Social Marketing

The primary aim of social marketing campaigns is to apply various communications techniques in order to achieve specific behavioral goals for social good.  The example below is the advertising aspect of a social marketing campaign for TFL Cycling in the UK designed to raise driver awareness of cyclists.     

The ad focuses on the fact that its easy to miss something you aren’t looking for.  A BBC article reported in November of last year that the video had received 10 million hits on YouTube since its posting in March 2008 and had also been shown in cinemas across London.  

The Guardian also reported on the success of the campaign video via the internet.  The PR aspect of the campaign comes into play for a viral campaign in a completely different way.  The fact that the views have reached such a milestone is what sparks the interest of the press.  While the reach of the video is undeniable, neither media mention gives figures as to any measurable change in behaviour.  People are obviously aware of the advert, but are they more aware of cyclists?  This is the figure we should be interested in.  

Changing behaviour is a difficult objective of any campaign, but especially when it involves such deeply embedded habits as smoking.  Ben O’Brien, associate director of social marketing for the NHS North West, revealed a £30 million tendering opportunity to encourage behaviour changes for his 7 million plus customer base.  This is a clear indicator of the NHS’ belief in the power of social marketing to achieve the changes in behaviour they seek (full article)

Public relations can serve as a key element for a social marketing campaign considering the power of third party endorsement.  Getting journalists behind a cause can shed light on a subject in a way that traditional advertisements don’t because of a reader’s willingness to pay attention.  The very nature of public relations lends itself to creating changes in behaviour because of its stronger relative influence.

PR and Crisis Management

A great deal of PR activity goes on behind the scenes, undetected by the general public.  Crisis management, however, is one of the most recognized areas in the industry and often criticised.  The word ‘spin’ comes to mind, as companies often wish to downplay an incident but instead get accused of spinning the truth.  

The case of Odwalla is a notable CSR example from the late 90s.  Odwalla positioned itself as a health-conscious beverage and had established a strong brand with increasing customer loyalty.  However, when health officials in Washington state confirmed a link between Odwalla’s apple juice and several cases of E. coli 0157:H7, the company was faced with a serious crisis.  After it was released that a child had died and 60 people in the Western United States and Canada became sick, sales fell a massive 90%.  

 

Odwalla juice products

 

Upon learning of the crisis, Odwalla’s CEO immediately ordered a complete recall of all products at risk for contamination.  The recall was completed over the course of 48 hours, involving 4,600 retail outlets in 7 states at a cost of around $6.5 million.  Within 24 hours of the crisis, the company had set up an explanatory website that received 20,000 hits in 48 hours.  They expressed sympathy and regret, and didn’t avoid responsibility in any way.          

In the end, opinion of the business itself still varies but when it comes to crisis management, Odwalla’s case study shows a prime example of best practice.  Accepting responsibility, keeping people informed, and adhering to honesty are crucial for businesses when handling a crisis and Odwalla ticks all those boxes without a doubt.  

Tylenol handled their crisis similarly in 1986 when the outside contamination of their product led to multiple deaths.  The voluntary recall of their product from every outlet, and not just those in the state where the tampering occurred, showed their concern for the well-being of their customers.  Their honesty and quick action paid off in the long run, and the “lost revenues were easily compensated for in the long term by the preservation of brand value.” (Guardian, 1999) 

Crisis management seems difficult to prepare for as a PR professional in that each situation is different and how the crisis is handled depends on the details of the crisis.  One important element seems to be sticking to the facts and not making any assumptions as they could later turn out to be incorrect.  Taking responsibility where responsibility is due is also very significant.  In general, as in the Tylenol case, people will understand if the crisis was caused by an external factor so long as you accept what responsibility you can.  Tylenol recognised that their packaging allowed for the product to be contaminated, and only released their product again once they had created a tamper-resistant bottle.  Trying to absolve themselves of any responsibility in all likelihood would not have worked out in the same way.

Diversity in Public Relations: Can PR be Global?

The theory of the globalization of business leads people to believe that there is a global application to a wide range of industries.  It may be a case of jumping on the global business bandwagon prematurely for some industries.  The application of public relations on such a large scale may work in some cases, but I do not believe there is a one-size-fits all solution to this issue.

