Katy Jameson

So the President, who successfully leveraged his election campaign via social media, is finally taking an active role on Twitter.

Yes – President Obama confirmed earlier this week that, although his office will continue to run the account, he will now be tweeting himself in future, signing personal messages with ’-BO’. With an established following of 8.69million, Obama is one of the most popular amongst the Twitterati. And yet he is only just getting involved??

It’s re-election time, so Obama is looking to reconnect with those followers. Let them know he’s listening and he’s there, and he’s one of us.

So that got me thinking…

As a PR professional, I strongly believe that social media works best when the engagement and opinions originate from the source – the horses mouth. That’s not to say that an agency or office can’t run it on someone’s behalf, but I assert that the ‘original voice’ must feature heavily and be involved in the content-generation.

One of the biggest attractions around social media for the average consumer or fan is getting a ‘real’ glimpse of the brand or person you admire. That’s why we’ve always bought Heat, Reveal, Now and Grazia in our droves – what’s the latest inside scoop? And when you’re getting it direct, therein lies the real excitement. No doctored stories; no exaggerations; no ‘a source yesterday confirmed…’ – You get the truth. Direct from them to you.

So why fake it?

Since the rise of digital comms, there’ve been heated debates over where the responsibility for corporate social media lies – CRM, marketing, advertising, PAs, PR…

Who can say it best?

Well – you can. We can advise (and you’ll subtly notice I fly the flag for PR here); we can be creative around sourcing content ideas; we can correct your grammar; we can plan ahead. That’s what we do. We advise on how to tell your stories. But you tell them. Especially on social media and so the best tweets come from you. That’s why they follow you.

Those who are most successful on digital are the ones who take time to engage with their audience; understand their audience; and speak to them. What a rush for your fans and brand ambassadors to get an RT or @ from you! And really, that’s what great PR is really all about – engaging your brand ambassadors to go out and tell your story for you.

Rachel Friend’s recent article on PR Week, entitled ‘Keep the Customer Satisfied’, raises a very valid point – we as consumers love a good moan. And what is most dangerous about this for brands today is that 20% are now turning to social media to vent their frustrations (according to a YouGov survey), thereby airing a company’s dirty laundry on a global platform.

What a potential PR nightmare.

My own undergraduate research, which investigated the use of social media to increase brand equity with airline customers, also echoed these findings. Customers that I spoke to expressed a strong desire to shout about brands, both positively and negatively, on digital channels.

Their motivations in doing so included helping friends to avoid the same purchase mistakes (or benefit from their successful purchases), simply letting off steam and even manipulating brands to get freebies by capitalising on ‘consumer power’.

Consumers are becoming more and more aware of the power they inherit online – a kind of ‘we outnumber them and we can shout just as loud’ mentality towards the big brands.

Power was a key theme that I explored in my interviews and I think it plays a big role in the online space. A double-edged sword it might be, but it appears that consumers want to feel empowered by the brands they spend their hard-earned cash with. Percieved status from their purchases is no longer enough: consumers want to feel listened to and valued by that brand instead.

They want to be heard – and be seen to be heard by all their online friends.

This, I believe, is social media’s biggest gift. Social media are a fantastic listening tool. And if brands recognise this, listen to consumer opinions – bad and good – and then respond accordingly, my research indicated that consumers will feel empowered and brand equity will increase.

With social media on the rise, I’ll bet social complaining is set to grow too. So, watch out – or more importantly, listen up!

The award for best bit of cheeky PR goes to Ann Summers. The adult retailer decided to put on a sales promotion over the Bank holiday period, called the ‘S&M Squeal Deal’, for lingerie, sex toys and lube.

Ann Summers cleverly adapted its deal from Marks & Spencer’s well-known and very successful ’two dine in for £10′ promotions. It offered Ann Summers customers “an exciting combination of treats to brighten your bank holiday”, including main, side and dessert. It even ripped off the logo, using the same font and colours as ‘Your M&S’.

I saw it and thought it was brilliant. It made me smile, and beyond that, Ann Summers was offering a good deal. Cheeky, fun and right up its alley.

However, understandably, M&S was less amused. The logo infringed on copyrights and is certainly not the kind of association the store would like its customers to make; therefore, they threatened legal action and Ann Summers was forced to take it down.

It’s a shame, but Ann Summers still got plenty of coverage and this is exactly the kind of risqué stunt an adult store should be pulling. I think regardless of the fact that the stores had to remove it, they were still the winners here. I’d be interested to find out how it boosted sales, both whilst the promo was running, and after they took it down amidst the furore.

The biggest mistake Ann Summers made was in copying the M&S logo – but would it have worked so well without it? Of course not.

It was all a bit of fun, and yet, I completely understand where M&S was coming from. The retailer equally has a very successful brand and idea to protect. M&S is regarded as a British high street institution and there isn’t likely a huge percentage of its clientele that shops at both retailers and would appreciate the humour. Many, in fact, may have been offended by the promotion at Ann Summers.

