, and corporate video ‘sizzle reels’ are often the tools that tie all of your marketing/communication and branding schemes together. When clients of The JLC Group come to us for a solution, we often enlist Simba Productions. Below is their sizzle reel with illustrative examples of clients that include some of the smartest brands across multiple industries and practice areas.

Simba Productions Corporate Reel from Simba Productions on Vimeo.

Brand Awareness 201: Sight, Sound and Motion Sells. Corporate Sizzle Reels

Corporate Communications Best Practice: Rumor Management

2015-03-26T14:02:00.001-04:00

Most folks figure that Corporate Communications is the practice area focused on ubiquitous tasks such as press releases, IR memos, the occasional crisis management event or framing a value proposition. That said, we submit that most folks are often misguided; in today’s social-centric ecosystem, rumors are necessarily a corporate communication Achilles heel, as unfounded jibber jabber is fast becoming the leading source of distraction for corporate managers, simply because they are so easily propagated. Whether confined to internal dialogue or spreading to customers, clients and/or constituents, if not handled properly, rumors can evolve to an Ebola-like ruination of corporate morale and critical business relationships. And when that happens, all bets are off.

Some “experts” contend that rumor control falls under the domain of ‘crisis management’, others argue that Rumor Management is a practice area in and of itself. In the spirit of JLC Group’s focus on guiding corporate executives in the course of their confronting and overcoming challenges, in many cases we encourage clients who ‘can’t see the forest for the trees’ to engage experts who are objective and proven to provide true thought leadership skills. With that, we’re happy to share the following courtesy of LeadershipIQ’s Mark Murphy, one of the most highly experienced experts in the field of leadership training.

Communication Strategies for Controlling Your Company’s Rumor Mill

When we hear company rumors that are dead wrong, we reflexively correct those rumors. It’s a natural response, but it’s wrong.

Let’s imagine that we get word of employees spreading rumors that our company is about to layoff 10% of the workforce. And let’s also imagine that we know those rumors are patently false. We’re probably going to convene a town hall meeting, or send a memo, and insist “The rumor about layoffs is false! We’re not doing layoffs! Stop spreading rumors about layoffs!”

Ironically, that earnest refutation only cements the rumor about layoffs in many employees’ minds. Here’s why:

First, people tend to evaluate information in a biased way; specifically, they absorb information that reinforces their existing views or values. So, if someone is inclined to believe that companies don’t care about employees, will conduct layoffs, sell the company, etc., they’re much more likely to embrace the rumor of impending layoffs.

Second, people will often harden their original views when presented with unwelcome information. This is called the “Backfire Effect.” If someone already believes that companies can’t be trusted when they say ‘we’re not doing layoffs’ and then the CEO challenges those beliefs (by saying ‘we’re not doing layoffs’) they’re likely to believe in impending layoffs even more strongly!

Now, lest you think all hope is lost, there are scientifically-proven ways to debunk false rumors.

For corporate execs who are focused on best practices within the context of communication strategies, The JLC Group suggests that you check out Mark Murphy’s upcoming webinar called COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES FOR CONTROLLING YOUR COMPANY’S RUMOR MILL.

Learn how to use the “basic law of rumor” that says the strength of a rumor is driven by how much your employees care about the issue multiplied by the ambiguity of the evidence for the rumor

Corporate Communications Best Practice: Rumor Management

Lesson Learned: Morgan Stanley Should Keep To Finance, Not Comedy

2015-02-28T14:49:00.001-05:00

Brand marketers can learn a lot from Morgan Stanley’s epic mistake that was revealed earlier this week thanks to InvestmentNews.

The country’s largest wealth management firm created a parody to the “Hunger Games: Catching Fire” movie, with their own 10-minute movie, “Margin Games: Manager on Fire,” which they planned on showing during their branch managers meeting in February of 2014.

The parody, which can be viewed here, has sparked some outrage, an it is completely understandable. The parody reflects a cutthroat culture among wirehouse managers, pinning branch managers against each other.

InvestmentNews points out that in every joke, there is a grain of truth. In the parody, this couldn’t be more true. Per InvestmentNews, Some current and former Morgan Stanley executives who asked not to be identified said the fact that a video was even made that joked about people who were losing their jobs shows the detachment of executives from other employees. In fact, two months after the managers’ meeting, the firm began a reorganization. The firm cut the number of regions to eight from 12 and reduced the divisions from three to two. One of the divisional directors who was featured in the video, for example, left the firm after his position was eliminated. Four regional managers were moved to different roles.

There were also jokes that bordered on racial stereotypes including, having an Asian woman appear as the expert in martial arts who pulls knitting needles from her hair and throws them at a dartboard.

