Getting out of a mess!

Bad publicity is often something that sticks with a company longer than any good publicity ever does. It is a shame, but it's the truth.


Companies sometimes manage to dig very deep holes for themselves and then dig even deeper, once the media gets hold of it.

Media is one powerful God of Information that targets consumers all over the world in every virtual and real space possible.

Therefore it comes as no surprise that companies that make a mistake, often ignore the media's power over them, and continue to deny any involvement in a scandal or big mistake. One could say that it is the public relation's job to 'cover things up'. Yet covering it up may work in politics, but rarely works in business.

With today's access to information, negative PR is like watching the E! channel for business people. But not only that, negative PR holds the power to make the consumer reluctant to purchase further. So how is it possible that so many companies still manage to lie, ignore or try and cover up company disasters?

Well, since most companies are led by a board of directors from the stone age, many of them do not realise the enormous power that the media holds over the public, and the fact that consumers do switch.

That is why when a scandal happens to a company, such as the likes of Shell, McDonalds, BP, Nike, Nestle and so on, it pays to use the media to their advantage.

So, a lesson in PR today goes to the love of my life, Apple. 

I am so sad to write that Apple's recent Iphone 4 release and its 'marvelous' new operating system for the Iphone generations has been a disappointment when it comes to information handling. 

Only recently did I read, after numerous complaints about Iphone 4's antenna problem, a very off putting press release published on the Apple web page -> Letter from Apple regarding Iphone 4 . If you wish to read the worst press release ever, please click on the above link.

Not only that, Apple was so keen to launch the new Iphone and give none-Iphone-4-users the chance to use the iOS4 software, that it did not do enough thinking when problems arose. The negative media coverage of the antenna problems, the new software doing more damage than good on older Iphones, has made me wonder what went wrong? 

How could such an innovative and impressive company not react properly to a problem it faced post-launch time? Surely, it would make sense to publicly apologise to your customers and come out with the truth of "We made a mistake". In all fairness, the press release does say that they had a "calculation mishap" in terms of the signal strength formula, however, I believe Mr. Jobs also mentioned in his post-launch-released keynote that 'Other smart phones on the market have long had the same problem'. 

Well... since other smart phones have had the same problem it must mean that the Iphone is excused??!

I know I am letting myself get carried away here. The reason why I am writing all this is that handling PR well is key to a company's success. And a company such as Apple, that is admired by billions, should realise that perfection and confidence only go one way. 

And that is the way how you manage to communicate your successes and failures.

That is all for today. 

Love the Truth. Do good PR. Thanks :)

FOCUS: The Customer

If you have been lucky enough to have studied marketing at any level, you will know that the Customer is King. This applies everywhere, whether it be a client company or a customer individual.

My favourite car brand Audi understands that being on top does not come through pushing communications onto their consumers, yet connecting with them and hearing what the other side also has to say. Customer focus seems to be key for the German car manufacturer and understanding customers more so. 

What are the customer needs, wants and desires? How do we, as a company, capture their attention, yet create excitement and involvement with the brand?

Segmentation, target audiences, differentiation and so on are approaches, yes. But who really is this customer we are talking about?

Someone I know who works at airport security told me how much they enjoy making passengers 'suffer' in terms of making security difficult for them. They also said that certain nationalities get more of a 'hard time' then others to ensure security's entertainment! And there I thought 'Oh dear God.' I told my friend 'Do you not realise these people you are referring to are your customers? Do you not realise you are representing your country as well as professionalism to these people? Do you not know that the customer always comes first, no matter what?' And as I expected, I got a blank stare back.

It is interesting to know that at different levels of any organisation employees do not realise the importance of a customer. Especially within service based areas such as airports, restaurants, telephone services, banking and so on the customer receives a service and if that service is bad, he or she will open their mouth to express their dissatisfaction. But it will rarely be to the company, rather it will be to friends, family or discussion forums online, which lead to one thing and one thing only: negative word of mouth.

Customers are walking, talking advertising machines! 

It is word of mouth that is most trusted and it is word of mouth that plays a vital role in customer decision making.

Sayings such as 'We have CRM implemented in our company' do not mean a thing. It is the connecting touch points with the customer that count. In the end it is the consumer that wants to feel like he/she are number one. They want to know that the organisation listens and cares!

So a customer focus should be top priority for anywhere in the organisation that in any way has something to do with its consumers. One day I hope companies learn this, and that all employees follow through.

Use of Space

I'm loving the clever use of advertising space on the YouTube homepage again!

Advertising your movie by using the top and side banners to show a trailer is genius. It may seem as very simple to the normal person who does not get as excited about this kind of stuff... but it is very clever. This sort of advertising is captivating, attention grabbing and stimulating all in one go. Plus since it's a trailer for a movie, it is something everyone will watch, because it is not offering you, the customer, anything in an obvious way. It is a pleasure viewing.

It may not be playing on the YouTube homepage anymore today, but yesterday it was in full gear. Attention grabbing enough for me write it down, that's impressive I think.

I am a Brand. Where is my strength?

The fun in branding comes from the personality you want your brand to portray. Whether it be luxury, youth, power or fun, a brand's 'aura' represents people, which means that what a brand stands for is vital.

Building brand awareness is the key to communicating brand image, but a lot of companies mix up their messages, confuse their audiences or even try and copy other brands unsuccessfully. Brand personality carrying solid values is the starting element to any brand awareness campaign or advertising strategy.

What is a brand you ask? Funnily enough to most people who have not studied or worked in marketing, a brand is the same thing as a product. Unfortunately that is a common misconception. A brand is a symbol. It represents a company, its products as well as the people who choose to buy it.

