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PR Lessons from the Super Bowl

On Sunday, February 6 over 111 million people tuned into Fox to watch the Green Bay Packers challenge the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. According to Nielsen, it was a record-setting television event.  During the evening I was completely absorbed in the game, as would be expected for a serious Packers fan, along with the halftime show and commercials and it quickly became clear that there was messaging, branding, and PR at work on the screen at every turn. 

No matter who you were rooting for, there were some key learnings that jumped off the screen and that could better our PR toolboxes going forward.

And with that, I present my Top 4 PR Lessons from Super Bowl XLV:

 1)      Media Training is Key – This applies to all types of people - from sport stars to Fortune 500 execs to nonprofit leaders.  You must know your message when speaking to the media. Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers quarterback, was interviewed multiple times right after winning the Super Bowl, a time that could easily be explained as frenetic. During each interview he remained composed in demeanor as well as in his answers. A few times during an interview with Steve Young, a former Super Bowl winning quarterback, Young tried to get Rodgers to bite on the "monkey on my back" line of questioning in an attempt to get him to compare himself to predecessor Brett Favre. Rodgers just won the Super Bowl, he easily could have taken the tone that he is a better player and now had proof, but instead he stayed on the same message he had used in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl - never once disparaging another player or team. 

2)    Do More with Less – In addition to the game on the field there was the annual Super Bowl commercial competition. My personal favorites this year were the Volkswagen Darth Vader and the Doritos ‘finger licking’ spots. MBA students at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School agree.  During the seventh annual Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review, they gave high marks to those two commercials and failing marks to Lipton, Kia, and HomeAway. Did you know that the Doritos spots were written, filmed and produced by amateurs? Doritos not only saved dollars by having amateurs make their spots but more importantly they engaged their fans to produce content in support of the brand. A video contest is genius PR as it launched months before the game, utilized social media, interacted with a key audience, got fans to evangelize the brand, and now has legs after the actual airing, all on top of it being a cheaper production solution. When facing tight budgets, diminishing resources, and a shrinking staff don't let it cripple you - instead push past the norm and truly think outside the "bag". There are creative ways to rally your key audience to promote your brand – online contests, individually hosted events, and local spokespeople with TAD-like video presentations.   

3)    A Strategic Plan is a Touchdown - The Green Bay Packers are a storied franchise with a clean cut quarterback as their leader, now, but they hit a few public bumps four years ago when transitioning to Aaron Rodgers as their captain.  As a team they stuck to their outlined plan and went with Rodgers instead of Brett Favre when he openly toyed with the idea of retirement a few years ago. A strategic roadmap is a winning idea for a football team and its players, as it is for any business, association, or organization. Without a business marketing plan or without a campaign strategy it is easy to get derailed and not consistently achieve forward progress. Take the time to develop your strategic plan or consult with a trusted PR professional.  

4)    Branding is Everywhere – Do only big brands like Nike or Audi need a brand strategy? No - everyone needs a strong brand image and a brand strategy for how to handle the brand and its messages. Every nonprofit, start-up, solo practitioner, and mid-sized company should have a plan for their brand because branding is everywhere. NFL teams are big brands - their logos, players, helmets, jerseys, swag, chants, and even their color schemes are a way to identify them. Fans identify themselves and their loyalty to their team via these brand elements. If the Steelers had half of the team wearing purple and the coach wearing blue it would have caused a disconnect for their brand identity on gameday. Similarly, your organization is a brand – doesn’t matter if you are one person or a team of 100 – your audience needs quick and easy ways to identify you.  If you own a small company in the service industry make sure all your employees wear the same branded uniform when interacting with clients.  If you are a nonprofit bring services into hospitals make sure your volunteers all have branded gear to identify themselves to patients and hospital workers. This will help in consistent branding so that people remember who you are and what you do.

Send any PR, marketing, or branding takeaways from the Super Bowl that you caught to us at @cfoxcomm or post to Facebook.com/CFoxCommunications.  Also, feel free to weigh in on your favorite overall commercial! 

Making a Splash: The Power of a Great Story

In PR, there are tried and true measurements of success- landing the front page, surpassing Facebook follower goals, or selling out an event. Yet, an often misunderstood element of strategic and successful PR is the impact the subject of your efforts makes. In the case of a high school automotive team, their impact is making a splash of national proportions.

Earlier this week, as viewers around the country tuned in to hear President Obama address the state of the nation, one high school student from West Philadelphia had a front row seat.  Brandon Ford, a junior at West Philadelphia High School and member of the West Philly Hybrid X Team, which competed in the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE, was invited to sit alongside First Lady Michelle Obama for the momentous event.  Having served as a team leader of his X PRIZE team, Brandon helped the team gain recognition not only as an innovative leader in alternative fuel technology but an inspiration to many including members of the EPA, the DOE and NASA, state and local legislatures, and President Obama himself.