As an international student, my first observation regarding global public relations is the difference in consumption of media between countries.  In the UK, national newspapers are a much more effective form of communication than in the US where media tends to be more regionally focused.  This is likely due to the sheer size of the States, but even so, finding a comparable way to target such a large portion of the population with one outlet is difficult.  

The practice of PR in mature markets such as the UK and the US is also a lot different than it would be in a third world country, for example.  The perception of the industry and acceptable means of pitching a story to a journalist are just a couple of the factors that make the practice of public relations so country-specific.  It would be difficult to find a PR firm that had a solid grasp of both the media culture and the target market in every country of business while the firm itself is only located in one country. 

Lou Hoffman, CEO of The Hoffman Agency, suggested in a 2007 article for PR Week that there are still few PR campaigns that are truly global, and that our profession has a long way to go before we can really be considered global.  I absolutely agree.  As a profession though, if our clients are doing business globally, there is an undeniable need to support them through PR activity in the markets they are doing business.  However we do it, this is an issue the industry does need to address.  As Hoffman suggests, “It’s not enough to talk about a global mentality. We need to harness the collective brainpower of our PR people and apply it to the global stage.”

Feminization of the PR Industry

Gender in the public relations industry has been an issue for at least two decades, as the industry has seen a considerable influx of women into the practice over that time.  Larissa A. Grunig is a noted author on the subject and wrote a book addressing these very issues, called Women in Public Relations: How Gender Influences Practice.  She argues that with the feminization of the industry, both male and female practitioners face the threat of diminishing salaries and prestige.  

My experience in the industry thus far has supported this notion of a female dominated profession.  The MA course has been taught primarily by women, the majority of participants on the course are women, and my work experience has been at offices where a majority of the employees are women.   

Our class debate on this issue asked the question if women would ever make it to the top of the industry, considering the fact that top positions are primarily occupied by men.  I’ve had two internships at PR agencies that were founded and run by women, and both are very successful in my eyes.  While I do acknowledge the overall trend of men occupying the majority of top positions, I don’t think it will necessarily stay that way.  These women have been very knowledgeable of the industry, excel at developing and managing relationships, and clearly know how to run a business.  There are some women who have these characteristics and other who don’t, just as is the case for men.  

I will say that the office environment I’ve enjoyed the most had more of a balance between men and women.  I also think it’s a shame that there is the stereotype of the profession that it is more feminine, considering the fact that I’ve worked with men who are extremely talented and just as capable in public relations.  I think it is these stereotypes that have prevented men from developing an interest in the field and led to the inequality of gender within the industry.  A person is by no means more qualified to be in PR because of their gender, but rather personal attributes and characteristics are what suit people to the job.

The fact there is an imbalance between male and female PR practitioners in all levels of the industry is one to pay attention to, but I struggle to see as pressing.  Countless industries experience the same issue, whether it’s entirely accurate or based on an outdated stereotype.  For example, there are certainly female bankers out there, but with the G20 protests in London this week, men were the primary target because they are the majority.  In any case, as long as men and women both have an opportunity to succeed in the industry of their choosing on their own terms, there are certainly bigger issues to be worrying about. 

PR and Corporate Social Responsibility

Nobel economist Milton Friedman is noted in business for his theory of social responsibility, which states that only people – and not corporations – can be socially responsible.  Friedman first argued this point in his article for The New York Times Magazine entitled The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Its Profits (13 September 1970).  

Today’s businesses can no longer operate under this premise, as CSR programs have become a major element in business for many major corporations.  In the 16 March 2009 issue, Fortune magazine released a list of the World’s Most Admired Companies.  The category of social responsibility included major global brands such as Walt Disney, Starbucks, and Anheuser-Busch.    Information about each company’s CSR program is prominently available on the front page of each website, helping to communicate the commitment they have shown to their cause.  

 

Starbucks CSR Ad

This leads me to my point, which is that regardless of the reasoning behind a CSR program – be it to generate profits or to further support a cause of significance for an executive – if it’s making a positive difference, why is it so bad?  People sometimes dismiss CSR programs as pure publicity but overlook the impact they’re making in the long run.  A successful program will make a significant difference, and that should be supported.  Business can contribute in a financial volume that the vast majority of individuals cannot, so my general attitude is that I’m happy to support a company that makes a difference in a way that I as an individual, cannot.  

