Delta's Black Eye

Delta Air Lines got caught charging active duty military personnel steep fees for checked bags that contained their "work" gear and equipment. This is wrong on a couple of levels.

(Full disclosure: I have a son in the U.S. Army who, to my knowledge, has not been subject to a Delta bag fee. But he could have been.)

First, what is going on when the U.S. military forces its personnel to schlep their combat gear around on a civilian air line? What happened to the Air Force and military flights? When I last checked we were paying north of $300 billion per year to fund the military. Not enough to keep a few planes in the air? C'mon.

But the more immediate problem is Delta's. Their gaffe was a case of somebody following the rules to the letter, at the cost of causing embarrassment for the entire company. Are the bag fees posted? Yes. Did the soldiers' bag fall under the fee rules? Yes.

Was it a good idea for Delta to shake down a soldier who was tired, dusty and desperately trying to get home after a year in the war zone? No.

After they got caught, Delta did the right thing and changed their bag fee policy for active duty military personnel. And, hopefully, squared things with those who had been charged.

I sincerely hope that Delta's slip up was a case of an overzealous manager who was afraid to break the rules. If so, Delta needs to spend a little more time training their people on presenting a good company image at all times. And that goes beyond a neat uniform and winning smile. A ticketing agent with a little intelligence and some leeway could have easily prevented the PR problem by waiving the excessive bag fee for a soldier, sailor or airman.

However, if it turns out that Delta knew about the problem and condoned it in order to make a few bucks, that would trouble me deeply. I think the military's travel planning arm should look into this incident more thoroughly. If Delta was cashing in on military travelers, the government should look to other carriers in the future.

Speed Thrills

One of the influences that the explosion of social media has generated is the speed at which information is disseminated. If you are a marketer you cannot ignore this new paradigm.

Those of us old enough to remember when printed communications were a marketing staple may fondly recall that developing, producing and distributing a brochure, advertisement or direct mail piece was a process that took weeks or months. It required advanced planning and coordination, significant resources and lots of patience.

That's gone. Now you can have an idea over breakfast, craft the message by lunch, distribute in the afternoon and start measuring results before the evening meal is on the table. In fact, customers are coming to expect this sort of instant communication.

This incredible acceleration in the process is wonderful for marketers. Or is it?

With such a short cycle to work with, there is no time for consideration or deliberation. There is barely time for editing. Which means that, from time to time, the message that goes out is going to be less than compelling, misdirected, or perhaps even damaging.

Speed must not be a substitute for effectiveness. Just look at the news media professionals and politicians who rushed to announce that they had viewed the "real" photos of Osama Bin Laden after he was killed; only to find out that the photos were fake. In their rush to be first, the talking heads and eager pols allowed themselves to be duped - willingly so, it seems.

So when you get that great idea at breakfast, make sure you stand back and assess it with a critical eye. If it passes muster, take the time to craft the message so that it will be accurate, compelling and effective. Only then should it be released. It may take a little longer to enter the communications stream, but the end result should be more to your liking.

Futile Gestures Waste Time and Credibility

In the wake of the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, a minor league baseball team in Florida has announced it will no longer conduct "BP" (a common name for batting practice) before its games. Instead the team will have "batting rehearsal," so that they won't be forced to utter the now-shunned "BP" name.

Ridiculous. Almost as silly as renaming french fries as "freedom fries" following September 11th. Or calling illegal aliens "undocumented workers."

Everybody with half a brain knows the truth behind these transparent covers. Trying to foist these whitewash jobs on the public is a waste of valuable credibility. The PR geniuses who thought up these stunts should be fired. Or at least sentenced to reading their own press releases for a month.

If you want to take advantage of a public crisis or highly visible event, take the time to do something with meaning. The Florida baseball team might have organized a community effort (in advance) to clean up local beaches that become contaminated. Such a move would certainly have more value and credibility.

Don't succumb to the temptation to cash in on public sentiment with a cheap stunt or meaningless gesture. It will only damage your public image in the long run.

Giving Away Knowledge Can Pay Off

You know stuff. And I think you should give it away.

Knowing stuff is how you got where you are, by possessing knowledge and skills that are valuable to your company and your customers. The information you posses and how you use it is your "inventory." This is especially true if you are in a service business like law or accounting, but also applies to trades and retail.

So why give it away?

Because that is the only way potential customers will come to believe that you know what you are talking about. By "showing what you know" your customers will have the opportunity to sell themselves on your value. When they do pick up the phone to call you they will already be ready to do business with you. Half the sales job will be done in advance.

