SMartPR--A Blog from Sidney Maxwell Public Relations

The age-old excuse of "It's the economy..."

2009-01-07T15:08:00.005-06:00

I was talking to a couple of PR friends about their difficulties attracting business within their agencies. Another one was telling me about potential layoffs taking place if they don't get some business through their doors. With each of these conversations, I asked why they think these situations are taking place. Their answers were the same--"It's the economy. People don't want to spend now."

That might be true--provided that the agencies where these people work don't change how they operate. In trying economic conditions, successful firms will change how they do business--provide more virtual teams, adapt work processes to accept lower retainer fees, bill for performance as opposed to billing senior people over junior people. We are talking with companies who have PR counsel, but don't like that they are not changing the way they do business. What's more, they like that we can adapt to THEIR needs.

SMPR wants to get to a point where the only excuse we make is that we are already working at our capacity, and that we need to hire more people to meet it.

Involvement Creates Integration.

2009-01-07T14:56:00.003-06:00

We're working with a couple of clients who have similar but different issues.

Each of them is trying to develop an idea that requires the buy-in of different parties in order to make the idea more "whole." But each client has been spinning wheels in one form or another to make the idea move forward without having the buy-in of all parties connected to the projects. Said differently, they are trying to build a puzzle around one piece, when all of the pieces will make the puzzle more complete.

I created the following catch phrase to encompass how stakeholder involvement helps transform projects into more complete packages; what do you think?

A warning signal for PR firms everywhere

2008-10-22T10:37:00.002-05:00

I saw the following article in AD AGE and thought to myself, "Warning, Will Robinson." This isn't just about ad agencies and media shops; this is about EVERYONE in communications.

In everything we do, let's make sure we have everything on the table so our clients don't feel like we are in the way. Have open and honest dialogue with them; if they can do things for themselves, let them do it. Distinguish what you can do against what they can do and everyone's lives will be happier.

TAKE A BULL BY THE HORNS BEFORE THE BULL TAKES YOU FOR A RIDE

2008-10-21T11:17:00.003-05:00

It goes without saying that public relations practitioners wear many hats. Such words and descriptives as advisor, counselor, fireman, relief pitcher are par for the course. I would like to add one more hat to the mix—matador.

The PR field relates well to bullfighting:
• After all, a matador fights bulls like we take on client issues.
• He is often seen on a public stage working his red cape to connect with his four-legged heavy-breathing adversary.
• In some cases, a matador can be heavily wounded if he doesn’t take the right precautions.
• At the end of the day, a matador’s end deliverable is to end the bull’s fight and fury.

Illusionary English aside, corporate communications is all about making sure the bull—in the form of a crisis or adversity—is properly addressed and is promptly handled before the bull goes on a rampage. Success is often judged on how well we get to know the adversary and how he thinks before the rampage begins.

Said differently, many crises can be averted had the crisis been planned out and its ramifications were addressed before the actual situation took place. Too often, companies take a “wait-and-see” approach to their reputation planning efforts, vis-à-vis if ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But because reputations and businesses can be hindered by rogue employees, market downturns or other unforeseen conditions, it is imperative to think ahead of a potential crisis such that it is planned before it happens.

700 billion reasons why government should think smarter

2008-10-08T13:00:00.003-05:00

Will someone please tell the folks on Capitol Hill to stop using the terms "bailout' or "rescue plan?" People get a false sense of security when they see what could be achieved, only to realize there is more pain on the horizon.

Our current economic conditions require neither a bailout or a rescue. They require ACTION. Define a solution and not spell out processes in order to get people to buy into what is happening on Capitol Hill.

For example, why not establish a guarantee that a home mortgage cannot be had without 20 percent down payment? It strokes a conversation, and puts some assurances to people that change can happen.

You cannot have Palin without "pain"

2008-10-03T15:00:00.002-05:00

It goes without saying that the PR community is using the debates to discuss the right and wrong ways about messaging.

There have been several people discussing the "win, lose or draw" angles and who said what that resonated the most with voters. But during this campaign, there have been several instances when messages or catch phrases have been utilized so much that they become diluted in value.

Such is the point with Sarah Palin's use of "hockey mom." I wouldn't be making this point if she were using a few times here and there. But it has become too much of a fall-back phrase to the point it has become painful and counter-productive in asserting her political knowledge.

