Posted by Mark Tedeschi on Wed, May 16, 2012 @ 02:48 PM
Ari Jacoby, the CEO of Solve Media, recently contributed a guest post to the Forbes CIO Network that touches on a few ways that marketers can approach brand perception, including moving away from traditional surveys and research studies. In the ever-evolving world of Marketing & PR, understanding brand perception is an essential task and the ideas presented by Jacoby offer fresh ways to look at how brands and labels will be viewed in the future.
A Common Sense Approach To Measuring Brand Perception
Guest post written by Ari Jacoby
Ari Jacoby is CEO of Solve Media.
Ari Jacoby
I love Porsche, the brand. I love their cars, SUV’s, TV commercials and everything I believe they stand for. But what do I really mean by “love”? I also “love” puppies, rainbows and unicorns. Do these stand for the same things Porsche does? What do people honestly think of when they look at a brand?
In modern marketing, just because a brand wants to stand for greatness doesn’t mean everyone will say great things about it. Brands are not just what they say they are. Brands are what consumers say they are. A brand’s true identity lies in its perception. If brands want to know how they are truly perceived they should just ask people, right? As if it were that easy…
The Honest Impression
Most brands have a decent, but imperfect, sense of how they are perceived and how their marketing investments move that perception needle. Today, if marketers want to gauge what people think about their brands, there are a variety of (mostly academic) survey methodologies and feedback loops to utilize. Unfortunately, most brand research studies take too long to set-up and administer, and are not timely enough to optimize campaigns. These studies are very expensive and subject to significant survey biases, like low response rates and response bias, where respondents answers questions in the way they think the questioner wants them to answer, rather than according to their honest beliefs. As such, typical brand research studies are failing us: they net opinions that are often inaccurate and insight-free.
The most accurate composite of a brand’s true identity seems to come from a consumer’s first gut reaction to it. Complex brand memories are created over time, and the first word(s) or image(s) that spring to mind are really the sum total of a consumers experiences with a brand, in its marketing and use. What’s more valid than that?
When marketers figure out simple, inexpensive ways to access an aggregate stream of opinion and sentiment data, brands will get a truly accurate read on perception. This is a “big data” problem for sure, but it is hardly insurmountable.
Shorten the Information Cycle
Luckily, marketers can now crowd source the process and proactively cull people’s deep-rooted beliefs about a brand. The perception on social networks, blogs, product reviews, etc. – the stuff people readily volunteer and share on the Web — is better than traditional research and surveys. It’s like a focus group but with scale. Better yet, marketers don’t have to twist anyone’s arm for it in the form of free iPads.
If marketers can tap the social brand sentiment stream, they should be able to understand the semantics of the statements people make about their brands. Brands need to gauge more than just positivity and negativity, though. They need to analyze these “top of mind” attitudes in order to create actionable plans to reinforce the good brand memories and dislodge the negative associations.
Re-think the Definition of Research
There is a time and place for high-touch, scientific-driven methodologies for measuring the industry. But there is also a true need for more nimble alternatives that, while seemingly less rigorous, are faster, more cost-effective, and immediately actionable. A consumer’s unbiased first instinct about a brand contains an exceptionally valuable truth. Social tools can unlock some of this data algorithmically, but a larger scale, industry-wide effort is needed for brands to tap into these sentiments and reach individuals at scale.
It’s clearly in a brand’s best interest to continually measure brand sentiment, in a cost effective manner. The smarter we get around optimizing marketing messages for specific audiences, the better our performance will be. Mad Men’s Don Draper has said: “If you don’t like your brand’s perception, change it.” With easier tools and more flexible research technologies, we are better equipped today to do just that for the brands we serve.
Share your thoughts with us regarding this article: Are the "old school" scientific-driven methodologies of understanding brand awareness and perception too outdated? Could the stream of information making its way across social media accurately measure brand perception now/in the future? Let us know what you think!
