Author: mlavens

Brands are Built on Promises

Posted on by mlavens in PR Tips

“I don’t know how you come back from a prolonged stoppage a second time because it is unprecedented,” said Ed O’Hara, senior partner of New York-based SME Branding, “Brands are built on promises. In this case, the promised experiences of seeing the greatest athletes in the world. That’s all gone now.”

This quote really stuck out to me. I saw it today in an article in The Washington Post about the NHL lockout. Even though this quote is based off the NHL lockout, it doesn’t mean they are the only brand that need to keep their promises. All brands need to. Brands that don’t can run into issues with their fans and customers.

Since this quote comes from the NHL lockout (and I’m a hockey fan) I’m going to start by using it as an example. The last time the NHL had a lockout is cost the entire 2004-2005 season. The NHL promised fans a better experience following the cancellation of the season. Fans came back and all seemed well. The NHL was experiencing some of the highest revenue it’s ever had and games were packed. Then, another lockout came around.

The NHL has been confident that fans will return following this lockout, but I wouldn’t be so sure. My dad and I had a partial season ticket package to the Red Wings for the past few years. We had every intention of renewing this year even though I’d be living in New York and could only make it home for a few games. Now, I could care less if we get a season ticket package again. I love the Wings and will always support them, but I can do that from the comfort of my couch in New York City instead of spending the money to fly home and buy tickets. I’m not saying I will never go to another Wings game, because lets be honest, you’d never be able to keep my away from Joe Louis for forever, but I do have some serious reservations about spending so much time and money on these games.

I know I’m not the only fan that feels this way. From other blogs and articles I’ve read, a lot of fans are fed up with the NHL. No one wanted to see another lockout. This has pretty much ruined their reputation.

Any company that makes a promise to their fans something and doesn’t deliver is going to have a possible crisis on their hands and will need to recover from a lack of supporters.

Bible Quoting Cheerleaders

Posted on by mlavens in Graduate School

In my communications ethics class, we discussed an issue that came up this October in Kountze, Texas where a public high school cheerleading squad created banners for the football games that consisted of Biblical phases. They called these banners “Spirit Signs.” Since it is a public high school, this breaks the law of the separation of church and state, which states, “government must maintain an attitude of neutrality toward religion.” Knowing this, the school district told the cheerleaders they could not use the signs anymore, so they took the issue to court. This brings up an ethical and legal question. In my opinion, this case isn’t unethical for a couple reasons.

  1. Following an Example: The football coach would have the team say a pray before the game. This is where the cheerleaders got the idea. The way I see it, they were just following an example set by the coaches. If anyone is at fault, it should be the coaches. They are aware of the separation of church and state laws, and by using prayers before a game, they could be seen as bringing church into the school. When the cheerleaders see this happening, they are given the idea that it is okay for them to do that too. Many of the cheerleaders have said they didn’t think it was a big deal or would cause this many issues. I can see where they wouldn’t think it would case too many issues. Texas (like most southern states) is a state that shows its spirituality more publicly than others. When raised in that kind of environment, it doesn’t seem like there would be an issue if the spirit signs were made and used at the football game. I could see this being a bigger issue in a state like Michigan where people do not express their religion as publicly.
  2. Freedom of Expression: The cheerleaders of the high school claim they are exercising their right to free expression. Their parents agree. When the cheerleaders took this to court the defense set by their attorney was freedom of expression. He made it clear that it’s not one cheerleader that creates these banners. It happens on a rotating basis and each girl gets to have her voice heard through these banners. The cheerleaders and parents have said that this isn’t violating separation of church and state because the banners are not school speech, it is individual speech that happens to take place on school ground. The way I see it, it would be like if someone said a prayer before taking a test. Many people look to God or their religion for strength. Clearly the football team and cheerleaders think this way and apply it to their game night rituals.

Apparently I’m not the only one that sees this case as an okay thing to do. When taken the court, the judge ruled in the cheerleaders favor, at least temporarily. The cheerleaders are allowed to continue to use their bible verse banners pending the outcome of a lawsuit scheduled for June 24, 2013. Governor Rick Perry and Attorney General Greg Abbott both agree with the judge’s ruling. They believe the banners are within the cheerleaders’ right to freedom of expression.

Freedom of speech can be a very tricky topic, which is why it comes up in communication ethics all the time.

See my presentation here.

Social Media Magic: The Disney Perspective

Posted on by mlavens in PR News & Info

It’s no secret that Disney is everywhere. Whether its TV, Radio, clothing or entertainment, Disney is there. One place that is particularly interesting with Disney is social media. They don’t focus on their social media outlets the way others do. Harrison Kratz wrote a piece on Social Media Today that highlights this. He points out three things that Disney does to quietly own their social media.