Corporate social responsibility programs are particularly relevant for the PR industry because after all, when a company does something positive, they want everyone to know about it.  Some CSR campaigns can be proactive, whereas others can be reactive.  After the criticism of ‘size zero’ models at London Fashion Week in 2008, The Association of Model Agents brought on a PR agency to help position it as responsible during and after this year’s event.  The company was then advised to set up a site that provides information for aspiring models about how to chose a reputable agency and stay healthy (PR Week).

Danny Rogers, editor for PR Week, recently wrote an opinion piece regarding the relationship between PR and CSR.  In essence, CSR is about doing the right thing and PR is about telling the world what you’ve done.  However, he says that organisations deliberately keep comms people away from CSR policy for fear that progress will be seen simply as spin.  PR is commonly brought in after the fact simply to spread the word.  He further argues: 

“This represents a fundamental misunderstanding of the power of outstanding comms within organisations.  If the definition of PR is enlightened reputation management then it is better that comms professionals are involved in the CSR process from the very beginning.”

This is great news for the PR profession because it is not only an argument for its role in communicating CSR programs, but also a testament to the notion that PR practitioners should be included deeper within the function of the business to develop a more rounded CSR program.  Kudos to us, PRs!   

Ethics in Public Relations

A code of ethics is a cornerstone for any profession.  Codes can serve different purposes for different fields, but the standout idea in my mind is to define ethical behaviour within a particular field or profession.  Many of us no doubt would like to believe that we know the difference between right and wrong, but to have it set in stone creates guidelines across the board for all practitioners.  The challenge with ethics in the public relations field is that they aren’t exactly set in stone, considering that multiple industry bodies have their own code.  

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) posted a Comparison of Selected PR Ethics Codes that illustrates how variant codes of ethics within the industry can be.  The following codes are considered in the comparison:

• Arthur Page Society
• Council of Public Relations Firms
• Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management
• International Association of Business Communicators
• National Investor Relations Institute
• Public Relations Society of America

Out of the thirteen topics addressed in the codes, only honesty, advocacy/expertise, and enhancing the profession were covered by all six industry bodies.  This just goes to show that there are a variety of issues impacting ethical behaviour in the field of PR and that different bodies prioritise some over others.       

As the profession evolves, so must our code.  With the rise of new media, the PR industry is entering into a territory that original codes could not have anticipated.  The “rules” of new media haven’t even been fully defined yet, much less how PR specifically should operate.  However, in respect to new media and any other form of communication, I believe it is crucial to have a clearly defined code of ethics if only for a frame of reference so that industry standards are set and practitioners can subsequently be held to such standards.

A well-known practitioner whose ethics have recently come into question in the media spotlight is Max Clifford.  Jade’s story was splashed all over the media in the months leading up to her death, and Max Clifford was openly behind it.  One side of the argument is that Jade consented to the campaign so she could raise money to support her sons after her death.  The consent in this case makes it ethical.  The other argument, and one that is a little more blurred in my point of view is that her condition was being exploited for profit.  Clifford even said in an interview with the Guardian (see below) that the campaign was a “wonderful for me to make an awful lot of money out of the media thats making an awful lot of money out of her.”  Profiting from death is a hard concept to grasp from an ethical point of view.     

Ultimately, it is these grey areas of ethics as applied to public relations that the industry must continue to address.  This will strengthen the reputation of the profession and the integrity of practitioners.  A profession concerned with managing reputations could really benefit from a boost to its own.

Political PR

Part of our class discussion on political PR involved a presentation on Barack Obama’s Presidential campaign, which is a popular subject due to the campaign’s use of new media and his ability to successfully communicate with such a wide audience.  The historic campaign is now behind us and the world is watching to see how the 44th President of the United States measures up to expectations.  Public relations no doubt played a notable role in the campaign, but I’m interested to see how PR plays into the presidency.  