Posted by Mark Tedeschi on Fri, Mar 23, 2012 @ 03:20 PM
If you use Twitter, then chances are you probably follow your favorite celebrities. Most celebrities have a huge twitter community and it continues to grow everyday. Stacey Acevero suggested when writing the article, "How brands can be as popular as celebrities on Twitter”, that we learn from these celebrities and not just observe.
Acevero lists five things that you can borrow from your favorite celebrities: make it visual, show fans some love, keep it human, incorporate exclusive multimedia and help followers make new connections.
Make it visual. With an over saturated social media site you need to make your Twitter page have a lasting impression on your fans and followers. Acevero suggests that you customize your twitter background and have it represent you or your brand. Visual appeal keeps your followers interested and makes it fun.
Showing fans some love is important. Fans and followers need to feel engaged. One of the appeals of twitter is that fans can communicate with their favorite celebrity. Justin Bieber, who has 18 million followers, retweets his supporters and recognizes their efforts. Your twitter community needs to know that they are being heard. Recognizing people by retweeting their comments can make them feel valued.
Keep it human. Make sure your twitter community can identify with you. Kanye West tweeted, “I think I’ve managed to gain 24 pounds in 24 hours #theholidays”, which is something we can all relate to. Though Kanye West has several different ventures and can easily promote them, he uses Twitter to relate to his fans and talk about other things.
Incorporate exclusive multimedia. Fans love getting exclusives since it makes them feel like they are seeing things they would not normally be able to see. Posting pictures and videos of an experience makes fans feel incorporated and makes your page attractive.
Help followers make new connections. Acevero states, “After sharing and reading information, networking is the No.2 reason people join Twitter.’ If you can connect people to resources or “like minded people” they are more likely to stay connected with you, share your page and will appreciate the gesture.
We can learn a lot from celebrities on how to grow our Twitter community and create brand awareness. Don’t be just observers!
Posted by Mark Tedeschi on Wed, Mar 21, 2012 @ 03:05 PM
To be considered a professional in any industry means you have specialized skills that are unique to that field. Usually, years of practice and training go into building and honing your skill set. The field of Public Relations is an ever growing and changing one-- not only do PR professionals need the skills they have accumulated over the years but they are constantly trying to keep up with trends in technology and learn brand new skills.
In Anton Davidenko's article “4 must have attributes for a PR professional”, Davidenko outlines four attributes necessary to be an effective and intelligent communicator: Be stress resistant, be organized, and be energized.
Being an intelligent communicator is a skill a PR professional must hone. According to Davidenko, in order to successfully increase your client's exposure and build a brand identity you have to "lead the conversation to achieve the best results”. You must come up with new and fresh ways to attract new consumers and build brands. A true PR professional has the communication skills to build and maintain longstanding relationships with media professions.
Stress is extremely counterproductive in PR and can often distract you from your goals. Davidenko describes the PR professional as a “middleman (or woman).” Unfortunately, stress comes with the nature of PR, but learning to stay in control and keeping a clear mind during stressful situations can help you reach your goals and stay on track.
Deadlines quickly approaching and new unanticipated tasks are the norm in the PR industry. Being organized and being able to prioritize is key to staying on track. In order to meet client, editor and internal deadlines, organizational keys are essential. Predicting what will happen in the future is impossible, but staying organized will put you a step ahead. In other words, don't end up like this:
Motivation and energy will help you stay sharp and enthusiastic in your PR career. Being enthusiastic and content in your job is very important to how productive you will be in your position. Like all careers, passion goes a long way in being able to stir up new ideas and take initiative for new projects.
These four skills will help you develop and maintain a successful PR career. It is important to keep developing skills and to continue to develop the ones you have. Be a professional.
Posted by True North on Tue, Mar 20, 2012 @ 09:51 AM
Social Media can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Good news spreads fast and bad news spreads even faster, especially in the lives of celebrities. Social Media helps build your brand identity and gives you access to communicate directly with fans. As social media sites continue to grow, nearly everyone is represented in some form of social media. Building your brand now includes managing your social media websites and communicating constantly with your supporters or fans. Social Media makes the world a little bit smaller.
