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Maven’s Top 11 of 2011

Maven — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:00:53 +0000

2011 was a year marked by moments. From natural disasters that shook our confidence to protests around the world and through our city streets, we experienced events marking the end of an era and others ushering in a new.

Maven Communications offers our insight and annual list of the top 11 news stories of 2011. These are the stories that captivated and fascinated the nation throughout the year.

As we look forward to an even better 2012, here is a last look back at 2011.

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#1. Gabrielle Gifford’s Resilience & Recovery (January 8, 2011)

The year’s most inspirational story of personal resilience and triumph was that of Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Giffords, a member of the House of Representatives from Arizona, who was shot at point-blank range on Jan. 8, 2011, as she greeted constituents outside a Tucson grocery store. Although media attention never waned after the failed assassination attempt, Gabby instead commanded attention and marked her own milestones throughout the year by posting updates and photos to Facebook, attending the launch of the final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavor and finally returning to the House.

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#2. Arab Spring: A Path of Protests Throughout the Middle East (January 25, 2011)

It began as a single act of protest, when a young man set himself on fire to protest the confiscation of fruit and vegetables after selling them without a permit. The event unleashed decades of pent up frustration among the educated poor in region, and quickly spread to Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and beyond with the help of social media. “Arab Spring” took hold in the Middle East and North Africa — and took hold on the Web, where social media tools were used to communicate not only with other activists but also with the outside world.

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#3. Charlie Sheen’s Bi-Winning (possibly bi-polar?) Meltdown (March 4, 2011)

After being fired from his job on Two and Half Men, Charlie Sheen hit bottom after issuing violent torpedoes of truth at the public while bathing us in #tigerblood, goddesses and other strange twitter phrases that fueled a media feeding frenzy. In a matter of weeks, Sheen went from being TV’s highest paid actor to D-list sideshow most likely to be featured on Celebrity Rehab. In the process he lost his kids, his family support, his job and seemingly, his sanity. To see Rebecca’s NBC10 News commentary on the meltdown, click here.

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#4. Great Quake Shakes Japan (March 14, 2011)

Tragically, Japan was struck by a deadly, 8.9- magnitude earthquake and tsunami this past March. While many lives were taken and homes were destroyed, some say that many lives were saved due to Japan’s extensive disaster preparedness program. In some cases, survivors used Twitter to communicate whereabouts to loved ones.

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#5. Royal Wedding Watched by World: Kate, William and 2 billion of their closest friends (April 29, 2011)

Undoubtedly the most well-known wedding of the year, the Royal Wedding garnered media attention around the world. An estimated 2 billion people in more than 180 countries around the world were expected to see the Royal Wedding on April 29th. The event was covered by more than 8,500 journalists in London alone. Facebook calculated that 2.8 million people in Britain and America alone had written status updates about the royal wedding in the 24 hours before the event began.

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#6. Osama Bin Laden is Killed (May 1, 2011)

On May 1 at 11:35 pm, President Obama announced to world that the leader of Al Quada and Public Enemy #1, Osama Bin Ladin, had been killed. Even as traditional news outlets struggled to confirm the reports, the news became global instantaneously, bringing a surge of patriotism among Americans and an outpouring of global support.

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#7. Casey Anthony Trial (July 5, 2011)

Young mother Casey Anthony was charged with first-degree murder when the remains of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee were found in a wooded area near her home in Orlando, Florida. A jury found her not guilty of killing her daughter in a Florida trial that attracted immense media attention and top billing on many year-end search engine rankings.

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#8. 10 Years After 9/11 – Remember, Reflect & Never Forget (September 11, 2011)

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 10 years later, the country is still trying to make sense of it. On September 11, 2011 remembrance events were held across the country. It’s clear that we will ‘never forget’ but it’s also clear that we have and will continue to move on.

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#9. The Occupy Movement Monopolizes Wall Street and Cities Across the US (September 17, 2011)

In the last quarter of the year protesters, beginning in New York and then spreading across the country, camped out (literally) in what was dubbed the Occupy Wall Street movement. While their message was foggy at best, the Occupiers maintained a nonpartisan focus on economic inequality and tried to connect a diversity of issues that impact the 99%. The target of their movement was at big banks, foreclosures, evictions, and housing. While they claim the movement is still alive, it’s on life support at best. Most camps have been evicted from their occupy spaces as cities cracked down on the protesters.

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#10. iCon: Steve Jobs’ Legacy (October 5, 2011)

On October 5, 2011, Steve Jobs passed away at the age of 56. Even a long life would seem too short to hold the sum of his successes. However, with his passing the world recounted and relived his achievements and legacy. As founder of one of the world’s most valuable brands, he revolutionized technology, communications, media, music, education and more. An outpouring of emotion and condolences resounded throughout the media, social media, world leaders, celebrities and Jobs’ peers.

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.”

