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Why marketers choose certain colors

Sat, 18 May 2013 04:00:39 GMT

It’s no secret that different colors evoke different emotions in us, and that marketers have been taking advantage of this for years.

But which colors spur which emotions?

Perhaps most notably, it is said that red stimulates the appetite. That’s why the color is so prevalent with national food chains like McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, KFC, Wendy’s, Popeye’s and Chipotle.

Blue, meanwhile, is the color most preferred by men, and corporations often use it because it is thought to be productive and not invasive.

These and other color-related insights can be found in this infographic from CertaPro Painters:

(via Social Media Chimps)

The 5 most popular stories on PR Daily this week

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:00:24 GMT

Here are the five most widely read stories this week on PR Daily:

What ‘The Great Gatsby’ can teach us about PR

5 top traits of good press release writers

Oreo’s 'Gatsby'-themed tweet is a slam-dunk

17 email etiquette tips

8 steps to ‘tool-agnostic’ social media strategy

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70 years after it was written, a poem goes viral

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:00:59 GMT

What started as a Facebook post on a local Farmers Insurance agent’s page has swept across Little League baseball fields nationwide. A photo of a sign bearing the poem “He’s Just a Little Boy” is now hanging at some 1,500 diamonds.

It’s all thanks to Joel McKinnon of McKinnon Insurance in New Philadelphia, Ohio. He posted the photo last year, and when he saw the great engagement it was getting, he alerted the Farmers Insurance Group Facebook page manager. After it was posted to the main page, people started asking if they could get a copy of the sign to hang at their park.

McKinnon explains what happened next in a blog post on his website:

“Our next move was to make people aware of the signs being made and to see who wanted them. Farmers posted an application on their corporate page for "fans" to request a sign. More or less instantly the signs were "sold out" and we actually had received nearly 1,500 requests. Next thing you know our 500 sign project turned into 1,500.”

The photo of the sign—accompanied by a Twitter hashtag #EveryField—became a hit on Reddit, and the poem that Chaplain Bob Fox penned 70 years ago is now a part of viral culture—and a fixture at parks across America:

McKinnon adds:

"I'm really proud of Farmers, because they didn't put their name in front of this. #EveryField doesn't link to Farmers’ website. It just gives people a chance to join collectively. They're not trying to get business out of this. They're just trying to send a message to the community."

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KFC gets free buzz—from Gaza, of all places

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:54:04 GMT

Just how crave-worthy is KFC’s chicken? In the Middle East, they’re tunneling under the Egyptian border to deliver it to Gaza, according to a New York Times story.

The Times’ Fares Akran explains why something so common to some is revered by others:

Palestinians generally refer to Gaza as being under siege or blockade by Israel, and isolation from the world is among the most common complaints of people here. That can create an intense longing for what those outside Gaza see as mundane, or ordinary.

The story describes the complicated four-hour journey to get from El Arish, Egypt, past the Israeli blockade and into Gaza. There, customers are paying nearly three times what it would cost in stores.

Khalil Efrangi, a 31-year-old entrepreneur, started the delivery business. To avoid complication, his KFC orders are limited to chicken pieces, fries, and cole slaw.

In other finger-lickin’-good news…

The fast-food chain’s “I ate the bones” campaign has met with a positive response—notably from millennials—so KFC’s original recipe might go completely boneless in the near future, according to Fast Company.

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8 PR lessons from ‘The Office’

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:51:18 GMT

When the hit British TV show “The Office” was imported for an American audience, purists were skeptical. It didn’t take long for those skeptics to become believers thanks to Steve Carell’s portrayal of the eccentrically lovable Michael Scott, who made even the most bumbling bosses seem brainy.

The show comes to a close on Thursday evening, when NBC airs its series finale of the comedy hit after nine seasons.

Marking the occasion, PR Daily thought it only appropriate that we pay a visit to Scranton, Pa., and the characters behind our favorite paper distributor by pulling out a few of the many lessons that PR pros can take with them long into the show’s inevitable syndication:

1. Embrace the awkward. “The Office” was built on awkward moments and uncomfortable pauses, says The Boston Globe. John Krasinski, who plays Jim Halpert on the show, has made a career out of reacting to them. As PR people, you’ll be faced with your share of similarly awkward moments in your career. It’s best to tackle them head on rather than letting them fester and risking that situations will just get too weird.