It is understandable why the firm decided to pull the video and hoped to have it locked away, never to be seen. Now that it has been found and seen by millions it is a lesson to be learned not just by Morgan Stanley but all brand marketers.

They say pictures are worth a thousand words, but videos are worth at least double that. As it is clear from Morgan Stanley’s mistake, brand marketers, especially those in regulated industries, need to compliant and sensible, not silly. So to all you brand marketers still considering silly ideas, “may the odds be ever in your favor.”

Lesson Learned: Morgan Stanley Should Keep To Finance, Not Comedy

#BrandMarketers and #CMOs take note: Companies using #Bae to Reach Millennials aren’t #sofleek

2015-01-30T09:19:00.001-05:00

Companies like Taco Bell, Jimmy John’s, and IHOP have started using new tactics on Twitter to get in touch with the younger generations of customers. Is your company considering following into the same direction? Don’t.

Taco Bell, IHOP, and Jimmy John’s among others have been taking to social media using words that “the kids are using these days” like “bae”, “bruh”, and “fleek”. Although companies believe that using these slang words are attracting a the millennial clients to your company, in reality it doesn’t. In fact, Entrepreneur.com recommend that companies don’t try to “act hip” because millennials simply find it assuming and look right through the tactic. The President of Dorm Co., a company directed at the millennial generation, said “ college students are very quick to sniffing out a phony.” A new Twitter account, @BrandsSayingBae aims at calling out these companies and making fun of them. Although the saying goes, any press is good press; but a Twitter account making fun of your company definitely is not good.

There are much better alternatives to reach the millennial generation then trying to “talk like the kids these days”. For example, Entrepreneur.com several suggestions a couple include the following. First, get to the point fast, millennials lead busy lives and don’t enjoy messages that don’t have a clear point. Campaigns can be witty, sarcastic, and creative but should be concise as well. Second, win over the parents. Most millennials have college debt and are on a tight budget, by targeting the millennials’ and their parents, you max out your client base. Other sources suggest that companies should highlight the companies’ philanthropy. Not only does it appeal to all generations but the millennial generation is becoming known for their generosity and philanthropy, and appreciates businesses that are as well.

Most importantly, be personable. Not in a cheesy, hip way, but in a sincere way. Companies like Old Spice and Dollar Shave Club have especially done a good job connecting with millennials and building a deeper relationship because of the way they connect on a personal level. A simple reply or retweet to a user enhances that relationship so much more. Your company will seem so much more #fleek.

#BrandMarketers and #CMOs take note: Companies using #Bae to Reach Millennials aren’t #sofleek

Hedge Fund Marketers Bid On to Social Media Tactics For Brand Awareness

2015-01-23T11:15:00.001-05:00

When it comes to branding, social media tactics are integral to leveraging a business strategy. When it comes to leverage, the hedge fund industry at large prides itself on disciplined use of strategies and risk management tools to enhance returns for investors. When it comes to brand awareness and leveraging social media tools to enhance their own brand recognition, most hedge funds (as well as other financial industry members) have remained cautious, simply because financial industry regulators and respective compliance officers are still unclear as to rules of the road.

Those who have spent more than 15 minutes in and around the world of finance (as this writer has) might find this state of affairs ironic when considering that many hedge funds (including the most-respected) are the same folks pouring billions into social media-centric start-ups at valuations that jump off the page, notwithstanding most of these companies are barely out of the start-up gate and are still entrenched in the no-profit stage.

But, when it comes to hedge fund industry brand strategies, it is clear that the social media tide is turning. As noted in a JLC Group December 23 post, there is an unmistakable trend change taking place. We know this first hand consequent to engagements that our firm has been enlisted for by financial industry firms, including initiatives on behalf of a hedge fund industry service provider (who has 1000+ leading finance industry professionals following his Twitter feed) and who was recently nominated as a candidate for Institutional Investor’s 2015 Hedge Fund Industry “Rising Star”award.

The increasing use of social media ‘story’ seems to be resonating, as evidenced by yesterday’s ‘main stream media’ article by financial industry outlet “Investment News.” Because we were so inspired that an industry publication is advancing discussion of this trend, we decided to extract elements from their article “Hedge fund managers testing the social media waters…Lifted advertising ban and pressure from liquid alts drive secretive managers into the open..”

Here’s the extract (link to the full story is below):

Hedge funds, long known for restricting investor access to complex and secretive strategies, are ever so slowly coming out of the shadows and embracing social media.

It’s still a far cry from your favorite celebrities tweeting out what they had for breakfast, but it shows that the alternative investing universe is starting to tap into the Internet for basic marketing and communication purposes.