~ Steve Jobs, 2005

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#11. Penn State Scandal: Litany of Trouble for Nittany Lions (November 1, 2011)

This will be a story that we will see well into 2012. The allegations are that former Pennsylvania State University football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky sexually assaulted or had inappropriate contact with at least eight underage boys on or near university property. The story hit the media on November 4th and within two days both famed football coach Joe Paterno and University president Graham Spanier were both without jobs. As this shocking and sad story unfolds, we will undoubtedly see more victims emerge.

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MAVEN’S FAVORITES: Our favorite stories of 2011 that did not make the list, but made it into our hearts:

Jessica: Flash Mobs

One of my favorite things that happened in 2011 was the flash mob phenomenon. I know it really started earlier than 2011, but I feel like it really took off this year. My fascination with flash mobs is partly because I love the idea of random, organized dancing, but it’s also because it speaks to the power of social media as an organizational tool. This year we saw what I consider the “good” flash mobs, which were the random acts of dancing (or singing). Their purpose is to mostly entertain and in some instances also raise awareness for some organization or cause. It’s all in the name of good fun.

On the flip-side, we also saw the “bad” flash mobs this year, and unfortunately Philadelphia made a name for itself with some of the worst. Hundreds of teens gathering en masse to rob, loot or terrorize random citizens. Philly had to impose a curfew in order to get them under control.

Then there were the just plain weird flash mobs, like the Bristol Lightsaber flash mob (which actually happened at the end of 2010, but I feel that it’s weird enough to include), the Zumba Flash mob in a Walmart, which is also one of the saddest flash mobs I’ve seen, and the Planking flash mob, which has to be one of the most boring ever done.

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Rebecca: Tebowing with God’s Quarterback

Denver Bronco’s quarterback Tim Tebow may be the most buzzed about – and controversial – figure in sports today. Frankly, most people just don’t know what to make of the so-called “Mile High Messiah,” a winning quarterback who recites bible verses, commits random acts of kindness and thanks Jesus, his mother and his teammates at every press conference. The frequency with which he drops down on one knee to pray spawned an internet sensation called tebowing, his own SNL spoof with Jesus and hundreds of copycat do-gooders across the country. While his “aw shucks” attitude, openly religious belief and lack of traditional mechanical skills has drawn the ire of cynics and critics, there’s no denying the public’s fascination with him.

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Sarah: Ssssilly Snake @BronxZoosCobra

@BronxZoosCobra is the “spoof” Twitter account for the cobra that escaped from the Bronx Zoo in March of 201. To date, it has attracted 218,802 followers, but ‘her’ tweets entertained millions as it gallivanted around NYC commenting on landmarks, her location and the like. The tweets were in one word – hilarious, and more importantly and over looked, the identity of the snake charmer has not been revealed – STILL. How was this mystery never solved? How was this over looked for other best-of-2011 lists? This was a bizarre but lighthearted happening that should have made most best of lists bbut instead simply graces mine. I sssalute you sssilly sssnake – whoever you are.

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Kate: News Corp Hacking

The News Corp hacking scandal is the ongoing controversy involving the News of the World and other British tabloid newspapers published by News International, a subsidiary of News Corporation. Employees of the newspaper were accused of engaging in phone hacking, police bribery, and exercising improper influence in the pursuit of publishing stories. Previous investigations concluded that the paper’s phone hacking activities were limited to celebrities, politicians and members of the British Royal Family, but in July 2011, it was revealed that the phones of relatives of deceased British soldiers, and victims of the 7/7 London bombings were also accessed, resulting in a public outcry against News Corporation and owner Rupert Murdoch. Public outcry and advertiser boycotts contributed to the closure of the News of the World on July 10, 2011, ending 168 years of publication. Media outlets try to rally ratings against growing demand for intimate details, entertainment news and instant access to fresh content. However as technology advances, we are seeing more in how the media will go for information and what information is considered as private to some.

You Know a PR Maven When

Sarah Casey — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:07:40 +0000

Ragan.com, a website providing news and advice on public relations and marketing, recently published an article called 53 Signs You Work in Public Relations. Taking a page from the familiar “You know you’re a {BLANK} when…” joke setup, the article is a collection of reader-generated anecdotes about public relations professionals. The article lists popular, humorous and exaggerated attributes of today’s PR pros.

I believe that some of the signs are exaggerated, but others are spot on (at least for me). Here are my favorites (and I believe accurate) anecdotes from 53 Signs You Work in Public Relations:

11. You proudly put “PR pro” in your Twitter bio, knowing it is the one place you don’t have to explain your job

16. “Relax” time is in the shower when you always seem to come up with the best PR pitches

17. After your coffee, you spend 20 minutes deleting Google Alerts of clients, competitors, and everything in between

38. You read/hear about a company’s crisis and instantly think, “I wonder who their AOR (agency of record) is”

42. You actually take surveys. It’s good client karma, right?

43. You think and speak in 140 characters or less

44. You call taking any photo a “Photo-op”

48. Client’s products are decorations on your desk

However, every firm has its own culture and quirks that shapes its employees. So in honor of a big Maven announcement (‘embargoed until’) next week, here are a few good signs that a PR Maven is among us:

