Archive for the 'public relations' Category

08
Mar

Are running shoes a sham?

istock_000008706988xsmallIf you spend in the neighborhood of $100 per pair of running shoes like I do, you may find the following statement by Dr. Daniel Lieberman, a professor of biological anthropology at Harvard University, disconcerting:

“A lot of foot and knee injuries that are currently plaguing us are actually caused by people running with shoes that actually make our feet weak, cause us to over-pronate, give us knee problems,” says Lieberman in Born To Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, a book by Christopher McDougall.

“Until 1972, when the modern athletic shoe was invented by Nike, people ran in very thin-soled shoes, had strong feet, and had much lower incidence of knee injuries.”

Lieberman’s study and McDougall’s book are fueling a debate within running circles (and shoe companies). Are running shoes not only not helping us, but actually hurting us? Is running barefoot safer?

“We were born to run, but maybe not with shoes on,” says The Boston Globe. “New research … shows that people who run barefoot or with minimal shoes — as people have done for millions of years — often land on their feet in a way that avoids a jarring impact. That’s very different from most shoe-clad runners, who crash down on their heels with every bound.”

Or as Popular Mechanics asks, “Could shoes — and shoe companies — be part of a $25 billion snake oil industry, covering hundreds of thousands of perfectly able bare feet?”

Lieberman explains on his study’s web site that “runners who forefoot or midfoot strike do not need shoes with elevated cushioned heels to cope with these sudden, high transient forces that occur when you land on the ground.”

McDougall isn’t quite so gentle. One full chapter of his book is an indictment of Nike and other running shoe manufacturers that he believes know their shoes are causing injury and continue to sell them anyway.

At least one shoe company, New Balance, addresses the issue head on: “After hundreds of years of walking with shoes on, is it time we relearn? There’s a movement going on that challenges the very foundation of sneaker wearers (not to mention sneaker companies) everywhere, around running barefoot. This broad grouping of perspectives includes some runners who are finding they prefer to run exclusively barefoot, some who prefer to run with minimally cushioned shoes, and others who like to vary their runs between shod, minimally shod, and shoeless.”

Nike, the inventor of the modern high-tech, highly engineered running shoe, doesn’t miss a trick. Or a marketing niche. It has introduced a new shoe, Nike Free, that for all the world looks like the flat-soled Keds, PF Flyers, and Chuck Taylor All Stars I wore as a kid. The Nike Free slogan? “Run Supernatural.” Back to the future, I guess.

In his book, McDougall builds the case that humans are built — not to run fast — but to run long. He tracks down and studies the mythical Tarahumara Indians who run for extreme distances in lightweight sandals in the remote and deadly Copper Canyons of Mexico.

And he’s a convert. Since running in Vibram FiveFingers, a neoprene sock-like foot covering, he’s seen his running injuries disappear.

Though I’m not quite ready to hit the pavement barefoot, especially in the winter, the idea of lacing up the old Chucks from high school is kind of appealing. As I remember, I was faster back then.

How about you?


25
Jan

The rise of community bank brands


The customers of George Bailey’s “wonderful old building and loan” rallied to defend it from the money-grubbing Mr. Potter in It’s A Wonderful Life.

Although the circumstances are different, small banks across the country are attempting to arouse the same kind of passionate community support. Hoping to attract consumers angry and disgusted with big banks due to the Federal bailout, the huge bonuses, and the arrogance in general, community banks are urging big-bank customers to switch accounts to them.

The New York Times reports a number of local uprisings:

  • a credit union in Texas running a campaign, “Real Texans bank locally.”
  • a single-engine plane, hired by a small Colorado bank, towing a banner over a Rockies’ game, reading “This is the closest thing we have to a private jet.”
  • a credit union in Washington running an ad that asks, “Why should your bank’s CEO get a golden parachute while the rest of the bank nosedives?”
  • a consortium of banks in Ohio advertising together as The Community Bank Connection, where “Every banker knows your name.”

Hundreds of community banks and credit unions from around the country have combined their marketing budgets for a campaign created by BancVue, a marketing consulting firm. It promotes a variety of products and services under one cryptic brand name, “Kasasa.” The joint effort is aimed at attracting deposits from large institutions.

Arriana Huffington of The Huffington Post and some friends set up Move Your Money, a grassroots campaign encouraging customers to switch their accounts. (They produced the attached mashup of It’s A Wonderful Life.)

Is it working? Yes, according to The New York Times. “So far, the campaigns appear to be helping banks attract new customers. According to an analysis by the Independent Community Bankers of America, small banks were the only segment of the industry to show growth in net loans and leases in the second quarter.”

Likewise, Bancvue reports significant success from its pilot campaign in ABA Banking Journal.

Once, the big-bank brands of Wall Street seemed the trustworthy haven for one’s savings. Now, for many, small banks look like the safer choice.

Do you believe a fundamental shift in where people bank is occurring?

Will the big banks eventually earn back the public’s faith?

Will the small banks sustain any advantage?

And most importantly, will you move your money?

