Archive for April, 2010

Standing Out at KBIS 2010

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Weeks and months prior to the 2010 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, various manufacturers from our clients Delta Faucet Company and Brizo Faucets to kitchen and bath designer Paul Anater to high-end appliance manufacturer Fisher & Paykel were tweeting and blogging about the upcoming KBIS Show.  The show, which is the largest international trade show dedicated to kitchen and bath design, has seen attendance slip in recent years, much like many trade shows.

For marketers, this created a need to stand out even further and be noticed by both attendees and media, not only leading up to the show using social media, but on the show floor itself.

Many manufacturers chose to focus on their “green” products, discussing how their products will help with either energy or water conservation.  For Brizo, the fashion brand for kitchen and bath faucets (and our client), this came to life in how they displayed their faucets with SmartTouch technology, which allows people to turn off the faucet with just a touch of their hand.

For other manufacturers, the show was an opportunity to announce new partnerships.  Merillat, the quality cabinet provider, announced they will be working with chef Curtis Stone and he was on hand to demonstrate some of his recipes and meet with conference attendees.

And for some, KBIS was a chance to stand out and really break through the clutter.  Duluth Trading Company, a T-shirt company, has made T-shirts three inches longer to cover “plumbing exposure.”  At the show,  they offered complimentary exposure checks, asking people to bend over and measure their risk of exposure based on when their shirt un-tucks.

But no matter how they broke through, most everyone felt KBIS was a success!

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Posted in Consumer Home/Wellness, Events | 2 Comments »

All Media is Social Media

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

It’s week two for me here at MS&L’s Chicago office as the VP, Director of Digital and I have to say I’m loving it.   I’ve been doing the digital thing for over twelve years, from content to media – there’s not much I haven’t had my hands in.   But I wanted to focus on what I feel is the most transformative revolution in marketing since the 30 second TV spot was invented; social media.

Reading Jeff Bodzewski’s previous post “Social Media is Dying” got me excited to be here among like-minds. I love a bold statement like that, even if it is just designed to get a reaction.   But beyond that – there was more than a grain of truth to it. 

Pretty soon, social media is going to fade into the background and simply become plumbing; surrounding us but rarely thought about.  All media will be social.   The recent evolution of Facebook Connect into Open Graph gives a glimpse of how the world will begin to look in a few years. Facebook Connect allowed sites to pull in Facebook data, and do rudimentary status updates but Open Graph takes that even further and allows for true 3rd party integration.

By placing a “like” button on content across the web, Open Graph extends the reach of Facebook beyond the confines of its site.  Now users can be away from Facebook, but still update their profile with places they’ve been, music they like, food they’ve eaten and more.  And the like button is just the first small step -  people are capable of much more sophisticated interactions beyond “like” and so is the Facebook platform.

Now, consider that all media is quickly gaining a social component.  TV, music and movies have always been the fodder for chatter – in other words, the social currency that fuels our conversations.  Soon (now?), our entertainment devices will allow us to not just get ammo for the water cooler, but facilitate our sharing, rating, manipulation and interactions.

Televisions are getting socialized through Yahoo! TV, Hulu and products like Boxee, music services like Pandora, iMeem (rolled into MySpace), Grooveshark , and Last.fm have long allowed these types of interactions.   Even out of home advertising is getting into the game with digital out of home activations that incorporate user interactions and feedback.

With a bit of technological wizardry, we can expect our entertainment to become aware of what we like based not only our own behavior but the behavior of our social networks.  Even better, our own preferences will be incorporated into the programming itself.  This could end the dominance of search engines for delivering digital content and yield new formats where users at home play along in Jeopardy, dictate the story arches of sitcoms and get custom product placements in their shows (Remeber the iPad in Modern Family?). 

As with many new technologies, there’s a lot of trepidation.  In the long run, I believe we’ll come to love our media “knowing” more about us, what we like and what our social graph likes.  I often think of how much I appreciate Tivo making recommendations for programs that I would like to watch.  It’s surprising how well it knows me – and it doesn’t have the benefit of knowing what my friends are watching too.

Like a conversation with a friend – content will be personal, it will be recommended to me rather than me searching for it, it won’t interrupt me and will become integrated with the natural rhythms of my life… in theory.