Governor Palin, we get the point. Ask the speechwriters or debate counselors for a new term.

Sustainability's Rainbow Produces the Next "Green"

2008-09-15T16:00:00.003-05:00

As communicators, it is among our responsibilities to not only guide clients on what is trend-worthy, but also to suggest where to define new curves that define future generations. Those defining the green movement are on a one-way ticket with no clearly defined destination.

There is a growing sentiment among many influencers that being green has reached critical mass. We are reaching saturation with the message such that it doesn’t have “oomph” like it once did. You never see anyone talking about shades of green-—you either are or you aren’t.

What does green really mean to a company’s bottom line beyond money and social acceptance? Admitting that one is not green enough could be negatively perceived; yet, green has no middle ground.

Recognizing the need to move beyond what is commonly accepted, might I suggest the following “sustainability rainbow” on how to move sustainability toward more progressive thinking? With apologies to Kermit the Frog, it’s not easy—or enough—being green, anymore.

Sustainability’s initial color was brown. “Brown” communication was representative of nature, i.e., granola, trees, anything earth-related and associated with hippies and related alternative movements. As brown deepened its roots with such movements as grunge and organic foods, we learned that brown stood for a deeper appreciation of natural resources.

Green is where we are today. The current state of sustainability communications—-call it Sustainability 2.0.

Blue will be the next green. Why is it that the earth’s surface is 75% water and we are coloring it green? We associate green water as being filled with algae and bacteria, but we associate blue with skies and water. In Europe and Great Britain, the talk is all about how to make better use of these resources. A burgeoning group of companies, business professionals and environmentalists, alike, have begun researching and harnessing blue’s power in the United States.

The next color is “clear.” (I know clear is more shade than color)
When fuels and energies burn, they are transformed into colorless by-products. Yet, clear also speaks to the connectivity of two business trends. In the early part of this decade, Sarbanes-Oxley and enacted regulations provided financial transparency and accountability. As companies seek tighter connections with influencers, they will strive to be as “clear” as possible about how it conducts business beyond finances and CSR.

Technically, a rainbow has an infinite number of colors. Let’s stop tinting our distortion to sustainability and think differently about the issue.

PR--A simple equation

2008-08-13T20:04:00.003-05:00

If I hear "spin" as an equal to "public relations," I could conceivably lose my lunch.

It's scary to fathom when people don't understand the role of PR practitioners. In its shortest form, "A" does not equal "B".

For those who prefer long-form math, here is a breakdown.

If A= Public Relations, and if B= Spin,

Then...

A = Truth. Influence. Strength. Growth.

B = "Untruth." Weakness. Tail between your legs.

There will be a quiz later; here's hoping some corporate executives are paying attention.

"CHICAGOogle"

2008-08-05T22:16:00.005-05:00

We just coordinated an interview for the CEO of Flat Top Grill (www.flattopgrill.com) that is slated to run in the Chicago Sun-Times in the coming days. The crux of the story--authored by Sandra Guy--is about how restaurants in the city of Chicago are dealing with the increased tax of restaurants in Chicago, on top of the sales tax hike recently enacted by the Stroger administration.

Discussions around this story got me thinking about how the city of Chicago might wish to consider raising revenue in a downward economy. At SMPR, we advocate learning from other business models and industries to provide insight on how to do things differently. So let's throw an idea out there, courtesy of sports stadiums, corporate branding and buzz marketing.

Here is the ultimate sponsorship initiative--rename the city of Chicago, with the assistance of the world's foremost authority on Internet search.

Chicago + Google = ChicaGoogle

What a way to attract Olympic officials for 2016!!! Mr. Daley, Mr. Brin, Mr. Page, are you there? Has one company or group ever gone as so far to "buy" a city? Kim Basinger paid $20 million for a small town in Georgia in 1989, but not even her (ahem) star power could be as powerful as Chez Google.

Is this idea farfetched? Sure. But raising taxes for Chicago restaurants to 11+ percent seemed like a pipe dream, too--and look where we are now.

SMPR TAPE THEORY

2008-01-23T14:57:00.000-06:00

The calendar says January; no more 2007 holiday parties, gift baskets--and traditional reflections and prognostications about business and commerce.

Whether you work for a Fortune 500 company or a small mom-and-pop shop, executives are tirelessly and feverishly working on how to improve their position in the marketplace. In my attempt to plan ahead, I cleaned my desk in the hope I can keep things neat, tidy and simple.