How can you give away your knowledge? It is easier than ever. Publish a blog and add content regularly. Write articles for trade journals. Publish a newsletter for clients and send it to prospects, too. Look for speaking engagements. Any chance you can find to demonstrate how good you are at what you do.

Giving away information that normally costs money may seem counterintuitive. Many people fear they will share too much and thereby negate the need for a customer to call. Trust me. Those who will contact you are the ones who recognize talent and skill and are willing to pay for it.

Facebook Explained

Confused about what Facebook is and is not? Wondering if Facebook is a good place for your business? Here is a link to an excellent explanation of how Facebook can work for business: http://www.box.net/shared/v114cwzk00

Tweet? Blog? E-Mail? It's Still the Message That Motivates!

We are blessed with (beset by?) an amazing array of communications media in today’s modern world. You can deliver a message in traditional ways (newspaper, magazine, radio, television, billboard, direct mail), or through an assortment of web-based channels (web sites, e-mail, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.).

But beware! It is easy to get caught up in how to make contact and lose sight of what you are saying. No matter how you deliver it, the content of your message is what makes things happen.

I recently met with a prospect about starting a social media program for his company. He was skeptical, saying that he had young people on staff who could easily set up Twitter and Facebook accounts without having to pay an outside agency. Perfectly true, as most social media is free and open to all.

“But what,” I asked, “will you say?” As adept as his young staffers are with web-based media, they do not have the experience or insight into what the message should be. Nor do they have the discipline to consistently develop and deliver compelling information to fans and followers who sign up.

If you are going to use social media for marketing purposes — and I think most businesses should — you must make sure your tweets, e-mails, posts and blog entries are:

1. Consistent with your brand image,
2. Contain information of value and interest,
3. Include a call to action,
4. Are compelling enough to elicit a measurable response.

Otherwise, you’ll be just another noisemaker on the web. Remember, just because the media is free does not mean you can afford to take it lightly. Rushing into a social media program without a plan and purpose-driven message is a waste of everybody’s time, and could actually backfire with web-savvy customers.

Go back to basics and remember my “Four I’s” of advertising. Every message should have impact in the form of a strong headline, subject line or tag. It should burnish your company’s image by being well-written and (when appropriate) having an attractive layout. The message must contain information that is interesting and not self-serving. And the message should be written so as to generate inquiries, which can be easily measured.

Keep these rules in mind every time you log on to tweet or post a blog entry. They will help you make the most of the amazing power of social media.

Have You Earned the Right to Speak to Customers and Prospects?

You may have heard that we recently held a special election to elect a new U.S. Senator here in my home state of Massachusetts. Because the race between Republican Scott Brown and Democrat Martha Coakley was so tight, both sides unleashed a torrent of advertising over the final few weeks leading up to election day.

Among the most annoying of the ads (and there were plenty to be annoyed with) were the seemingly endless series of “robo-dial” automated phone calls. Over the final five days of the campaign I received at least 100 phone calls from the candidates, famous supporters, not-so-famous supporters and political action groups.

As someone who had already taken the time to become an informed voter, I did not want to waste my time with these calls. I hung up quickly on 99 of the calls.

But I patiently listened to one.

That call came from my state representative. His message was not surprising, offering his support for one of the candidates. But, why, you might wonder, did I take the time to listen to this single call out of the hundred I received?

Because it came from a source that I knew and trusted. Because my local representative had been in communication with me on a regular basis over the past several years, keeping me informed of issues that were important to my town, my business and my family.

By his accumulated efforts, he had earned the right to be heard.

Have you earned that right with customers and prospects? Have you put forth the effort to start a relationship? To establish your authority and expertise? To allow the customer or prospect to become familiar and comfortable with you?

It is foolish to believe that a single communication, no matter how powerful a blast it may be, will be sufficient to motivate people to action. It takes time and consistent effort to reach a point of understanding and acceptance. And the effort must continue to maintain that tenuous relationship.

If such an effort is required in an important arena like politics, you can imagine the necessity of regular communications in the world of commerce. What have you done today to earn the right to be heard?

Dear Tiger Woods, Here is Some Free PR Advice

Dear Tiger Woods:

First, I am glad that you were not seriously injured in your early morning car crash. At least not PHYSICALLY injured. I am afraid that the damage done to your reputation may be much more serious. And whoever is providing you with advice on how to handle this crisis should be sued for malpractice.

Here is what you need to do: 'fess up.

If there was a domestic problem that caused you to race out of your driveway (slowly, of course) in the wee hours of the morning, say so. No details are necessary, just a brief, "Elin and I had a disagreement and I went for a ride to cool off." Such an admission will help to humanize you in the eyes of the public and generate a lot of sympathy from your core audience, us guys.

