Is Your Brand “Recession-Conscious?”

 

For years, companies have tweaked and refined their brands to capture the latest marketing buzz term demanded by consumers. They organize community events and donated to charities in an effort to be boost “corporate responsibility.” They install the latest energy-saving light bulbs and extra bike racks at their facilities in order to be seen as “eco-friendly.”

For better or worse, these catchphrases often determine the next major trends in brand positioning. One has only to recall the flurry of green ad campaigns over the last few years — everything from car commercials starring Kermit to artsy T’s that make bold statements with recycled material — to realize the significant impact of these terms.

With the dawn of the recent recession, it seems we have another one to add to our growing list — “Recession Conscious.” Smart brand leaders in the retail industry seized upon the opportunity to reinvent their already affordable merchandise as a fresh, recession-friendly alternative to higher-end stores. Instead of appealing to what consumers aspire to, companies are now much more likely to appeal simply to what people can afford.

While tourist hubs like Florida, Mexico and Las Vegas may be feeling the pinch of the economy, local tourism offices capitalized on the selling power of this summer’s “Staycation” to interest families in campgrounds, festivals and activities in their own backyard.

Part of the challenge of changing with the times is that modern times seem to be changing at an increasingly rapid pace. Companies often need to adapt on a dime. The auto industry is a great example. Earlier this year, automakers scrambled to create new ad campaigns centered on affordability and economic sense, before consumers perceived their traditional campaigns as outdated and risky.

Adapting doesn’t mean dismantling the essence of your brand. Sometimes, the needed change hinges on a single word – Fashionista to Frugalista, for example.

What is your company doing to portray a “recession-conscious” image? Are there characteristics of your business that would resonate even more in today’s new money-tight world? What are you doing to capitalize on those values that convey stability, trust and authenticity?

Fundraising: Part Deux

The American Association of Fund Raising Counsel and several other fundraising organizations promote this Donor Bill of Rights. As a follow-up to our entry about fundraising tips, we thought you might find it interesting.

Raising the Stakes on Fundraising

You won’t get much argument that money is tight these days, especially corporate money. More and more organizations, from entertainment to health care, are putting greater emphasis on fundraising and sponsorships in order to carry out their initiatives. New, creative methods of fundraising are emerging thanks, in part, to necessity and to social media outlets. Before you call in that first plea or pen your sponsorship letters, keep these tips in mind.

Plan Ahead and Start Early
Although this is always a good rule of thumb, it’s even more important now. Many businesses still realize the benefits of generating community goodwill and creating brand exposure through sponsorship, but they may need months, not days to pull together the needed funds. If you’re trying to secure sponsorships for an event next year, START NOW! As you plan ahead, take the time to set appropriate target levels for sponsorships. Securing your high-level sponsorships first helps attract and encourage lower-level sponsors to sign on, too.

Build Long-term Relationships
Potential sponsors may not be able to contribute your ideal amount this year. If they’re interested in supporting your organization, consider creating multi-year contracts that build over time. You might need to scale back on your planned event for this year, but you’ll get the benefit of having a financial commitment for future years. This arrangement also gives companies time to recover from the down economy, resulting in potentially greater sponsorship in one or two years.

Get Organized About the Benefits You Offer
If companies are giving away their hard-earned dollars, you can bet they’re going to want something in return. This is especially true in today’s economy. Prepare a detailed packet of sponsorship benefits that is meaningful to each of your targets. Learn about their business goals, community involvement and charitable partners, and develop benefits that help them move forward with their priorities. This will help the company see its sponsorship as a worthy investment instead of money down the drain.

Be Kind, Consider “In-Kind”
Sure, we’d all like to get cash donations. Who wouldn’t? But if a company offers to donate its product or other in-kind items, don’t turn it down! In-kind donations like food, beverages, and tents help to off-set the overall cost of your event or program. It’s often a win-win situation since this type of donation also allows the sponsoring company to increase awareness about its product or make good use of extra inventory.

Honor Your End of the Commitment
When sponsors put money toward a specific initiative, they’re invested in the results. Don’t “take the money and run.” Instead, carefully track your outcomes and successes, and follow up with sponsors to let them know the impact of their generosity.