“If you go to hedge fund conferences now, you’ll see people tweeting out the information, which is something that would have been unheard of a few years ago,” said Thomas Walek, president of capital markets and financial services at Peppercomm, a public relations and market research firm.

According to a study released earlier this week from Peppercomm, 91% of the 100 largest global hedge funds now have websites, a concept that was virtually unheard of just a few years ago.

In terms of proactive social media activity, the study found that 66% of hedge funds have LinkedIn accounts, with an average of 2,300 online connections.

Twitter, which is considered to be more social than LinkedIn, has been embraced by about 10% of hedge funds, the study found. Those hedge funds average 15,000 followers each.

The primary tipping point for the hedge fund industry, according to Mr. Walek, has been the JOBS Act, which went into effect in September 2013 and lifted many of the marketing and advertising restrictions on private investment products.

To continue reading, please visit InvestmentNews.com

Hedge Fund Marketers Bid On to Social Media Tactics For Brand Awareness

Best Practice Tip For Internal Corporate Communication-CEO Email Guide

2015-01-19T11:45:00.001-05:00

Executive leadership within the context of CEO best practices and approaches that are intended keep employees fully-informed as to on-going outbound initiatives (and perhaps strategies still in the pipeline and planning stages) is obviously the subject of countless articles, white papers, books and pontification from tens of dozens corporate leadership genies.

For those who embrace the notion of full-transparency, leading experts offer a menu of strategies and mediums that lead to higher employee morale, and in turn, contributions from employees that can prove integral to the decision-making and project implementation process.. From town-hall meetings to use of Twitter (for employees only and with safeguards that make those CEO tweets non-retweetable!), the topic of internal corporate email is typically the top medium that CEOs are most prone to deploy.

Putting aside for a moment the calamity that resulted from the hacking of Sony’s corporate email platform, one can’t emphasize enough the need on the part of employees to be connected and informed, the communication culture is arguably driven directly from the c-suite cubicle of any company’s Chief Executive office.

With that in mind, we noticed a compelling comment expressed by NewBrand Analytics CEO Kristin Muhlner, who was profiled in the Jan 18 edition of the New York Times Business section. Mulhner’s approach is simple and straight forward:

“..I’ve started sending out an email once a week called ‘Where’s Waldo?’ The email is just to say where people are, such as who [company] our VP of sales is meeting with this week, as well as provide updates on other initiatives. Its amazing the reaction that it [email update] gets from people, because they feel like ‘wow’, cool stuff’s happening, and now I know why he’s not responding to my email today. It helps.”

If not the best way that the NYT reporter could have framed the insight from Muhlner, the point should be evident: transparency, whether in form of email or other communication is critical to leadership best practices, and the culture of communication should be appropriate, well-defined and consistent.

Best Practice Tip For Internal Corporate Communication-CEO Email Guide

The Top 2015 New Year’s Resolution: Brand Enhancement. Hello to Halo Effect

2015-01-03T14:29:00.001-05:00

Welcome to 2015. If only because “Top New Year’s Resolutions” inevitably includes a focus on improvement, (yes, we know that “weight loss” is traditionally the top goal for most), whether you are a C-suite exec, a mid-level manager, or a fast-moving entrepreneur, burnishing your corporate brand image as well as your personal brand image is likely on the top of your “to-do” list as this new year unfolds.

The folks at The JLC Group contend that the good news is that the process for creating and/or enhancing brand recognition aka brand awareness often entails the same steps, and begins by first embracing the tenants of the Halo Effect , which is the “cognitive bias in which an observer’s overall impression of a person, company, brand, or product influences the observer’s feelings and thoughts about that entity’s character or properties.”

In an ‘evergreen’ post courtesy of B2B Marketing Blog.uk and submitted by a fellow named Cliff Findlay, there are 10 simple keys to unlocking the code towards better brand recognition; our favorite 4 includes: (i) First Impressions Are Paramount (ii) Define The Emotions You Are Selling (iii) (Re-) Establish Your Brand Values (iv) Stay On Message

Before you click on the above link for more details, we encourage you to consider extracts below from a Jan 2 WSJ column by Joann Lublin, which reminds business executives as to recommended steps for improving your professional brand:

Quick: how would a professional acquaintance describe you to others? Savvy project manager? Collaborative leader? Digital whiz?

That answer is your reputation—or, in the parlance of social media, your personal brand. Career success highly depends on that snap description, says Paul Winum, a senior partner at RHR International LLP, a leadership-development firm.