  1. “Likes” aren’t their goal
  2. They pull on heartstrings
  3. They understand the consumer cycle

I never really thought about Disney’s social media tactics. I will be honest, I follow them on Twitter and Instagram, but mainly because I’m a shareholder and I just love the company overall. This goes back to the idea of likes not being a goal. They have an audience, so they don’t need to push.

This past weekend I ran the Wine and Dine Half Marathon, and I couldn’t wait to Instagram my pictures from the run. I even hooked up my Twitter so that runDisney would post my times as I passed the checkpoints. I was utilizing Disney’s social media without even thinking about it.

What makes Disney’s social media so unique is that it has hundreds of different platforms. The parks have their own social media, so do the franchises the own, and even the movies have social media platforms. Mashable went inside the Disney Consumer Products (DCP) division of the Walt Disney Corporation, and examined their social media strategies.

One of the DCP does this is by being informal. Social media is not the place for traditional advertising. Users don’t want to seem like the company is trying to push a product down their throats. Building a relationship and causal conversation is more ideal. Another important aspect to keep in mind is that social media is everywhere and it changes how we communicate. Disney realizes this and knows it’s fundamental when keeping up with their fans. I know I think it’s magical when I get a reply or retweet from Disney.

Sandy Goes Viral

Posted on by mlavens in PR&CC: 1070

The east coast was slammed by Hurricane Sandy this weekend and into the rest of the week. She didn’t just make an impact on the eastern states, she also made an impact on the social media world.

A parody Twitter account @AHurricaneSandy was created, with joke tweets about what Hurricane Sandy was doing. The account has over 236,000 followers and over 300 tweets for just the short time that account was active. The creators of the account stated that it was created as a humor account, but the storm was serious and people should donate to the American Red Cross to help those involved.

What’s interesting about the account is that, although this was a very serious storm and not something people should take lightly, it is still nice to have some humor during the tragedy. Other twitter users have made jokes about Sandy as well like, “Gangnam Style must be a rain dance and we’ve brought this on ourselves.” But overall, most tweets have been updates from news channels, government officials and residents about storm updates. I used Twitter as a place to get updates on the storm and to check in with family or friends.

Fake Sandy PictureAlso, Twitter (and other social media sites) had a number of fake pictures going viral. I first saw this picture of the storm behind that Statue of Liberty on one of my friends Facebook pages back in Michigan. I commented on it saying it looked nothing like that in New York, only to find out a couple hours later, it was one of many fake Hurricane Sandy pictures that went viral. I’ve still noticed this picture along with others being posted around Facebook and Twitter.

It’s amazing so many fake pictures have gone viral since the start of this storm. I think I’ve noticed more fake photos making the rounds on social media than real ones. I’m guessing it’s because these fake photos have elements that catch people’s attention. With the above picture, it’s an intense, but beautiful photo. Then again, that’s that magic of photoshop. Other fake photos add a shocking element like showing sharks in the flood waters or dark clouds that look like the end of the world. They seem to be more intriguing than true pictures of Sandy.

It just goes to show that even natural disasters have an impact in the social media world.

What is the Future of Social Media?

Posted on by mlavens in PR&CC: 1070

We live in a world full of social media. Whether we’re browsing people’s photos on Facebook from our computers or updated a status on Twitter from a phone, social media is all around. This form of media happened so fast and is relatively new, so is it just a fad or is it here to stay?

According to Charlene Li, one of the most respected voices in social media, the future of “social media will be like air.” No offense to Charlene Li, but I think we are already there. People rely on social media heavily every day whether it’s to find out what they’re friends are doing, to get news around the world, or any number of other possibilities. Personally, I know that I don’t go a day without checking at least one of my social media platforms. It’s become part of my life, but I’m not sure it will always be that way.

I remember being in middle school and high school and the big thing was MySpace. MySpace began to disappear when Facebook started, and although MySpace just relaunched, it’s still not very popular. The other big thing I used around that age was AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). You’d say goodbye to your friends as the school day ended and then head home just so you can talk to them again. I can’t remember when AIM fizzled out, but none of my friends go on AIM anymore. Instead we use Facebook, Twitter, and text messaging to stay connected.

I’m not the only one that has witnessed this change. Geoff Livingston said, “I feel pretty safe in saying we’re looking at an AOL-esque decline for Facebook.” Facebook has been a huge part of the rise of social media. It even had a movie made about it. Lately, the stock for Facebook has been declining and it’s competing with more and more social media platforms.

