http://www.bellpottingerusa.com/blog.php?switch=main A blog written by people of Bell Pottinger USA en-us Thu, 08 Mar 2007 11:28:54 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss PHP based generator by http://www.400lb.com mcollingwood@bellpottingerusa.com nate@400lb.comm http://www.bellpottingerusa.com/blog/entry/15 <p>With the Patriots no longer contending and Super Bowl Sunday just around the corner, I have been thinking about the kind of sports fan I am. Talking with friends and co-workers, this is a phenomenon that deserves attention. </p><p>I am talking about the casual fan—those who enjoy the sport from a distance. Sometimes referred to as bandwagon or fairweather fans, these are people who enjoy the excitement, anticipation, celebrations, passion and personalities that emerge as the regular season comes to and end and playoffs begin.</p><p>These supporters- many of them female- rarely read sports pages or watch ESPN, but come playoff season, start to pay attention, becoming minor experts in a short period of time. They collect fan gear, and at work, talk about games, players and discuss how they plan to watch the next big game.</p><p>Bandwagon fans face ridicule by more devout supporters. They are criticized for not knowing the game and for showing interest only when a team is winning and the good times are rolling.</p><p>While there may be truth to that, it’s time to defend the casual sports appreciator. Fairweather fans bring balance to the party, not flying off the handle when things go badly and maintaining a more philosophical approach to winning and losing. We recover more quickly and find enjoyment in many of the less obvious aspects of a game, like uniform styles, stadium design, music selection, menu planning and the antics of fans, staff and players away from the center of action.</p><p>As the forty-first approaches, it is safe to say that Super Bowl Sunday has earned a place on the American calendar comparable to a national holiday. And, as with most national holidays, groups and individuals honor, observe and celebrate in diverse ways.</p><p>As you sit down (or not) for this weekend’s event, take a moment to appreciate the bandwagon fans in your life: how they signify the closing of a good season and the positive, if not naïve, energy that they bring to the sporting experience. </p> Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:10:00 GMT http://www.bellpottingerusa.com/blog/entry/15 http://www.bellpottingerusa.com/blog/entry/17 Dealing with clients and prospects, PR people often run into a familiar problem–a hesitance to "waste time" on small, lesser known news outlets in favor of the large national publications, which they feel promises greater exposure. Many don't realize though that a well-placed byline or feature story in a smaller, more targeted publication can be far more effective in driving the right people to the business. Case in point - managing public relations for a small technology manufacturing company, I recently succeeded in gaining coverage in Maximum PC Magazine. As a result of the positive product review, phones began ringing off the hook. The client could not keep the product on the shelf and had to hire a new customer service representative to keep up with orders. Later, the company gained coverage in USA Today, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, but in terms of sales, nothing approached the hits generated by that one tech publication review. By no means am I suggesting that companies target only smaller circulation outlets. My point is that successful public relations involves pursuing and respecting all targets, large and small. What clients do not always appreciate is that in many cases, the niche publications deliver better business results than splashy national coverage. Whether it's an independent blogger, an engineering-focused newsletter or an industry-specific trade publication, clients should never underestimate the power that readers of such publications can yield. It's all about reaching the right audience – the people most likely to respond to a message and be motivated to purchase or investigate the product or service. For a B2B software firm, that might mean getting coverage in a vertical like Product Design and Development, which is read by people who are directly concerned with achieving more effective business processes. For a wireless consultant, coverage in a telecom trade like Wireless Week can be infinitely more valuable in driving sales than coverage in a major business publication like Forbes or Business Week. Remember that reporters have careers too. They change beats and move from publication to publication. Establishing good relationships with editors across relevant media can deliver lasting rewards. Reporters remember the companies who provide valuable information and who are cooperative in helping to round out stories, meet deadlines or just hold an informal conversation on a given topic. Today's niche trade reporter may be tomorrow's national news publication writer, so it's important to be versatile and responsive in the way clients and PR people relate to all of the media. And the news food chain moves in both directions- reporters from large publications turn to small publications for research on a topic. The more an organization shows up in online searches, the more it creates a reputation for itself when the "big" reporter goes looking for story information. Thu, 08 Feb 2007 23:49:00 GMT http://www.bellpottingerusa.com/blog/entry/17 http://www.bellpottingerusa.com/blog/entry/16 All of Boston is buzzing with the controversy surrounding yesterday's mistaken, so-called terror scare. The majority opinion is that the city bumbled at every level and that we should be appalled at the chaos, confusion and waste created by local officials. In addition, those responsible for placing blinking, battery-powered devices under bridges and on public landmarks- essentially shutting down the city for hours- are described as artists and innocent scapegoats. While it is clear that officials over-reacted, I can't help but think Mayor Menino and his minions are being judged too harshly. The gross arrogance of the entertainment industry seems more to blame. As the competition for dwindling broadcast audiences grows more heated everyday, tactics to gain attention of fickle viewers with too many choices become more desperate and tasteless (really, a cartoon character giving the finger qualifies as art?). I can't help but think that in placing the Lite-Brite-esque signs at such points around the city, those responsible were well aware of the "terror" associations they might be making, albeit tongue in cheek. In following today's outpouring of criticism and analysis, there is a smug air of "oh you silly, brainwashed, post 9/11 people" running through. While some of us may in fact be jumpy and confused when it comes to public and private safety, it's an understandable condition. In a time when baby formula, shampoo and lip gloss are classified as dangerous weapons, it should come as no surprise that blinking electronic plaques stuck under bridges could set off panic. It is arrogant of the program producers to assume their images are so well known that passersby would simply smirk in recognition and look forward to catching the next episode. Granted, similar campaigns were launched in other cities simultaneously and no other administrations "freaked" the way we did in Boston yesterday. But that is not an argument, in my opinion. As most of us learned as kids, when you play a prank on a group of people, there is always the chance that someone will end up suffering for your sense of humor. In recent years, officials in other parts of this country have been ripped apart for not responding adequately to threats and warnings. In Boston yesterday, officials may have gone too far in trying to ensure the same did not happen here. Thu, 01 Feb 2007 18:58:00 GMT http://www.bellpottingerusa.com/blog/entry/16 http://www.bellpottingerusa.com/blog/entry/18 <p>These days we find ourselves knee deep in the rebirth of the press release. Not only are our press releases getting distributed by e-mail and fax (yes, for some the fax does still exist), it is now necessary to ensure that they are optimized for online searches. No longer mere news announcements, press releases have become part of a client’s marketing content that is indexed by search engines.</p><p>That means hyperlinks, images and keyword phrases, (all strategically placed throughout the document to ensure maximum exposure), contribute to the all-important effort of making sure the client’s name and news come up when someone enters a particular search phrase into Google. The challenge here is to maximize search engine criteria while at the same time keeping the news somewhat “human,” so that editors and the average reader take interest in the story, instead of passing over an obvious piece of marketing material.</p><p>Interestingly, journalists are also beginning to optimize stories as content, albeit cautiously. (See New York Times article from April 9, 2006: This Boring Headline was Written for Google). For a given article, mainstream media writers are composing multiple headlines for a given story- one that appeals to search engines and another that captures the eyes of human beings.</p><p>This split also seems to be where public relations is headed. There’s the press release compiled for digital perception, followed by the version for human consumption. What I wonder is, as “search engine optimization” becomes the business mantra, will the key-word-driven text ultimately replace the more narrative, informative versions? </p><p>While there are definite advantages to making the most of SEO standards, there are also concerns. As everything and everyone grows more consumed by the online marketing game, we may be teetering on the edge of a new world of communication and expression. PR people have long been accused of twisting messages and creating spin, but this may pale in comparison to the new age of Search Engine-ese. </p> Fri, 16 Feb 2007 13:05:00 GMT http://www.bellpottingerusa.com/blog/entry/18 http://www.bellpottingerusa.com/blog/entry/14 It's a new year and time to liven up this space. Launched in the Fall of '06 as part of our new website, the team at BPUSA was in near-full agreement that the site should include a blog. What we did not consider at the time was its intended use and what would be the system for keeping it fresh and percolating with original content. Since that time, ideas have cycled by, but without a process in place to assign deadlines and get it out while its fresh, not much happens. It's not that the intentions were bad. Business is brisk, new staff and clients have joined us, holidays and tropical winter weather made their appearance, cold and flu season took its toll, the Patriots met their demise in Indianapolis and a buzz of travel and activity has kept potential bloggers otherwise engaged behind the scenes. With this experience, I know we are not alone. A blogging culture does not develop overnight nor with the debut of a new website. So with this, we commit to more frequent comments, opinions, observations, questions, reviews and other considerations to be shared at this location. Please leave comments when you can and help continue the conversation. Wed, 24 Jan 2007 17:37:00 GMT http://www.bellpottingerusa.com/blog/entry/14