With the rosy outlook for hiring and promotions in 2015, now’s a good time to refresh your reputation. Maybe you’re known for using sharp elbows to get things done fast. Hone your diplomacy skills—and request some feedback on those efforts.

“Our brand has to evolve,” Dr. Winum says. The management psychologist counsels executives on burnishing their reputations. Edited excerpts of his advice for the rest of us:

WSJ: How do successful executives refresh their reputations?

Dr. Winum: Do an inventory. On one side, you say, ‘This is what I want to be known for.’ On this other side, ask, ‘How do other people see me?’ Determine if there is a gap between brand aspiration and reality.

Continuously invest in personal improvement. [Executives also] figure how to revise their brands when they carry negative attributes. Once you identify how you are being perceived, become a voracious student of what you want to master.

Many people have high IQs but low emotional intelligence. To develop that, someone needs to become a student of manners [and] active listening, paying attention to other people’s feelings and communicating more effectively.

For the full column by WSJ’s Joann Lublin, please click here.

The Top 2015 New Year’s Resolution: Brand Enhancement. Hello to Halo Effect

PR Firm Predicted Sony Release of The Interview via Internet

2014-12-24T19:42:00.001-05:00

Excuse us for back-patting, and maybe it didn’t take a rocket scientist to predict within hours of Sony’s PR spinners announcing Sony was pulling the The Interview from distribution that Sony would do a walk back before Christmas and announce the film would be immediately available via the Internet.

But we were the rocket scientists who called it first..on Dec 17…leading to more than 4000 visits to this section of The JLC Group’s website within the hours that followed.

The North Korea Crisis That Never Was..other than in the minds of Hollywood publicity genie’s did serve as a great “gotcha” moment. Not Ashton Kutcher-style, but in the category of Orson Welles, whose top ranking for historic stunts has now been taken over by none other than Seth Rogen and his masters from Sony…

Here’s the take-away: those who guide corporate brands during times of perceived crisis, and more important, the CEOs who supposedly make the final decisions in times of turmoil should think longer and harder before pressing the send button on a global message they will likely retract within a matter of days. Unless of course the entire series of events was planned with stealth precision in the first place.

PR Firm Predicted Sony Release of The Interview via Internet

Hedge Fund Marketers Now Leverage Social Media Brand Burnishing Strategies

2014-12-23T12:32:00.001-05:00

Social Media. Social Media holds the key to bringing your hedge fund to the next level and into the 21^st Century. The key to branding your hedge fund is appropriately using social media tools to promote your company. New data has been released that supports the use of social media by hedge funds. Below is some of the data released provided by HedgeCo.Net:

Monthly hedge fund mentions on Twitter recently reached a high of 80,000 Tweets, and have not fallen below 40,000 in the last two years, Thomas Walek, President of Peppercomm said of the $3 trillion hedge fund industry in a Q&A with AIMA.

66% of 2014’s largest 292 hedge funds are on LinkedIn, and 10% are on Twitter. Of these, six hedge funds post on LinkedIn at least once a month and seven hedge funds Tweet at least 10 times a month.

Among the largest 285 global hedge funds in 2013, 14% launched websites in 2014.

Among the 185 global hedge funds with $1 billion–$5 billion in assets, 23% had websites in 2013. By June of 2014, an additional 39 funds launched websites and 11 more moved from a closed site to a more open site.

“Reputation is built on a careful calculus of transparency, engagement and honesty. That’s happening now as hedge funds open up and take a few steps in that direction. It’s healthy and it’s good for the future of the industry.” Walek said. Media mentions of hedge funds are projected to reach record levels above 100,000 in 2014, up nearly five-fold over the last decade.

Many hedge funds have been apprehensive about using social media for many different reasons but employing a company such as the JLC Group to run your social media should relieve all tension surrounding the use of social media. JLC Group offers to the universe hedge funds who know what they know, but that doesn’t necessarily include best ways to burnish their brands, whether it be through website design or ongoing brand promotion. All of the JLC Groups consulting ensures that your hedge funds use of social media and websites are proper and compliant. If you are still apprehensive check out one of the many success stories on found on our website and start using social media for your own hedge fund today.

Hedge Fund Marketers Now Leverage Social Media Brand Burnishing Strategies

Corporate Marketing Advertising Buyers: Beware...You’re Not Making Impressions

2014-12-22T13:51:00.001-05:00

For marcom gurus who also oversee digital ad buying to promote your corporate brand across the ethernet, there’s bad news for you courtesy of barking from the consortium of advertising firms that you likely pay lots of money to. As a side bar note, The JLC Group has long eschewed the notion of impression-based digital ad schemes. We go to great lengths to urge clients who insist on running banner ad campaigns on 3^rd party content sites to stick solely with PPC (pay per click) ad campaigns. The take-away from the below excerpt underscores the advice we’ve been providing to JLC Group clients for years.