2. Take charge of your destiny. Remember when Michael Scott left Dunder Mifflin and launched the Michael Scott Paper Co. in season five? That took guts. Although he eventually rejoined Dunder Mifflin, he did so on his terms. Such gumption is often necessary in this competitive business landscape, especially for the industry’s broad pool of consultants and freelancers.

3. Learn to seize opportunities. Dunder Mifflin was only a fictional paper company when the show began in 2005. Today, there’s an actual brand of Dunder Mifflin paper you can buy, thanks to Quill.com. The company, owned by Staples, launched a licensing deal with NBC in 2011 to sell Dunder Mifflin paper. Quill’s Paul Bessinger told Advertising Age that the company has big plans. “We think this thing can stand on its own and become an evergreen brand,” he said.

4. Value work/life balance. Achieving a healthy work/life balance can be nearly impossible for some. New research shows that 39 percent of employees worldwide say they have a solid work/life balance. No need to worry about balance at Dunder Mifflin. Some might say the employees skewed a bit too heavily on the life side. At the other end of the spectrum (as usual) was Dwight Schrute, who ran a beet farm and bed and breakfast when he wasn’t selling paper. That’s more of a work/work balance.

5. Be careful with those interoffice relationships. First, Angela was secretly with Dwight. Then she was not so secretly with Andy. Then while she was openly with Andy she was, again, secretly with Dwight. Office romances can turn tricky pretty quickly. Just remember: For every Jim and Pam there are a dozen or more Michael and Jans.

6. Remember that customer service is key. I’ve heard several people in the last couple of years claim that customer service and public relations are interchangeable. Seemingly small problems can become amplified by social media into big problems and—in some cases—PR nightmares. The Dunder Mifflin sales team always prided itself on customer service. They weren’t always the cheapest, but you’d always get a real person on the phone—even if that real person was Dwight. Michael may have been a bumbling boss, but his customer service skills were impeccable. There’s something to be said for someone who remembers the little stuff.

7. Don’t forget community relations. Though the show was filmed in California, Scranton was its setting. Krasinski recently told the AP that the town was itself a character on the show. The writers used real settings from the town, including Cooper’s Seafood House, Poor Richard’s Pub, and the Steamtown mall. Those have become tourist destinations for the show’s devotees. The production team and cast even held their wrap party in Scranton at the town’s minor league baseball stadium. Which leads to our final point …

8. Leave an enduring legacy. So often when we exit our client meetings or leave the companies we work for, it’s with a whimper. Maybe a few back pats, some drinks at the nearest dive—or you straight up Jerry Maguire it. Keep in mind that you have a great opportunity to leave a lasting impression on that team between giving notice and walking out the door for a final time. If you want to consider the legacy that “The Office” will leave, take a look at the new genres it spawned. The mockumentary style made famous by Rob Reiner and Christopher Guest with their movies and by Garry Shandling with “The Larry Sanders Show” was made mainstream by “The Office.” It’s tough to say whether shows like “Parks and Recreation” or “Modern Family” would exist without those predecessors.

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7 marketing words to use (and 5 to lose)

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:48:17 GMT

Recently, food marketers targeting millennials have been using "crazy " or "loco," the Spanish word for crazy.

Pizza Hut has Crazy Cheesy Crust pizza. Taco Bell serves Doritos Locos Tacos. Pop-Tarts uses the slogan “Crazy good.”

Though “crazy” is probably a fad, marketing has go-to words that help create conversion regardless of age, industry, or era.

Here are seven words to use in marketing copy to earn better results.

1. Because—People are more likely to do something for you if you give them a reason, even if it’s a crappy one.

A study tested the power of “because” by having participants interrupt someone waiting to use a copy machine.

Sixty percent of people allowed someone to cut in front of them when they said, “Excuse me, I have five pages, may I use the Xerox machine?”