C.Fox Communications had the privilege of supporting the West Philly Hybrid X team in telling the story of their participation in the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE. (As much as we’d love to take full credit, theirs was a story that really told itself, although we’ll still take some!) As one of the few contenders to enter the Finals Stage of the international competition, West Philly Hybrid X demonstrated that change can be made even when limited experience and resources may argue otherwise. 

It didn’t take much for the team, comprised of West Philadelphia Automotive Academy students and their faculty advisors, to become a PR gem. They landed on the cover of a coast-to-coast magazine, multiple visits with the Today Show crew, and with several documentary crews trailing behind them.  But it is the team’s legacy that continues to live on beyond the winner’s announcement and has truly shown the power of a great story.  And although, ultimately not claiming the X PRIZE title, West Philly Hybrid X has helped move forward the alternative fuel revolution and given a face to the country’s technology and automotive future.

We look forward to following the continued success of West Philly Hybrid X and congratulate Brandon and the entire team for proving that high school can be pretty darn cool, and that no matter where you’re from, or what your circumstances, nothing should hold you back from reaching for your dreams. 

$15B IPO - Do you have a Groupon Strategy in Your Comm Plan?

Get a table of friends together and it’s likely that most of them have tried Groupon at least once. And if you’re in my circle of friends, it’s a near guarantee that at least one of those friends is addicted to a group-buying website- Groupon or otherwise.  That was definitely the case recently, when a friendly conversation turned into story after story about the lure of huge discounts, and how those discounts seem to so effectively blur the line between a want and a need.  There are a few companies that we hear about a lot –Groupon, Living Social, Capital Dish – as well as so many others who offer strikingly similar good deals and fun bargains, but not so similar levels of service.  It seems everyone has a bad story to recount about the experiences in redeeming something purchased from a group-buying site.

And it’s not just the buyers complaining. The stories on the seller side of the group-buying transaction are often the same.  I talked with the owner of a spa recently who confessed that she doesn't get repeat business from these sites and from an owner in the food industry who remarked that he doesn't think these "discount seekers" will become his main customers.

I have to wonder then, why customers – and business owners – feel this way and if it’s possible for both a buyer and a seller to really find group-buying sites worthwhile.  Is this Mission Impossible? Never! But there are some tips that might come in handy, learned from our experiences in working with group-buying sites for our clients here at C.Fox. 

Here are five key tips for businesses to improve their group-buying strategy:

(Note: For the sake of this post, I’m using Groupon as the Kleenex of group-buying sites - a specific brand which categorizes all similar products/services - so while I may only reference Groupon below, I include all group buying sites in my analysis.) 

1)      Throw out the notion of "discount seeker" – the public loves a good bargain but also recognizes good service and products.  A business that thinks 50% off the price means 50% off the usual service is in big trouble.  Word of mouth spreads just as quickly via discount seekers as it does from any other customer segment and perhaps more so.

2)      Truly start a dialogue with your Grouponers and engulf them in your branded world - make sure they know how to sign-up for your newsletter, check out your blog, find you on Facebook, follow you on Twitter, etc. Make sure every interaction you have with them presents these options over and over again.  You’re using a reduced price to start a conversation – make sure you’re giving them the chance to fully engage in that dialogue.

3)      Offer "best foot forward" service to each Grouponer. By providing “white glove service” to these customers you will be presenting the best your company has to offer and will increase the opportunity for a repeat customer.  

4)      Have your next promotion already planned – don’t let your company fall off the radar once the Groupon deal is over.  Keep customers engaged with ongoing promotions and marketing.  Don’t worry about breaking the budget by continuing to offer deep discounts – a small offer or loyalty perk will do the trick.   My husband found a new golf course through Groupon, and was thrilled with the free tees the course offered for his next round.  It doesn’t take much. You hooked them with Groupon, gave them your best service, now keep your brand top of mind.

5)      Follow up individually – sure, add the Grouponers to your email list for regular customer communication, but first try reaching out with an individual note expressing your thanks and hope they enjoyed your service/product and that you hope to see them again soon.  It’s easy, inexpensive, and unexpected. This is also a great time for a short customer feedback survey.  

PR and Marketing strategy is all about facilitating a conversation with your public to build loyalty with existing customers and finding new ones.  Group-buying sites can be a powerful vehicle if businesses make sure their strategy is focused beyond the short term and is geared toward building repeat and loyal customers through great service and communications.