As noted in a Dec 22 piece in the CMO Today edition of the Wall Street Journal by Suzanne Vranica, “..The American Association of Advertising Agencies sent a letter to some of its members on Friday saying it will “not endorse” the online advertising guidelines put out by the Interactive Advertising Bureau last week….

The guidelines suggested that online ad industry should aim to have their campaigns achieve a “70% viewability threshold” in 2015. That means when an advertiser runs a campaign online, 70% of the ads meet the viewability standard set earlier this year. For a display ad to be deemed viewable at least half of each ad must be visible on a person’s computer screen for a minimum of one second. For an online video ad to be deemed viewed, half of the ad should be on a users’s screen for at least two seconds.

Viewability, the ability for an online ad to be seen, has become a hot topic this year as advertisers bemoan the fact that they are paying for ads that are not being seen because the ads appear on part of a Web page that is never looked at by a human eye.

Google recently released data that showed over half of the display ads impressions in its research weren’t visible.

The IAB said in an open letter on Tuesday said that 100% viewability measurement is “not yet possible” because of the all the different types of ad units, vendors and measurement methodologies and that the industry should aim to have their campaigns meet 70% viewability. If a campaign does not meet that threshold, make goods—additional ads—should be given to the advertisers to make up for the shortfall, the IAB said.

The full article from the WSJ is here

Corporate Marketing Advertising Buyers: Beware...You’re Not Making Impressions

Sony Stages Best PR Stunt Ever With North Korea Plot

2014-12-17T21:32:00.001-05:00

From: Seth Rogen, Film Actor, Writer & Director

To: Amy Pascal, Sony Productions

Warning: Please make sure that no hackers from North Korea or any place else can read this before opening below note:

We should talk re: biggest leak yet re my film The Interview and news media nonsense promoting risk of terrorism attacks at movie theaters made worse by a blog posting at marcom and PR advisory firm “The JLC Group …”

“Dec 17…Sam Goldywn and Jack Warner are rolling in their graves thanks to news media coverage of Sony-produced parody motion picture profiling North Korea and dictator Sum Dum Fuk aka Kim Jung-un.

The publicity machine is operating on all 8 cylinders it seems now that Sony has suspended the release of its holiday season hit one week prior to the scheduled release of the The Interviews, a film which the producers have banked on to be the next generation of Sacha Baron-Cohen’s spoof film profiling a Kazhakstan dictator named Borak, which not including its sequel, has grossed more than $250mil since its 2006 release. Not chopped liver…

NK Dictator Sum Dum Fuk

After all, a parody film of a 3^rd generation, basket-ball-loving nutcase of a dictator who is better known in international diplomatic circles as the “King Crackpot of North Korea,” is destined to be a box office hit. We’re talking about a film that will be this generation’s “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad World”, an epic comedy..

Let’s back up for a minute. Is it possible that Sony and Seth Rogen-sponsored spin masters were enlisted to stage the entire series of events that have taken place this past week, starting with the headline story that Sony emails were hacked by North Korean cyberterrorism experts, and then revealing top secret e-mail exchanges about “Angela Jolie the bitch” and smart-ass jokes about President Obama?? And less than 3 days later, Sony announces that terrorism threats targeting movie theaters that show “The Interview” had first had Sony deferring to theater operators as to whether they want to show the film, but hours later, they announced they would officially suspend distribution to theaters, and that they have been passed on information about those threats to the FBI.

Here’s this PR Guru’s projection of what happens next: This whole thing was a set-up. Selling films on line is 10x more profitable than via theaters for companies like Sony. No later than Dec 21, Sony will announce a “force majeure” event that immediately cancels the film theatrical distribution contracts they signed with theater chains due to” terrorism threats.” All distribution deals are canceled, and Sony will now sneak in (Tora, Tora, Tora-style) and bypass the distributors and the theatres and take the film straight to the web and pay-for-view at $19.95 per view. The ‘free publicity’ thanks to the hacking and then the threats surrounding the film is already reaching every corner of the globe. Instead of several millions, we now have hundreds of millions of people who want to watch this move. We can thank

CNN for that. Even the next James Bond film doesn’t get this much coverage. Sony is betting that worldwide sales from online will be $2billion during the first week alone, because everyone will want to see it before North Korea launches an attack against the United States… Think about the sequel rights value. OMG.