That number jumped to 90 percent when the line cutter said, “I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine, because I am in a rush?”

2. Value—When considering a product, people want value. They will pay more for something if it provides lasts longer, performs better, etc.

Whereas “value” implies that customers gain something, the words “price” and “cost” (two no-nos listed below) imply that your customers are losing something, most often money.

3. Free—“Free” is a word powerful enough to grab your customers’ attention and even change their buying habits.

Consider a study that offered participants a truffle for 15 cents or a Hershey Kiss for 1 cent. Three-quarters of participants bought the truffle.

When the study dropped the price of both candies a penny, making the Kisses free and the truffles 14 cents, two-thirds of participants chose the Kiss.

4. Secret—Everyone wants to be in on a secret. Using “secret” will draw customers in and make them feel special.

A bonus for using “secret”? It makes content more shareable. Jonah Berger notes that once people learn something is a secret, they have the urge to spread the word.

5. You—Using the second person makes customers feel that you’re speaking directly to them, creating a powerful subconscious connection.

According to StartupNation, “you” is “listed as the No. 1 most powerful word in every study reviewed.”

Use “you” in your headlines, ledes, and anywhere else you can fit it. Many marketers will discard a headline that doesn’t use the second person.

6. The—When analyzing The Economist, two colleagues of mine noticed a theme among the headlines on the cover: “The.”

They determined that using “The” at the beginning of headlines makes it sound like the definitive answer to a question.

Compare these two sentences: Five Secrets of Making Sales on Twitter / The Five Secrets of Making Sales on Twitter

7. Instantly—People like immediate results, a line of thinking unlikely to change in a world of smartphones and Twitter. “Instantly,” “now,” “immediately,” and similar words appeal to this need for instant gratification.

Other words to use: Amazing, Understand, Easy, Free, How to, New, Now, Love, Discovery, Deserve, Happy, Fun.

Five words you should lose

1. Will—“Will” puts customers in the future. Instead, make the benefit of the product appear in the present, enabling your customer to envision using the product here and now. The more connected they are, the more likely they will be to buy.

Example: Your computer will run faster with this new software. / Your computer runs faster with this new software.

2. Exceed expectations—When saying a product or service will exceed expectations, you automatically raise customer expectations. Instead focus your content on what the product does.

Case studies are an exception to this rule. You can certainly quote customers who talk about receiving surprising results.

3. Seasoned, experienced, veteran—Experience doesn’t always equal success. Just because someone cooks dinner every night for the past 10 years, doesn’t mean they make good food. Instead of talking about experience, use concrete evidence to show the effectiveness of your product or service.

4. Noncommittal words (generally, relatively, sometimes, somewhat, etc.)—Copy that sells is authoritative. Customers research because they are informed or have doubts or concerns. Be the authority that delivers the answer.

Note: Avoid noncommittal words in calls to action, especially.

5. Adjectives—Writing copy without adjectives makes copy shorter and more straightforward. Eliminate adjectives whenever possible, especially when giving instructions. If compelled to use an adjective, make sure it enhances the copy.

Other words to lose: Deal, Cost, Pay, Contract, Worry, Loss, Lose, Hurt, Buy, Bad, Sell, Sold, Price, Decision, Hard, Difficult, Obligation, Liable, Fail

Brian Conlin is a copywriter at Vocus. A version of this story first appeared on The Vocus Blog.

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Activist’s bid to undermine A&F brand catches fire

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:47:26 GMT

If brands needed a reminder that they can’t control everything people say about them online, they got one this week.

Activist and YouTube video director Greg Karber took clothing brand Abercrombie and Fitch to task in this video posted to YouTube on Monday. In it, Karber responds to A&F chief executive Mike Jeffries’ comments that his brand’s clothes are for “the cool kids,” which the exec offered as an explanation for the brand’s lack of XL and XXL clothing for women:

Karber’s video was also a response to reports that Abercrombie and Fitch would “rather burn clothes than give them to poor people,” destroying damaged items rather than have the homeless be seen wearing the brand name. In the last 30 seconds or so of the video, Karber travels to Los Angeles’ “skid row” to give Abercrombie and Fitch clothes he bought at Goodwill to homeless people. He does this while cracking jokes about A&F fans being douchebags and looking like date rapists.

