Category Archives: Talking to your customers

Trusting your instincts

Communicating in a crisis, Talking to your customers, Talking to your employees

A good take on the Murdoch phone hacking saga today in the Guardian http://bit.ly/oTq5Zp. Deborah Orr discusses the ‘working towards the Führer’ analogy put forward by historian Ian Kershaw, where basically Hitler’s advisers would implement policy according to what they thought were Hitler’s wishes – a sort of please him at all cost approach even if the overall circumstances favoured a different tack.

It is an extreme comparison of course, as Orr says, but how far did/does this type of culture seep through the News Corp culture?

For the communications team in a corporate environment, the Chairman/CEO are big stakeholders in what goes out and, rightly so, often have a big influence in those communications. The dilemma however is when communication is shaped against the better judgement of the comms team because they know what their Chairman/CEO is expecting to see.

Managing that interaction is difficult, but for a comms manager, not losing sight of the bigger picture and trusting your comms instincts should override any other consideration.

The truth will out

Communicating in a crisis, Talking to your customers, Talking to your employees

The recent storm over the use of super injunctions in the UK, much used, it seems, by celebs desperately trying to mask a marital indiscretion or two, has opened up a whole debate on what should, or should not be published in the public interest. I think the issue at the heart of this though, and a good lesson for anyone involved in the world of communications, is the trouble that awaits when the desire to cover something up overshadows the need to communicate openly.

No secrets
The old saying that the ‘truth will out’ has never held as much currency as it does in today’s social media era. What price a super injunction when @tellitlikeitis on Twitter can broadcast the news; seemingly impervious to the legal blows of the judge’s gavel?

Tell it like it is
Whether you’re dealing with the media or communicating company news to employees, obfuscate at your peril. Tell it like it is; people from all sides will respect and admire your refreshing honesty. And even if they don’t, just think of the legal fees you’ll save on super injunctions.

Social media: don’t be a Dooce

Social media, Talking to your customers, Talking to your employees, Working with the media

I recently came across the phrase ‘to be Dooced’ which apparently relates to a blogger (www.dooce.com) who got herself into hot water with her boss for making some disparaging remarks about work on her own blog and subsequently lost her job, hence, ‘to be dooced’. This happened back in 2003, pretty much a lifetime ago in social media time, but it’s rare that someone from office worker to celebrity isn’t getting themselves into hot water thanks to their blog, tweet, facebook posting or simply emailing something they really should not have.

In the work environment, it amazes me the amount of care and thought people will put into their quote in a press release which then has to be approved by Uncle Tom Cobley and all, but when it comes to tweeting something; bang, out it goes.

More straightaway
Of course that’s the real beauty of social media; the ability to be so direct, quick and as Lola (Charlie and Lola for those without children) might say, more straightway.

As ever, the medium of the message changes but the rules don’t. Take a minute just to think about your tweet, blog etc and think, would I be happy to have it broadcast on the News at 10 or splashed on the front page of The Times?

Or maybe just imagine what your boss/client would think? They’re watching you.

Is ‘advertorial’ still a dirty word?

Talking to your customers

Watching Jamie Oliver’s new ‘Dream School’ the other day, I thought it a little odd to see an advert break featuring him promoting Sainsbury’s which asks the question; where does the boundary fall between editorial and advertorial? For the TV world, the boundaries are becoming ever blurred with sponsorship of programmes and now with product placement.

But what about the print world?

Advertorial – paid for editorial – has always seemed a slightly dirty word to those in PR who like a story to stand on its own two feet. Not that a good advertorial doesn’t have its place. If it’s well written and relevant, your target audience will read it.

One thing I dislike though is the presence of a traditional advert by your advertorial piece. It’s a bit like putting up a big neon sign saying ‘we paid for it’. So perhaps the key is to be as subtle with its use as you can. It might/should say advertisement at the top but don’t frighten the reader off by making it too obviously a paid for piece.

Be bold enough to think you don’t have to be too salesy and make it an interesting read. Just because you paid for it, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put the effort in.