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Posted in Digital, Mobile, Social Media, Video | 1 Comment »

If the Cause Doesn’t Fit, Don’t Squeeze It

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

When it comes to cause marketing, there’s nothing worse than a poorly tailored and ill-fitting campaign (just like a pant suit).  In a world where consumer trust has faded to a level of near extinction, the worst thing brands can do is to attach themselves to causes for any of the following reasons:

Convenience – This is in our own backyard…

Perceived relevance – Our customers/users care about this…

Distraction – We are getting dinged for perpetrating this issue, so let’s choose a completely unrelated social issue to try to improve…

Bandwagon/apathy – We’re not sure what cause to align ourselves with, but we know we need one…

I’m sure we can all think of brands who have tied themselves to causes for some of the above reasons, but we won’t name any here.  Where brands (and PR agencies) fail, is thinking too much about the business impact and too little about the societal impact.   Companies need to approach causes in the same way that individuals do – with passion, authenticity and a true desire to make positive changes. 

I think about corporate social responsibility campaigns as a larger, more public, display of social skills and decency.  For instance, if my dog constantly barks and keeps my neighbors awake at night, would I take on the task of filling in all potholes on our street as my neighborly cause?  No.  Why?  Because this good act wouldn’t make up for the fact that my dog keeps my neighbors awake at night, and actually has the opposite effect by drawing more attention to the dog issue, creating even stronger backlash from my neighbors.   This same backlash ensues for brands when a cause is chosen based on the above reasons, and is especially negative when brands attempt to create a diversion through a CSR campaign.

If done the right way, the societal impact of a CSR campaign can lead to business growth and conversion, but only in that order.  As individuals we are asked to be accountable for our actions, and when we are, we are generally respected, accepted and supported by our community.  As corporations, accountability is just as integral to gaining respect, acceptance and loyalty.

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Posted in CSR & Cause | 2 Comments »

PR Resumes—Getting to the Top of the Pile!

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

I love my job and I feel fortunate to say that in a world where job dissatisfaction is the norm.   A huge part of why I enjoy Human Resources is the people.  I’ve spent the last ten plus years working at various advertising and communications agencies.  I’m exposed to the most creative, passionate and motivated individuals and they keep me coming back to the office everyday.   

If you are an aspiring PR executive and looking to score your first job, or maybe just a new position, here are a few helpful hints to move your resume to the top of the pile.

1. Make it easy to read—Use bullets to call out key responsibilities and achievements; use brief, action-oriented phrases when describing what you have done or currently do; incorporate white space or breathing room between positions and companies.

2. Keep it brief—If you have less than five years experience, keep it to one page.  And if you have 20+ years experience, don’t exceed two pages.  Accomplish this by describing your most recent positions in detail and just list position titles, company names and dates for older stuff.

3. Sell your achievements—Quantify and describe your accomplishments under each position, rather than just describing your day-to-day responsibilities.  If you worked for one employer over several years and moved up the ranks, make sure to show the progression of your positions by listing each title and the corresponding dates.

4. Make it relevant—Use key industry words and phrases, just in case the company uses recruiting software to screen out unqualified applicants.  Don’t list all your job experiences, just the relevant ones. 

5. Skip the fluff—Omit things like “Objective” and “References Available Upon Request.”  These take up valuable space without adding any spark to your resume.

6. Put your experience first—This is a big one for recent college grads.  Your education is important, but experience is more important.  Competition for agency jobs is fierce.  It’s not uncommon for new grads to have two or three internships already under their belt.  So promote your experience including agency and corporate internships, public relations competitions, participation in on-campus PR agencies, and pro-bono PR work.  

7. Duplicate resume highlights on Linkedin.com—Recruiters and HR professionals love Linkedin.com.  The more detail you provide on your profile, the more likely you will be to get noticed and receive that coveted call about a new job opportunity.

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Posted in PR Careers | 1 Comment »

Social Media is Dying

Monday, April 19th, 2010

I had this realization earlier this week when discussing “what’s next in digital” with a former colleague of mine who was just launching a client’s Twitter presence.

Before you rush to the comments section to hash out a reply, let’s first agree what social media is in its current generation. Social media is a path to engaging consumers, purchase influencers and other audiences through compelling content and dialogue. Engagement is often the sole objective, right?

