Sound Bytes

For small companies, successful social media strategies start internally

2009-10-20T09:26:00.002-04:00

In large companies it is necessary to have a very complete social media policy in order to avoid as many issues as possible. In large companies the brand will be represented by one person or a small team, so you need to have set guidelines in place for your other employees, informing them on what they can (or can’t) say in their free time. In small companies, however, when you are setting up a social media strategy you should include everyone, from the ground up.

As your company develops its voice online, it needs to take into account a few specific things. You need to identify who you are targeting, what your message is, and most importantly, what your ultimate goal is. Some companies get involved in order to sell products or get new customers. Others, such as Best Buy use social media as a creative answer to customer service. When you know what your goal is, you can develop your strategy, and assign tasks to your co-workers.

I am a firm believer that you should hire someone specifically for social media. I think that it is an important part of your marketing strategy, and it deserves full time attention. I do realize however, that some companies cannot afford to take on new staff, and would rather not put their online brand in the hands of an intern (which I agree with). If this is the case it is a good idea to make the entire team accountable so that everyone has something to say, and everyone will be cautious about the material they put online.

One great tool to get your company familiar with social media from a professional perspective is Yammer. Yammer allows companies to have an “internal Twitter” stream. Someone can administer who is invited, and should urge people to stay involved. Yammer will keep your employees aware of what they are saying because they will know that their coworkers and bosses are reading it. This message should be translated into the real world. Keep in mind, the people that read your content online could very well be a coworker. Another great use of Yammer is to discuss industry trends, and share ideas on blog topics.

The most important part of developing a successful social media plan for a small company is to create (and follow) a schedule. This schedule can have anything on it from someone finding 10 industry blogs that can be commented on, to someone twittering at 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 4:45 PM in order to keep consistency. Following a set schedule that people are held accountable for will make the tasks routine, and if you are switching each person’s role it will identify who is good at what tasks!

These are a few ways to put the strategy into action. Using these tools and bringing energy and excitement to the office will motivate your team to get involved and take part in your initiative. Social media should not be looked at as another task to your already busy employees. Instead, it should be an exciting new project that your office does as a team!

3 Steps to Managing Your Company's Social Media Policy

2009-10-15T09:10:00.006-04:00

With online conversation now a way of life, it is very important to monitor the information that is being said about your company. You cannot always control the external voices online, but you can (and should) control the voices coming from your organization.

The best way to control your company's brand online is not necessarily to block Facebook and Twitter, instead it is to set guidelines that your employees need to follow as a part of their contract. I want to cover some basic steps to creating and implementing a company-wide social media policy.

1) Don't Do It Alone

Your company brings consultants in for many different reasons, whether it is for leadership training or teamwork exercises. With social media now playing a major role in the way that companies connect with their employees and customers, it is very clear that you should be bringing in a consultant to work with you on your policy, and to work directly with the employees so that they have an understanding of what the company is trying to achieve.

2) Limits Are Good, But Encourage Conversation

Some companies think that in order to control social media they can block social networking sites at work... WRONG! For starters every one of your employees goes home to a computer and then needs to get all of their Facebook and Twitter hours out during the night. During this time they very well may be complaining about how they can't use these sites at work, and their company is left out of real time news because of it. The solution to this is to allow your employees to use social media, but bring someone in to tell them the correct way to use it, emphasizing the limits they have to follow in terms of talking about work (whether they are there or not).

3) Align Your Social Media Marketing Plan With Employee Usage

As with most things, this is a give and take situation. If you give your employees the opportunity to stay connected while at work, make sure that they are benefiting the company while they spend time online. This can be approached in many ways, whether it is through the set up and coordination of a blog team, admin rights to a Facebook page, or access to the company Twitter account. A short training session will prepare your employees to handle these responsibilities, and will give them the opportunity to contribute to the company as a whole, giving them the credit they deserve.

These are just a few ways that your company can handle the social media situation that is now present in companies all over. Some people think that this is still a risk, and they would rather avoid it completely. Those companies will not be considered forward thinking organizations by the outside world, and their position on social media will eventually hurt their brand.

It is an ideal time to get your company involved online, if you aren't already. If you are, it is an ideal time to make sure you are doing it right. Take advantage of this opportunity and don't stray from it, or you will be left behind.