If there was not a problem on the home front, step up to the microphone and say so. Go directly to the public yourself and tell them that nothing happened, end of story.

All this hiding behind your lawyers makes you look bad. Guilty. Wimpy, even.

Your golf game has always been bold and honest. Now is not the time to take a different direction with a very public part of your personal life.

And fire the PR guy.

Social Media is Not New.

I attended an excellent seminar recently on social media (blogs, Twitter, on-line communities, etc., etc.). The event was sponsored by the Publicity Club of New England and presented by Lois Kelly of Beeline Labs. Lois gave the most coherent overview of a fragmented and sometimes confusing world of new technology, shifting responsibilities and frighteningly fleeting opportunities.

But what I came away with was a sense of deja vu. For, despite the amazing technology that gives us the ability to connect with so many people, the success of social media still comes down to a statement Lois made late in her presentation:

"If you want people to be interested, be interesting."

It still comes down to the story. It has always been about the story. If you don't have something worthwhile to say that provides value, and say it clearly and compellingly, it does not matter how you deliver the message - it won't be effective.

Social media is merely new channels. Capturing attention and motivating action are still the same. Having a strong story and tell it convincingly is still the core of successful marketing.

Paul Harvey, RIP

I was saddened to learn of the death over the weekend, at age 90, of radio legend Paul Harvey. Here was a man who lived his life the right way, and took us all along for the ride.

I was first introduced to Paul Harvey when my boss at a college co-op job forced us all to listen to his broadcasts during the lunch hour. At first I thought Paul was pretty corny, and that his enthusiasm was faked and affected. But the more I listened the more I came to understand that Paul Harvey truly enjoyed sharing his optimistic view of the world with anybody who would listen. And he was not ashamed to let us all know how much he cared. For a cynical young man, it was a revelation.

Years later, it was my turn to force my unwilling children to listen to Paul's "Rest of the Story" broadcasts. Like me, they were initially bored. But it did not take long for Paul to captivate them as he did me.

They don't make them like Paul Harvey anymore. Today's acid-tongued talk show hosts think they must be constantly on the attack in order to earn their keep. But Paul Harvey knew the secret to winning an audience was to tell a good story.

And "that's the rest of the story."

The Shifting Sands of PR

What if you held a press conference and nobody came? Or sent out a press release that nobody read? Or wrote an article, but there was nobody left to publish it?

These three staples of "traditional" public relations are in danger of becoming extinct. As more and more people choose to get their news and information on line, newspaper and magazine circulation continues to fall. Combine this with the economic pressures that are squashing advertising revenues and the result is a newsroom that is half empty, fewer reporters and less space to publish anything but the most essential news.

What does this mean to your organization's efforts to distribute news and information? New channels must be found or developed. And the best place to look is to the very source that is leading the charge away from traditional news media: the internet.

Instead of trying to use a third party distribution point (the media), we can now take our message direct to those whom we wish to reach. It is easy to see the potential benefits: clear communication of information without interference or interpretation, and the opportunity for immediate feedback or action.

The downside is, getting information out through the internet is hard work. In the past, if you could convince and editor to run your story, it would be seen by a wide audience. This "shotgun" distribution must now be replaced by a more narrowly targeted approach. The acquisition of e-mail addresses from clients and business contacts becomes essential, as does the requirement to provide good, solid and helpful information.

Content is king. If you have good information to share, using new media such as electronic newsletters, social media groups and blogs is an excellent way to keep in touch with customers and prospects directly. But know that people are quick to spot (and reject) an obvious sales pitch. Marketing must once again become a more subtle, long term process.

The Miracle of Good PR

Kudos to US Airways on how they handled themselves during yesterday's airliner crash in New York. First to the pilot and flight crew for their decisions and actions that saved so many lives. But also to the company who showed how a good crisis communications plan works.

What am I talking about?

Look at the clutter of all the politicians (mayor, governor, borough president) pushing each other aside to get in front of the cameras. Yet the only public comment from US Airways was delivered by a spokesman in Phoenix. Nothing from local (New York) US Airways representatives.

And that is how it should be, especially in a time of crisis. US Airways executed its crisis PR plan to perfection, with all communication funneling through a single spokesperson who was well prepared and provided enough information, but not too much. One message, cohesively delivered.

Every company should have a written crisis communications plan in place to help them deal with critical audiences (employees, customers, media, investors, regulators) in the event of a disaster or emergency. Once the goose hits the engine, it is too late to start thinking about who is going to say what, and to whom.