I don’t see social media fading out anytime soon, but as technology continues to grow and people learn new ways to use media forms, social media will fade away to the next fad.

The PR Tactic of the NHL

Posted on by mlavens in Press Release

NEW YORK, NY – Earlier this week the NHL announced there was an “agreeable” proposal on the table and if the NHLPA agreed to it, a full 82 game season could start on November 2.  This announcement was made shortly after the proposal was given to Donald Fahr, the union’s executive director.  This gave fans hope and something to possible look forward to. Instead, they got more cancelled games.

Thursday, the players offered the NHL three counterproposals that were all shot down by the NHL. This also caused the NHL to cancel another weeks worth of game through November 1. This is not a total surprise seeing the season wouldn’t have started until November 2 had the proposal been signed.

What makes this situation in the lockout unique is what the NHL did from a PR standpoint. Commissioner Gary Bettman, basically told the public the season would start on November 2 and it would be possible to play all 82 games.  A few days later, when the NHLPA didn’t agree, he cancels more games and makes it look like the players caused this. He tried to show that he was focused and concerned about the season getting back on track, by announcing the new proposal and that it could save the season. When the players rejected it, it causes fans to lose hope. Even the New York Times has stated that the fans are starting to blame the players for the continuation of the lockout. Many fans are extremely upset about the current situation have been voicing their opinions.

Buffalo Sabres fan, Dan Szudik stated, “At this point, you have to feel the NHL is playing the PR game to perfection. It really makes it look like the NHL is doing everything they can and this is all the players fault. What a difference a week makes in the world of public opinion.”

One Boston Bruins fan, Holly Post, has even taken her message to Facebook hoping to capture the leagues perspective from another viewpoint. She’s a 19-year-old college student working two jobs to pay for her season tickets. Not only is she missing the sport she loves, but the lockout is costing her more money as the local pub she works at is lacking business. Watch video here: NHL Fan Speaks Out

At this point, it’s hard to say when the NHL lockout will end. Fans, including myself, would love to see the season start on November 2 and it is still possible. If the NHL and NHLPA reach an agreement by October 25 games will begin. But, with the proposals shot down and no new negotiations scheduled, it could mean a longer and longer lockout.

Updated: October 22, 2012

The Social Media Customer Service of AT&T

Posted on by mlavens in PR&CC: 1070

Social media has opened many doors for companies. One way social media can be used is for customer service. One company does a great job with social media customer service: AT&T. According to Simply Zesty, AT&T has 1.6 millions fans on Facebook. They receive hundreds of questions everyday and the company uses it for customer service and to create positive experience for users.

AT&T does a few things very well. First off, they use their page for discussions. Wall posts and discussion boards can be a great space for customer service to take place, but companies often forget to use them.  When customers post on Facebook, an AT&T customer service rep will respond to them.  Their Facebook page gives people another outlet to contact AT&T instead of calling the customer service line. Personally, I’m an AT&T customer and I know that it can be a pain to call them, so this gives me another outlet to use.

Another thing that makes AT&T’s digital customer service a great tool is they educate their employees in weekly digital leadership workshops. This is to make sure there is a collaboration between all departments and that employees communicating the same messages offline or online.  This is important, especially within an organization as large as AT&T.  Customers need to have consistent messages from the company so they know it’s credible and communicates the correct information.

Although AT&T does a great job with social media customer service, there are still a few thing they can do to improve it. Social media is all about being instant, so fast response times are important.  First of all, the could increase their response time to questions or complaints.  I logged on to their Facebook page and I had to scroll down to posts from two hours ago to find responses.  Other organizations reply faster. The Delta Airlines twitter page responds much quicker than AT&T.

Second, they can employ more people to handle their social media customer service. Right now they only have 20, so more would be beneficial and could increase response time like mentioned above.

Finally, they could be available 24/7.  On AT&T’s twitter page, they state hours of operation. The Facebook page doesn’t show hours of operation, but I would guess they are the same. Customers want information at all hours of the day, so only being available for some is a downside.

NHL Lockout Continues

Posted on by mlavens in Press Release

NEW YORK, NY – Meeting continued today between the NHL and the NHLPA regarding the current lockout situation. Despite meeting, no further progress has been made. According to an article in the LA Times, the cancellation of preseason cost the NHL $100million and most likely, are days away from canceling the start of regular season games, which were scheduled to begin October 11.

