A Rant - in 30 min or less

“With great power comes great responsibility.” Uncle Ben’s words ring loudly in my ears today as I watch the video of a Domino’s executive reading a statement about how horrified the company is about the “prank” committed by two idiots and the tweets heard round the business world.  The New York Times reported brand damage…I feel like the whole issue is borne of brain damage.  

“The independent owner of that store is reeling from the damage that this is caused and it’s not a surprise that this has caused a lot of damage to our brand.” 

I am not going to write a long treatise condemning or defending the social discussion around business brand issues.  I’m sure this rant adds to a long list of conversations had by others with experiences and expertise in this area.   But maybe you haven’t seen, remember the fury of the Motrin Moms?  Surveys done later found that most (gasp) MOMs weren’t offended by the ads.  45% liked the video and 15% didn't like it. 8%, said it negatively affected their feelings of the brand, 32% said it made them like the brand MORE.

Businesses NEED to be a part of the social discussion, but they don’t deserve to be BULLIED by it.  Dominos responded well, and had to.  There will likely be no long term band damage, and in fact they may ultimately benefit from their response to this event. But I guess it just continues to baffle me why these things are given so much weight in the public discourse.

As many have learned all too painfully and personally in the social world online, your actions have ramifications in the “real world” on yourself and others.  To steal a page from the mom’s handbook – treat people as you would want to be treated, or even better, if your best friend wants to jump off a bridge, does that mean you will too?  Social media is about facilitating discussion and conversation – which may lead to valid criticism and action, but we have to be careful of rapid overreaction, condemnation and crucifixion.

We love to ridicule celebrities and sports figures that use their visibility to air their politics or personal issues as if they are of a higher authority.  Well guess what.  As Twitter prepares to get a big red O sticker today, we all have been given that megaphone to some degree.  It comes with some assembly required, but the one critical piece we need – is a filter.  Decide what you want to be, understand the power you wield, and use it responsibly.  

My point?  I dunno.  I guess with an unprecedented ability to inform and affect change, why can’t the new social reality work harder to avoid the bad things about the old one?

Story Lines that Sell

Kawasaki is at it again, giving us the SparkNotes version of Lois Kelly's new book, Beyond Buzz: The Next Generation of Word-of-Mouth Marketing. Guy recaps nine time-tested story angles that appeal to reporters, investors, employees and pretty much anyone you're trying to reach, because they're based on the simple principles of good story telling.

They include stories based on one's aspirations and beliefs, David vs. Goliath, personal stories, contrarian or counterintuitive positions and how-to stories.

Check out Guy's blog post for more. It's a great refresher course for every PR person and every marketer.

Everything I Always Wanted My Clients to Know About PR...

but never got around to putting on paper. Geri Denterlein has done it for me.

Geri, the founder of Denterlein Worldwide, a public affairs firm, has written an article for Inc. Magazine in the form of a letter to clients - past, present and future. Here's the opener from the staff at Inc.:

Of all the outside firms that entrepreneurs employ, PR firms probably have the toughest time getting--and staying--in their clients' good graces. Some companies feel they aren't getting as much media play as they deserve, while others think they're garnering the wrong kind of attention.

Geri covers a lot of good points, including a few favorites:

• When it comes to making news, you have to recognize that one of the key elements of a compelling article is conflict. Businesses that are willing to acknowledge adversity can reap enormous PR rewards.
• Besides conflict, reporters are always looking for the next big trend or a fresh take on a topic that's dominating the news. If you can identify either of these, you can expect a good clip and a long-lasting relationship with that happy reporter--but you must tell your PR person as soon as possible.
• What else can you do to improve your working relationship with your PR firm? Make sure you take an active role--but not too active. One of our clients is never available for our weekly call. Another client peppers us with an idea (or 10) du jour. Much like Goldilocks, we constantly seek clients who act just right.

These snippets don't do the article justice. Give it a spin.