12
Jan

Imagine if every brand was as honest as Domino’s


In its new campaign, Domino’s ‘fesses up to having served “crust like cardboard” and “sauce like ketchup” for years. Then it asks pizza lovers to forgive, forget, and try its new recipe.

“By doing that they are basically saying, ‘We’ve been shoveling you crap for years and now we want you to trust us,’” says Kelly O’Keefe, managing director of the Brand Center at Virginia Commonwealth University, in an Associated Press story.

Or like your partner saying, “I cheated on you, but now I’d like to try to make it work.”

Could other brands benefit from this confessional approach? These, for example?

GM: “When we heard that what you really want are well-designed, fuel-efficient cars that are affordable and fun to drive … well, frankly, it was hard to face. But now, after working night and day, we’ve changed everything. We think you’re going to be surprised.”

American Airlines: “We’ve made you wait in long lines, pay for your luggage, sit on the tarmac for hours, and miss your connecting flights. But learning how you felt about it hit us right in the heart. Now, we’ve completely reinvented ourselves. It’s what being great is all about.”

Budweiser: “As you have switched your taste preference to microbrews and imports, we have had to accept the criticism that our beer is watery and flavorless. Even after brewing it that way for generations, there comes a time when you have to step up, face reality, and make a change. That’s what we did. We can’t wait for your reaction to our new flavorful beer.”

NFL: “You told us our athletes play like they don’t care. Let’s face it — they’re spoiled. We pay them too much money and they spend it all on drugs, sex, and toys. That’s why we’ve decided to go back to the basics and air high school games instead. Unpaid players playing solely for the love of the sport –  you won’t believe the difference! It’ll put excitement back into the game. Check it out this Friday night!”

Which other brands should ask you for a second chance?

22
Dec

The North Face Dilemma: Spank the Butt or turn the other cheek?

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Okay, it’s a little bit funny.

At least the first time you see this parody of The North Face’s familiar logo.

But The North Face is not laughing. It is, instead, suing young Jimmy Winkelmann, founder of The South Butt brand, for trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and unfair competition.

Winkelmann isn’t subtle about the inspiration for his line of casual apparel. The South Butt’s tagline is “Never Stop Relaxing,” a play on The North Face’s “Never Stop Exploring.”

On his web site, Winkelmann says, “I thought of The South Butt in response to a growing number of people who continued buying gear and clothes from a brand they really didn’t relate to, but were buying because ‘everyone else was.’

“After seeing the same people wearing the same brands, I decided to create a way to poke fun at the norm, while making an affordable and quality product.”

Despite his disclaimer (”If you are unable to discern the difference between a face and a butt, we encourage you to buy North Face products.”), he’s not just having fun. He’s selling merchandise — much more now due to the media attention provided by the lawsuit.

An article by Jim Salter of the Associated Press quotes the suit: “They (The South Butt) are marketing apparel that directly and unabashedly infringes and dilutes The North Face’s famous trademarks and duplicates The North Face’s trade dress in its iconic Denali jacket.”

“While defendants may try to legitimize their piracy under the banner of parody, their own conduct belies that claim,” the suit said. Supposedly, The South Butt has twice attempted to register its trademark and once offered to sell The South Butt to the The North Face for $1 million.

Winkelmann is capitalizing on the attention. He’s launched a game on his Facebook page, entitled “Can you tell tell the difference between a face and a butt? Take The South Butt Challenge.” He’s making media appearances. He’s leveraging a brand built by someone else. He’s making money.

“This is bigger than facing down a bully in the school yard,” said Albert Watkins, attorney for The South Butt and Winkelmann. “This goes to the heart of competition, the concept of an open marketplace, and the freedom of the public to make their own choice.”

So which is it? A parody, free enterprise, or a rip-off?

Are The North Face customers confused? Not likely.

Are they switching brands? No.

Is The South Butt a long-term threat to The North Face’s market share? No.

For The North Face, this is not about money.

It’s about demonstrating, for legal reasons, that they are willing to defend their brand. One of the ways a brand keeps its trademarks defensible is by proving it will not tolerate copycats. Putting Winkelmann out of business would send a message and serve to scare off other potential interlopers.

But there’s a risk. Legal action and continued media interest may make The North Face look humorless, corporate and stodgy. A heavy-handed handling of this frat-boy joke and the accompanying bad PR may not appeal to its younger customers. (Currently, The North Face does not respond to questions about the lawsuit and does not reference the issue in its social media. So much for transparency.)

How do you think The North Face should handle this?

Drop the lawsuit and be a good sport?

Or scuttle the Butt?

01
Jun

Is channel-neutral the new integrated?

istock_000008334928xsmallMarketing firms used to refer to themselves as “full-service.”

Then they were “integrated.”

Now they are “hybrid” and “channel-neutral.” And once again “integrated.”

What’s the difference?

Full-service means all of the services one might expect a marketing firm to offer are in-house. The firm does not specialize in any one function, such as media-buying or PR.

Integrated marketing, according to the American Marketing Association, is “a planning process designed to assure that all brand contacts received by a customer or prospect for a product, service, or organization are relevant to that person and consistent over time.” Today, the concept includes both online and offline marketing channels, which is why it has re-emerged.

A firm which describes itself as channel-neutral, H2M, says “we hold no bias nor any vested interest in any media, communication channel or holding company of any particular media channel. We house expertise in all media disciplines, but remain impartial as to each channel’s use. This guarantees truly unbiased recommendations regarding our clients’ business.”

Hybrid applies to the combination of expertise for both offline and online channels under one roof, i.e. a hybrid of a traditional marketing firm and an interactive firm. Offline channels include print, direct mail, public relations, outdoor, radio, and television. Online channels include search engine marketing and optimization, email, online advertising, social media marketing, and mobile marketing.

Notes for CMOs:

  • There is no standard for how many services make up full-service, nor does being full-service imply that the services are coordinated with each other.
  • Integration speaks to efficiency, not channel-neutrality.
  • These days you should expect all of a firm’s services to be integrated for better results. Integration should be the consultant’s responsibility, not yours.
  • You should also expect channel-neutrality from a strategic partner. It’s in your best interest to consider all options in an unbiased manner. Obviously, if you work with specialty firms, they are going to recommend their specialty.
  • More and more firms are claiming to be hybrids as they add services, but they are usually stronger in one area than another.
  • There are advantages to working with specialists and advantages to working with integrated marketing firms. The choice, as always, is yours.

P.S. Since posting, I’ve heard the phrase “channel-agnostic,” which presumably means the same as “channel-neutral.”

06
Feb

Are we done with celebrity endorsers yet?

istock_000007040798xsmallFor every Tiger Woods, there seems to be more than one Michael Phelps.

Why do brands keep trusting celebrities to represent them?

Is it time to retire the strategy of “borrowing equity” through endorsement deals? Historically, some celebs (like Woods, Bill Cosby and Michael Jordan) can be counted on to manage their image well, but obviously some are time bombs. Who knows when they will go off?

The dumping of Michael Phelps for “behavior … not consistent with the image of Kellogg” causes me to wonder again why any brand is willing to take the risk. Why place hard-earned brand equity in the hands of someone who doesn’t value it?

Celebrities are, after all, human beings, and therefore likely to err.

They may go ballistic like Christian Bale.

They might launch into a politically incorrect tirade, like Mel Gibson, Michael Richards and Don Imus.

They may be caught up in substance abuse scandals, like Barry Bonds and Floyd Landis.

Or convicted of animal cruelty like Michael Vick. Sorry, Nike.

Remember when OJ Simpson represented Hertz Car Rental? And Robert Blake represented STP Oil Treatment.

Some celebs rebound, some don’t. Martha Stewart is back. Kobe Bryant is mostly back. Alex Baldwin seems to have survived public outrage over the verbal abuse of his daughter. He recently starred in a Super Bowl spot for Hulu.

But with paparazzi and citizen journalists everywhere, celebrities are going to continue to be captured being human, whether cheating on their partners or their taxes. Why risk it?

29
Dec

And what do you do?

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You know that moment when someone you’ve just met asks the occupation question?

“I’m in branding … which is much more than making logos. It’s marketing actually … but not the salesman kind. And interactive … you know, with computers?”

It takes too long to explain! Doctors, lawyers and engineers say it in one word, then get specific about their specialties as the conversation ensues. For crying out loud, we’re professional communicators — why can’t we invent a more succinct description for our profession?

I used to say I was in advertising. Like in Mad Men. By definition, advertising means sponsoring a message in a mass medium (TV, radio, print, etc.) with the intention of persuading consumers to buy something. But ad agencies have always done more, including research, direct mail, promotions, packaging, interactive marketing, even PR.

“Advertising” is too limiting of a description.

PR has the same problem. The Public Relations Society of America offers a lengthy definition of PR that centers on developing effective relationships between various audiences (publics). This might involve actually selling something, although some PR practitioners don’t like to admit it. “Public relations” is too narrow a word to describe all that PR firms do (which sometimes includes advertising).

Corporate communications as a description has the opposite problem: it’s too broad. It means passing information from the organization to both internal and external audiences. Couldn’t that mean a phone call? The International Association of Business Communicators‘ description also includes teaching and training. “Corporate communications” is too vague.

How about marketing? Historically, it meant everything involved in taking goods to the marketplace, as in chickens or cabbages. Now, its meaning has expanded to include services and ideas as well, or as the American Marketing Association says, “offerings that have value.” Still, it’s all about selling, which is why some sales reps call themselves marketing reps. The phrase “integrated marketing” seems redundant.

“Marketing communications” is a shotgun marriage attempting to narrow the definition of “communications” while broadening the meaning of “marketing.” Like “jumbo shrimp.” It’s little but it’s big.

“Branding” or “brand management” seems like a good solution, as it means bringing all of the tools — research, marketing, advertising, PR, direct marketing, interactive marketing, promotion, publicity, packaging, event management, etc. — to bear on building brand loyalty. Interbrand publishes an annual ranking of the value of the top global brands. Unfortunately, many people still think branding is limited to creating logos and identity standards.

And none of these descriptions ever imagined the emergence of direct, database and interactive technologies.

So … you’re at the cocktail party and someone asks, “What line of work are you in?” What do you say?




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