Still shy of 100 days as President, Obama’s performance has been a hot topic of conversation not just America, but on the global stage as well.  In the States, he’s made headlines for a comment which appears in the video below that he made on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno about the Special Olympics.   

  

According to the Chicago Tribune, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters:

“The president believes that the Special Olympics are a triumph of the human spirit.  He understands that they deserve a lot better than … the thoughtless joke that he made last night.”

I watched the entire interview and minus that comment, thought it went well and that Obama came across as intelligent and down-to-earth.  Following recent criticisms that he relies too heavily on a teleprompter, this will no doubt keep his public relations personnel busy.  

On a more international scale, Obama has made headlines in the past few days regarding his participation in the G20 summit here in London.  In a joint press conference (see below) with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the pair speak of  “global solutions for global problems” and a “partnership of purpose” between the UK and the US.  From a PR standpoint, the way that Obama is perceived throughout the summit is highly significant since this is his first major overseas visit since taking office.  On the world stage, the US is seen as a catalyst for global economic recovery (BBC).  In the US, he will no doubt be held to his campaign promises of being able to deliver results on an international stage.    

Political PR seems like a tricky field, particularly because of the human error involved.  Mistakes in a speech and other significant inaccuracies (since when did “Read my lips: no new taxes” mean a rise in taxes, Bush Sr.?) can damage a political reputation beyond PR repair.  Then there’s the PR minefield that was George W. Bush.  He’s certainly enough to discourage me from pursuing a career in political PR, but on the bright side, he did give us hours of bloopers.  

New Media in Public Relations

The buzz surrounding new media is nearly impossible to ignore these days, particularly as multiple industries are still working out where exactly it fits in to their strategy.  The PR industry in particular is in the process of adapting to this new medium.  This blog contributes to the new media discussion through multiple posts, and so to avoid being repetitive, this particular post will mainly refer to previous discussions.  

Posts from January all address some aspect of new media, and serve as a closer look at individual platforms and their application towards business-to-business and consumer public relations.  Posts from March are examples of new media content produced for the course.  Take a look for a more detailed analysis of specific new media tools.

However, one aspect of new media that I would like to delve into a bit further is Twitter.  Twitter seems to be all the rage at the moment because of the almost instantaneous distribution of news events.

An example of the power of Twitter just from today is the G20 protests occurring in London.  The Financial Times feature their own feed on Twitter devoted to the protests.  Tweets include: “Stuff being thrown at helmeted police guarding front of RBS,” “Some talk of sitting down to stop the police forcing the crowd back,” and “Riot police charging the crowd outside the front door of RBS branch.  Protestors throwing bottles.”  Multiple tweets are being added every minute at times.  The information in this case comes from an established news organization, but the search feature on Twitter displays comments from countless others experiencing the protests.    

What are you doing?

 This kind of up-to-the-second information is unrivaled anywhere in traditional media and is significant to all communications disciplines involved in the media.  Twitter is influencing not only the way people consume their news in that it is expected in a more immediate way, but changing the way news organizations are reporting.  Frequent, if not continuous updates of 140 characters or less have now become an acceptable way of communicating the news.  

My interest lies in the longevity of Twitter and what the long term impact of the platform will be.  Sure it is an incredibly useful tool now, but for how long?  As is the case with many new media platforms, it’s often too early to tell how long each platform will remain relevant or what other new platforms might come along and steal the spotlight.  Only time will tell I suppose, but the potential implications that these new communications tools could have for our industry are worth looking out for.  

The new media module was particularly interesting to me because the industry is still in the process of adapting to it.  Best-practice isn’t available for every new media tool and there usually aren’t hard and fast rules for each form either.  Experiencing the change in the industry as it happens is exciting and I greatly look forward to my future in the industry for that reason.  

Wartime PR

An old adage that the PR profession should be particularly concerned with says that “the first casualty in war is truth.”  Terms like ‘propaganda’ and ‘spin‘ seem to fly freely when it comes to the practice of public relations in wartime, and yet these are the very stereotypes that the majority of the industry is fighting against.  Our class discussion about wartime PR led me to Danny Schechter’s documentary called “Weapons of Mass Deception,” which explores the manipulation of mainstream media and its role in selling the war in Iraq to the American public.  