You Know You’re a PR Maven When…

1. You start using ‘circle back, debrief, touch base’ on a daily basis, even when discussing weekend plans with friends and family

2. Deciding where to go to lunch is an item on the agenda when it involves more than one Maven for a holiday, birthday, or client meeting

3. You’re always thinking about how to “repurpose” blog entries, articles and white papers

4. You cannot get enough green (have you ever heard, ‘Go Green?’ The subliminal message is a new business driver for Maven but we don’t recommend it for clients. You can’t imagine how long it took us to get the ‘green’ movement going)

5. You eat lunch at 11 am because you have developed a Pavlovian response to the microwave beeping after Jess heats up her lunch at 10:55 am

6. You redefine what it means to multitask, while drafting a release for a healthcare digital marketing client, editing a legal newsletter in Mail Chimp, emailing two real estate reporters and posting to your company’s Facebook page — all within 30 minutes

7. You look forward to Monday morning company status update meetings because it is nice to chat about our own and our clients work from the big picture and minute details (plus someone usually brings treats)

8. Links to breaking headline news stories get forwarded around the office faster than an email chain letter threatening three years of bad luck (news of amazing discounts is the second fastest forward)

9. You want to put your company logo on everything (to date: mouse pads, water bottles, t-shirts, doggie bandana, office walls and post-it pads – come get a post-it pad because we have a LOT! Yes, Sarah made most of the stuff so it is mostly her fault…)

10. You depend on Outlook’s calendar listings and organized email folders (color coding is imperative too)

11. You believe personal preferences are as contagious as the common cold among coworkers, especially Rebecca’s fashion sense, Jess’ recipes and Sarah’s music tastes

12. When something big happens in the news you wonder if it is big enough to qualify for Maven’s annual year-end top 10 list of the year’s biggest PR snafus aka our holiday card (click here to sign up for our newsletter to get this holiday card)

13. You truly enjoy and respect interns and appreciate internship programs (the best way to learn about PR is ‘in the field’), especially Drexel University’s amazing Co-Op Program and dedicated students (Go Dragons!)

14. You get really excited when a prized media outlet publishes its 2012 editorial calendar, which can be anytime between September and December (it’s like Christmas before Christmas)

Stay tuned to our website, blog, Facebook and Twitter for more Maven breaking news, anecdotes and insight!

Measure. Adjust. Repeat.

Jessica Sharp — Tue, 10 May 2011 17:37:06 +0000

We’re quickly approaching the halfway point of 2011. For many of us, that also means we’re approaching the halfway point in our marketing campaign for the year. How effective has it been so far? If your boss asked, could you provide ROI today? If campaign measurement isn’t something that you’re going to worry about until November, you might want to think again.

Most people think that evaluation is something that happens at the completion of a campaign. In fact, evaluation should happen at different intervals throughout the year. This way you have the ability to assess the effectiveness and then adjust accordingly, creating an even stronger campaign. In addition, evaluation provides an opportunity for ongoing improvement and helps guide the campaign in a successful direction.

Think about campaign evaluation as a circular process – information is acquired, changes are made based on that information, more information is acquired, more changes are made, and so on. This is a relatively straightforward process, if you’ve built in the appropriate framework for evaluation. If you haven’t, or aren’t sure, here are a few things to consider:

Make sure your objectives are measurable. While a goal is a general outcome expected when a campaign or program is completed, an objective is very specific and based on projected and actual program outcomes. Your campaign objectives should be unambiguous and stated in a clear way that allows you to determine whether they have been met. They should be specific in terms of timeframe and outcome. For example: our objective is to increase the number of hits to our blog 20 percent by December 2011.

Know what you’re measuring and determine the right tool. Surveys can be an excellent way to measure public opinion, consumer sentiment, and awareness, but it is not a one-size-fits all measurement tool. If your objective is to increase web traffic then use a website analytics tool like Google Analytics; if you’re looking to measure awareness you can conduct an online survey; or if your objective is to ensure your key messages are conveyed in your press coverage, then a media analytics program like Vocus or Burrelles Luce may be appropriate.

Determine a benchmark. Inherently, measurement is a comparative tool. To effectively measure the relative success or failure of a campaign, you need to compare to something else. (For example, if your website gets 10,000 unique visitors/month but your biggest competitor gets 40,000, it may be time to adjust your strategy). The most effective comparisons are to the competition and peers over time, however that information isn’t always available. Another benchmark is to compare your results to past performance over a specific time period.

Once you’ve collected all of your data, draw conclusions and adjust. Ideally with each change made, the campaign gets stronger and produces better results. At the end of the day, continuous evaluation of a marketing campaign allows for those who control the marketing dollars to see the real value and return in real, hard numbers and positive results.

5 Things the Classroom Didn’t Teach Me About Public Relations

Maven — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:51:17 +0000

Interning at Maven for the past five months has allowed me to see what PR is all about. As a senior at Villanova University, I have taken many Public Relations courses, but there are a few lessons that simply cannot be taught in the classroom.