In the end a brand gives products meaning, it makes them belong.

McDonalds and Coca Cola for example are two of the most recognised and valuable brands in the world. They have achieved their brand recognition through decades of cult communications and local/global marketing tactics. Both brands have a unisex appeal which is quite rare, and despite being American, both have created a sort of 'ours' value worldwide. The only brand I can think of that has done that even more successfully is Nivea. Nivea cannot be compared in terms of worth to McDonalds or Coca Cola, but if you ask a French person where Nivea comes from, they will say France, a British person will say Britain and so on. Obviously the brand is German, yet it is portrayed in a 'national' sort of manner, which gives it a priceless appeal of belonging.

Companies need to recognise what strengths hide in their brand.
What does their brand represent? And most importantly what should it represent?

Since brands speak on behalf of companies, they need to make a statement. 

They need to symbolise a company's core competencies, but create an image of awe and inspiration. They need to represent people and stand for something more than just a cheeseburger, a caramel drink or a white cream.

The sooner companies realise this, the better.

The Perfect Salesman

Unimaginable to us educated individuals who feel they can resist any trick plotted by a salesman, is the idea that some strange man or woman could actually succeed in selling us something that we did not want or think we needed.

It is true, unfortunately, that even the most dismissing and rude of us, to whom salesmen are the chewing gum that sticks to your shoe on the street; annoying and persistent, even to these people salesmen can work their magic.

How do they do this??


The answer is difficult, but still obvious. A good salesman plays on your emotions, enters your soul and pulls out your weaknesses and doubts. As evil as that sounds, a good salesman can actually make you feel good about your purchase at the end of the day.

And don't be fooled about your knowledge of where salespeople reside! A salesman can be hiding anywhere, including the not-so-innocent-looking charities.

                  Most organisations believe that sales and marketing are the same thing, but that's not true. Marketing supports sales, it does not go out and talk to clients or consumers to sell them something. Marketing promotes, it acts as a secret weapon to an organisation's revenue and profit increase. Yet sales is the forefront army that fights to get the money in.

So what makes salesmen successful? Well... in my marketing degree I was told that there is a several stage process to a successful salesperson, including finding your best alternative to a negotiated agreement, finding out as much as you can about the other party etc. Yet a good salesman is a person who can really see the problem and offer an excellent solution, without making you feel worse about the problem or without making you back out at the last minute.

Salespeople come in different forms and sizes, they can be the sales assistant at a department store or a telesales person from the local non-profit organisation. No matter what place or representation the salesman stands for, he or she still needs to have outstanding relationship and communication skills to be able to befriend, persuade and satisfy the customer.

So, a salesperson at Selfridges, working behind the beauty counter, should have a perfect knowledge of all products as well as knowledge of what customers look for and need to combat all possible problems they may have. At the same time a telesales person at, for example WWF, will need to know how to approach potential customers by understanding what it is that makes them donate to charities, and why that individual person might want to give money for a good reason.

It may seem as simple, but selling is not something you can just learn. It is a skill, a motivation, a challenge that brings big bucks to an organisation, which in the end is not the easiest job in the world.

Have YOU advertised on YouTube yet?

I believe advertising on YouTube is the best way to get the target audience's attention online. Whether the organisation chooses a video advert or just an interactive banner slammed onto YouTube's homepage; one way or another it is a great way to grab attention.

Currently, on my YouTube homepage, the only visible advert is a video ad of LG as seen above in the picture. Whether I want to or not, I still look at it, because it is a moving image right in front of my face. Cleverly it is without sound, so as not to annoy you, yet if you wish you can un-mute it and watch (which I'd recommend, since this ad is tailored to the World Cup 2010 and is rather funny).

This blog entry will be short, because all that needs to be said is that YouTube advertising is attention grabbing for the consumer, and thus advantageous for the company. 

Now the interesting thing to know would be what the purchase/sales rate of the advertised product is after its placement on Youtube??

The God among Brands

Yes.  It's Apple I'm talking about.

               Increasingly worshipped by loyal pilgrims all over the world, Apple could write a holy book, make it into a sleek design and would immediately create a craze. The company, no --- the BRAND --- of this corporation is increasing value by the second.

iMac. iPhone. iPad. iPod.... and so on are now cult names among sexy, shiny, sleek technology. Gone are the days of the Dell... the HP... or the Microsoft! Yes, I said it.

And I admit it.

                      I am an Apple fan.

Every time a new Keynote from Steve Jobs appears on the Apple web page, I get a slight tingling feeling down my spine as well as the same excitement as when a good new movie's coming up. It is utterly ridiculous for a woman to get so excited about a presentation of new technology. But I can't help it.

I am, like billions, an Apple worshipper.

Apple's brand has created an untouchable shield of gigantic proportions. You seriously cannot touch it, because in the end a brand is an intangible asset to a company. But what an asset it is!

This brand has tried and tried to beat the stereotype, the magic spell put onto the world. I'm a Mac. I'm a PC. Say it the way you want it, but I'm a PC has left the ship.

The thing about brands such as Apple is that they are unique. Apple is not like Coca Cola and it is not like Nike. When you hear the word Apple you don't think of Apple's logo, you think of the products. Apple has managed to make its products represent its brand. It has put this invisible shield of brand power over each and every piece of technology it produces. It has made its products speak for themselves.

Just look at the queues outside of Apple stores when a new product launches. This can be compared to the queues of children waiting for the release of a new Harry Potter movie...

It is incredible how the power of this brand has transformed branding as we know it. In the end,

Apple is...

The God among Brands 

What a result.