Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Radio: The Power of Promotion

I have long been an advocate of the power of radio.

Radio can be particularly powerful it combines advertising, editorial and promotion.

Last Saturday I was part of a regional radio promotion where I witnessed first hand the immediacy of the medium. Listeners to the station's morning program were invited to rush to a local shopping centre to claim a holiday giveaway prize. The first person - a young woman - turned up within minutes of the first announcement followed by others as the promotion continued throughout the day.

Advertising by itself may work. But you increase your chance of cut-through success when you combine it with a competition or incentive for listeners.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Keep Your Eye on Australia


Last month Canberra ad agency Grey Group Australia released its third Eye on Canberra survey.  

The survey comes out of the wider Eye on Australia survey which looks at Australians,  what's going on in their families and households and how they view the issues of the day.  

The Eye on Australia survey has been going 19 years and collects data from 998 people across the country by telephone and through the Internet.  This year's findings reveal some interesting insights:
  • While Australians are generally satisfied with their lives, people in Darwin are the most satisfied and those in Brisbane are the least satisfied of people living in capital cities.
  • Brisbane people are also the most likely to be concerned about the economic outlook for the coming year while residents in Darwin are the least concerned.
  • People aged 25 - 34 are the most concerned age group about the economy, perhaps suggesting those early in their careers, couples with young families and first home buyers feel vulnerable to any economic downturn.
  • 72% of Australians agree their family is becoming more important to them every year and 81% of us will sit down together and eat as a family.
  • Nearly three-quarters of us think there is not enough respect shown to older Australians and advertising does not portray our seniors properly - which is odd given baby boomers are the most cashed up group in our community.
The survey also ranked the major issues for Australians in the next five years.  The five top concerns on our minds in order are -  and probably why these subjects are getting attention in the current Election:
  • Lack of water and water management.
  • Climate change.
  • Unemployment and job security.
  • The cost of living and lower standards of living.
  • The health system and the increasing costs of health care.
When asked to describe our Australian values, being multicultural, easy going, free, living in a land of opportunity and being competitive are things that rate highly.  However we place less importance on being traditional or sophisticated, Australia as a world leader or living in a classless society.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Media Policy for Not For Profits


Recently I worked with a not for profit with member clubs spread across  two states to develop a policy to help clubs and the Executive manage proactive and reactive media relations.

The policy featured:
  • The objectives or why the organisation will engage the media in the coming 12 months. 
  • An encouragement for clubs to proactively engage their local media outlets as way of telling communities what they and the larger organisation is doing.
  • Tools to help clubs such as pre-packaged media backgrounders, fact sheets, templates, speaking points and standard paragraphs for media alerts and media releases.
  • Advice on how to access localised media contact lists.
  • Guidance on handling media relations in crisis and advocacy situations.
  • A media release review process - for all levels - so key players in the organisation know what is to be presented to journalists and what might make news.
  • Tips for recycling earned media coverage so that office holders, members and key supporters know what the press is reporting.
  • Social media guidelines so what is presented online is consistent with what is presented to traditional media.   
And because it is often so expensive, a media policy should spell out the why, when and where  advertising will be undertaken and how it will be blended with media relations.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Basic Behaviours Improve PR

Sometimes not for profits ask what is the single best thing they can do to improve their PR.

Actually there are three key behaviours that can boost your PR performance right now irrespective of what sector you operate in.

The first is come up with a plan and know where you want to be in the hearts and minds of your audience in the future. Childishly simple? Yes. But how many people actually have a framework to guide their future communications actions? Regrettably not many. If I asked you to
go get your plan right now, could you do it?

The second thing is likewise elementary: just get started. Perhaps the
biggest single barrier to successful communications is organizational
inertia. As the Nike logo says "just do it". Don't overthink the
issue, get started, learn, grow and improve along the way.

The third element is start early and act often. Just when you are weary with what you are doing and what to change, the folks "out there" are probably just starting to get it.

Everything in marketing and PR will take longer than you think because you are dealing with people, their attitudes and behaviour. People are complex so why would anyone think that communicating with them should be simple.

Certainly there is nothing glamourous in these thoughts but most often our mental attitude puts the brakes on our PR.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Broadcast Your Own News

The world of communications is changing fast...

I recently came across Citizen Tube which is a feed of the latest breaking news videos on YouTube. Citizen journalists - or for that matter anyone - can upload content of what they consider newsworthy and bang through this channel it's out there for the world to see. 

Citizen Tube is supported by a Twitter account - @citizentube.

How times change.  Just five years ago you might report a story or an incident to your local paper or TV station, only to be told it was not newsworthy.  That meant someone else's judgement effectively "killed" the story and its circulation stopped dead - consigned to you and whoever else you might happen to tell, email or text.  

Now you can record something through a flip cam or mobile phone, upload it and it's online as your version of the news forever for anyone anywhere to view.  

Now wonder tradtional media gatekeepers are nervous.