The preview trailer will be the best upsell: “Warning, your ordering this movie online or via your cable TV provider may result in North Korean spies learning of your location and sending short, fat Asian people in tight-fitting uniforms to your house. Do not feed them any snacks, they might explode.”

Sony Stages Best PR Stunt Ever With North Korea Plot

#Bold, Brash and Other Marcom Buzzwords From Madison Ave MadMen

2014-12-05T13:21:00.001-05:00

#Bold is the new better buzzword, according to NYT’s Stuart Elliott in his Dec 5 column.

We get it; after all re-purposing evocative phrases for brand awareness is a contact sport for Madison Avenue ad grunts..and Stuart’s pointing to illustrative examples below demonstrates that Madison Ave is often compared to blind mice chasing after the cheese that smells the best..

On the topic of “bold” –we thought we’d newsjack Stuart’s column, if only because here at The JLC Group, one of us is going bald (easily confused for bold), another one of us is always being tagged (not to be confused with “hastagged” for being “absolutely ballsy” (see the advertising elements we’ve produced for clients) and as a salute to the silliness that Twitter incites via piling on to new phrases, this is to officially remind everyone that we’ve been bold long before it became stylish. Our firm was founded on the notion of being bold and to used tactics that help push client brands to places where they’ve never gone before..and would likely never go to without a bit of envelope pushing.

Here’s the excerpt from Stuart’s column (notice the highlighted element below):

FORTUNE, the saying goes, favors the bold, and so it seems does Madison Avenue.

The word “bold” has grown increasingly popular among marketers for a panoply of products, turning up frequently in advertising on television, in print, online and in social media.

No matter the category, whether autos, clothing, jewelry, makeup, packaged food or plumbing fixtures, “bold” is boldly — er, um, make that confidently and assertively — going where the word has not gone before.

A campaign for the 2015 Toyota Camry includes print ads that carry the headline “The bold new Camry” and the theme “One bold choice leads to another.”

In a commercial from Zales, an announcer suggests, “Declare your love boldly” with the Celebration Grand diamond, which, she says, “shines bigger and bolder.”

And ads for True Religion jeans urge men and women to “Be so bold,” a line that doubles as a hashtag. An online video series for Revlon, hosted by Laverne Cox, is titled “#GoBold.”

Also, magazine ads for New York Brand Texas Toast croutons propose, “Live a big, bold, flavor-filled life.” The Kraft Foods Group sells a line of meats named Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Bold cold cuts. And a campaign for the Kohler brand of faucets and other fixtures asks homeowners to consider “The bold look of Kohler.”

Some uses of the B-word seem baffling. For instance, signs in the windows of Santander banks offer potential customers “bold rates” on business lines of credit. And just what is it that makes Movado Bold watches bold? The textured dials? The accents in bright colors like orange and lime green?

The ardor for “bold” is another example of a tendency among creative executives on Madison Avenue to go mad for a certain word or phrase, which then seems to become omnipresent.

“Hello” has also been popular of late, as in “Hello tomorrow” for Emirates airline, the Hello line of oral-care products and the “Hello sunny” ads for Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

And several brands, among them Burger King, Gap Kids and Olay, have been using themes and headlines that begin with “Be your …”

The reason “the same words or phrases keep recurring in marketing communications,” said Andreas Combuechen, chief executive of Atmosphere Proximity in New York, “all comes down to the fact we’re all creating in a connected world.

“No topic is local or even regional anymore, as social media has made every conversation global,” he added. “Today, a trending hashtag equals a homogenized culture where influential ideas seamlessly flow not just across borders but across brands.”

#Bold, Brash and Other Marcom Buzzwords From Madison Ave MadMen

Corporate Social Media Marketing & Twitter: What Not To Do-Malaysia Airlines

2014-11-29T12:20:00.001-05:00

From the “You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up” Department, Malaysia Airlines has once again found itself lost. This time its not because one of their planes disappeared, but because its brand marketing strategy has crashed head on into the Twittersphere thanks to someone at that airline tweeting a promotional message that reads: “Want to go somewhere, but don’t know where?”

We love marketing/advertising tactics that employ simple rhetorical questions, its a tactic that often works well within the context of brand marketing and positioning, but gee whiz.. someone flying their branding campaign clearly failed to do a pre-flight check list, and in turn, Malaysia Airline’s violated Corporate Branding & Marketing Rule #1 of “What Not To Do..”

That rule clearly states: DO NOT allow any employee to tweet anything unless it is approved by both the head of corporate marketing and the head of public relations. That said, if the marketing department’s “air traffic control” as well as its “flight operations manager” were both on board when that message was launched, it clearly demonstrates that whoever is flying that airline is completely lost.