More and more however, that’s just not enough. We’re entering the era of social marketing where organizations must begin to find ways to monetize these channels. The novelty of buzz and viral is wearing off and being replaced by questions from finance about bottom line impact. The content will still need to be engaging, but it needs to pay for itself.

It’s the natural cycle of any new communications channel as companies seek to find ways to more effectively and personally communicate with consumers. The printing press didn’t immediately churn out coupons to the nearest pizza place and carpet cleaners. Alexander Graham Bell’s first telephone call wasn’t to switch Watson to another long distance company.

Welcome to the era of social marketing.

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Posted in Digital, Social Media | 11 Comments »

Pictures from 2010 Intern Challenge Day

Friday, April 16th, 2010

Today, MS&L Chicago hosted nine young and talented PR professionals for the 2010 Intern Challenge. The candidates traveled from all over the U.S. to compete for two internships in the Chicago office. The students were able to network, particpate in brainstorm sessions, interview with several employees, discuss trends in public relations, and learn more about the PR agency world.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

MS&L Intern Challenge Day – My Experience

Friday, April 16th, 2010

Today is MS&L’s Intern Challenge Day, a day-long interview process with several candidates competing for 2 internship positions. Helping the office prepare for the event has been a bit surreal—it was only a year ago that I myself was getting ready to participate. My MS&L Intern Challenge Day began as most of my days do—with me getting lost on the way from the train station. Luckily, I’d prepared for this by taking an early train, several Google Maps and the knowledge that it would be difficult to miss one of the largest buildings in the world. Against all odds, I arrived at the Merchandise Mart on time, coffee in hand, hair semi-brushed, and wearing my best imitation of business attire (painful shoes included).

Initially, I’d been completely intimidated by the idea—a full-day interview process, consisting of brainstorms, one-on-one interviews and tests, with 9 participants, 1 room, 6 hours, 7 erasable markers and 2 internship positions. These appeared to be seemingly insurmountable odds for someone who dislikes unnecessary competition. But after some thought, I’d come to the conclusion that rather than attempt to be the loudest or the most impressive participant, I’d just be myself, semi-brushed hair and all. After all, I figured that if I got the job under false pretenses, I wouldn’t be able to sustain some alternative version of myself for long. Nor would I be willing to blow-dry my hair on a regular basis.

And so, I was myself. It sounds simple enough, but it’s sometimes one of the hardest things to do in an interview—especially one that lasts 6 hours. I tried not to think of the day as a competition, but as a way to meet some interesting people and to pretend that I was Khloe Kardashian on The Celebrity Apprentice. I spoke up when I had an idea to contribute to the brainstorm, and I was honest about my goals and work experience in the interviews. I took advantage of the lunch hour by mingling with my potential coworkers. I didn’t even attempt to disguise my horrific handwriting during the writing tests, but rather added a note to HR apologizing for the damage I’d inevitably inflict on their eyes.

When I left MS&L that day, I left with a sense of renewed confidence and really painful heels. I removed my shoes immediately and assessed the situation. I realized that in removing the pressure to impress, I had demonstrated my abilities and enjoyed meeting some really smart and creative people. In the end, my approach paid off. Now, almost a year later, I’m working as an AAE with these same people, and  getting ready to take part in this year’s Intern Challenge Day. This time, I’m the one on the lookout for the best candidates—and I’m wearing flats.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

Welcome to MS&L Chicago’s New Blog!

Friday, April 16th, 2010

Welcome to “In the Loop”, the blog voice of the talented MS&L Worldwide team headquartered in Chicago.  Over the coming months, you will meet and hear from some of the most talented marketing communications professionals in the business who will share points of view, insights and information on a range of subjects.  And, in the true spirit of a blog, we’ll let their words and opinions push beyond the conventional boundaries of traditional e-newsletters and the like.  We’ll also offer you an even wider array of views and opinions through occasional guest bloggers from other MS&L offices and Publicis Groupe sister agencies, as well as clients who are ready to jump into the pool.

There are so many interesting and entertaining blogs to read, many from our colleagues in the marketing industry.  With so many to choose from, we hope we’ll entice you enough to bookmark us and make In the Loop a regular read in your rotation.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »