Balloon Boy - just another stunt that backfired

By now virtually all of the world has heard about balloon boy. And the fact that it was a ploy by his Father to get media coverage as a prelude to his landing a realty show.

The real issue to me is not the fact that this maligned family pulled one of the years most followed hoax, but that the media fell hook, line and sinker for the whole nine yards. Google News points to over 1,000 news articles on this topic this morning alone.

To me this underscores the fact that cable news channels are looking for the immediate story - credible or not. In past years the major network news organizations would check story leads five ways from Sunday before putting them on the air. With few exceptions - elections, political unrest, and the such - would appear within minutes of happening.

But a story like this would be scrutinized to ensure that it was really news worthy and not a stunt.

What happened to good old responsible journalism? Is it moving in the same direction as the daily paper delivered to your door?

What's on your mind?

Summer has officially ended here in New Jersey. What started out chilly and rainy on Memorial Day ended about the same way on Labor Day.

For what it's worth, the past few months gave us a mix of real summer - hot and sunny - along with a wet June and September. July was a decent ix between the two weather patterns. August finally yielded more than 2-3 days in a row of sunshine and hot/humid temperatures.

For me the true end of Summer has been a special event that the Belmar First Aid Squad sponsors each September, the Surfers Healing Surf Camp for Autistic Children. This year's event spanned 2 days as the largest camp held so far.

You can see videos of Surfers Healing events at YouTube from the event along with photos at SmugMug.

I don't know who had the bigger smiles, the campers of the professional surfers that traveled from as far away as California and Hawaii.

The most important part of a Surfers Healing Event is that all the campers and thier families attend at NO CHARGE. That's right, for FREE. These events would not be possible without your support - either as a volunteer at the event or through a donation.

Please visit the Surfers Healing organization web site to see the joy for yourself and become part of this great series of events.

Donations can be made online at http://www.surfershealing.org/helpus.html.

On behalf of the Paskowitz family and all the local supports - thanks for your help!

Jack

A new paradigm for print – part 3

Advances in new technology – both hardware and software – now allow us to deliver content in ways never imagine by Guttenberg when he invented his printing press. The advent of Abode’s Flash Paper, Zinio Reader and Amazon’s Kindle has revolutionized the traditional publishing industry.

Many if not most B2B publishers are pushing out electronic versions of their magazines that looks just like the printed version. There’s a front cover and pages that turn at the click of a mouse. Pages are displayed as if you’re really reading the printed version. Advertisers now have multiple links within their ads that deliver interested readers to their web site with multiple landing pages with measurable results.

Yet the Kindle may be the most revolutionary change for B2B magazines, consumer magazines and newspapers alike. The introduction of the second generation Kindle with its larger screen is attractive to educational book publishers with the potential to electronically deliver text books, no tether required.

The current model for Kindle users includes a cost for the device and a cost for books and other content. There are no charges (for now) for the connection. That may change in the future but WiFi will always be available for anyone with access to an existing wireless network.

I receive a number of industry publications in electronic form. My only regret is that I need my laptop to read the magazine. Adding a Kindle to my electronic toys might set me free like an iPod Touch does for browsing the internet.

What’s you take on the Kindle and the future of publishing?

A new paradigm for print – part 2

In my past post I wrote about the changing landscape of print publications and the loss of some venerable names in the news paper industry. What started the whole enchilada was Rick Short’s recent blog entry “Are Magazines Dead?” and the answer he presented in his post “The answer is, "no". Let's get that right out of the way up front. Magazines are NOT dead. Not across the board, anyway.”

I basically agree with most of Rick’s analysis. Traditional B2B print magazines are dying yet so are consumer titles and newspapers.

Rick makes a good point about rattling the traditional model used for all publications, not just B2B, where advertising revenue pays for the content.

B2B magazines take that model further than consumer versions by supplying copies at no charge for ‘qualified industry professionals’ based on a series of marketing research questions. The responses to the qualification questions are used to justify their advertising and list rental rates. If you fail to qualify for free delivery, you are offered a paid subscription. Do you know anyone that actually paid?

Consumer magazines and newspapers use a combination of paid advertisements with an actual cost to the reader. Not a new concept, but still dependent on businesses paying to be in front of their audience with the readers supporting their fair share of the costs of creating and delivering the magazine or newspaper.

Let’s get real. The internet HAS changed the way we get our knowledge, not just news. Print medium continues to have an impact on our lives but in a different way than in the past. New technology allows magazines and newspapers the ability to deliver more in-depth reporting directly to our doorstep as it happens with no delays.