CEO Skill Set: Effective Communications is Key

What skill sets do today’s CEOs need most in light of the global financial crisis?  Communication is a key skill, according to several CEOs interviewed by NYSE Magazine. Here’s what they had to say:

“Amid all the negative distraction, great communication skills are more vital than ever to keep the employee team aligned on priorities, execution and strategic direction. Be visible and communicate frequently. ” _Brian Gamache, Chairman/CEO, WMS Industries, Inc. (WMS)

“Communication skills are imperative in this environment. A CEO must clearly communicate strategies and actions to employees to ensure high morale, as well as with the board and investors to solidify their confidence in the management and the company.” _Dr. Rick TSA, President/CEO, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSM)

“Every employee, starting with me, must step up and advocate for the values every day. I tell employees what I tell myself: Be absolutely essential to our customers, community and organization; create value; make a difference.” _Maggie Wilderotter, Chairman/CEO, Frontier Communications Corp. (FTR)

“In uncertain economic times, stakeholders need a CEO committed to transparency, communication and an unwavering focus on client service. Refusing to cut corners on customer service during tough time will result in a more loyal customer following.” _Russ Smyth, President/CEO, H&R Block, Inc. (HRB)

“Given the unprecedented combination of external forces impacting business today, a CEO must be collaborative and innovative. There is no road map for how to navigate these times, so the CEO needs to collaborate with team members throughout the organization.” _Granger Cobb, President/Co CEO, Emeritus Corp. (ESC)

Employee Communications on a Diet?

A recent Weber Shandwick research report highlights a strong employee appetite for communications from senior executives about the impact of the economic recession on their company.

More than 70 percent of those surveyed felt that their company’s leadership should be communicating more about the current problems, yet 54 percent have not heard from company leaders at all on the impact of the financial recession on their company.

By comparison, 74 percent said they had heard colleagues and co-workers talking about the issue.

Of those who discussed the financial crisis, 86 percent said senior executives or management were “believable” and “trustworthy” sources on the topic.

Many companies have highlighted the need to invest in employee communications. The questions raised by the financial crisis underscore the need for senior voices to provide the information employees need to understand what’s needed and expected from them in the face of bad economic times.

Six Things …

Meet Jen … In Her Own Words

1. What’s the last song/artist you listened to?
   Taylor Swift — I feel like I’m too old for her target demographic, but I can’t get her songs out of my head! I’m slightly in awe of her because she’s only 19, writes her own music and plays instruments. I think anyone with that amount of talent deserves a lot of respect.
2. What are your favorite Web sites?
   Yahoo! is where I start my day and I usually end up at NYTimes.com. In my personal life, I discovered Facebook about six months ago and I haven’t looked back. I’ll also cruise People.com to keep up on my celebrity pop culture.
3. What vacations or trips are you looking forward to?
   A week in Door County with my husband and toddler — beaches, ice cream cones, biking and RELAXING!
   
4. What’s the best gift you have ever given?
   A couple of years ago I got my husband two tickets to see Metallica, his favorite band. He told me it was the best gift he’s ever gotten. He wisely chose a friend to go (and I think we both had a better time for it!).
   
5. What famous/not so famous quote defines you?
   There’s a 10,000 Maniacs song that always has resonated with me — “These are the days you’ll remember. Never before and never since, I promise. Will the whole world be warm as this. And as you feel it, you’ll know it’s true. That you are blessed and lucky.” I try to appreciate each day for everything it is and count my blessings.
6. What is it about your personality that makes you good at your job?
   I am what you would say “professionally persistent.” I don’t give up easily and I don’t take “no” for an answer. This helps when I’m planning and executing tactics on behalf of my clients. I also find that I’m able to establish an easy rapport with clients. The best relationships are built on mutual trust, respect and understanding.

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Stimulus or Stick-it-to-Me?

Stimulus funds, recovery funds, reinvestment funds — there’s a lot of government money floating around to help reinvigorate the economy. But when companies receive this money, it’s not necessarily a positive experience for them. Media, consumers and elected officials are putting increased focus on transparency and accountability for how these stimulus dollars are being spent, putting additional pressure on firms that are receiving them.

Perhaps most importantly, it changes the public and political expectations about how companies should operate. The stimulus becomes a “stick-it-to-me” for a lot of companies.

The latest target may be the transportation companies who were rewarded millions of dollars of contracts this month through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to rebuild Wisconsin’s bridges and roads. President Obama has called for the ARRA to be the most transparent and accountable spending bill ever passed.

Fredrickson: ‘Client collaboration pays off’

Bottom Line Marketing & Public Relations earned a silver showing in the 2009 Aster Awards for its production of a video virtual tour of ThedaCare’s Heritage Peabody Community. The Aster Awards are handed out annually to healthcare’s top marketers by Marketing Healthcare Today magazine.

“Close collaboration with the client pays off,” said Bottom Line public relations counselor Beth Fredrickson, the agency lead on this project. “We were asked to create a tour that shows potential residents and their families the unique culture and facility, including the wooded grounds surrounding the property. Our client really wanted to show the warmth and vitality of this unique community. Their feedback, coupled with this award, shows us that we succeeded in a big way.”

The video, “Heritage Peabody Community: Welcome Home,” features resident, family and staff testimonials that enhance the virtual tour. This video is used by staff as a recruitment tool.

What Do Customers Value About Your Business?

There’s a lot of talk about healthcare reform lately. It’s the Obama administration’s most recent number one priority. Many of our healthcare clients are touting value-based purchasing — the idea that consumers get to decide which facility offers the best care for their buck. One of our clients really pushed the envelope by letting patients identify the steps in the care process where they saw value (i.e. were willing to pay) vs. where they didn’t. The insight and feedback from patients was incredible! The healthcare provider was better able to improve its processes to deliver even more value from the patients’ perspective.

It got us thinking, what if the PR industry operated in the same way?

Do clients value steak or sizzle? Do you want tactics or strategy? How much value will you experience in that next two-hour conference call? Will you feel like you’re getting a lot of “really cool ideas” that have nothing to do with your actual business objectives? Or will you hang up with creative ideas that connect your PR activity to where you’re taking your business?

We’ve been asking our clients those same questions, and here’s what they’ve said about what they value most:

• Strategic thinking
• Ability to achieve goals and stay on budget
• Clear concise writing
• Strong customer focus
• Timely follow-up 
• Asking appropriate questions to guide PR strategy
• Long-term relationship development
• Integrity and professionalism

It’s a beautiful thing in this industry when you can not only do right for your clients, but also learn from them. We’ve implemented many of the same standard work techniques that have gained international attention for our healthcare clients. Techniques that keep us focused on clear, powerful PR strategy with proven results — the single benefit our clients most value.

So next time you look at your own business model, think about where YOUR customers find value and how you can maximize it for them.

Are You Strong Enough to be a Brand?

Susan Boyle, or SuBo as she is now named, is everywhere: YouTube, national and local broadcast news, around the water cooler. You name it, and Boyle is a fixture in the mainstream.

Funny, since the 47-year-old woman, who at first glance appears more fitting as a character in Mr. Bean than a mogul gracing the small screen on Britain’s Got Talent, just wanted to showcase her stunning voice to a nation. I can’t think for a minute that she thought it would come to this.

Much like Boyle, some companies come out of the woodwork to make it big. Think Facebook or Buffalo Wild Wings. With grassroots success come people who react negatively. Isn’t Facebook for college students showcasing their weekend exploits? I thought Buffalo Wild Wings is just a place to get drunk and eat chicken off the bone like a caveman?

Well, not really.

Boyle, much like Facebook and Buffalo Wild Wings, is a growing brand. To be successful in today’s Internet-savvy, “all eyes on me” world, your brand must be strong from the bottom up, from the inside out. Facebook is slowly proving itself to be a source for information, from professional sports scores to White House updates. Buffalo Wild Wings has increased its value by, among other things, bottling its sauces and selling franchises near malls.

Prepare yourself for the success, but also negative public perception. Discuss internally how you would handle criticism. Do not curl up in a ball and wait for the storm to pass. Be an honest, proactive voice and protect your brand before others dictate its path for you.

The jury is still out on Boyle. If she can define her brand and find her marketing voice, she may be the next Celine Dion.