Tag / Public Relations

by Ronn Torossian

How Charitable Partnerships Can Boost a Brand’s Profile

We’ve talked before about the importance of community impact for businesses both large and small. In any community, there are a wide array of ways to get involved and help improve that community for those living and working in it.

Forming charitable partnerships is another way to get involved and improve the community around a business. Of course, businesses can provide support in ways that individuals cannot to a nonprofit or charity. But these partnerships should always be done with tact and taste — the opposite effect can easily happen if a move is done for seemingly ulterior motives.

Finding the Right Charitable Partnership

When selecting a charitable partnership for a business, there are many things to consider. One of these factors is what charity or nonprofit to partner with. Here are some considerations for this decision:

  •     Core values and mission of the business
  •     Nonprofits that align with these core values naturally
  •     Reputation of nonprofit and of the supporting business
  •     Required budget to support a charitable partnership
  •     End goal of charitable partnership

Core values lie at the heart of a business’ purpose. These values are important. They give consumers a look at the belief and value systems of those in executive positions, and they provide a roadmap of how a business conducts itself in public dealings.

With that in mind, it’s equally important for a business to align itself with a nonprofit that also values the same ideas. The purpose and mission of the nonprofit must also make sense. For example, a leather goods company may not look the best if it were to support PETA, nor would PETA be likely to accept their partnership proposal. This is, of course, an extreme example, but it shows that a partnership should be genuine, not self-serving or just “for looks”.

Forming a Charitable Partnership

Once a business has selected a nonprofit to enter into a partnership with, it’s time to figure out exactly what that partnership is going to look like.

Not every partnership has to look the same. Remember, this has to be a beneficial arrangement for both the business and, more importantly, for the nonprofit. Whether the support is financial, in the form of volunteer help, or other services provided, it’s important to set clear expectations and guidelines for the new partnership. Contracts are helpful in this situation, to protect all parties involved.

Before jumping in, take the time to form a strategy about how a business can best assist a nonprofit. Perhaps a marketing agency can offer its services to a local animal shelter each month. Or maybe an event planning portal can donate a portion of the proceeds to local community programs in an effort to create a safer neighborhood in which to host events. Maybe a local consultant can jump on board to help plan a fundraiser for a nonprofit. The possibilities are endless!

Finding creative ways to help out is important too — it doesn’t always have to just be about writing a big check. In fact, finding other ways to get involved is often even more helpful, especially for under-staffed nonprofits.

Aligning business with a nonprofit is a smart move for many reasons, but the biggest motivator should always be the betterment of community or the helping of others. From this motivation can come a great, fulfilling partnership on both sides.

by Ronn Torossian

Using Content to build thought leadership

There are many ways to highlight your brand and what it does, content being one of the main and most effective ways of doing so. Content can also be a very effective way to highlight your expertise and knowledge of the industry. The goal is to get your brand front and centre, both online and offline, when people are searching for solutions that you can provide.

In marketing, thought leadership is a tool that establishes you as an expert and authority in your industry. By establishing your brand as a reliable and go-to source of information and expertise in the industry, it will improve brand awareness as well as market value. Here are a few ways in which content can help build thought leadership:

Build credibility

To establish yourself as an expert and authority, you need to prove that you are a credible and reliable source of information. This can be done by illustrating your knowledge and know-how by providing relevant and accurate answers to your audience’s questions and concerns. Providing people solutions and answers will ensure that your audience gets an insight into the level of expertise of your organization and your employees.

For instance, a local fitness studio can demonstrate their knowledge on fitness and nutrition by having instructors contribute to blog posts providing advice and answering questions about health and wellbeing. You can also monitor local Facebook pages and answer any questions locals have pertaining to your industry or in case of offline efforts, go to relevant local events and community gatherings to provide expertise.

Move beyond your website

While your website is an optimal place to provide information and expertise to your audience and customers, expand your online presence beyond your website. The goal is to drive traffic to your website, so find ways on social media and online forums to do so. For example, ask questions to experts in Facebook ads and provide a link to your website for the answer or create short video ads that get people excited and ultimately direct people to your website to learn more.

Foster partnerships

Build strong connections within the community by focusing on strong partnerships rather than sponsorships. Create mutually beneficial relationships with local organizations with whom you share a common audience. These relationships will enhance your visibility, build your reputation since you have the green light from another business and open doors for new opportunities.

The best kind of partnerships are active partnerships. Don’t just be partners on paper, actively promote and foster your partnership by sharing content with your partner, featuring their experts on your website and participating in each other’s events. Don’t forget to share each other’s content on social media as it will help boost your online presence and visibility.

Create useful branding material

Last but not least, don’t be lazy and just hand out brochures as promotional material. The most likely place the brochure will end up is in the trash. Give your audience something that focuses on your expertise and something they are more likely to hang on to or use. If you’re at loss for what kind of promotional material to provide, then even a refrigerator magnet will do the job better than a brochure!

instagram
by Ronn Torossian

Six ways to build an effective Instagram presence

Instagram currently boasts over 1 billion users and significantly higher engagement rates than Facebook. It is estimated that brands see around 4 percent engagement of their total followers on Instagram. While 4 percent might not sound like a high number, when compared to the less than 0.1% engagement rates on Facebook and Twitter, it shows that Instagram is a powerful tool for online consumer engagement.

On top of that, Instagram continues to roll out new business-specific features and has a tailor made for brand promotion. Here are six tips if you’re running a business and want to know how to make your Instagram presence effective and impactful:

Create a stellar profile

There is no “right” way to craft your profile. It depends on your brand and its personality. However, there are a few best practices for businesses that need to be kept in mind as a starting point. These include: the profile photo should be a the company logo to make it easy to identify your brand, the account name and username should be your business name and should be the same name as your other social profiles, the link to your company website should be included on your instagram page, and last but not least, your bio should either describe your business or your brand slogan (or both).

Post high quality photos

Optimize your photos and make sure they are clear, attention-grabbing and engaging. Instagram offers many options to filter and edit your photos, however it’s best to make use of photo-editing applications that can enhance your photos even further. Take market research into account as well. For instance, according to research by MIT, pictures with reddish tones were more popular than those using a bluish or reddish tones.

Be frequent

When it comes to Instagram, you need to maintain frequency in your posting. Your profile won’t get attention if you’re only posting once in a while. Set aside time each day to post something on Instagram, preferably at least twice a day. It is important to find out and pick times when your photos will get the most engagement.

Take advantage of hashtags

Use hashtags that are relevant to your picture and post. Find out which hashtags are trending and what hashtags other businesses are using. There are numerous resources and apps that will help find hashtags that are relevant and popular across different industries. Don’t forget to tag your location, especially if you’re a local business.

Include captions

Captions can serve various purposes. From simply letting your audience know about the contents of your picture to motivating your followers to take action, such as visiting your website or asking your audience to repost your content.

Build an aesthetic

Your company’s instagram should have it’s own brand aesthetic that is evident across the photos, profile and captions. This will help attract the right audience as well as create a consistent brand identity. Find out what kind of aesthetic works for your brand and stick to it.

crisis pr
by Ronn Torossian

Looking Back at 3 Serious PR Miscues in 2018

As 2018 comes to a close it’s time to reflect on some of the PR lessons we have watched in real time over the past year. There have been a few wins and a few good crisis responses, and there have also been a handful of PR disasters. Some of these scenarios were disasters right out of the chute, and others grew worse based on the response.

Apple Catches Heat for “Throttling”

The year started off with a fizzle for iPhone maker Apple, when it was announced that the company had been “throttling” iPhones – slowing their performance – for older phones. Customers had suspected this for years, but to find out it was actually happening upset a lot of consumers.

Then came Apple’s reasoning: “We’re doing it all for you.” According to Apple, the reason for the slow-down was to “preserve battery life” in order to keep the phones working longer. That message did not sit well with iPhone customers, who felt slighted and manipulated into buying newer models.

In response, Apple apologized and initiated a more cost-effective battery replacement program for customers with older phones. That blunted the trauma somewhat, but in the end, this was an avoidable PR misstep. If the company had been proactive, customers would have known all their options and felt more of a connection with the brand.

Roseanne Crashes and Burns

2018 could have – and should have-been the Year of Roseanne. The noted comedian had returned to form, riding a successful reboot of her family sitcom to huge ratings and a major win for the Roseanne brand. At the time, nearly every news outlet was singing her praises, touting the new show as a great addition to what has been ranked as one of the best American sitcoms in generations. Then came the meltdown.

Roseanne, who is no stranger to stirring up controversy on social media, decided to go on Twitter and torpedo her resurgent career by tweeting out comments many considered to be overtly racist. ABC responded by immediately canceling Roseanne. Then, pouring salt in the wound, the network announced it would be re-making the show without its star and namesake.

If there was a highlight of the whole debacle, it came via Sanofi, maker of the sleep aid, Ambien. Roseanne, in her apology for the tweet, blamed Ambien for her errant posting. Sanofi responded with this: “While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication.”

Southwest Airlines Makes Bad Worse

Of all the airlines to be in the news in a bad way, most people would not necessarily guess Southwest. So when the company had a major issue this past spring, some people registered surprise. During a flight, one of the engines exploded, killing a passenger. Reports from the scene were graphic and scary, and Southwest was left answering very uncomfortable questions.