Old Man Winter Is Knockin'

2009-10-13T12:15:00.007-04:00

I am a true New "Englander" at heart and enjoy the four seasons Connecticut has to offer. We really get the best of it here. Personally, autumn is my favorite time of year. The humidity is gone, the trees radiate beautiful, bright leaves and there's nothing like the cool, crisp smell in the air.

As the leaves start to change, I am reminded that Old Man Winter is not far behind and that means it's time to bundle up not only with sweaters and warmer jackets, but also ensuring that my home is ready as well.

Below is a clip from the Fox 61 Morning News where a client of ours, The United Illuminating Company, was featured. The segment offers viewers some simple "do-it-yourself" tips and methods on how to properly weatherize your home for the upcoming winter months. There's also some great energy efficiency tips in here too - changing your incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs and ensuring your refrigerator is the proper temperature.

Enjoy the segment and stay warm this winter!

National Social Media Expert Dan Healy Joins New Haven Public Relations Firm

2009-10-12T09:34:00.001-04:00

Former BrazenCareerist social media guru joins Mason Onofrio offering

Connecticut businesses a sophisticated instate resource

NEW HAVEN, Conn., (Oct. 9, 2009) – From Twitter to Facebook, blogging and beyond, social media is taking the world by storm. From a business perspective, social media is connecting brands directly with their followers and global communities by combining text, picture, audio and video content to foster interaction and loyalty.

“Social media is about creating conversations, connecting brands directly with their audiences, but more importantly, allowing the public to shape consumer discussion about brands,” said Dan Healy, manager, new media, Mason, Inc. and Mason Onofrio Public Relations. “People are talking and will continue to talk about your brand, and social media allows you to participate in those conversations.”

Before coming to Mason Onofrio, Healy was instrumental behind the launch of BrazeenCareerist.com as Client Services and Community Manager, and he has spoken at industry conferences about social media as a marketing and recruiting tool.

At Mason, Healy will work with clients to first conduct a social media analysis by identifying where conversations in their industries are occurring, who the influencers of those conversations are and how visible any competitors may be. As Healy completes the social media analysis for companies, an underlying recommendation will be that it is necessary to have a “complete” brand and marketing strategy with social media as an extension.

“I believe in the power of social media, I believe in conversation, and I believe in the benefits of having an online presence,” said Healy. “However, organizations cannot put together a few profiles and cross their fingers. Instead, they need a vision and strategy that combines a social media program with traditional brand advertising and public relations to best reach their audiences.”

“As a full-service agency, we want to provide a closed-loop program and take integration to the next level,” said Francis Onofrio, APR, president, Mason Onofrio Public Relations. “With Dan’s skill and expertise in social media, we’ll help our clients build better relationships with their stakeholders and help make it easy for them to participate in conversations where they previously did not have a voice.”

Mason, Inc. Adds Manager, Interactive & New Media Design

2009-10-02T10:15:00.000-04:00

Neil Johnson joins award-winning advertising and public relations agency

BETHANY, Conn., (September 25, 2009) – Bethany-based Mason, Inc. announced today that Neil Johnson has joined the agency as Manager, Interactive & New Media Design.

Johnson will be responsible for designing new media, e-marketing and other web-based and interactive programs at Mason. Mason clients include Acadia Insurance Co., Connex Credit Union, the Connecticut Sun, Hospital for Special Care, Kardea Nutrition, The United Illuminating Company and Yale-New Haven Hospital.

“I’m incredibly excited to become a part of the talented staff at Mason. The atmosphere fosters creativity and rewards hard work, both of which are great for a designer like me,” Johnson said. “Here, I feel like an important piece of the puzzle in reshaping the interactive department, and I look forward to helping bring in new top shelf clientele.”

Johnson comes to Mason with seven years experience in creating and executing programs for companies of various sizes and disciplines. Johnson worked with notable clients such as Dictaphone Corporation, Philips and Ragozzino Foods developing original and functional design solutions for a wide range of applications.

Johnson currently resides in Meriden, Conn. He is active and enjoys hiking, kayaking and traveling.

Want to create a viral marketing campaign? Get brand evangelists.