The personal benefits of social media range from video sharing to professional networking and personal growth. Social media sites like LinkedIn make it easier than ever to connect with people in your field. Social media can be used to exchange information about any topic imaginable-- you can develop new ideas or create a new twist on an old idea with the help of your followers or friends.
The professional benefit of social media is marketing and brand awareness. Marketing yourself and exchanging information is made easy with Social Media sites. When used correctly, social media can create a brand personality with unlimited exposure to a global audience. Having your logo on social websites gives the public a chance to get familiar with your brand and services, and creates an avenue for two-way communication. Establishing and maintaining an online community will help build and keep people interested in your brand.
No celebrity uses Social Media to build their brand better than Chad OchoCinco. OchoCinco is a Wide Receiver for the New England Patriots who uses twitter to actively communicate with his followers. Following OchoCinco for a day will give you an uncensored look into his world. His followers are updated on his daily activities, discuss current topics and some even walk away with prizes. OchoCinco’s latest gift was taking 200 of his followers to dinner at Sylvia’s Restaurant in New York City. OchoCinco got a chance to meet some of his followers and I am sure they appreciated the free meal.
OchoCinco is a perfect example of how social media can establish and maintain an online presence for a brand. OchoCinco is not only giving fans an inside look at his life, he is building brand awareness and marketing himself the way he wants to be viewed in the public eye.
Good Job, OchoCinco.
Posted by Mark Tedeschi on Sat, Mar 17, 2012 @ 09:47 AM
The definition of public relations has been moderinzed based on a 2011/12 campaign led by the Public Relations Society of America. Looking to update the definition of PR adopted from 1982, the PRSA talied 1,447 votes cast from February 13-26 for three new candidate definitions and declared a winner on March 1. Receiving 671 votes (46.4 percent), the newly adopted definition reads:
"Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics."
Focusing on the basic concept of public relations as a communication process, the modernized definition differs from the previous definition adopted 20 years ago that states:
"Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other."
By re-defining public relations for 2012, the PRSA has clarified what was previously a bland and vague explanation of the process. Instead of organizations and their publics (less commonly referred to as "stakeholders" to avoid confusion with publically traded companies) merely "adapting" to each other, they can now be seen to provide mutual benefits that will help progress their relationships, as well as others they may acuire in the future.
Surprisingly, the word "ethics" was strongly opposed by voters in the PRSA's campaign, with 60.3 percent of voters deciding against using the word in the new definition of PR. In addition, 57.3 percent of overall voters said "No" to using the word "ethics" in any modern definition of PR.
What are your thoughts on the PRSA's campaign, data results and final decision for the newly adopted definition of public relations? Do you agree or disagree with "ethics" being excluded? How could this new definition affect the field in the future?
Posted by Mark Tedeschi on Fri, Mar 09, 2012 @ 02:31 PM
(This piece from the Bianchi Biz Blog discusses five major reasons why it is important for clients to include their PR account executive in media interviews that include, but are not limited to, interviews the account executives have set up themselves. We could not agree more with their assessment of how essential it is for clients to include their PR firms in meetings and interviews, as the benefits far outweigh the negatives both short- and long-term. Take a look and let us know what you think!)
Five Reasons to Include Your PR Agency in Media Interviews
29 02 2012
Many clients want their PR firms to set up media interviews or media meetings. That’s a good thing. Sometimes, because they have overlooked it or are trying to save a few bucks, the client excludes the PR agency account executive from sitting in on the interview. That can be a BAD thing.
Inclusion or exclusion. Which is better?
In 30-plus years in the PR business (including the past 25 on the agency side), I’ve found that this exclusion falls under the old “penny-wise, pound-foolish” category … as it can yield unintended or negative consequences. In theory, it may appear more efficient not to include the AE, but in the real world, this approach usually ends up hurting the agency’s long-term effectiveness and efficiency on behalf of the client.