That alone may have qualified for a PR crisis, but when reports came out alleging the company was promoting timeliness over customer safety and mechanical operations, that hit the bottom line hard. Bookings dropped immediately, and Southwest was left to do some very public soul searching.

by Ronn Torossian

Three Ways Charities can Improve Social Media

In terms of developing a strong and cohesive social media strategy, charities usually come across more hurdles due to the limitations in funding. However, the accessibility and ease of the internet has resulted in most charities utilizing social media to raise awareness, drive traffic to their websites, and promote events and publications.

Here are some practical tips for charities to improve visibility, engagement and fundraising efforts:

Know your audience inside out

Get to know every detail about the community you’re addressing – from demographics to hobbies to habits. Profiling is a crucial aspect of a tailoring content when it comes to formulating a strong communication strategy. What is their age group? Where do they live? How do they spend their weekends?

WWF, or the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, was able to use profiling to its advantage. The nonprofit wanted to engage and educate the younger generation on wildlife and environmental concerns. After understanding their audiences habits and preferred social platforms, WWF used SnapChat as the means to distribute their message about how the urgency of protecting endangered species.

Make friends within the industry

Build a strong network of friends within the industry to create mutually beneficial relationships. Reach out to journalists, bloggers, and influencers with a similar audience and work with them to spread your message.

Getting celebrities to use their far-reaching voice can be a great way to get some publicity. The animal right organizations PETA has done this quite effectively by featuring the likes of Naomi Campbell and Alexandra Burke in their birthdays suits saying “I’d rather go naked than wear fur.”

The rise of Corporate Social Responsibility has led to more corporations seeking to give back to society, often through charitable partnerships. This creates a win-win situation, where charities can benefit from the influence and access to funds. The most important thing to keep in mind when engaging in a strategic partnership is to make sure that the values of the company, individual or celebrity are aligned with your brand.

Create a buzz

Creating a buzz around campaigns doesn’t always require fat wallet. You can build a lot of momentum in your campaign by thinking outside the box with unique, creative and unconventional ideas -think of the Ice Bucket Challenge. Messaging that is humorous or has shock value to it is often shared at a much higher rate than messages that incite emotional reactions from the audience.

In 2013, UNICEF Sweden’s campaign was successful in creating a shockwave through its ‘Likes Do Not Save Lives’ campaign, which highlighted the need for the audience to go beyond social media to create a difference. This campaign highlighted the need for explicit calls to action.

There are various things to take into account if you want to make a splash with your campaign. For instance, it’s important to target various platforms to create a larger buzz. Using videos can also be beneficial in reaching and engaging an audience. YouTube is your best friend when it comes to storytelling.

soup
by Ronn Torossian

Campbell Soup Executive Apologizes for Conspiracy Comments

Kelly Johnston has been VP of Government Affairs for the Campbell Soup Company since 2002, but the former secretary of the Senate got himself in trouble recently for spreading a widely-discredited conspiracy story about a recent mass migrant caravan.

Speaking out on Twitter, Johnston condemned the caravan as having been “planned and executed” by Open Society, a charity group funded by billionaire political activist George Soros.

According to media reports, here’s what the tweet said said: “See those vans on the right? What you don’t see are the troop carriers and the rail cars taking them north. OpenSociety planned and is executing this, including where they defecate. And they have an army of American immigration lawyers waiting at the border…”

As it turns out, those rumors were “baseless” according to the media and other officials, a fact that has embarrassed Johnston and, by extension, Campbell Soup. The company immediately went on the offense to distance itself from Johnston and any potential PR fallout. In a statement, Campbell said: “the opinions Mr. Johnston expresses on Twitter are his individual views and do not represent the position of Campbell Soup Company…”

Despite this distancing language, guilt by association is not easily avoided. While it isn’t known what was said behind closed doors, it is clear Johnston took measures to try to put this behind him. Both the tweet and his Twitter account are gone, deleted from the social media platform. That was, of course, after a reporter captured the comments and shared them on his own social media account.

Worse, the issue has an unmistakable political connection. Soros is a well-known liberal activist and donor, as well as a frequent target of right-wing disparagement. By casting unfounded aspersions with political intent, the executive drew his company into an unwanted political PR situation.

In a further attempt to stave off this kind of connection to his brand, which does not wish to alienate any consumers, Campbell interim president and CEO, Keith McLoughlin, said,  “Johnston’s comments are inconsistent with how Campbell approaches public debate.” He added that Johnston would be leaving the company soon, and stressed that this decision has been made prior to the tweet.