2009-10-01T10:29:00.006-04:00

Brand evangelists have been around forever. Think back to the paper boys in the early part of the 20th century standing on the corner shouting headlines in order to sell the local periodical. They were out there building brand awareness, while using the headlines as the hook. Times have changed a bit and instead of the kids standing on the corner, people are now using social networks to share information on brands and products.

The paper companies hired a set number of these kids, but do you know how many people are online promoting your brand? If your answer is no, try doing a Google Blog search or a Twitter search to see how often your brand comes up. If you are fortunate to come across conversations about your brand online then look at the value of them, and how many people they are reaching. Is it @johnsmith with 10 followers mentioning that he stopped by your restaurant, or is it @janedoe with 10,000 followers talking about the great sandwich she had at your restaurant, and how everyone should try it! Most likely it is John…

John has 10 followers for one of two reasons; either he has his updates protected and is wasting time using Twitter, or he has nothing of value to say and people could care less about following him. Either way, go back to Jane's profile, and you will see that she is constantly saying things of value, and is always reaching out to her following through @ replies and re-tweets.

Here is another way to look at it, John is the guy from high school playing Dungeons and Dragons, and Jane is the Class President and captain of the cheerleading team.

Now that you have realized your position online and who is representing you, it is your job to control it as much as possible.

There are a few ways to do that, so in preparation begin with a few preliminary steps including; identifying the influencers, reaching out to them, getting them to care about who you are, and then convincing them to represent your brand to their following.

When you have done that, the next thing you can do is offer them something. You can give them some sort of promotional code or some free product and ask them to write about you in return. This may work, but most likely they care as much about their personal brand as you do about your company’s brand, so they aren’t going to sell out that easy.

The second and more plausible option is to connect with them. Go to their blog, get involved in the conversations they are creating, and give them a reason (outside of bribery) to put your name out there.

Brand evangelists are a necessary part of a successful social media strategy. They are not easy to find, but you can define them based on age, gender, and location, helping you to target a specific customer instead of just anyone.

It is kind of a waste of time to get someone in Miami to promote your restaurant that just happens to be located in Seattle…Right?

NBC, meet the Mason team!

2009-09-28T09:39:00.007-04:00

Our office and some clients recently had the pleasure of touring the new NBC studios here in Connecticut. Unless you've been living under a rock lately, or just don't watch TV, you may have heard that they built a new facility that is the first high definition (HD) studio here in Connecticut.

I could describe it with all sorts of jargon that we tend to avoid like the plague, but I thought I would just for fun. Simply put, the new studio is "state-of-the-art, cutting edge, leading technology, and really is a true solutions provider." In other words, it's impressive.

In all seriousness, the tour was informative and an eye opener to how broadcast media is changing and how they're also utilizing online and social media much more these days, including Twitter. NBC showed off all of its new capabilities, but what was really extraordinary is that the entire building is a studio in itself. There are no walls separating the newsroom from the news studio like the old building and there are also several areas throughout the building that allow for cameras and feeds to go live from, such as the front lobby area.

Truly a great time, but what I enjoyed most was that our clients were able to experience this as well! Here are some pictures capturing the fun! Enjoy.

WVIT News Director Mike St. Peter shows off the new studio set.

It's not NORAD. It's the new control room at the new NBC WVIT studio. Impressive!

NBC General Manager Don Doebler explaining the technology and capabilities of the new studio.

Getting miked-up and ready for our big moment. Myself (Derek Beere) and one of our clients, Susan Gates from the Hospital for Special Care, getting some last minute coaching tips from NBC political correspondent Tom Monahan.

A small crowd gathers and waits in anticipation for Susan Gates and Derek Beere to record their promotional segment teaser.

There we go! Recording our first segment teaser and nailing it after (ahem), three or four attempts!

Hey Kermit! It's Easy Being Green.

2009-09-25T09:27:00.005-04:00

Kermit the Frog said it's not easy being green. Well, according to kids in the greater Bridgeport area, it can be easy (and fun) being green.

One of the rewards of the public relations profession is seeing your hard work and events come to life. The client meetings, conference calls, concept sessions, brainstorms, media pitching and creative energy that go into it is hard work.