Given all the changes within the business media, we’re still fighting the old way of doing business as Rick pointed out.

We walk a fine line as an agency charged with getting our Client’s name and products in front of their buyers. Clients want to see their name in print or online for little to no cost. Yes they pay for our expertise in producing releases and stories that present them in a positive light. Yes they sometimes pay for a banner ad on a single web site. Yet they still expect that their news will be included by every publication on their media list. They pay for content development, but not content publishing.

That philosophy has cost the life of many an industry magazine.

What direction do you think the B2B publishing community should move to survive?

Stay tuned for more on the new paradigm for print in my next post.

A new paradigm for print - part 1

Rick Short posted a great blog entry titled “Are Magazines Dead?” His post directly addresses many of the issues surrounding B2B magazines, but I think transcends magazines right into our homes.

You may not have noticed that a number of daily newspapers have closed their traditional print editions lately. The most recent casualty is Arizona’s oldest newspaper, the Tucson Citizen. After 138 years, seven months and a day, the Citizen published their own epitaph with their last print edition. Yet the tradition carries on with their online news site – tucsoncitizen.com.

They’re not the first to close and will not be the last.

Earlier this year we lost Colorado’s 150-year old Rocky Mountain news, survived by an online version and the print edition of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer to mention a few. By mid-March four newspaper publishers had filed for bankruptcy protection including Tribune Company and the owners of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Boston Globe continues to fight for survival while the venerable New York Times considers moving some of its’ online content behind a paid barrier. Over the past month or so the International Herald Tribune online presence has changed to become ‘The Global Edition of The New York Times’ according to the redirected iht.com domain.

There are rumors of a number of other print-based papers closing amidst the dwindling number of magazines moving to online content only. And these are mainstream, consumer products.

My local daily paper, the Asbury Park Press (owned by Gannet News) has made the transition from print only, to a mixture of print and online with some level of success. They use condensed versions of stories in the print edition to drive traffic to full stories located online. What a concept. But that does not bode well for households with little or no online connection. And that still covers a large number of people in my area, Central New Jersey.

What’s happening with your local newspaper?

Stay tuned for more on the new paradigm for print in my next post.

The Right Message

Mike Beutow at Circuits Assembly hits the nail on the head with his recent post Branded. The oublication has been one of the few constants in the electronics manufacturing industry for a number of years. As a result, Mike and the publication garner respect from his readers and competitors alike.

He rightly points out in the post that the strength of a brand can sustain a company even in bad times. The example he uses comes from a master of business - Warren Buffet. (A pretty good example in my book.)

All too many marketing budgets have been drastically (and critically) reduced or worse, zeroed out completely. What a raw deal for any business trying to weather the storm.

One of the key principles in marketing is to keep your brand in front of your prospects. That's a little hard to do if you have a zero budget.

Company's with this mentality go on to justify their actions claiming that they get 'free' ink by issuing poorly written news releases created by non-marketers. Yet they get upset when the release is missing from publications or web sites. What's worse, they complain about the size of a magazine. (The ratio of paid ad pages to editorial pages remains the same, it's the reduction in ads that causes the smaller size.)

Sustainability in hard times is more than brand consistency. Buyers need to remember your name when the funds start flowing again.

Do your prospects remember who you are?

A few words of wisdom and a new trick for Google Images

Two different blog posts attracted my attention this morning.

The first comes from Brian Clark at copyblogger. Brian's' post titled "50 Trigger Words and Phrases for Powerful Multimedia Content" talks about the difference between the right word and the almost right word. He starts out by equating the difference between the two with a quote from Mark Twain - “the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

For a writer the difference between the right word and the almost right word can have a significant impact. Using the right word can deliver a direct unambiguous message to your reader. The almost right word can lead to misunderstanding and a false sense of expectations.

One leads you to a solid sale while the other delivers headaches, buyers remorse and the potential for an unhappy customer. Which would you prefer?

The second 'post of note' comes from Google Labs. The folks working at the labs have a unique outlook on life and the internet. Google allows them to dream about new ways of delivering all that information collected from the web.

Today's interesting tidbit covers two new features recently rolled out at the Labs - Similar Image Search and News Time line.

Similar Image Search does just that. Enter a search word or phrase in the box and click the Search Images button. Viola! Here are your results with images that contain your keyword/phrase and a batch that might match. Behind the scenes the Labs compare visual similarities between images to define the results. Pretty cool huh?