Once again, we have an imminent negative PR scenario that could have been avoided entirely if the person had been more judicious in their use of social media. While, in most cases, even spirited debate on social media isn’t taboo, openly spreading false and/or specific kinds of opinions can, and often do, come back around on people. It’s better to remember that, while Twitter and other social media platforms feel private, they are megaphones to a very large public audience, whether that’s intended or not.

coffee marketing
by Ronn Torossian

Advertising Authority Slams Costa Coffee: Don’t Bring Home the Bacon

The British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a radio ad for Costa Coffee after it was ruled the ad discouraged the consumption of avocados as a breakfast choice- instead boosting the profile of the humble bacon sandwich.

The Costa ad, produced by BBH London, featured a voice-over which asserted: “Oh, there’s a great deal on ripen at home avocados. Sure, they’ll be hard as rock for the first 18 days, three hours and 20 minutes, then they’ll be ready to eat, for about 10 minutes, then they’ll go off. For a better deal head to Costa Coffee and grab a delicious, piping hot bacon roll or egg muffin for just £2 when you buy any medio or massimo hot drink or flat white before 11am.”

According to Costa Coffee, the ad was a harmless gag, focusing on the “frustration and unpredictability of the avocado.” The brand said the script was drawn from comical anecdotes based on widespread consumers’ experiences, and the frustration of trying to predict when an avocado ripened after purchasing. It was not, as the ASA alleged, “suggesting to listeners to make a definitive choice over two breakfast items.”

Radiocentre, the industry body for commercial radio and the gatekeeper for broadcast advertising, backed Costa’s claims. Consumers would see the comparison as a “light-hearted remark about the common experience of buying inedible avocados when compared to buying an instant hot coffee and bacon roll or egg muffin,” the body said.

Still, the ASA did not agree, with the watchdog adamant that “consumers would interpret the ad as a comparison between the experience of eating an avocado and a bacon roll or egg muffin.” It noted the UK’s BCAP Code, a guideline for advertisers, stated that brands must not discourage the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables.

“Although the ad was light-hearted,” the ASA went on to rule, “it nevertheless suggested avocados were a poor breakfast choice, and that a bacon roll or egg muffin would be a better alternative.” The ad is not to be broadcast again, and future Costa marketing efforts must not “condone or encourage poor nutritional habits and not disparage good dietary practice.”

The ASA has recently also cracked down on advertising by Kinder, KFC and Kelloggs in a bid to tackle the UK’s national obesity crisis, tackling advertisers that market salty, sugary and fatty foods.

by Ronn Torossian

NFL Ratings Are up, but Does that Mean All is Forgiven?

There’s really no two ways about it, the past few years have not been good for the NFL. Sure, the league made money, but a longstanding PR crisis never quite seemed to go away. Just when the league thought they put it all behind them, it would flare up again. Suddenly, fans were burning jerseys instead of buying tickets. Interest fell. Viewership fell. Merchandise sales fell.

And the worst news, all that was happening for the second year in a row. Coming into this season, things did not look like they had improved. An agreement between the teams and the league stalled, and ostracized players filed lawsuits. Fans were still hotly divided, and both TV pundits and politicians never missed a chance to weigh in and build up base support.

The outlook was understandably shaky going into this season, but league officials kept their fingers crossed, even as they failed to advance any real solutions, either to the protest issue or their PR crisis. But, a bit surprisingly, there’s some light at the end of this very long tunnel. So far this season, ratings are up. They’re only up 2 percent, but that’s a lot better than continuing to fall.

So, how did the league manage to pull out a win even while the issue that created the PR mess continues to simmer behind the scenes? They stopped trying to “figure out” the protest debacle, and, instead, they figured out a way to make the games more exciting.

Over the past few years, NFL excitement has waned. With injuries to players with top star power, even teams in big markets were not showing very much on the field. Since pro sports thrives as much on drama and story as it does on scores and highlights, when the story lagged, so did fan interest.

Cue Super Bowl LII, Philadelphia vs. New England. The Patriots were coming off one of the biggest come-from-behind victories in Super Bowl history. They had a guy who is arguably the best QB ever leading the team, and a head coach that seemed invincible. Philly had a good defense and a Cinderella backup QB who was due to be brought back down to earth. Instead, the Eagles won in what ended up being one of the most entertaining Super Bowls in recent memory. Fans were cheering again… and they weren’t talking about kneeling or anthems.

That trend of entertaining football continued into this season. The league changed some rules ostensibly to protect QBs and other offensive players, but what they really wanted was more scoring. They got it. Scoring has been electric this year, with many games coming right down to the last second, and more than a few being decided in overtime. Fans are flocking back to experience what they loved about football… the drama and the story that had been drowned out by yelling about protests.

So, while it’s a small margin, ratings are up, and they show signs of continuing to improve as the season continues. Does that mean all is forgiven? For some fans, no. But the longer the league can keep touchdowns – and not kneel downs – in the headlines, the better their prospects will be.