Then the big day happens. Event day. You've made your final calls to remind the media of the event and are confident, but still hope it will be covered. Such was the case for a recent client event, "Discover Green Expo", that involved The United Illuminating Company (our client), The Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund, and the Discovery Museum in Bridgeport. When all was said and done, we received coverage from WTNH (ABC), WFSB (CBS), News 12 Connecticut and half a dozen print and online outlets, including the Connecticut Post, Bridgeport News, Stamford Advocate, Danbury News-Times, and others.

It feels good when it all comes together. Clients are happy. The team here is happy and we congratulate one another on a job well done and move onto the next project and continue doing what we do.

However, the real reason I am sharing this story is that its got a great message about how we can all do our part in helping out a bigger client - our planet Earth. Who's going to help the most? The kids and future leaders of tomorrow. Below is a news clip from Channel 8 (WTNH) and it really captures the story in a heartfelt way. Enjoy the show!

No time to waste in PR

2009-09-23T15:33:00.004-04:00

Mason Inc., along with Mason Onofrio PR is a very successful and established advertising and public relations firm in Bethany, CT. The experience and success they have is unique and very diverse. I made this realization the first time I walked into the office. I walked through the visitor’s door and saw a Bruegger’s Bagels sign right away. As I made my way up the stairs I noticed a campaign that Yale New Haven Hospital put on, and on my way to my new office I see an ad for Copenhagen.

For the men and women that worked on those projects they must have a sense of pride on the way to their desks every morning. Me however, I had no part of these campaigns, so the walk to my desk is more motivational then it is nostalgic.

It is my first week here at Mason Inc. I flew in from Wisconsin on Sunday. I Brought a suitcase and my cat with me (not a fun flight), and started work Monday. I was a little hesitant to come in to the office. My experience prior to this has been in start-up companies that I owned, or was one of the first employees for. Mason Inc. was the first opportunity I accepted that would provide me with a “real-world” experience, or so I thought.

Half expecting my first day to be some paper work and introductions while getting acquainted with my new environment, I was thrilled when after about 45 minutes of getting my computer hooked up and on the network I was free to work. “What?” I thought to myself. “That’s it, I am here, and I am part of the team, so now I… work?” Apparently, yea, that is exactly right. I was in at 8:30, and by 9:30 I was working at full speed. I just started doing what I thought I should be, and when I let my boss know what I was up to, he was happy about it.

Sitting in on my first client meeting I realized immediately that my skill set would be beneficial here. For the last year and a half I was working at Brazen Careerist. While there, I worked with companies to develop their social media strategies, and then implement them. I was initially working with them to attract young potential employees, but as less jobs were available we shifted our thought process, and instead of recruitment, we focused on retention and branding. Helping big brands get their blogs started, and building content plans was my specialty.

When I decided to make the transition to PR, my reason was pretty simple. I believe in the power of social media, I believe in conversation, and I believe in the benefits of having an online presence. However, I do not think you can put together a few profiles and cross your fingers. Instead I think that combining a social media plan with a traditional advertising and pr plan is the best way to reach your audience.

Yes, social media marketing has its benefits. We can identify and target demographics, we can answer customers publicly, and with the right strategy, we can place ourselves wherever we need to be in order to increase sales, and show ROI. However, without that offline connection, we are missing so many potential clients or customers.

Mason Onofrio has given me this opportunity. The opportunity to take my skill set, and work with their experts to provide our clients with the best of both worlds. This will be a great experience, and I know the people that are really benefiting are the companies we work with, and just saying that gives me a sense of pride…

Can Ink Be Saved?

2009-09-21T09:44:00.005-04:00

President Barack Obama, who is a self-proclaimed "newspaper junkie", has taken an interest in the health of newspapers. Could this be the next big federal bailout?

In a story recently published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Obama met with editors from the Post-Gazette and The Blade of Toledo to discuss the current health of the newspaper industry. What's pretty interesting to me is his take on journalistic integrity:

"I am concerned that if the direction of the news is all blogosphere, all opinions, with no serious fact-checking, no serious attempts to put stories in context," he said, "that what you will end up getting is people shouting at each other across the void but not a lot of mutual understanding."

What are your thoughts? Get the full story here.

Interns Rule!

2009-06-09T14:51:00.002-04:00

Interns are always a great asset to any work environment. I personally enjoy their enthusiasm, willingness to learn and ability to make a darn good coffee. Ok, everything but the latter. None of our interns make coffee here at Mason Onofrio. We teach them the skills they need to survive in the "real world".