Here are five reasons why including your agency AE on media interviews (especially the ones she or he has set up) is a good idea:
1) No matter how long we at the agency have been working for the client, and how well we think we know them, invariably every time we sit in on a media interview, the interviewee utters a new fact, a new quote or a new nugget from which we can develop a new angle, a new pitch or some other opportunity. Every time!
2) The odds are overwhelming that each of these nuggets your agency AE captureswill help to create one or more new media opportunities that are worth multiple times the cost of the hour or two spent sitting in. So instead of looking at inclusion as an extra cost, look at it as an investment with great ROI.
3) Sitting in on your executives’ media interviews makes your AE better. Smarter. More effective. By seeing your executives in action during interviews, hearing how they speak, experiencing their enthusiasm and expertise, and seeing how your executives deliver on what your AE has promised to the reporter, your AE can provide better advice and counsel for future interviews.
4) Long term, the more your AE sits in on media interviews, hears the questions the reporters asks and how your executive handles them, and witnesses the reporters’ interviewing techniques, the better the AE can help this and other of your executives prepare to be successful in future media interviews.
5) Finally, let’s face it: There was a reason you had the agency set up the interview in the first place. Either you don’t have a relationship with the reporter … or you didn’t have the time. If the reason was the AE’s relationship, why wouldn’t you want the AE on-hand, front and center, during the interview to leverage that relationship to its fullest extent? If your reason was that you didn’t have the time, odds are that you won’t have the time to handle the reporter’s follow-up needs either, despite your best intentions, and a few days later you’ll hand-off the request to the agency anyway. Time will be wasted; something may get lost in translation. And you risk making the reporter miss a deadline. No real savings here.
Ultimately, if you want to maximize your success, your PR agency needs to be your trusted partner. The more you bring your agency team in, the more info you share with them and the more exposure they get with your executives, the more benefit they can bring – and the more effective they can make you look. And, if they feel they are truly your partners, they will suggest other ways to stretch your budget. Because that’s what real partners do.
What’s your take on this?
Posted by True North on Wed, Mar 07, 2012 @ 03:13 PM
YouTube has been a phenomenon of our generation and it has been taking the internet by storm since its introduction to the world. Any topic people can think of can be found on YouTube, connecting users and influencing ideas. It’s the modern way of reaching people all over the world. The phrase “going viral” has become apart of our lingo and it continues to improve our way of communicating.
People have become YouTube sensations and have garnered a serious amount of fame from their YouTube posting. In an article by Michael Sebastian, “YouTube Trends manager explains the 3 reasons videos go viral“ he gives his take on the topic. He interviews Kevin Allocca; YouTube’s trends manager, and explain the top three reasons why videos go viral.
The first reason Allocca states is that there are Tastemakers, who “are the people with large social media followings’. Tastemakers share a YouTube video and it helps it spread viral marketing.
YouTube videos also tend to influence community participation. This effect is created when the tastemakers share and view your video and create a community around the video. They can create parodies, create jokes, and etc. This makes people pay attention to the video.
Finally YouTube contains a certain unexpectedness. Uniqueness is rare in our world today especially on YouTube when ‘ two days of videos get uploaded every minute”. Creating your own twist on a redundant topic increases your chance of your video going viral.
It is really hard to control what videos will go viral. Ultimately, the consumers decide the faith of a video going viral. Make sure the video is of use for your target audience, its creative, and hopefully the people will share the video.
Posted by True North on Wed, Feb 29, 2012 @ 03:34 PM
As we creep closer to the end of the first quarter of 2012, new trends in PR have begun to take shape and establish patterns for communication throughout the year. Though there are many continued trends already in full swing, certain aspects of the PR game continue to grow and show no signs of slowing down; more specifically, the increasing emphasis put on having a digital presence.
Online trends are constantly changing, and staying up to date with new media is becoming increasingly important. Perhaps the fastest growing trend in the digital age is the increasing importance of social media as it pertains to public relations. Getting a topic to trend on Twitter, or gaining a volume of page “Likes” on facebook are becoming increasingly effective PR tools.