News Time Line has a similar cool. Using your keyword/phrase returns a list of results organized by day, week, month, year or decade in an easy to format.

I hope you enjoy these links as much as I did . . .

A thought to share . . .

Robyn Greenspan sums it up in the "Thought for the Week" in her Exec-U-Net newsletter:

Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.
— Napoleon Hill

Let's get moving on the recovery now, not after we see what our neighbor does first.

BTW -- I must apologize for neglected this blog over the past month or so and will get back in the habit of making regular contributions to the blogosphere shortly.

PR vs. Publicity and the Wintek Rumor

Two items caught my attention today. One was a rumor pointing to Wintek, Apple’s display provider while the other was a post on Seth Godin’s blog.

The rumor deals with a leak about an increase in business for Taiwan-based Wintek. Now this is not the first ‘sneak’ preview of the recovery I’ve seen lately. Yet this is the first that ties a specific supplier to a customer. Its been reported that an order for a significant quantity of displays – between 9.7” and 10” has been placed, or will be placed shortly, depending on where you read the rumor, slated for end product delivers commencing in the second half of this year.*

Godin’s blog points out that there really is a difference between PR and publicity. And that often what is bought as PR really is plain old publicity. He defines PR as “the strategic crafting of your story” while “publicity is the act of getting ink.”

Using these definitions helps us understand that the Wintek rumor may be more than just publicity. The results meet the definition of PR if this is a deliberate ‘story’ told to the initial reporter. Otherwise, it lives somewhere between fact and fiction, waiting for the formal announcement or actual product release.

Sometimes it’s hard to discern the difference between plain old publicity and a well crafted PR campaign.

* This story has been covered by venerable and trusted sources from Dow Jones Wire to CNNMoney.com, Gizmodo.com and SiliconValley.com (the online portion of The [San Jose] Mercury News).

 

Your customers know you from the work you do for them

They may mention your name casually in conversation when in public, but many are concerned that your products give them an edge over their competition.

The only time they make contact with you is when they need additional capacity or when that have a problem with their machines (your product).

So how do prospects find you? Let me count the ways . . .

1. From news releases published online or in print.

2. When you’re mentioned as an expert in articles or editorial commentary

3. Before, during and after you participate as a presenter or panel member at an industry conference

4. As an author of a white paper perhaps discussing how to overcome a specific challenge facing your industry.

5. By publishing and promoting a blog in a topic of interest to your industry.
And the list of possibilities goes on and on.

There is a common thread that weaves its way through the entire list – marketing.

Keeping in front of your industry – customers and prospects alike – is more important now that ever.

Let them know that your company is here for the long haul and ready to help them in their economic recovery.

Lean economy. That’s the phrase we’re hearing more and more.

Sometimes it’s mentioned in the same breath as recession (or heaven forbid depression).

What happens during this these trying times has a direct impact on our business in the short term. A successful outcome begets the continuation of your business. Otherwise you could be out of business completely.

There are a number of ways we can survive a downturn. Cutting costs ends up as the favorite since it impacts our bottom line in day-to-day operations. One less phone call, one less employee, one less headache ends up as one less sale. True, reducing overhead can make or break your ability to survive yet the decisions you make now have a direct cause and effect on the next six months of revenue.

Don’t blow it! Certainly cuts are necessary to remain in solvent. Lower sales volumes demand we reduce our expenses to survive. Yet the way we accomplish the reduction is key to our future. So does planting the seeds of profitability when those around you are retrenching, isolating themselves from the prospects that buy their products and services.

Smart companies actually increase customer (and prospect) facing parts of their business. Increasing contact points to your universe performs an important part of your recovery

After all, if you don’t let your customers and prospects know that you’re still here, ready to help them in the recovery, you cease to exist in their minds.

For those of you who actually read my rants, this post is a little overdue. I spent February keeping a few of my Clients names in front of their customers and prospects.

Stop Sales Travel . . . Are You Kidding Me!

Dan Beaulieu poses a great question in this week’s issue of “It’s only common sense!” audio cast – “Stop Sales Travel Indeed!” As Dan says in his email – “While companies need business now more than ever, they are actually canceling sales travel!”

Canceling sales travel should be the LAST thing on your list.

What your customers and prospects really need is a reason to believe in you, your company and your products. They need to feel comfortable that you’ll be in business at the end of this year, next year and in 5 years.