Our interns participate in client meetings, conference calls, brainstorms, and more. They do tons of research, contact the media and write press releases, media pitches, advisories and so on.

Our interns rock. Meet Stephen Murray, our summer intern who is a veteran here at M&O. He interned the summer of 2008 and he's back for more action!

Q: Who are you and where do you go to school?

My name is Steve Murray and I am a senior at Elon University in North Carolina.

Q: For anyone enrolling in college, what advice would you give them?

Be careful what you post to social media sites. Someone (probably someone you don’t want) is always watching.

Q: What do you like most about public relations?

I enjoy the variety of work in public relations. On any given day, I could be asked to help respond to a client crisis, explore a new business opportunity, plan an event, or communicate client news to the media.

Q: You interned with us last summer. How would you explain your experience to someone who’s never heard of public relations?

I helped pitch client news to local and national media outlets, drafted releases for the news to be pitched, and conducted research to support the agency’s current clients and new business proposals.

Q: What did you learn?

A few things:

1) The myth that most reporters are mean and nasty people is just that, a myth.

2) With a range of clients, you need to be able to switch quickly from one to another throughout the day. Each client has its own specific needs.

3) Be open to critique. Your work will improve because of it.

Q: What do you dislike about public relations?

Along with just about everyone else in the PR business, my top gripe is with timesheets, though I recognize they are a necessary evil in the world of PR.

Q: Pepsi or Coke?

Whichever is on sale-I’m still in college!

Q: Any special talents we should know about?

I play both the saxophone and bass guitar.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

If you’re ever offered a free meal, take it.

Q: Lastly, where would you like to see yourself in 10 years?

Ideally, I’d like to be working somewhere as s senior executive with a public relations agency in the Northeast.

The client vendor relationship - in the real world. We're not a taco stand!

2009-05-29T11:19:00.004-04:00

It's Friday, the weekend is here and I'm feeling a little punchy. Hence, the hysterical video you're about to see. However, before the big show, a word from our sponsor...

Although the video is done in a very humorous manner, it's very important to understand that the business of a public relations, advertising, branding agency isn't transactional. There are the good clients who "get it" and then there are those that just don't understand any of it from the start. They want it all, but aren't willing to pay for it.

We're selling a partnership and a relationship. It's not a commodity or something that can be sold overnight. It's something far more strategic and big picture and when great clients get together with great agencies, great ideas and campaigns are born.

So with all that said, enjoy the show. I got a good laugh out of this and I'm sure you will too! Happy weekend all.

Swine Flu Mania

2009-05-01T11:42:00.002-04:00

I recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal talking about how soap makers and others are hitching their ads to Swine Flu. That's a very, very slippery rope-- no pun intended.

However, brands like Dial are tweaking their message to focus on germ-fighting by washing your hands. They're not specifically referencing Swine Flu, but are reminding the public that washing your hands can reduce the spread of germs. Same goes for hand sanitizers, and both are getting big endorsements already as the CDC's number one tip for reducing the spread of Swine Flu is to wash your hands.

The WSJ article quotes Dean Crutchfield, an independent branding consultant who says:

"Trying to capitalize on the nation's fear is quite a sleazy course of conduct. Instead of increasing their ad budgets, marketers should be donating resources to schools and hospitals and creating an aura of goodwill around their brands. This is a time when you show who you really are."

I don't know Dave, but if I did, I'd give him a big pat on the back. He couldn't have said it better and that's the kind of thinking we do here at the Mason Onofrio camp. If your brand is thinking of supporting a national (or even local) crisis, don't just do it to jump on the bandwagon. Do it to make a difference and make a concentrated effort of truly supporting the cause. This can be done through the donation of product, manpower (if possible), company resources, and in some cases, financial "in-kind" donations.

So I'll leave you with this. One of my favorite campaigns that's being advertised all over national television. It's from Tide and it's called "Tides for Hope", a very smart campaign that helps families affected by natural disasters get clean laundry. Imagine yourself losing everything you have, living out of a hotel and wanting a clean change of clothes. Check out the video. Very cool stuff!

Oh yah. One more thing. Are you following us on Twitter? Come along for the ride!

Back at it again...