Here is what I learned:

1. I had the impression that public relations is a service provided to businesses only in times of need. After five months of working with a wide variety of clients, I learned that public relations is an integral part of the day to day operations of any successful business. A public relations is not the friend you call in a crisis, but the person you talk to everyday.

2. Public relations begins with effective communication. This may seem obvious, but my experience taught me that without effective communication, you cannot create a successful marketing campaign. I have learned the importance of collaborating and cooperating with your client through the idea and campaign process. This starts with understanding your client and interpreting your client’s goals for the campaign from day one.

3. No client is the same. You must tailor your approach to fit the specific needs of each client. The classroom did not teach that there is no typical PR strategy because there is no typical client. During my time at Maven, I had to privilege of working with a broad range of clients from a variety of different industries.

4. Don’t let the public forget about you! While your clients are your first priority, you must also focus on your own public relations campaign. The classroom focuses on client relationships so much that it is easy to forget PR agencies also need PR.

5. Though you concentrate on building relationships with clients, you must build relationships with your co-workers. My professors forgot to mention how building relationships within the workplace helps with brainstorming and creativity. Building relationships with the people in your office leads to great experiences–if you enjoy your work, you’ll probably be more successful.

Overall, my time at Maven allowed me to expand on the fundamentals I learned in the classroom. Through this experience I learned the true definition of public relations, which the classroom can only begin to provide. Though I don’t know where I’ll be after graduation, I know I won’t forgot the amazing experience I had and how much the women at Maven impacted my work ethic and life goals.

Phillies’ Homes for the Home Opener

Maven — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:45:01 +0000

Prudential Fox and Roach, Realtors , the tri-state region’s #1 residential real estate firm, approached Maven to help them communicate the agency’s breadth and depth of resources and services to internal and external audiences. As the regional market leader, PF&R was looking for new ways to engage agents, consumers and the media, while continuing to position the firm as the source for residential real estate market information.

A fraction of Maven’s strategy was to create and maintain a company blog featuring regional real estate data, lifestyle stories, tips and community profiles. The blog was developed to engage potential home buyers and sellers, while also serving as a resource for PF&R agents looking to share the latest market information.

Here is a sample entry on the homes of our hometown, home run-hitting Phillies from Prudential Fox and Roach’s blog:

Phillies’ Homes for Home Opener

Phillies’ Homes for the Home Opener

On Friday, April 1^st, the Phillies 2011 – 2012 season began with the Philadelphia Phillies overcoming the Houston Astros with a 5 – 4 win at Citizens Bank Park. In honor of the home opener, we’ve highlighted of the homes and neighborhoods of our favorite Phillies who live in the Philadelphia region. Just for kicks, we also included their salaries for the year, and calculated how many homes they could buy in the region.

The Line Up:

Manager: Charlie Manuel

Home Field: Haddonfield, Camden County, NJ

2010 Median Sale Price in Camden County: $174,000

In the off-season, Manuel lives in Winter Haven, Fla. During the season, however, the couple can be found cruising Kings Highway in Haddonfield, NJ, where they are both active in the community. Read more about Charlie’s life in Haddonfield and with the Phillies in this article for SJ Magazine by clicking here.

Charlie Manuel’s salary for the 2011 season is $2.4M, meaning good old Charlie could purchase more than 13 houses in Camden County this year.

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Player: Cliff Lee

Home Field: Rittenhouse Square, Center City, Philadelphia

2010 Median Sale Price in Rittenhouse Square: $392,500

Pitching phenom Cliff Lee has found a home in Philadelphia, both figuratively and literally. During the baseball season, Cliff Lee will rest his pitching at the luxurious 1706 Rittenhouse Square condominium complex, which is located in Center City Philadelphia’s swankiest and most expensive neighborhood. Condos in the building average $5M per unit.

With his 2011 salary of $11M, Cliff could buy 28 median-priced homes in Rittenhouse Square.

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Player: Chase Utley

Home Field: Washington Square, Center City, Philadelphia

2010 Median Sale Price in Washington Square: $408,000

Second baseman, Chase Utley, was born in Pasadena, California, but Philadelphia loves him. As a fixture of the Philly social scene, Chase Utley and wife Jennifer live in Center City in one of the city’s most prestigious and trendy buildings, The Ayer in Washington Square.

With a projected salary of $15M this year, Chase could buy 36 homes in Washington Square.

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Player: Ryan Howard

Home Field: Blue Bell, Montgomery, PA

2010 Median Sale Price in Blue Bell: $259,000

This Ryan Howard first baseman joined the Philadelphia Phillies after being called up from the minors in 2004. Since then, he has the Major League life style, including his gorgeous home in Blue Bell, a borough of Montgomergy County, PA

Ryan Howard’s salary for the 2011 season is $20M, meaning this lucky lefty could purchase 77 houses in Montgomery County this year.

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Player: Jimmy Rollins

Home Field: Swedesboro, Gloucester County, NJ

2010 Median Sale Price in Gloucester County: $188,000

“J-Roll” is an All-Star and former MVP shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies. In 2001, he was a rookie and the only Phillie to roll into the All Star Game. When not raising funds from his charity, the Jimmy Rollins Foundation, Jimmy hangs out in his Swedesboro mansion. Would you like a tour of J-Roll’s home from the man himself? If so, take the grand tour by clicking the video below, presented by Red Bull.

