The BCS National Championship game last night was gut-wrenching. Texas fans were on the edge of their seats; waiting to see if the Longhorns could pull through with freshman Garret Gilbert running the show after Colt McCoy hurt his passing shoulder on the Longhorns’ first drive. And while I was on pins and needles throughout the game, it was for a completely different reason. I was waiting for the post-game interview with Colt McCoy.
I like college football—Go Devils—but, in all honesty, my favorite part is what the losing QB says after the game. It’s the most profound moment that really shows what kind of person he is and what type of spokesperson he will be.
Colt McCoy is a class act. He kept his composure, answered the reporters questions, and, most importantly, he congratulated Alabama on its victory, calling them “a tremendous football team”—twice.
In contrast, I remember Matt Leinart’s post-game interview after the BCS title game where USC played Texas. Leinart commented that despite the Trojans’ loss to Texas, “I still think we’re a better football team. They just made the plays in the end.” All I can really say about that is TACKY!
There is truly a stark comparison between McCoy’s and Leinart’s interviews. So, what can B2B marketers learn from this? It’s simple: bad-mouthing your competition (even in the most perceivably judicious manner) just won’t make you look good. And, of course, great media training goes a long way.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the phrase, “PR is changing.” As much as that phrase makes me cringe, I think B2C and B2B professionals alike can agree that PR is ever-changing. This list of Ten Trends Affecting PR Professionals in 2010 sums up the trends that PR pros are likely to see this year (thanks to Crenshaw Communications for putting this list together).
Here’s a quick list of my takeaways:
Social media will drastically change public relations in 2010—so be prepared and be educated about the many ways you can use social media.
Reputations will be fragile and harder to control. With social media increasing, everyone will have a say in brand management. And, with this, crisis communications preparation will be more important than ever.
The way people get information will change. Therefore, the way PR pros reach their target audiences will change. We need to get information to our audiences where they are looking for it.
In the end, the PR pros that embrace these trends and adapt to them will come out on top in 2010.
What do you think? How do you see PR changing in 2010?
Happy New Year! First, let me congratulate anyone who managed to keep their New Year’s Resolution until now. Keeping a resolution is difficult, and if it involves being healthier, then you probably won’t make it through the College Bowl Games, and definitely not past the Super Bowl.
As the first official b2bFishbowl post of 2010, I felt added pressure to kick off the year with profound advice that can be applied to your B2B marketing efforts (and maybe your personal lives). I’ll keep it simple for those working off a post-holiday hangover. Your one marketing challenge in 2010 is this:
Decide how you want to define yourself and aspire to be that every day.
Spend time to determine how your brand, products and services are defined for your target audiences. Then, each day, follow through to make sure the marketing communications you execute live up to that definition. Give your company appeal and purpose in the markets you serve. If you do it right, you’re sure to make your life as a B2B marketer a lot easier, and you’ll create strong relationships with customers and prospects in the process.
And, like other resolutions, if you begin to struggle or feel yourself straying from your goal, lean on others for support.
What is your New Year’s resolution? Do you have a B2B MarComm mantra that you are determined to follow in 2010?
Time has whooshed past us once again, but that’s okay because I’ve been having the time of my life keeping up with all the new gadgets that are supposed to help me manage my time and give me time to catch my breath.
It’s high time that we all take a little time to notice that every time we turn around there’s another time-saving device that’s designed to give us more spare time or help us make up for lost time.
My iPhone “clock” app is a good example. With just a touch, it gives me the time of day in every corner of the world. It also provides a timer to let me know when it’s time for my downtime. There’s a handy stopwatch for the race against time, and an alarm that wakes me in the nick of time with a melodic marimba chime.
As time goes by, however, I’ve concluded that many times these techno time savers actually just kill time because they take up all of my spare time. Turns out staying ahead of time actually takes time! And, as the saying goes, “time is money.” So, time’s up!
Is it already 2010? Which time-saving gadgets are your faves? How many uses of the word “time” have I taken time to include in this 221-word blog post?
One of the most challenging parts of working in marketing is figuring out what exactly your customers want. Well fret no longer and take solace in my words when I say that there are ways of unearthing those innovative ideas that will tickle your customers’ fancy. The answer, my friends, lies in crowdsourcing.
Rather than spending countless hours (and most of your marketing dollars) researching your target audience, why not ask them? I can’t think of a better way of getting inside consumers’ minds than to let them tell you what they are thinking.
Take Starbucks for example. Starbucks utilizes crowdsourcing to perfection with its Web site, MyStarbucksIdea.com. On this site, registered users can log in, share ideas, view other ideas and see what sort of improvements are in the works. What a great way to connect with consumers and empower them to help craft the future of the company. Talk about creating brand loyalty. And the best part is that it’s free!
So the next time you are banging your head on your desk in frustration because you can’t seem to figure out what your customers want, just ask them. For B2C and B2B marketing alike, effective communication depends on how well you can satisfy your customers’ needs.
Have you encountered any great crowdsourcing techniques?