Marks and Spencer did the right thing in defending its brand and yet, I can’t help thinking it came out as the loser in all this. M&S has spent a lot of time reinventing itself as a younger, trendier and tastier store but this stunt has only made it look more stuffy, dull and humourless.

Still; one-nil to Ann Summers.

I read today that the Mail Online has just become the second most popular news site globally, behind the New York Times.

According to ComScore, the Mail Online overtook the Huffington Post in page views during March.

Does anyone else find this a bit disturbing?

With its heavy focus on showbiz, celebs and US gossip, how can it be that this is the second best site for news according to the world?

Don’t get me wrong – I enjoy catching up on my celeb gossip, slightly more than I care to admit, *guilty smirk* but yet, when looking for news, the Mail is certainly not top of my browser.

Gossip, yes. But news, no.

I recently attended Shout Communication’s Big Talk event, which invited fellow PRs to attend presentations from some of the great online and broadcast journalists, including John McAndrew at Sky News, Claire Gibson, BBC, Richard Gaisford from Daybreak and Donna McConnell, celeb editor from the Mail Online.

It was a great event, and really useful as each of the journalists explained what they were looking for and how best to catch their eye with stories.

When Donna presented, she referenced the site’s growing success and also explained what makes for a top story, with video content being key for them at present, along with juicy gossip, scandals and beauty tips.

Now, the Mail Online has a job to do. And they clearly do it well, according to the readership figures and my colleague’s recent admission that ’she knows it’s been a busy day at work when she hasn’t had time to cast an eye over the Mail Online landing page…’

But second best news site in the world…? Come on people!

I was intrigued by the article in PR Week (8.4.11) focusing on the future of product placement. Now that legislation has changed and paid-for product placement is allowed on commercial TV, this new business area is up for grabs by the various disciplines.

So who should own this territory?

The article argues that it would fit well with public relations because of PROs’ existing relationships with broadcasters and their solid understanding of editorial focus. Whilst this may be true, I still think that it doesn’t belong within PR and isn’t a great move for the industry in diversifying and modernising.

PR is ‘prayed for, not paid for’, and most consultants are well-rehearsed in demonstrating the PR added value when products are endorsed by independent editors, presenters and journalists, rather than appearing in advertorials or next to paid-for celebs.

Consumers are sceptical at best and, upon watching Simon Cowell drink from a Coco-Cola glass or Ronnie Branning use a Rimmel lipstick in Eastenders, I doubt sales will rise or reputations improve as a result. In my opinion, consumers are beginning to rely less and less on magazines and programmes for product advice, and more on their friends, family and colleagues.

Therefore, I believe the more natural progression for the PR industry is in ’social commerce’ – influencing networks of friends to endorse and buy products, and tapping into trends like group buying and referrals.

This is definitely the next growth industry I’m watching for… And not for Nestle’s coffee machine on This Morning.

I was impressed by a campaign I read about in PR Week (28.1.11), in which independent Scottish brewery, Brewdog and Manifest London threw together dead animals, 55% ABV Belgian ale and creativity to secure some great coverage.

Looking to raise the brewery’s profile and sales, they concocted the world’s strongest beer (very tasty it sounded, too) and enlisted a taxidermist to create limited edition bottles, which were incidentally stuffed inside some dead stoats, squirrels and a hare. *Er…, yum*

The beer, priced at £700 per bottle, caused a storm on the brewery’s site and all 12 bottles sold out within three hours.

More impressively, coverage hits included BBC News, CNN and The Sun online; all other Brewdog high-alcohol beers sold out; and since the campaign, total sales have increased by 250% YOY.

On a limited £5k budget, Manifest London and Brewdog successfully caught the attention of the nation’s beer-drinkers and positioned the brewery as one innovative expert in niche, exciting beers.

Impressed.

I read an interesting article in PRWeek (2/10/09) that says companies are failing to prioritise digital communication.

Being in the process of writing a dissertation on the topic of social media, and how large companies can use this as a comms tool to better reach their publics, I was naturally drawn to it.

I would say that in my own (limited) experience to date, I have to agree that many companies are simply missing the point with digital. Shoving it into the IT dept’s remit, rather than integrating it into the comms dept’s existing strategies demonstrates that they really don’t ‘get’ the potential.

LG Electronics European marketing director, Dominic Chambers, has said he thinks it is due, in part, to senior people in business not being as close to this form of media because of their age.

If this is true, I feel it’s a crying shame, as it’s getting easier to understand and use every day. I do feel that you have to be very careful with this form of media though, and you need to be precise and consistent with what you say online – and this is precisely why it belongs in the communications department.

I definitely agree with Mark Adams, co-founder of Next Fifteen and consulting firm The Conversation Group, as quoted in PRWeek that “Most social comms involves a human being articulating a viewpoint on behalf of a company – and that very often goes against trademark, intellectual property, confidentiality, protocol and control.”