Sales travel puts a face on your business.

Marketing, on the other hand, is hit by the budget axe much earlier in the spending reduction process. The knee jerk reaction by the uninitiated is to reduce or even cancel the entire marketing budget as a way of responding to a down market.

Marketing puts a face and feeling on your business.

What’s the difference between canceling sales travel and canceling the marketing budget? Not much.

Either way your customers and prospects think you’re out of business.

Stay tuned for my next post on why marketing is important in a lean economy.

Screencasting your way to success

What is screencasting? It’s a digital recording of your computer screen in action. Back in the day, it was called screen capture, but many times the technology limited us to static images. There are a number of programs available that can produce a Flash or other video file of your actions for a price. Yet today our friends at Mashable brought a free web 2.0 system, ScreenToaster to my attention.

Given the rising costs of sales – travel/living, production/postage/shipping of lead fulfillment items such as demo disks and brochures – is causing more suppliers to rethink their marketing strategy. We’ve already witnessed the move to electronic versions of magazines and brochures. Now it’s time to accelerate the move to the early stages of the sales cycle online.

Effective use of Web 2.0, SaaS (software-as-a-service) and a host of free tools available from Google and others makes this a great way to qualify leads.

Once the lead is qualified and pre-sales issues addressed they can move into your pipeline with a personal visit scheduled to finalize the details and close the sale.

Social Media Can be Effective

So you recommended using Social Media to a Client (or your boss) as a way of reaching that great cloud of prospective customers. Of course you were the right choice to implement the campaign since it was your idea in the first place.

But now the pressure is on to succeed.

That’s when Todd Malicoat’s StuntDubl blog comes in handy.

Today’s entry, 7 Reasons Your Social Media Marketing Failed (and how to fix it!) highlights some of the most common mistakes made by novice Social Media marketers.

My personal favorites are:

Your Content Sucked

It doesn’t matter what medium you use for your marketing if your content sucks. We see this daily on web sites throughout the internet and blogosphere. What’s important to you as an author is only as important as it is relevant to your audience.

Identify your target audience before you start creating the content. Then write directly to them in a conversational tone. Write like you speak. It adds a touch of credibility to you and your work.

You Chose the Wrong Channel

Posting great content is very fulfilling to an author. Having it read is a different matter. Using Facebook may be good for your personal image, and even promoting a consumer product. But is it really the best place for pitching a business-to-business product or service?

Carefully consider where your target audience congregates in social medial circles before you take the leap into a potential abyss.

You can read Todd’s post at Stuntdubl.com.

Getting back to the fundamentals

Over at The Marketing Maven Blog we’re reminded that our success sometimes depends on learning lessons from past failures. History frequently has a habit of repeating itself.

The Top Ten Marketing Mistakes to Avoid in 2009 gives us a concise set of typical errors new marketers and seasoned veterans tend to repeat. Sometimes we forget to return to the basics of our craft.

Here’s the list:
1. Not measuring your current marketing program
2. Staying on the same path
3. Forgetting to “fish where the fish are”
4. Ignoring frequency
5. Working separately from your sales team [ my note – or Clients ]
6. Focusing on lead quantity verses quality
7. Failing to make the most of your media partner relationships
8. Overlooking timing
9. Abandoning brand exposure
10. Moving into the year ahead without a plan.

Head over to The Marketing Maven blog for more details.

Stuff . . .

A recent post on Digital Nomads by Jay White had me taking a step back to see exactly what I bring with me when I’m on the road. The basics include my BlackBerry (of course) with a wall charger that uses a USB cable, digital camera (since the 8830 lacks one of its own) with its charger and cable, sunglasses, an assortment of writing implements, passport, driver’s license, credit cards and the inevitable laptop with a USB mouse.

I leave behind the multi-purpose pocket knife, but include a small whistle, small Maglite, Advil and business cards. Of course there are always the ‘extras’ that find their way into my laptop backpack – highlighter, Sharpie, check book, etc.
Back when I used a ‘real briefcase’ and not a backpack, my travel kit included a few other items that I really don’t remember nor miss. I wonder what they were and why they were in my bag in the first place.

What accoutrements do you travel with regularly?

My List for 2009

This year I will do my best to:

Increase my tenacity in uncovering opportunities for my Clients
Learn at least one new thing each week
Become better at planning my day’s tasks and activities
Spend more quality time with my family
Reinvest in my community through my volunteer work