With a salary of $8.5M, Jimmy can buy 45 homes in Gloucester County.

*Data based on the Prudential Fox & Roach HomExpert Market Report for 2010. Data is deemed accurate but not guaranteed.

Reputation Management in the Age of Colloboration

Rebecca Devine — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:25:50 +0000

Maven’s Jessica Sharp weighs in with 1to1 Media on crisis managment in the digital media age. The article has been republished from 1-to-1 Media. To view the original story please visit http://www.1to1media.com/view.aspx?docid=32698.

1to1 Magazine

Date: 12/13/2010

Issue: December 2010

People: Elizabeth Glagowski

Content Channel: Marketing

Reputation Management in the Age of Colloboration

What can companies do to rebound when their brand or industry reputation is tarnished, even if it’s out of their control?

The Toyota Hilux is one tough truck. It’s so sturdy, in fact, that the British television show Top Gear tried numerous times to destroy it by driving it down a flight of steps, crashing it into a tree, washing it out to sea, hitting it with a wrecking ball, setting it on fire, and putting it on top of a block of apartments that was destroyed by a controlled demolition. In all cases, the truck sustained damage but was still able to start up with minimal work.

Its invincibility can be a great brand builder, but it can also be a hindrance. In October, Newsweek profiled the truck as being used by insurgents in Afghanistan, Sudan, Pakistan, Nicaragua, and elsewhere. The truck is now considered by some as synonymous with rebel groups, a fact Toyota may want to keep close to its vest. The Hilux is one example of a brand whose reputation moved out of the manufacturer’s control. The speed of information today only exacerbates the risk businesses run of quickly developing a negative reputation. What can companies do to rebound when their brand or industry reputation is tarnished, even if it’s out of their control? The simple answer is to develop a strong reputation ahead of any negativity, says Jessica Sharp, principal at public relations agency Maven Communications. “A reputation is built over time,” she says. “People, products, and a company’s content of character must have integrity all along the way. Being transparent is so important because it’s so hard now to hide things or get around things.”

Consumer education is the key at MyMoneyPartner.com

Joseph Lilly, founding principal of MyMoneyPartner.com, knows this challenge well. His company connects consumers with short-term lenders for cash advance payday loans. The industry’s reputation is less than stellar, thanks to some lenders’ predatory lending tactics and customer exploitation to gain a quick buck. When an industry has a poor reputation, the best way to counteract that is by differentiating a company from other players as much as possible, says Sharp. Lilly fights its industry reputation by educating the public, promoting regulatory reform, and serving as a financial resource for consumers. ”I believe that part of the reason [the industry has] gotten a bad reputation is because the product is misunderstood,” Lilly says. “The product is meant to be taken out today and paid back the next payday,” to cover unforeseen expenses in the very short term. The company has begun an aggressive consumer education campaign to dissuade consumers from using it for holiday shopping or other non-emergency reasons. The awareness campaign includes a website FAQ on the loan details and resources such as budgeting tools, credit assessments, and links to financial literacy information. In addition, website visitors can download a PDF of the popular book “The Busy Family’s Guide to Money” for free.

“Consumers that use our product aren’t very financially savvy,” Lilly says. “It’s useful to provide them with some alternatives to using the product in the long term. I can’t in good conscience run a brand that just exploits the consumer.” MyMoneyPartner’s efforts to understand and satisfy the needs of its customers is another best practice in maintaining a positive reputation, according to Bill Alberti, vice president of business strategy at Communispace. “Mitigate risk by understanding how you’re perceived by customers all the time,” he says. “Your reputation is owned by customers. It’s not your own.” According to Alberti, companies need to understand the emotional connection customers have with a brand, which sets the foundation of a relationship. “Trust is essential. It’s your job at the C-level to understand that reputation, plan, manage, and adapt it over time,” he says. “Inevitably changes will happen.” He uses the 2007 toy recall as an example. Mattel was perceived negatively following the high-profile discovery of lead paint in numerous toys the toy company had produced in China. Mattel recalled millions of toys, but also looked to its customer community to help repair its brand reputation. Prior to its troubles, Mattel’s worldwide consumer insights department worked with Communispace to launch The Playground Community, an online customer community composed of 400 moms. The original goal was for Mattel to put its finger on the pulse of its customers. The community was already in place when the recall happened. It provided Mattel with insights around how customers felt about the recall, Mattel, and China-produced toys, their perceptions of Mattel’s response plan, what their biggest fears and concerns were, and what Mattel could do to help them. Community members also helped the company shape a promotion for one of the toy lines that was affected by the recall, Alberti says. As a result, fourth quarter sales in 2007 increased 6 percent from the previous year.