A link to the full-length documentary can be found here: Weapons of Mass Deception

Watch a trailer for the documentary below:

Schechter’s main argument is that “without the media cheerleading, we wouldn’t have had this war,” and personal political beliefs aside, he makes a plausible case.  Representatives of various media outlets admitted to flaws in their coverage.  The New York Times stated in a 2004 piece that their coverage of the war was “not the Times at its best.”  Criticisms of the media’s coverage leading up to the war usually involve the claim that they accepted government information as is without any form of analysis.  

Another issue is that they failed to remain unbiased and neglected to include views from both sides of the war debate.  Michael Getler, Washington Post Ombudsman, supported the latter statement by saying, “It’s clear now that the press, as a whole, did not do a very good job in challenging the administration’s claims.”

While the role of the media is much more evident and in the spotlight, let us not ignore the public relations strategies that contributed to the media’s behaviour.  Schechter interviewed a retired Air Force colonel who revealed that a phone call took place every morning at 9:30 between the White House officer of global communications, the Pentagon press office and a media advisor, among others.  Their notion each time was to coordinate the message for that day.  This was all part of the plan, as Schechter explains:

“Pentagon strategy went beyond traditional PR, using marketing strategies and perception management.  Administration officials liken their war planning to a product rollout.  It was all to guarantee there would only be one story line in the media and in the minds of Americans: theirs.”

In general PR terms, a coordinated message from all angles and control of the primary story line in the media would be counted as huge successes.  The issue is that these messages were not always consistent or accurate.  For example, the accuracy of the Jessica Lynch, POW story has been questioned and the incident debunked by multiple sources.  Another major inaccuracy was within the government’s premise for even going to war, and that is the mere presence of weapons of mass destructions within Iraq.  This also turned out to be untrue.  Cases like these are the reason why public relations in war is primarily seen as spin and propaganda.

Personally, I question the use of public relations for the purpose of gaining support for a war.  I also question wartime PR for the purpose of downplaying the voices of dissent.  The latter is strategically crucial to achieving the former, but is it ethical when the byproduct of a campaign is death?  

The Debate Continues: New Media is a Threat to Traditional Media

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Katy McDougal (Spokesperson) KPRM Associate Director Black Lion House 45 Whitechapel Road London E1 1DU United Kingdom‎ 0207.443.5592 (office) 0207.443.7668 (fax) 0207.589.8373 (cell) katy.mcdougal (im) Email: katy.mcdougal@kprm.co.uk Web site: http://www.kprm.co.uk Blog: http://katymcdougal.wordpress.com/

The Debate Continues: New Media is a Threat to Traditional Media

Katy McDougal shares her PR expertise and experience with a slidecast that continues the debate about the impact of new media.

London, UK – 1 March 2009

• KPRM released slidecast as a follow-up to the Public Relations Consultants Association’s (PRCA) conference on ”The State of Traditional Media.”
• New media currently poses a threat to Traditional Media.
• New media content is available quicker and to a more global audience.
• Content consumption data increases targeting and measurement opportunities in new media.
• Cost to produce new media is lower.
• New media must overcome poor advertising revenue models, limited penetration in homes, and questions of journalistic credibility. 

 

 

MULTIMEDIA ELEMENTS:

Download New Media Slidecast

QUOTES

“We’re making great strides and progress in the PR industry.  It feels good to see more professionals being open minded about the changes and participating in Social Media.”  – Deirdre Breakenridge, author of PR 2.0

“Every communications professional should pay close attention to this debate.  Acknowledging the underlying significance of new media and the impact it will have on our profession is critical as our industry continues to incorporate these new and powerful tools.”  – Kevin Howard, President, CIPR  

“This examination of both the strengths and shortcomings of new media tools reminds us that we are still very much on the forefront of these newer technologies.  As the media continues to evolve, so must the communications profession adapt. ”  – Michael Klein, Executive Editor, Media Guardian

ABOUT KPRM

KPRM is a London-based communications agency specialising in consumer public relations and branding.  Founded in 2002, this young and energetic agency offers a variety of services to best establish and maintain brand positioning for long term success.   

For further information about KPRM, please see our website: www.kprm.co.uk

 

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