I really hope to establish in my research how you can overcome this barrier, and also seek to determine just how effective this medium is in encouraging behaviours and changing mindsets of your target consumers.

Either way, I sincerely hope that after I have graduated University, I will have a solid knowledge of social media, and will therefore be able to assist in making sure that the company I work for is getting their digital strategy right and leading the way.

To read this article for yourself, please follow the link below:

http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/search/942108/Digital-too-low-priority-firms-message-PRWeek-conference/

I am very excited about the comeback of Watchdog, re-featuring the legendary ‘Queen of Mean’, Ms Anne Robinson, after an eight-year absence.

I love the new format, now including Rogue Traders as part of the programme, and with an audience of 5 million every week, Watchdog really is a winner.

However, I do feel for any companies approached by the programme. After the dreaded phone call, their comms department must go into overdrive trying to find the answer to the challenging question: “How can we come out this as winners?”

A sticky conumdrum for any PR team, that requires a clever combination of communication tactics…

Common sense, honesty and sincerity. Oh, and a very well-trained media spokesperson.

 In my opinion, all that is required is to demonstrate that the company is listening to their customers and that they are honest about what has happened, and what they will do to solve it. Most mistakes can be carefully turned into a PR opportunity to explain your side of the story; but this opportunity must be treated with respect.

The most disastrous results occur when the company under scrutiny either refuses to comment or appear, which makes them look incompentent and incredibly guilty; or when they simply discredit the customer and deny what they are saying. This makes them look pompous and out of touch, often leading to many more angry customers.

The new show has been reviewed in PRWeek (11/09/09) this week, and Watchdog’s series editor, Rob Unsworth, explains that the new show aims to put “the audience at the heart of the programme in a way we have not done before” and will be performed in front of a live audience.

Especially now that Anne Robinson is back, a lady who is known for her sharp wit and even sharper tongue, I fear for those foolish companies who get on the wrong side of Watchdog. (Although it does make for excellent viewing…!)

I can’t wait to watch, and see what troubles consumers have been suffering during the recession. You go out and get them, Ms Robinson!

To read this article for yourself, follow the link below:

http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/search/936952/Talk-Watchdog-face-bitten/

I am particularly interested in the digital phenomenon of social media and have been watching it unfold closely. I’m experimenting with it all as best as I can - blogging, tweeting, and creating profiles on facebook and LinkedIn. Yet the sheer volume of activity can be almost overwhelming to follow.

Today I read about the new version of Facebook, known as ‘Facebook Lite’, which is targeted at those with slower internet connections. The version is Facebook at its most primitive – faster, simpler and less distracting.

Well, may I please be the first to say “Hallelujah!” Is anyone else fed up with those tiresome applications, where you have to spend the first 10 minutes when you logon sorting through the million latest requests - challenges to take the ‘Likeability test’ or attacks from ’zombie armies’? It’s enough to give you a headache!

I read that many current Facebook users with high speed internet connections may actually convert their pages to the Lite format anyway just to avoid the mess, and I find myself amongst them.

I believe all these new channels of communication should be saving us time, not stealing it from us.

Facebook Lite has already been labelled as “a direct challenge to Twitter, which can attribute much of its success to its simplicity and portability,” says Terence O’Brien, of Switched.com.

Twitter has been so successful, and I really do believe this stems from its easy format and flexibility of purpose. I love a good, short tweet, and think it’s fab to be able to broaden my network so vastly, following people that I’m really interested in. All the news channels are using Twitter, posting delicious story snippets every few minutes to tempt news-junkies like myself. I can watch every tweeter I like (or don’t like for that matter); from companies, to journalists; friends to celebs, and this has made it a really interesting and diverse forum.

Social media is certainly getting exciting. Watch this space… I know I will be.

With a substantial PR portfolio due in soon, I have recently heard many students around me claiming that they work far better under pressure, and so are leaving their task until the ‘last minute’. They then say that all PR professionals are just the same, because the industry is about coping well under pressure and the best PR work is produced without planning. Where are they getting this information from?

I am of the opinion that planning is a very useful tool, and you should always leave yourself time to do so. It provides structure and gives you the chance to avoid mistakes. You can have a back up scenario if the worst should happen, and you can iron out all those little creases.

I have actually been working hard on my portfolio since January, and will be spending these last few weeks simply tidying up any loose ends and improving the presentation. With the deadline on April 25th, I feel confident that it will be a reflection of my best work.

So does this mean that I am not a typical PR worker? Does it mean that maybe I will find it hard to work in an industry that allows no time for such things as planning?

Many of our lectures in the first semester placed a great deal of emphasis on the importance of planning, and we were given detailed checklists to work from; for writing a news release, for planning a campaign, for doing a presentation. So I am confused: is this just the difference between theory and practice? Or is planning really an important part of my future career?

I guess I can at least conclude that I am not your typical student, and that I am definitely planning on being an extraordinary practitoner.