Buzz and reputation are not synonymous With the speed and number of platforms information travels in today, reputations may be helped or hurt in a very short time. But Alberti notes that sometimes information that generates a lot of online buzz may not actually damage a reputation with customers. He uses the “Motrin Moms” story as an example. In 2008 the company created a tongue-in-cheek ad about how much pain is caused by mothers “wearing” their babies in slings and other types of carriers. Some women found the ad offensive, and went on their own offensive with negative tweets on Twitter, critical videos on YouTube, and postings on other social sites. Motrin responded with an apology and pulled the ads. While it generated a lot of publicity, a survey of Motrin customers found that a high percentage didn’t care about the ad. With social media, “something can seem like a much bigger issue than it might be,” Alberti says. “You need to understand what’s meaningful to you and your customers.”

Reputation management, 4 tips

No matter how much preventative work they do, sometimes companies need help repairing their reputation. Sharp of Maven Communications offers some tactical tips for how to manage a brand when a negative situation occurs.

Be prepared. If possible, create a reputation management plan well ahead of any crisis. This includes creating a cross-functional repair team, deciding who the spokesperson will be, and creating mock scenarios to practice a response.
Point people back to your website. If possible, any public response should point to a message within your control, such as a company website. Sharp says some companies have server space at the ready in case a new area of the site needs to be activated quickly.
Use YouTube. “YouTube is a powerful medium to relate to consumers and shareholders in a personal way,” Sharp says. Companies don’t use it enough to communicate with customers.
Embrace social media. “You can’t control it, but that’s OK,” Sharp says. Use it to disseminate information, get feedback, and listen to what customers are saying. Allow for two-way communication. “Whatever medium is being used [to spread negative sentiment] is the one you should use also.”

Sharp adds that over the long term, a reputational crisis could be good to help a company evolve. “Going through a crisis helps companies see what they can do to address future issues, make changes, and put things into perspective.”

ULI Fall Meeting: Is Commercial Real Estate Social?

Rebecca Devine — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 20:14:56 +0000

Last week, I participated in a panel discussion on social media and engagement at the Urban Land Institute’s Annual Fall Meeting. Moderated by Retail Traffic’s Editor-in-Chief David Bodamer, the session posed an interesting question to the real estate industry: Is commercial real estate social? Resoundingly, the answer is yes, even if real estate has been slow to adopt social media as a whole.

To view a recap of the discussion from Urban Land.com, with includes tips and strategies for how CRE can embrace social media, click here or read full article below.

Who Says Commercial Real Estate Isn’t a Social Media Industry?

by Joseph Klem

October 14, 2010

More and more players in commercial real estate are using social media to connect with their customers, said panelists at “Social Media and Engagement,” a session at ULI’s 2010 Fall Meeting.

“I still hear people in commercial real estate who say, ‘We’re not a social media industry – we do our business face-to-face,” said Rebecca Devine, Principal of Maven Communications. “But that’s a misnomer. “ She noted that now social media tools are being used not only by the consumer-facing segments, such as retailers and real estate agents, but also business-to-business segments. People prefer doing business with those they know, Devine noted, and today people get to know you through social media.

The session focused primarily on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, but also touched upon blogs and YouTube videos as ways to engage with customers, partners and prospective employees.

Devine laid out five ways firms are using social media to boost their business:

Executive positioning – demonstrate your firm’s thought leadership by sharing their speeches and white papers via blogs, video, etc.
Sales and Marketing – promote your properties and connect with prospective buyers, renters and shoppers.
Human Resources – many firms already pre-screen candidates via LinkedIn and Facebook before hiring. But Devine noted that candidates also screen you, so be sure your company has a page and/or profile on these sites, and keep it current.
Market Research – use social media to listen to your audience. Tools such as Google Alerts and TweetDeck allow you to easily monitor how your company, your competitors, keywords and phrases are turning up in blogs and other online conversations.
Community Relations – many firms, especially in the multifamily market, use social media to raise awareness for community relations efforts and corporate giving.

Devine added this note of advice: “The biggest myth about social media is that it’s free. It’s not. You need to devote resources to it. Who’s going to be the content provider? Are you going to update it every day? Every week?” If people see a big launch but no follow-through, you will lose credibility, she said.

An inside real estate perspective come from Rajeev Sajja, IT Director for E-Business and Program Management at Prudential Fox & Roach. “Social media is not an island,” he said. “It’s an extension of your strategy. To get the right level of attention, I had to go to the executives of my company – and they’re mostly baby boomers – and say, “I need a few hours of your time,” and get them in a room.”

Sajja also warned against getting too entrenched in one tool or platform. “Tools change,” he said. “I don’t think Facebook is going away anytime soon, but if it did, our strategy shouldn’t change.”

Tips on blogging were offered by Aaron M. Renn, Principal of Urbanophile, LLC. “When you’re blogging, you need to be a real person,” he said. “You need to be authentic. Most successful blogs are written by people who are largely independent” – that is, free to say what’s on their mind. Many corporate blogs don’t take off, he noted, because they have the same scrubbed language and corporate-speak that’s found in press releases, and social media consumers don’t and won’t connect with it.