In two days, the video has amassed nearly 1.5 million views, as well as coverage from news outlets including The Huffington Post.

Karber also encourages viewers to donate their own Abercrombie and Fitch clothes to the homeless and then to tweet about it using the hashtag #fitchthehomeless. According to the hashtag measurement site hashtags.org, #fitchthehomeless exploded Wednesday, with 3,000 tweets using the hashtag during the noon hour alone.

How has Abercrombie and Fitch responded? At least so far, it seems to be with silence. Its most recent tweet, from Monday, promotes men’s swim shorts. Its last Facebook post is essentially the same, though many of the 663 comments on it are pretty snarky.

One commenter asks, “Do they come in plus sizes?” Another says, “Too bad I’m not ‘cool’ to wear it.”

The company’s most recent press release is about earnings.

Matt Wilson is a staff writer for Ragan.com.

Dos Equis sponsors a comedian’s tweet, gets more than it bargained for

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:45:40 GMT

Comedians are often known for brutal honesty, including, or perhaps especially, when it comes to marketing.

So when Michael Ian Black, of “The State” and “Ed,” shared an uncharacteristically joke-free tweet about beer brand Dos Equis’ “Legend of You” app with his 1.9 million followers, people knew something was fishy. They asked Black why that tweet seemed so weird, and he answered them:

@planetoffinks No, they wrote it and paid me thousands of dollars to run it.
— Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack) May 11, 2013

Many of the other tweets in the thread are too crass and expletive-laden to reproduce here, but a few expressed anger at both Dos Equis and Black for bringing advertising into a user’s Twitter timeline, others wondered why Dos Equis would associate itself with a comedian who has written jokes about 9/11.

In 2011, Aflac quite publicly fired comedian Gilbert Gottfried from his job as the voice of its spokesduck after he tweeted jokes about the earthquake that hit Japan that March.

After Black's Dos Equis tweet, model Chrissy Tiegen jumped into the fray and argued that “anyone would copy and paste a tweet for 5,000 dollars.” That led to the two celebs posting fake ads for Gillette razors.

To his credit, Black responded to many of the tweets he received in reply to the initial ad, but not a whole lot of them were favorable to him or to Dos Equis. By the end of the conversation, the chatter had moved away from Dos Equis completely, and on to jokes about an entirely different brand that didn’t pay anyone a dime.

When it comes to comedians and sponsored tweets, brands might want to consider whether they’re getting their money’s worth.

Matt Wilson is a staff writer for Ragan.com.

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4 lessons marketers can learn from yoga

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:53:26 GMT

As a yoga practitioner and a marketing professional, I have come to see parallels between these two seemingly unrelated practices. The foundational principles associated with yoga can direct our day-to-day and even high-level strategies as marketers.

Read on to learn four marketing lessons from this ancient practice. No headstands or lotus poses required.

1. When the foundation is clear, the execution is successful

In essence, yoga is the continuum of theory and practice. As a marketer, isn’t it our job to create a theory (or strategy) through marketing research and execute upon the theory’s key findings or practice?

A successful marketer does not use one or the other; the back-end research is needed to support the execution. Extensive knowledge of your brand’s intangibles (demographic or psychographic customer insights) drives the tangibles (revenue, product development, sales). Marketing theory and practice can be executed with the smallest tasks or biggest campaigns. When the foundation is clear, the execution is successful—ergo the transference of yoga’s theory and practice to marketing.

2. A mental clean slate helps you think without preconceptions

Yoga is what is traditionally called a liberation teaching (or moksha-shâstra). Liberations of any kind seek to admonish any notions of “why we are” or “what we know.” Liberation allows for a mental clean slate, which allows us to think more clearly and profoundly.

Think of the transference to marketing. We are often clouded by preconceived notions of how we should be communicating with our end customer, even though those notions may not even be relevant or effective. It’s just the time-tested way within your organization to do something, so we continue to do it.