But who would have thought that a simple task would develop a primer for how to manage through the tumult of corporate performance?

Tape Theory Applied

Looking through the annals of corporate history, there are several stories of companies trying to accomplish more than their core competencies. In an ever-growing attempt to please shareholders and corporate boards, executives have sought acquisitions of brands, companies or processes in an attempt to maximize business processes, only to find that it makes more business sense to have these companies act individually.

I’m not here to argue which mergers or divestitures make more sense than others.

But I would contend that simplicity and focus should be the key deliverables for businesses everywhere, especially during a time when several companies have divested themselves from what truly sets them apart from their peers.

I have tried to subscribe to this message by looking at a roll of tape. It’s amazing what you can learn from a collection of plastic and adhesive sitting in a sea of simulated wood cabinet. But this “tape theory” could stick to a lot of companies making the choice on how they want to evolve their business models:

Transparent tape is just that—transparent. There is nothing to hide from this kind of tape. The adhesive, the plastic, even the product in which keeps the tape in place is clear. There is no hidden agenda or deliverable—I know what I am paying for.

Tape sets an expectation—it will stick. There aren’t too many products which hold themselves accountable for their actions like tape. You don’t buy tape with the expectation that it doesn’t adhere to something or keep something together. There is an implied knowledge that one knows what he/she is getting when the product is in use. How many companies can say that?

There are other tape types in my drawer, but this one sets the tone for the others. At the time this article was written, there have been countless rumors about GE selling its NBC unit because of the fit amongst its other business units. Conglomerated companies often have vague “About Us” statements when talking about what they do; that lack of clarity is a beacon that changes are on the horizon. When a company has focus, it can communicate its core competencies without long sentences or corporate hyperbole.

Such is the case with transparent tape—masking tape, duct tape and colored tape all have specific functions, but they all drive back to the core deliverable of the product category.

When you have a good product with good systems to back it up, everyone wants to know how to do it. Richard Drew—the 3M engineer who invented the world’s first transparent cellophane adhesive tape in the 1800s[1]—and his peers defined a new category. Once word got out about it, other companies tried to copy the process, but 3M defined the standard that others followed.

It’s a practice which still follows suit today. There are several companies which attempt to do many things, but what value is truly derived from being all things to all people? By continuously working on the things which made you good in the first place, there will always be a new opportunity for innovation, provided you can find those people within in your company to champion the cause.

I don’t have all of the answers to solve corporate performance or improve productivity. But imagine what can be accomplished if we keep our eyes on the prize which we know we can obtain?

Maybe it’s time for all of us to clean our desks more often.

[1] http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Scotch_Tape.htm

Why just stay at thought leadership?

2007-09-20T13:42:00.000-05:00

How do thoughts lead?

Ever since I have been in the business, I have been intrigued by the phrase, "thought leadership." In theory, it's a great premise. At its very core, it's about taking a position with an idea and running with it as far as you can go, until the next thought comes along.

Maybe it sounds cool to those on the outside, but I don't think the phrase is completely correct. Here are some questions why this is my belief:

Did they just arrive without someone thinking about them?
Where, in the phrase, do people come into play?
What--or who--derives those thoughts? An individual? An executive team? A set of stockholders? No matter who has a thought, a person established it to promote a particular stance.

Said differently, thoughts don't lead; people do.

Thoughts or ideas are owned, whether they come from one person or an organization's stakeholders.
They are cultivated, believed and shared, but they are spearheaded by someone.

Sidney Maxwell Public Relations is in the process of taking thought leadership to a new level of thought. We are creating the Thought Ownership Platform™ and would welcome some guidance on how we can make this a shared belief.

In its simplest form, Thought Ownership will help extract thoughts that people have which shape corporate directions, while proliferating that ownership throughout an organization such that everyone is unified by those thoughts and (above all else) communicating that ownership in as many forms of communication as possible.

The real measurement of PR--Client Love

2007-02-05T16:08:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I posted anything here, more or less because life--and SMPR--are about to change a whole bunch when my wife gives birth to twins (this on top of the cutest 2 year-old girl any guy could have as a daughter).

But it's this kind of love that makes me wonder why more PR folks don't bring the same type of love from their personal lives into their work life (don't ask me about relationship help if you're single--can't help you there).