Another key to blogging success: read others’ blogs in your field, link to their content, and comment – not in way that simply promotes your firm or your offering, but in a way that truly furthers the conversation. You’ll find that other bloggers will reciprocate, and it boosts your firms’ search engine rankings as a result.

Finally, reinforcing the idea of devoting the proper resources to the effort, Renn said, “The term ‘social media intern’ should be banned from the lexicon. Many people think, ‘I bring in a 21-year-old to manage this for me; they’re good at this.’ But if this is your business, shouldn’t you treat it like a business?”

Showtime! Maven Plays Producer

Sarah Casey — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:29:55 +0000

At Maven, we are always looking to promote our clients in new and creative ways. And when there is no “breaking” news to announce on behalf of your clients, a good PR firm will find ways to create their own.

Salon Vanity by Edmondo Blando on the 10! Show

Excel Physical Therapy and Fitness and Salon Vanity by Edmondo Blando, are two consumer clients whose clients include many brides-to-be looking to gear up for their big day. Since June is the most popular month of the year to get married, we thought why not pitch a targeted broadcast segment focusing specifically on weddings? With broadcast coverage in mind, we approached the NBC 10! Show with the idea of launching a “wedding special” featuring both clients. The producers loved the idea of putting together a show about the hottest trends in weddings in the hottest month to get married. With a tight time line of three weeks, wedding special feature grew from two segments into an entire hour-long program dedicated to the hottest wedding trends – everything from flowers, dresses, dances, hair & makeup, wedding planners, fitness, food and more with an audience consisting entirely of brides-to-be. Maven and the NBC 10! team divided and conquered the show and all of its various components.

Excel Physical Therapy and Fitness on the 10! Show

In addition to our two clients, Maven secured fabulous wedding consultant Vinnie D’Adamo of Kaleidoscope Solutions to cover wedding planning trends, and high end bridal boutique Bridals by Danielle to showcase the hottest wedding dress trends for the season. We outlined the segments, developed key messages for guests, media trained the spokesperson and practiced run-throughs with all our segment guests to ensure the show was flawless.

As well as conducting the orchestra of semi-live television (the 10! Show is taped at 10am as if live but then plays as is at 11am), Maven was charged with filling the 50-seat audience entirely with brides-to-be and assemble a gift bag for each. We ended the bride search with a waiting list 15 brides deep and a very excited studio audience. In addition, gift bags for the audience turned out wonderfully with a value of more than $500 each.

The icing on the wedding cake was a special giveaway to one lucky bride in the audience. Maven was able to secure:

A three-day/2-night Luxury Included® Honeymoon to any of the twelve Sandals Resorts with locations in Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia and the Bahamas. The lucky couple’s Luxury Included® stay includes lavish accommodations, all meals, including gourmet dining and anytime snacks, premium brand beverages, daily & nightly entertainment, an array of land and water-sports including snorkeling and scuba, gratuities, and transfers to and from the resort designated airport.

The excited Sandals Resorts' winner!

The brides had no idea about their chance to win this special getaway when signing up for the show, but they were thrilled to find out! The winner was thrilled and Maven basked in its once in a lifetime Oprah-inspired moment.

Watch our clients’ segments below as seen by the estimated 27,000 daily viewers of the 10! Show. Maven placed the videos of their segments on their respective websites and facebook pages and made sure people saw how great they were and are! We owe the 10! Show team and everyone who helped out a HUGE thank you! Please visit the websites of those who donated to the gift bags at the end of this post. In addition, you can find more behind the scenes photos on Maven’s facebook page.

Everyone was elated with how the wedding special turned out, especially and most importantly, our clients, who were thrilled with the exposure the segment provided.

Gift Bag Contributors:

Sandals Resorts

Beke Beau

Bellezza Veils

Brandywine Valley Talent

Bridals by Danielle

Byers’ Choice, LTD.

Carl Alan Floral Designs

Excel Physical Therapy and Fitness

It’s in the Stars

Kaleidoscope Solutions

Larmon Studios

Marriott Philadelphia West

Philadelphia Marriott Downtown

Pictures by Todd,

Priscilla of Boston

Proud to Plan

Queen of Hearts Weddings

Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia

Sabrina Ann

Sagets Formal Wear

Salon Vanity by Edmondo Blando

Silver Image Photography

Spell it Out

Stella & Dot

Interview Tips from the Trenches

Rebecca Devine — Fri, 28 May 2010 18:23:44 +0000

As a communications agency, media relations training is part and parcel of what we do. We train clients almost every week on media do’s and don’ts to ensure they communicate their messages as clearly and effectively as possible. Recently, however, I was reminded that even the trainers could use some training to brush up on interview skills.

Rebecca "off camera"

In April, I was featured on a local NBC news segment regarding the Tiger Woods’ Nike Ad, featuring a voice over from Tiger’s deceased father. There were a few things that went awry almost immediately. First, I was late. Big no-no. Not only does that aggravate the producer, who has to deal with possibility a no-show segment, but it eliminates the opportunity for you to understand your surroundings, review message points, and relax. As a result, I look tense and uncomfortable during the anchor’s introduction. Actually, I look like I’m channeling Elin Woods right before she smashed the back of Tiger’s Escalade with one of his golf clubs. On camera, everything communicates. Body language, expressions, hand gestures, dress, etc. all convey a message about you and your company. If my message was discomfort, then I think I hit a home run.