NHL LockoutSome players including Dan Cleary (Detroit Red Wings) have stated that they think the lockout could potential last the entire season. Hockey fans and players hope this doesn’t happen, but in the mean time, many players have been going overseas to play on month-to-month contracts or have been training with the American Hockey League. Minor league teams have been offering ticket packages to fan still wishing to enjoy hockey while the NHL is locked out.

Some players are sick of the continuous lockouts since Gary Bettman has been commissioner of the NHL.  Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) has claimed he may not return to the NHL if he does agree with the terms between the NHL and NHLPA.  I’m sure he’s not the only player considering this.

For those of you that know me, you know I am an avid hockey fan. I was heartbroken when Nick Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings) announced his retirement earlier this year and I was even more disappointed when the lockout officially happened. At the rate negotiations are going, I worried the Winter Classic will be cancelled. I was so excited when they made the announcement that the Winter Classic was going to be held in the University of Michigan’s Big House and that it would be an Original Six game. I was prepared to fly home from New York City for it. Now, my hopes a slowly fading. As more time passes without a deal between the NHL and NHLPA, the more I feel like I’m going to miss out on the game.

For now, it’s just a waiting game.  No plans have been made to continue discussions meaning the start of regular season will most likely be delayed.

How Social Media Can Help Your Company’s PR

Posted on by mlavens in PR&CC: 1070

With the rise of the internet and digital age, social media has taken over.  People are always sending tweets, checking their Facebook feed, or reading blogs for news.  With this technology and the different social media sites, information is at our finger tips.  So how does this affect the PR?

It can be argued that social media can make things more difficult for PR professionals because people can say whatever they want.  A company or PR professionals cannot control what others say about them on their Facebook, Twitter, or other social media platform.  According to an article on Jontus Media, social media has made it easier for customers to complain.  Without the face-to-face interaction, people are more comfortable writing reviews.  Too many bad reviews, and the company’s reputation could be ruined.

Event though social media can negatively impact a company based on reviews, it is still possible for social media to help a company.  The best thing for a company to do is to take a proactive approach by monitoring and responding to reviews.  By showing they care and by taking the information their customers give them, they can make a plan to ensure the company is seen in a positively.

Building or rebuilding a reputation is not the only thing social media can be used for.  Social media can be very beneficial for a company’s PR because of three reasons:

  1. Increased News Coverage:
    Social media is a great way for companies to show the public what they are doing.  News that would originally be given to tradition media sources via press releases can now be posted on a company’s Facebook or Twitter.  It also means the news can spread faster.  If someone finds a post from a company interesting, they can retweet it or send it to their friends.
  2. Consumer Interactions:
    Before the digital age, if a consumer had a question or complaint about a service or product, they’d need to call a company line and wait to speak to a representative.  Social media has changed that.  It is not possible to tweet a question to a company to have the issue resolved.  I myself have done this before.  Nike offers a service called Nike+ to track workouts.  One day my sensor didn’t record my run, and I didn’t know how to fix that, so I sent them a message on their Facebook page and within minutes I had a response and a fixed product.  It’s immediacy with responses that makes social media an important part of consumer relations.
  3. Cheap or Free Advertising:
    Social media platforms provide a place for companies to showcase their products or services.  It is also a great way to advertise in a less expensive way. One post on a company’s Facebook can spread like wildfire to people’s newsfeeds.  Or a company’s product posted on Pinterest can be repinned thousands of times.  It is hard to pay for advertising that reaches so many people the way social media does.

Although people believe social media can be negative for companies, the positives it brings outweighs the negative.

Old Navy’s Fit For Fall, Fashion Show for All

Posted on by mlavens in Press Release

NEW YORK CITY – What a great marketing idea!  A Fashion show that not only everyone in the public can go to, but that normal people can model in as well.  Old Navy took a different approach to their fashion show by asking women of all shapes and sizes to walk their catwalk and model their new Rock Start jeans.  I happened to be one of the models and it was such a rush.

After waiting in line for about an hour (not too bad in my opinion…other’s may haveOld Navy Fashion Show a different opinion on that), I got to put on a pair of amazing jeans, get hair and makeup done, then strut my stuff down the runway.  And the best part? I got to keep the jeans!

Old Navy had an amazing idea with this fashion show.  Not only do everyday women get the chance to model, they got a free pair of jeans to wear around the rest of the day.  Talk about great marketing for Old Navy.  Plus, these jeans are so nice!  I honestly want to run out to the store tomorrow and buy a pair in every color because they fit well, they’re flattering, and above all, they’re comfortable.

Oh and did I mention the fashion show ended with a concert by the Backstreet Boys?  Yeah, talk about a way to end the day.  Free jeans and a free concert.  Old Navy has got it going on this season!