I was in a client meeting last week, and I asked, “Have you ever polled your current customers on how they view your company?” The answer was no. Many companies have a hard time trekking out of their offices into the “field” to chat with folks who have firsthand experience with your business—your customers.

Having a clean slate or a liberated notion of your business will allow you to uncover brand promises that could be one step away coming right from the mouth of your valued customer.

Why do you think consultants exist—for an unadulterated perspective, right? From there, you will be able to move forward with marketing activities that allow you to better reach your current customer. It all starts with a clean slate, free from preconceived notions.

3. Small gestures of kindness can establish customer loyalty

A yogic life is guided by the principle of dharma, which means “law,” “order,” and “virtue.”

Just last week I watched a TED Times Square lecture by HARO founder Peter Shankman. His presentation was “Why Nice Finishes First.” He shared cases of corporations going the extra mile to make small gestures of kindness—and how these gestures turn one-time customers into brand advocates for life. Those gestures seemed to be founded in virtue and morality.

So what can you learn from the principle of dharma? Not only should we be virtuous for the sake of being virtuous, but we should also transfer the principle of kindness and morality to our marketing and business practices. It pays off with customer loyalty in the end.

4. Simplicity helps consumers know your brand better

Yoga teaches us to get back to basics; the more we untangle our lives the better off we are said to become. That yoga principle transfers to marketing perfectly. Are our marketing messages or campaigns clouded by “too much”? Too many graphics, too much copy on our websites, too many calls to action—just general clutter?

Think about the most famed advertising taglines. They are simple yet memorable: Nike’s Just Do It, Apple’s Think Smarter, the Dairy Council’s Got Milk? and Avis’s We Try Harder.

Their websites are equally as succinct with simple, profound, and uncluttered content. That simplicity allows for a clear understanding by consumers of what the brand is all about. As a result, those brands have saturation in just about every home in America.

Allie Gray Freeland is the PR director at iAcquire, a digital marketing agency based in New York City and Phoenix. A version of this article originally appeared on Marketing Profs.

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Cap’n Crunch gets Ryan Gosling to eat his cereal

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:51:25 GMT

What’s the recipe for a funny idea that takes social media by storm? For Scottish director and writer Ryan Henry, and now cereal brand Cap’n Crunch, it took a heaping helping of actor Ryan Gosling, a spoonful of cereal, and a dash of absurdity.

Henry’s eight Vine videos, collectively titled “Ryan Gosling won’t eat his cereal,” depict the director easing a cereal-filled spoon toward his TV while Gosling is on the screen, either covering his mouth or turning away in deeply emotional scenes from his movies. Over the past week or so, the videos have exploded in popularity.

The joke is the sort of recontextualization of serious moments into something outright silly—remember Texts From Hillary?—that social media users, particularly on Tumblr, seem to love. Indeed, a post that collected all eight of the videos and repurposed them as animated GIFs has received more than 250,000 “likes” and reblogs on Tumblr.

It stands to reason a cereal brand would have to seize the moment, and Cap’n Crunch was the first to get there, with a Vine video of its own. In it, the spoon of Crunch Berries approaches Gosling’s face, he takes a bite, and the cereal disappears:

Ryan Gosling won't eat his cereal (buzzfeed.com/mjs538/ryan-go…) ... unless it's Crunch Berries. #CapnMakesItHapn vine.co/v/b0BOFJtvHgI
— Cap'n Crunch (@RealCapnCrunch) May 10, 2013

The video, which was posted May 10, a day after Buzzfeed picked up on Henry’s videos, has 44 “likes” on Vine, but is grabbing the attention of bloggers and tweeters.

What about Gosling himself? What does he have to say about being a meme (this isn’t the first time), or which cereal he prefers? It appears those answers will remain a mystery. He doesn’t appear to have an official Facebook page, and he hasn’t tweeted since April 11.

Matt Wilson is a staff writer for Ragan.com.

13 job openings in the PR and marketing world

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:48:26 GMT

If you’ve never felt the penetrating hatred of 200-plus children fall upon you all at once, you’ve never worked as a lifeguard.