2009-04-16T11:19:00.002-04:00

Hello! Some time has passed since I've posted here, but in my world, clients come first! Throw in some Mercury Award entries to complete and you've got yourself a jam packed schedule and no time to blog. Sniffle, sniffle...

So with that said, I'm back at it again!

Oh, and another thing- become friends with us and follow along for the ride. We now have a Twitter page.

Is the Future of Advertising Public Relations?

2009-03-31T14:06:00.008-04:00

I know, it's a strong statement, right?

I've always been a firm believer that it takes more than just one discipline to move a product, get your message across, create interest, ring the cash register, or more importantly, engage your audience. As things continue to evolve, smart marketers are looking at newer, more exciting and engaging ways to reach their audiences that will offer the best possible return on investment, right? There it is again. That "E" word: engage.
I stumbled upon an interesting blog entry the other day from Social Media Explorer, and also borrowed the title. It's loaded with some pretty good stuff and certainly gets you thinking. The entry is about how bloggers are a great medium for product launches and obtaining exposure. It later touches upon the ways brands reach out to bloggers- be it a little pay for play, a.k.a. advertising, or traditional editorial coverage, better known as public relations. The article touches upon some very important points:

1. Why advertising dollars are not being spent on blogs, but public relations initiatives are. Remember, bloggers can be very influential because their audience tends to be very focused and defined. That, however, hurts them for getting advertisers. See point two below...

2. Bloggers often complain that they get the PR pitch, but can't get them to spend money to advertise on their blog. Why? Well, for starters, bloggers can help put themselves in contention for advertising dollars by quantifying their audience numbers, including traffic, demographics, reach, etc.

Interesting, right?

As a result, some creativity and a little ingenuity has been born: the sponsored post. Is it wrong? You decide. But what's important to learn from this is that when it comes to the future of social media, it's about communicating and engaging your audience. It's not about one-way messaging or simply blanketing the world with a marketing gimmick on Facebook, Twitter and the like. That's just obnoxious and people will see right through it. It's about engaging, communicating, being informative and connecting with your audience -- aka Facebook friends, Twitter "tweets" and so on. As the Social Media Explorer blog entry says:

"...whatever the future of advertising is, it will be centered on content and engagement which is what good public relations has been doing for years."

I couldn't agree more! Some food for thought. What do you think?

All Things Green on St. Paddy's Day

2009-03-17T09:13:00.010-04:00

The sounds of U2 rocking it out. Shepard's pie with corned beef and cabbage. A delicious green beer. Donning your best green outfit. Dancing and smiling leprechauns. Ahh, St. Patrick's Day. We're all a little Irish on March 17th, aren't we?

St. Patrick's Day is one of those holidays that offers brands endless possibilities for various promotions and publicity opportunities. Here are two fun facts for you on this day of green.

First, U.S. News & Report published a list of the top 5 things that are green on St. Patrick's Day. They are:

1. Beer
2. Food
3. Transit
4. Rivers
5. Parades

Second, here's something that made me chuckle and I think many of us can relate. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Stocks Plummet on Sesame Street Today. Layoffs Expected...

2009-03-13T13:21:00.006-04:00

So here we are, Friday. Another work week coming to a halt and the weekend is finally here. T.G.I.F. As we head into the weekend, I figure I'd post something that I thought was rather amusing.

The economy has certainly rocked Wall Street, affecting the lives of millions. Now, it's made it's way to shaking things up on Sesame Street. Yes, you heard right. Sesame Street. The show plans to let 20% of it's work force go any day now. When I sit back and think about it, it's not fun to poke fun of real people losing their jobs during these difficult times, but puppets are fair game, right?

So who should go? The San Francisco Chronicle had a rather light-hearted take on this and I thought I'd share...

The following was taken from the San Francisco Chronicle blog The Poop: The Chronicle Baby Blog. Enjoy and have a good weekend all!!

Telly Monster: I'm actually a little concerned about what would happen to the depressed Telly if he got laid off. Assuming he can even get out of bed, can you imagine him in a job interview? Still, he's essentially duplicating the work of Oscar the Grouch. And Oscar isn't going anywhere ...

Abby Cadabby: This relatively new character barely made it past her probationary period anyway. With several characters living on Sesame Street for nearly four decades, her three years of seniority aren't going to count for much.