Corporate Social Media Marketing & Twitter: What Not To Do-Malaysia Airlines

Monetizing Social Media in 2015: The Brand Marketers Dilemma

2014-11-20T17:54:00.001-05:00

Social Media Marketing Trends: How To Monetize in 2015

The Top Reality TV Show in 2015 “Bots For Boobs”

While no great surprise, a recent report found that marketers focused on B2C (business-to-consumer) brand awareness/marketing strategies have found LinkedIn to be much less significant when compared to Facebook or Twitter for their marketing efforts. For the B2B crowd however, there are several different options, and LinkedIn remains the domination choice. In the Social Media Examiner survey, 88% of business to business marketers are utilizing LinkedIn in comparison to 89% for Facebook and 86%t for Twitter. The 2015 outlook envisions LinkedIn will increase its market share, subject of course to whether Facebook’s recently-announced service for corporate enterprises gains quick traction. Because adoption by corporate users is dictated by an assortment of compliance rules, one can argue that the winners in the war to win social media audiences will be niche players that provide business professionals with specific offerings that address their focused interests..

Social media marketing will continue to become a major pillar of content marketing strategies in 2015. During the upcoming year, we expect that smart corporate marketers will appreciate there are actually 2 major pillars for content marketing strategies: publication and distribution and that social media is the most efficient technique of enhancing the reach and visibility of their content. Consequently, social media will become the amplifier for their published content somewhat more than the content itself.

Notwithstanding above, most industry followers will keep a keen eye on how “social shopping” evolves in 2015, and specifically as it applies to features/functionality within social media websites and apps. While social media marketing strategies are designed for executing and enhancing brand marketing campaign, transactional activity is where the rubber should meet the road for any corporate marketer who is presumably focused on ROI. Given their respective audience sizes, the likes of Facebook and Twitter are hoped to be the holy grail for truly monetizing messages, but advertisers and marketers are becoming increasingly aware that the audiences that FB and TWTR claim to have are actually highly-populated by non-humans. Facebook recently acknowledged that of its reported 1.3 billion users, at least 67 million and as many as 137 million are fake accounts, and FB claims it continuously policies those phony accounts accordingly.

According to filings made by Twitter with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, their estimated number of fake accounts aka “bots” is estimated at 9 percent of its total base. While FB and TWTR are arguably the largest social media platforms, there are tens of dozens of others that offer advertisers and marketers audiences that are clearly over-estimated.

Because social media websites are more concerned with reducing the amount of malware and viruses that both infect and effect their platforms, the disconnect between butter and margarine will not be easily-solved in 2015. This is best illustrated in a Nov 20 New York Times column by reporter Nick Bilton (“Phony Friends, Real Profit”), which profiles the burgeoning availability of free or nearly free software that offers “bot programs” that enable amateurs to create legions of fake followers and “AI” re-tweeters. As such, the only high-probability prediction that we can make is the launch of a new reality-TV show “Bots For Boobs”…which will profile a group house whose residents include 2 hot-babe Russian avatars, a metro-sexual black-belt Indian programmer, a former member of China’s secret internet espionage squad and led by a 25 year-old billionaire who made his first fortune building services for the medical marijuana industry.

Monetizing Social Media in 2015: The Brand Marketers Dilemma

If You Think Its Expensive to Hire A Real Marketing and Corporate Branding Professional?

2014-10-11T11:32:00.001-04:00

Words to live by..If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur..

Yes, every smarty pants overseeing corporate marcom budgets would like to believe that “since the cost of technology becomes cheaper, and as the cost of advertising becomes more efficient [thanks to the ad industry embracing the types of electronic trading tools that are ubiquitous across Wall Street]..there’s no need to pay so-called madmen any premium to help frame [our] value proposition…”

Good luck with that notion.

This isn’t to suggest we advocate or fully embrace the adage “you get what you pay for.” To the contrary, if I had $10 for every frustrating experience shared with me by a client who was over-promised and over-charged for what inevitably turned out to be under-performance, I might be eligible to join the 1% crowd.

Rules of engagement: Objective advice, if only used for purposes of weighing a strategy can prove invaluable.

If You Think Its Expensive to Hire A Real Marketing and Corporate Branding Professional?

Rampart Asset

2014-09-30T09:15:00.001-04:00

Engaged to oversee design of new website and craft value proposition narrative on behalf of Rampart Asset Management, an alternative asset management firm owned and operated by financial industry executives who are also certified service-disabled veterans.