Try blowing your whistle to announce adult swim in the dog days of summer.

As you sit high above the water, the pool rats line the edges of the cement pond, their beady little pupils piercing you as they wait for the longest 15 minutes of their young lives to pass.

But mature folks deserve their time in the water, too, so Turner Broadcasting is hiring a publicist to keep a watchful eye over its highly entertaining version of Adult Swim—the cable television network.

Maintaining strong relationships with members of the entertainment media and its viewers, the holder of this position will work closely with the Adult Swim PR and marketing teams to develop and implement publicity plans for select Adult Swim original programs and to aid in pitching national and regional press.

Don’t worry about the sunscreen. Just ready your application materials and apply here.

Not the job for you? See what else we have in our weekly professional pickings:

Brand relations manager—VivaKi

Editor-in-chief—RollingStone.com

Product marketing manager—SurveyMonkey

Director of digital marketing—ThinkGeek

Social media manager—Jackson Family Wines

Crosswords marketing manager—The New York Times

Publicity manager—HarperCollins

Blog managing editor—Fox Sports

Native ad products director—The Huffington Post

Public relations manager—Anytime Fitness

Digital content specialist—Planned Parenthood

Communications specialist—National Priorities Project

If you have a job you would like to see highlighted on PR Daily, please email me or send me a message on Twitter @iquotesometimes.

Create and curate compelling content

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:50:37 GMT

The most important new development by far in modern PR and marketing?

Content is king.

Join us on June 24-26 for our “Content Summit for PR, Social Media and Marketing Professionals” at the Gleacher Center in Chicago.

See the full agenda here.

17 speakers will discuss the ROI of content marketing, and how to get your staff excited about writing narratives that help employees and customers solve problems and share knowledge.

You’ll walk away with:

· 3 mistakes to avoid when jumping into content marketing;
· Tricks to get employees to adopt new media quicker and easier;
· An understanding of how to use an editorial calendar and its benefits;
· The dos and don’ts of B2B and B2C social sharing;
· Tips to integrate social media into your marketing and sales.

Presenters include:

· Andrew Davis, author of Brandscaping;
· David Higdon, Managing Director, Integrated Marketing Communications at NASCAR;
· Greg Shea, Content Strategist of DesignKitchen;
· Melissa Rach, co-founder of Dialogue Studios and co-author of Content Strategy for the Web;
· Darrell Jursa, SVP of Emerging Media at Fleishman Hillard.

Understand the power of compelling content and learn how to make it work for you. Reserve your seat today—use your promotional discount here!

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Top 10 dream employers for millennials

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:47:24 GMT

Millennials.

That word, uttered in a work setting, conjures up so many assumptions, impressions, and thoughts. Despite what you believe about these collective 18- to 34-year-olds, they have, as CNBC points out, “serious career aspirations.”

The National Society of High School Scholars has revealed that the No. 1 desired employer among college students is St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which replaced last year’s choice, Google.

Here are the top 10 preferred employers:

1. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
2. Walt Disney
3. A local hospital
4. Google
5. Apple
6. FBI
7. CIA
8. Health Care Service Corp.
9. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
10. Microsoft

Click here to find out if your company made the list.

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Honda taps ‘Ferris Bueller’ to win Best Viral Campaign

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:52:52 GMT

If you’re trying to launch a viral campaign, it helps to have a 25-year head start.

Repeat after me: “Bueller… Bueller… Bueller…?”

Early in 2012, American Honda tapped in to the established buzz about the 25th anniversary of the iconic movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” to promote its CR-V model to young drivers. Who better, after all, to convey a sense of freedom and fun than Mr. Do Everything in One Fantastic Day, Ferris Bueller himself—or, more accurately, his portrayer, Matthew Broderick.

The concept and its multilayered execution earned American Honda and RPA top honors in the Best Viral Campaign category in PR Daily’s Digital PR & Social Media Awards.

PR Daily’s 2012 Digital PR and Social Media Awards were presented by Synaptic Digital. Learn more about Synaptic Digital here (pdf).