Given the humbling reminder on the importance of media prep, I thought I’d share (and review) some tips for succession media interview strategies below.

Define your Purpose: Before agreeing to do any interview, make sure you have a specific end game in mind. How will the interview benefit you or your company? If you can’t think of anything, then allow the opportunity to pass. If you accept the interview, be sure to set specific goals for what you want to communicate. Develop 3-5 key messages that you want to deliver throughout the interview. These are the main ideas you’ll want to hammer home during the course of your interview.

Prepare, Practice, Repeat: Once you have your key messages in place, you’ll need to practice. Have a colleague or member of your communications team run sample Q&A with you so you can get comfortable with the responses. Make sure you have answers to the tough questions. Even in friendly interview settings, it is important to have a response to questions you may not like answering. Practice answering every question with a key message, and remember to keep your responses focused and concise. In addition, it helps to do your homework before you walk into the interview. What is the reporter’s interview style like? What have they covered in the past? What will the interview format be? Is the interview live or taped; in-person or via phone/satellite? Doing a little legwork up front will ensure you are comfortable and prepared during your interview.

Watch your Body Language: For in person or on-camera interviews, everything communicates. Even in positive interview situations, it is easy to look tense or stiff (ahem), which can impact credibility. Arrive 15 minutes early to give yourself time to relax and review your message points. If you have time before the interview, walk around take deep breaths to loosen up your body. Avoid wild hand movements or big gestures when emphasizing your point. If possible, maintain eye contact with the reporter as it helps to establish a connection with the reporters. If the interview is being conducted via satellite, look directly into the camera and keep your gaze steady.

Stay on Message: Listen carefully to the reporters questions, and take your time in responding to avoid rushing your response. Remember your key points and try incorporate them in every single answer. Keep your answers short and sweet, and avoid industry jargon to keep your explanations clear and easy to understand. If a reporter asks you a question you cannot or will not answer, say so and offer an alternative if possible. You can say something like “I can’t give out personal employee information, but what I can tell you is….” or “We don’t have that information at this time, but we are investigating the situation and will keep you apprised of any new developments.”

Avoid “No Comment”: If you can’t answer a question, emphasize what you can say and go back to your key message points. Never go off the record to explain your point, even if the cameras are not rolling. If you don’t want to comment to be shared, don’t make it. Period.

All Aboard ‘Bizarre PR’

Sarah Casey — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:29:59 +0000

Recently, I served as Maven Communication’s ambassador, as we were a sponsor, at a wonderful event hosted and organized by Drexel University’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). This annual day long conference for regional PRSA student chapters focused on “bizarre yet successful PR campaigns in the sports, publishing, film, events and corporate fields.” More bizarre than the campaigns was my glimpse back in time as I looked around at all the fresh faced college students diligently taking notes and enjoying a glimpse into the ‘real world’ of PR. And who wouldn’t enjoy a look behind the curtain?

I thought the most interesting seminar was presented on crisis PR from Jerri Williams, chief press officer at SEPTA. Yes, her title makes even me say, “yikes, that is one heck of a job.” I was interested not only because I am one of those thousands of people cursing SEPTA in the morning, and most evenings, but also because any Philadelphian knows SEPTA has had a tough year by even the toughest standards. Ms. Williams was insightful, eloquent, honest and refreshingly witty about SEPTA’s past year and her process of dealing with crises. The best part was her delightful redundant questions testing our knowledge about what qualifies as a ‘crisis.’

“What is a crisis? How about when the Transport Workers Union goes on strike at 3am on a Tuesday morning leaving the 3.8 million people relying on SEPTA’s buses, trolleys subways and some rail lines stranded? Or what about if three days later a train on a popular regional rail line, which was not affected by the strike, catches fire and 400 people have to evacuate on the tracks? Or maybe it was the following day when a SEPTA employee was struck and killed by a train?…”

It certainly made her point, as well as put my daily to-do lists and the students’ term papers to shame. Ms. Williams made two other noteworthy points: 1) it is not always SEPTA’s responsibility, but it is always SEPTA’s problem and 2) no matter how much of her job is fending defending SEPTA’s reputation, it is always important to establish a positive reputation as well. It may not be SEPTA’s responsibility to police and respond to attacks within the underground passages, which are technically city property, but the news and public see it as so. It affects their commuters thus it is their duty to respond. As much as is Ms. Williams chief responsibility to mitigate crisis, another important role is to establish and encourage positive perceptions of SEPTA, like her initiative “Did You Find Love on SEPTA?” contest, which featured 14 couples who found love aboard SEPTA.

SEPTA’s crises have undoubtedly taken a toll on its public perception. However with Ms. Williams at the wheel, I trust its team is doing their best and with a touch of tasteful humor as well. I will try to remember that at the bus stop tomorrow morning.