Mr. Snuffleupagus: As much as I love him, imaginary characters seem like the type of thing you could outsource really easily.

Slimey: He's a worm. Not much job market for that. I'm guessing they fire him, and then hire him back as a contractor without benefits. He doesn't have much backbone.

Mr. Noodle: Or is it Mr. Noodle's brother, Mr. Noodle? Either way, he's gone. Clowns are creepy, even when they're played by good actors with ties to the Bay Area. I'm guessing Mr. Noodle takes the buyout and runs -- and still gets plenty of work. He was excellent in "Rachel Getting Married."

Ernie: This is bound to be a controversial move, but I'm guessing that dumping Ernie's huge salary will save the entire Grouch family, plus Baby Bear. I also like the idea of the cynical, slightly unhinged Bert continuing without the balancing effect of the cheerier Ernie. Sesame Street will never be the same.

Then, turn left at the Willis Tower. Wait. Where's that?!?

2009-03-12T15:29:00.006-04:00

I'm all for sponsorships, naming rights and what not, but when something has become a part of American pop-culture, why mess it up?

To me, the Chevrolet Theatre will always be the Oakdale Thatre. The New England Dodge Music Center-- wait? Isn't that the Meadows? You get the idea and I'm sure many of my fellow Connecticut residents can relate with me. It takes a LONG time - even years - to rename something and get your target audience to remember it. Sometimes, it just never works. Maybe I'm just clinging onto the past, who knows ;)

With that said, the Willis Holdings Group, a Chicago-based insurance brokerage firm, will be renaming the Sears Tower the Willis Tower. The firm announced this earlier this week and it's bound to irk a lot of Chicagoans. Bold move!

Sears held onto the naming rights until it expired in 2003. Enter the Willis Group who not only plan to move 500+ employees into the building, but they plan to rename it to show their "commitment" to the city of Chicago.

Commitment? The Sears Tower is an iconic, American building that shouldn't be meddled with. In the PR world, one of the things we often face is the challenge of changing people's perceptions and, ultimately, people's behavior. Will renaming the Sears Tower make people get insurance from the Willis Group? I think not. Try renaming the Empire State Building and imagine where New Yorkers would tell you to go. My vote, and advice, is to leave the Sears Tower alone. It's fine just the way it is.

Peanuts! Get'cher Peanuts Here!

2009-03-09T10:35:00.005-04:00

Imagine a world without peanuts. No more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. No more peanuts at the ball game. No more Reese's peanut butter cups. No more peanuts at the local bar. I know, it's a big stretch, but the recent peanut salmonella scare made me go without peanut butter for a couple of weeks. Nine deaths and 677 sick people is a very serious crisis.

To convince the public that peanuts are safe to eat, the National Peanut Board hit the streets of New York City last week to sample peanuts with the major event taking place at Grand Central Station.

The strategy here was smart. The peanut board aligned themselves with farmers, chefs, peanut companies and anyone and everyone with a vested interest in peanuts. These were the people out on the streets handing out samples of peanuts, peanut butter smeared on fresh apples, Snickers bars, you name it. Grand Central Station's main lobby was turned into a exhibition hall with tables of samples and peanut mascots. There's no better way to get people to buy into your product than sampling - especially in the food biz. This was a gutsy move, but if you can convince New York that peanuts are safe, well... then maybe the rest of us will follow.

Take this into consideration. One of the things any brand should be prepared for is a crisis. Whether you're in retail, manufacturing, health care, or especially the food industry, there is a need to have a crisis communications plan. It takes years to build up a brand, and only mere seconds to topple it. A poorly managed crisis can ruin your brand's reputation and it can take years to build consumer confidence back up. Kudos to the "peanut people".

"Peanuts! Fresh hot peanuts! Get'cher peanuts!!"

Hard Times for Aspiring Broadcasters

2009-03-05T16:31:00.003-05:00

More sad news in the world of Connecticut media as the Connecticut School of Broadcasting (CSB) has closed it's doors. The abrupt closing came as a surprise to students who found out via text message or by showing up to classes only to find locked doors.

From a PR perspective, I think the school could have handled it in a more personal manner. I'm all for new mediums of communication, but isn't a text message a little informal or cold? Especially one that informs you that the university you are attending and are paying for is closed? Trying to seek more information, as I'm sure many students have, I surfed on over to their website and there's nothing.