Website: www.rampartasset.com

Rampart Asset

Louis Capital FX

2014-09-29T12:37:00.001-04:00

Louis Capital FX

Branding Opportunity Up-Tick For Hedge Fund Industry Marketers

2014-09-14T18:00:00.001-04:00

As noted last week by WSJ reporter Andrew Ackerman, the hedge fund industry regulator aka CFTC has further eased restrictions on hedge fund advertising, a move that could spark an uptick in creative branding strategies within an industry long constrained by rules that could further promote their offerings.

The below opening lines of Ackerman’s story should be a call to action for HF managers who understand the need to better position their story within mediums that are known to resonate with your targeted audience. After all, the most successful and most respected firms in other parts of the financial industry have enjoyed outsized ROI by investing in cohesive and creative ad campaigns, as measured by a combination of garnered AUM and increased good will value.

“..Washington–U.S. commodity regulators took long-awaited steps to make it easier for hedge funds and other firms to raise cash by publicly advertising stakes in their funds.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission late Tuesday eased long-standing marketing restrictions on so-called private offerings by hedge funds and other funds sold only to wealthy investors, a move aimed at aligning the CFTC’s restrictions with similar rules set by the Securities and Exchange Commission…

The bulk of the hedge-fund industry declined to take advantage of last year’s eased SEC rules, in part because many funds were still barred from public advertisements under separate CFTC rules that apply to funds that engage in derivatives trading, as many firms do. The CFTC’s move to ease those restrictions Tuesday and make them similar to the SEC’s comes after more than a year of lobbying by the hedge-fund industry.”

Jay Berkman, the principal of corporate marketing and brand strategy firm The JLC Group, whose clients include a number of financial industry firms, including global macro strategy firm Rareview Macro LLC, noted, “If I were managing a hedge fund, this would be the time I’d be tapping into firms that are creative, but also truly understand the industry landscape and the profile of the targeted audience. ” Added Berkman, “An expert that understands that it’s not about what you are selling, but about what your customers want to buy.”

The WSJ story is available by clicking this link (subscription might be required).

Branding Opportunity Up-Tick For Hedge Fund Industry Marketers

Real Branding: Pictures Tell 1000 Words; Infographics 101; FB Selling Fish Oil

2014-08-03T15:05:00.001-04:00

Today’s Sunday NYT Times featured a story profiling how Facebook advertising gurus are constructing an ad campaign to sell fish oil for MegaRed, a neutraceutical brand that is trying to break through the clutter within a product category that is literally swimming with products; the best take away from that story can be found in a comment courtesy of FB VP Eric Schnabel: “Great words with an image attached to them are the purest form of expression.”

Adds Schnabel: Story lines that stretch across multiple ads (ad gurus call this strategy “short-form narratives”), spread out over days or weeks, could also be very effective. “We try to make them more like ‘Law and Order’ than ‘Game of Thrones,’ ” Mr. Schnabel said. “You don’t need to see every episode in order for it to make sense.” But don’t overdo it, he warned. Ads that pop up too frequently feel like spam. Facebook itself generally aims to show one ad for every 20 items in a person’s news feed, although users who like or comment frequently on ads might see more.

In due respect to above-noted young turk, we don’t suggest that Schanbel has hit on new concept within the context of using images, he is simply regurgitating what every brand advocate should know; wisdom that we’ve espoused in this blog more than a few times during the past 8 years. That’s right, we’ve been evangelizing this notion for more than 15 minutes; most recently in our July 10 “blog post”.

To illustrate this simple observation with just one example, in 2009, while representing a consumer product company that sought to create awareness about hand hygiene and their alcohol-free hand sanitizer, we ran the adjacent photo image in a Google ad campaign..During the first 36 hours, the ad inspired 10,000 (that’s right, Ten Thousand) click thru’s, converting into more than 1000 orders for the company’s products.

Yes, we do push the envelope when advocating clients’ brand messages. We also pound clients’ tables (and every so often, we’ve had to ceremoniously knock their heads against a wall) to drive home this critical approach to branding in a world where images have become the greatest influencers. How/why else can one explain the success of Pinterest, Instagram and of course, Facebook (among others)? How else can one explain the dramatic shift by brand marketers to mobile device advertising, a format that only “sticks” when images are the primary element?

Because it works.

And before signing off to sun on the beach on this sunny day, this update wouldn’t be complete without making reference to the use of infographics–an approach that uses minimal words within a message dominated by a visual element. We touched on this topic in the July 10 post, but we’re compelled to grab it and shake it some more, this time with a shout out to infogr.am, one of several online sites that help marketers create a variety of informative presentations that leverage the impact of images.

Real Branding: Pictures Tell 1000 Words; Infographics 101; FB Selling Fish Oil