A perfect example of the power of social media is the story of Avalanna Routh. Avalanna is a six-year-old little girl with AT/RT (a rare form of cancer) whose story garnered so much attention that within a matter of weeks she was able to fulfill her dream of meeting Justin Bieber. Were it not for 15,000 facebook supporters, she may not have ended up on local news stations or radio programs, let alone reached the attention of Justin Bieber’s manager. Avalanna's campaign "fan page" keeps running on Facebook to continue raising awareness and garnering donations for AT/RT.
With businesses continuing to ramp-up their digital presence in hopes of increasing name recognition, the question now is: how can this translate into sales and revenue? Take Italian designer Federico Ciccarese, who released his vision of what the long-awaited iPhone 5 could/should incorporate based on rumors and speculation of what the final product will entail. Certainly Ciccarese will stand to gain recognition and increased attention based on his unique ideas that have caused quite a buzz online. With such an emphasis being put on search engine optimization, one can only assume having your name closely associated with perhaps the most anticipated electronic release of the year isn’t too shabby.
While word-of-mouth promotion is key in generating credible interest for a brand, social media sites give individuals a new type of voice. A #hashtag isn’t just meant to symbolize numbers anymore, but is seen as a way to identify a trend or an increasingly recognized product. To build upon existing relationships and create new ones, digital awareness in public relations is essential, and staying digitally connected has become much easier in recent times.
There’s basically an app for almost anything now-a-days.
Posted by True North on Thu, Dec 15, 2011 @ 01:35 PM
We're thrilled to announce that we've partnered with Stratton Mountain Resort in Vermont for our next Media Retreat - scheduled for March 30-April 1, 2012.
The premier media event is for brands that are looking for key netwoking opportunities with large circulation New York based media.
True North’s editor events provide the ultimate product placement and brand awareness 
platform to showcase products with key, large circulation general industry editors as well as some select producers.
Media will arrive from New York on March 30 and companies will have opportunities to ski with members of the media, present their line, attend private receptions with them and enjoy dinner and drinks to wind down each day.
In the past these events have served as strong networking events that have led to placements in media ranging from Oprah Magazine and The Today Show to Fox and Friends, MTV, Newsweek and Maxim.
Participating brands have ranged from winter accesory and apparel companies to car manufactuers who wanted to talk about their outdoor image. Skin Care Companies, Apparel Companies, Home Furnishing brands as well as lifestyle brands have all secrured placements from these events in the past.
"It's not often that you have an opportunitiy to have members of the media try your product in a real life setting while you're talking with them about the benefits your procut provides," said Mark Tedeschi, president of True North.
The event is limited to only 10 corporate partners to ensure better networking opportunities for everyone in attendance. Representatives from each company in attendance will have an opportunity to present their product during a formal presentation.
To learn more about this event contact laurie@truenorthpr.com or karen@truenorthpr.com
Posted by True North on Tue, Nov 08, 2011 @ 06:44 AM
True North is excited to announce a partnership with DirecSource, a global leader in sourcing and manufacturing, which means that we can also help our clients produce their products.
DirecSource, which specializes in sourcing and manufacturing products in a wide
range of catagories has its strongest roots in sports, fitness, outdoor and team sports as well as lifestyle products ranging from bags to outerwear. DirecSource boasts experience in the catagory of Mother, Infant and Toddler - developing everything from strollers to bottles.
"What makes DirecSource unique is that they don't own their own factories but they have relationships with hundreads of factories throughout Asia which means they aren't married to one factory and can objectively match brands with the proper factory," said Mark Tedeschi, President of True North Brand Group, Inc.
DirecSource also makes a wide range of promotional items for brands looking to load up on items for upcoming events, sales meetings or even customized bags for retail.
"Having just returned from seeing their Asian operation first hand what I found most impressive was the level of personal service that is afforded to each client as DirecSource personnel make daily visits to factories so they can oversee each project ensuring that their are no issues on the production line," said Tedeschi.
True North is excited to offer product production services in addition to helping our partners with their branding, brand awareness and public relations work, we can now also help our clients develop their products or save money on their existing manufacturing line.