As I looked further, today's Hartford Courant has some commentary from the president through a press release saying that the reason for the closing was due to changes in the private student loan market. This may be true, but one thing I never like to read in any sort of crisis is "couldn't be reached for comment" or "PNC Bank declined to comment".

In my book of practice, that' s not good. State the facts, be receptive and responsive to the media and you will be thanked in the long run.

Headline: Slasher Back On The Loose

2009-02-25T16:11:00.003-05:00

More bad news for slashing jobs, especially at the Hartford Courant.

Today's issue is reporting that 1 00 jobs will be cut as advertising revenues continue to decline at the troubled newspaper. Approximately 35 jobs in the newsroom will be eliminated. Not good news for us PR pros who find it challenging to get the media's attention these days.

Fun factoid: Did you know that the Hartford Courant is America's oldest continually published newspaper? Yep. In circulation since 1764 without missing a beat.

Don't Rock the Boat

2009-02-24T10:57:00.003-05:00

I'm all for change, but I'm a big believer that if something is working well for you, why rock the boat? Such is the case for Tropicana. We all know and love the Tropicana logo with the nice big orange and the straw sticking out of it. It's refreshing and it makes you want a big glass of OJ, doesn't it?

It took 24 years, but PepsiCo decided to change the entire look of one of its flagship products, Tropicana. Back in January 2009 a new packaging design for Tropicana was introduced, but fast forward to late February and things have changed. Customers bombarded PepsiCo with emails, phone calls and letters complaining about the change and demanded a return to the old packaging. The outcome? The new packaging is going bye-bye and the Tropicana look Americans know and love is coming back.

To me, things like this make me smile. If customers are at the center of your brand, then listen to them. I bet there's a whole lot of happy Tropicana drinkers out there now.

Welcome back! The Tropicana we all know and love returns.

The Power of Twittering

2009-02-23T13:51:00.004-05:00

I am a firm believer in the power of Twitter, and this is a great example.

According to Nation's Restaurant News, Costa Vida recently did a Twitter promotion announcing a one-day free burrito to about 80 fans on Twitter. What happened next is that Costa Vida fans then forwarded it to about 15,000 fans that prompted more than 2,500 people to redeem the coupon.

I know a lot of companies would worry that people are taking advantage of a freebie, but isn't this a true-and-tried method of getting people to experience your brand?!? You can only tell people how good your product is so many times until they actually try it and judge for themselves.

To me, this is a great promotion harnessing the power of social media. Job well done. Bravo!

Save a Brain

2009-02-18T10:45:00.006-05:00

I try to make a habit of flipping through PR Week to see what's new, catch up on industry news and what not. I always read the Campaigns section and thought this was a pretty cool campaign. Not to mention, I even learned something from it!

To my surprise, falls are the number one cause of traumatic brain injuries. In fact, according to Hennepin County Medical Center, there are a stunning number each year- 37,446.

To help create awareness, they started a campaign "Save This Brain". I love PR stunts. I especially love PR stunts that have a great message, and this had one. To get attention and to get their point across, a cast iron bathtub with wheels was rolled through high traffic areas throughout downtown Minneapolis outfitted with a shower curtain stating the facts. Not only did it create attention, but it also garnered media attention in the StarTribune, the Downtown Journal and Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine.

Pretty smart! So please be careful, and don't slip on the soap.

Caution: Dangerous Celebrities Ahead!

2009-02-17T13:40:00.003-05:00

In the PR world, there comes a time in everyone's career where they will be a part of a product launch or some kind of an event production. When that happens, there will always be the temptation of something like this: "Hey!!! Let's get so-and-so (insert famous celebrity name here) to be a part of our product!!"

Tempting. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Case and point: Michael Phelps being dropped by Kellogg's as a result of a photo involving marijuana use. Next up, R&B artist Chris Brown loses a sweet advertising deal with Wrigley's because of his domestic violence arrest involving his girlfriend Rihanna.

Personally, I teeter on the celebrity endorsement thing. On one hand, it can certainly give your brand some immediate exposure and create some excitement. However, when things go wrong, you're brand can go down with the ship-- i.e. the "celebrity-at-fault".

Lesson learned? Be prepared for the worst when linking your brand up with a celebrity.