The “Matthew’s Day Off” promotion turned back the proverbial odometer and had Broderick cruising in the newly redesigned CR-V, replete with music from and other homages to the original movie.

The campaign included a Super Bowl commercial, which was heralded by a YouTube teaser with a twist: The 10-second spot was unbranded. It generated a torrent of speculation that Honda was behind it.

Honda stayed mum.

Then, the Monday before the Super Bowl, when its 60-second ad would air, Honda posted extended versions of the commercial on Honda sites and on YouTube.

Honda wasn’t done, though. It hid in the extended version what company officials described as “Easter eggs”—little prizes for “Bueller” aficionados to hunt for. There were references to the original movie, and devotees were encouraged—and many needed little, if any, prompting—to identify them. Many were obvious, but some were as subtle as the appearance of Ferris’s vest in a store window.

Honda’s submission offered these results:

“Honda website traffic tripled during the Super Bowl activity. Honda was the most-viewed Super Bowl video online, the No. 1 trending video on YouTube, and the No. 1 shared commercial on Facebook and Twitter, and overall gained more than 2.5 billion PR impressions.”

Honda's John Watts explains the genesis of the idea:

Want to get recognized for your hard work? Find out about Ragan and PR Daily’s award programs here.

Rob Reinalda is executive editor at Ragan Communications.

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What ‘The Great Gatsby’ can teach us about PR

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:51:55 GMT

When F. Scott Fitzgerald penned “The Great Gatsby,” he sought to depict the opulence and decadence of the Roaring Twenties. Little did he know that tucked in the folds of his Great American Novel would be lessons for PR pros that would resonate 90 years after its completion.

With the latest film rendition opening nationwide this weekend, and Leonardo DiCaprio set to melt hearts as the dashing Jay Gatsby, PR Daily decided to take a lighthearted look at what PR pros could learn from the novel and from the title character:

1. To thine ownself be true. Originally from a poverty-stricken Midwestern family, James Gatz reinvented his persona to become a self-made, mysterious millionaire who threw extravagant parties.

In PR, it’s easy to fall into the trap of being who your client or C-suite thinks you should be. The strengths you bring to the job and the personality that goes with it are why you were hired. Colleagues and clients will soon see through any phoniness, which will hurt relationship-building down the road.

2. Avoid deception. Betrayal is just one of the themes running through the novel—betrayal of people and of one’s own ideals. Too often, organizations may look to “stretch the narrative” without a strong foundation of truth. It’s our job as PR pros to ensure a brand’s messaging is truthful, relevant, and inoffensive—and won’t turn around and bite them in the end.

3. The art of throwing a party. PR is more than just parties, of course, but launches and grand openings are part of the game. Gatsby was famous for his parties, yet he kept his distance from his guests. Despite all the people who clamored to attend his lavish soirees, only a few people, mostly his servants, showed up for Gatsby’s funeral.

The lesson? Parties/launches are occasions to make connections, kick off long-term campaigns, and ensure the organization’s narrative comes through loud and clear. It’s OK to invite “A-listers,” but if you don’t use the opportunity to talk and get to know anyone, you’re not going to make a lasting impression on anybody.

4. Don’t forget to promote. The novel’s popularity picked up steam almost 25 years after it was published. What rescued it from obscurity? A promotion that distributed more than 150,000 free copies of the book to military personnel. As more copies ended up in people’s hands, the more word of mouth grew, and thus began a revival of the soon-to-be classic.

When creating a PR launch, ensure you’ve developed a holistic approach so all channels have been exploited to their maximum potential. Limiting exposure can exclude an important segment of your audience.

5. A defining moment. “The Great Gatsby” is regularly used as a definitive depiction of the Roaring Twenties. Through crisis or brilliance, PR has created oft-cited case studies and its own defining moments. Witness the BP public relations disaster or how Oreo vaulted itself into the spotlight because of a Super Bowl blackout. Capitalizing on a moment or a trend can be a boon or bust for your organization, depending on how you handle it.

So, PR Daily readers, can you think of any other Gatsby-esque references as you head off to the movies tonight?

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