Clearly these sites are doing something right, and worth watching. Groupon has become the fastest growing company in 2010 according to Forbes and Huffington Post.  Just yesterday Mashable announced Groupon is valued at about $15 billion for an IPO this spring.  As small businesses continue to flock to them, I wonder if companies like Groupon will start to offer coaching or a how-to guide so businesses don't use their service in a misguided or short-sighted way.   If issues continue on both the business and consumer side, which will stop using Groupon first - the business who don't see a long-term return on investment or customers who feel Groupons offer a subpar service level?

What is your personal experience with Groupon?  Have you had a client go through the experience?  Have you incorporated a Groupon strategy into your communications plan?

We’d love to hear both personal and professional feedback on this budding topic – please share your comments below or Tweet us at @CFoxComm.  

Also published: http://prbreakfastclub.com/2011/01/19/groupon-strategy/ 

It Looked Good on Paper

For small businesses and nonprofits, every outreach campaign and every appeal needs to make an impact.  Budgets are tight, time is limited, and resources are scarce.  The charity organization Keep A Child Alive had these factors in mind when it launched the Digital Death campaign to raise awareness and funds.  It looked great on paper, but only days into the campaign it was being touted as a failure.

The campaign seemed to have it all:
-An elaborate web presence with a dedicated microsite
-A large group of mostly A-List celebrity supporters
-Multimedia including celebrity-backed photos, videos, and messages
-A multifaceted social media campaign
-A realistic fundraising goal, considering the associated star power, and a public appeal for small donations
-Shock value with eye-grabbing visuals: celebrities lying in coffins
-A strong news hook - the campaign focused on AIDS launched on World AIDS Day

Yet, it still fell short.  It seems as though it did not generate buzz or increase brand awareness.  The industry blog from Cision started throwing around the new terms of “celeb-fluence” & “tru-flence" as part of their analysis of why the campaign failed.  Good’s commentary asked its readers if the message didn’t translate to 140 characters as they reported a day into the campaign that the funding was way under 20 percent of the goal.

Did you hear about the campaign or were you moved by one of your favorite celebrities to act?  Not many people were, and so the campaign called in one large private donor to bring it to an end - a far cry from the millions of followers on Twitter donating cash.

Was it Twitter's Fault?
Silence isn’t motivating on a channel that is overly noisy.  Perhaps it’s the social media channel that Alicia Keys and her team selected that was part of the problem. It is the very nature of Twitter that seems to have made this campaign fail. Twitter streams messages to its users so rapidly that it’s easy to miss a tweet; and the majority of users miss much more than just one tweet a day.  As a public we are ok with that.  So the idea of "missing" a few tweets from celebs simply did not compel the masses to donate.  The silence of Lady Gaga’s tweets are simply filled by someone else people follow.  How much of an impact does one fan not screaming have at a Lady Gaga concert?

Missing Conversation?
Social media works best when multiple people engage in dialogue, in a conversation that shares ideas back and forth. The topic of conversation needs to be of value to both sides. Digital Death met its early death when it did not provide the public with content that it valued.  Seven million Twitter followers hang on Lady Gaga updates, yet few opened their wallets to resume the flow of information when her tweets stopped as part of the campaign.  There was no ongoing conversation about AIDS, children in need around the world, or the need for research and funding. 

In other words, if this campaign was about having a conversation with people about AIDS (and figuring out how to incentivize them to donate), then the format of social media would have been maximized.   

Misguided Message?
Saving the lives of children affected by AIDS is a worthy mission and an issue that truly needs more organized support.  Everyone would agree.  But this campaign missed the mark, and there are lessons to be learned beyond the social media strategy misstep. It would seem pretty clear from the lack of public action in this campaign that celebrities with multimillion dollar salaries, asking for donations from their plush environments (note the huge flat screen on the wall behind Justin Timberlake and the white leather couch from which Jennifer Hudson filmed) threatening to take away their daily updates isn’t the way to build public compassion for the children.  

Rethink the Campaign
The strategic goal of this campaign was noble and could have been achieved by finding a way to harness the star power without being disingenuous.  That might have truly used social media to start a conversation. What about if the stars could have put their money where their mouths were or in this case, where their tweets were?  A matching program to have each celeb match or double the amount their fans raised would have given the campaign some much needed sincerity.  Also, just prior the ‘deaths’, the celebrities could have engaged in a public conversation on the topics of true value: the impact of AIDS on children, the need for research, individual stories from children they’ve meet, and tweets at real volunteers. 

We love what the Digital Death campaign was trying to achieve.  Social media for the social good. Who can’t get behind that?  But in our view, this campaign could have used a little more life.

What do you think?  We’d love to hear your thoughts on when social media fails in the name of good.  Leave your comments below to start a conversation.