When we talk about PR measurement, everyone talks about ROI; clips; new business generation--the realm is endless, so much so I think some people talk about it just to hear themselves. Why don't we ever talk about such a "deliverable" as Client Love?

Do clients not love their agencies?
Do we need something simpler--Client Like; Client Respect; Client I Like You But I Really Cannot Commit?

For if there is a real test of the value of an agency, and the RELATIONSHIP between a client and agency is so important, then why not measure this?

Maybe--like a personal relationship--that love is a hard thing to come by. But if you prep your client and your people internally that love is what makes the world go round and not the other brouhaha of our lives, then the relationship takes on new meaning.

Am I off base here? Am I riding this wave of emotion with my new kids on the way? Perhaps. But if you ask some of our clients, they would tell you that our value is reaped far beyond the dollars invested in our services or that we deliver results over and above expectations.

We aim for Client Love as the ultimate deliverable? Do you?

Extreme Makeover, IL Government Edition

2006-10-30T08:59:00.000-06:00

In our field, it is a counselor’s obligation to advise a client on being open and responsible for its actions; to discuss definable and actionable solutions; to put people at the heart of everything it does and to rectify problems that need fixing. Doing anything different—e.g., blaming other people for an inability to perform—propels a company’s constituents to lose confidence with anything the organization does.

It seems like a simple proposition. So why do so many organizations get it wrong, especially our government?

For those of you not in Illinois, the gubernatorial process is an adversity management nightmare. Like many of people in Illinois, I have grown tired of Rod Blagojevich and Judy Baar Topinka pass blame instead of talking meaningful issues. I don’t know whose solutions are real and whose are smoke and mirrors.

Let’s face it—not even Ty Pennington would dare a makeover of state politics, for the structural—and ethical—integrity has been too heavily damaged. But perhaps the candidates could reallocate their resources to salvage their reputations.

Follow other industries’ best practices. If news reports are true, Mr. Blagojevich and Tony Soprano have a lot in common hiring friends in exchange for commercial benefits. But each candidate could learn from more viable business models where the voter—or customer—comes first. As one of its first agenda items, our next governor should stroll through Midway Airport and take notes on how Southwest Airlines has continuously increased its presence in Chicago. Their customer-focused model is why the industry holds it in such high regard. Imagine what a customer-focused government in Illinois could accomplish.

To that end, think of our state government as a shareholder- and stakeholder-driven business. The governor is CEO of Illinois, Inc., and has myriad audiences to address the health and vitality of the company. Chicago’s top business leaders would tell you success is measured by forming strong alliances with as many constituents as possible, listening to needs instead of carrying out personal agendas and (most importantly) connecting with these stakeholders with progress reports. Empty promises don’t go unnoticed by your stakeholders—or voters; both groups are smarter than that.

Above all else, hold yourselves accountable; keep government as transparent as possible. We tell our kids to tell the truth, even if the truth hurts. So how hard is to follow parental advice? A multi-zeroed government deficit or a relationship with a former governor recently found guilty is not easily slipped under the rug. Instead of digging deeper holes, accept the scrutiny. But also have a plan in place to move the business forward. Shareholders of Illinois Inc. are more likely to bond with an executive who admits fault instead of one who shovels it on to other people.

To the candidates: I am merely sharing perceptions as citizen and voter. If my perception is my reality, imagine what others would say. But no matter who wins, accountability blended with definable actions is the paramount of strong government—and smart business.

2006-10-30T08:41:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the first post of SMartPR.

Sidney Maxwell Public Relations is of the mindset that an agency should strive to be smart at all times. Without question, being big in revenues or office size matters for industry rankings. But are the people, the networks, the intelligence of these people being leveraged to their fullest capacity? Being SMART about what you counsel, what you say and how you operate has helped several agencies like ours stand out.

So why not share the intelligence?

The goal of this blog is to have an active discussion about what people define as "smart public relations." I could go on all day about what I think it is. But a smart practitioner learns from his peers--how to improve upon strategy, tactics or measurement; what people are doing to make a real difference for their clients; who is making a break from convention or what topics are of interest locally, nationally or otherwise that could conceivably influence our industry.

If you're an industry practitioner, please feel free to share your agency's logo so we can all learn about your company; perhaps there will be ways for people to leverage their assets with one another.

So with that in mind, let's all get smarter....

Michael Shmarak
Principal
Sidney Maxwell Public Relations