Sep 6th, 2010
Why PR helps businesses pass the social media endurance test
Many marketers automatically assume that digital agencies have the most expertise when it comes to social media. Surely it's a natural leap from HTML and banner ads to working online in a more social capacity?
At salt we have a different perspective. We believe beyond doubt that PR is best placed to run social media.
To gain the most impact in the social media environment, you need to create something that we hold very dear to our hearts: sustainable conversations.
PR people cut their teeth by creating content and campaigns that satisfy client communications imperatives, that the media will tolerate, and that interest consumers. This gives us unique insight into which campaigns go on to create sustainable conversations and so drive debate. Plus today, we have the expertise and listening tools to manage relationships and take audience engagement to a whole new level.
The very essence of social media is an open dialogue between brands and consumers in a space where everyone is a reporter. Get this relationship wrong and you could be calling in your PR advisors to deal with unsustainable and inappropriate conversations that have provoked a communications crisis.
From Honda's Manager of Product Planning astro-turfing, to Taco Bell losing share value and sales being affected in over 7,000 franchises from just one YouTube video, the need to be transparent and have a clear and engaging social media plan in place is essential. And if you involve a social media-savvy PR team from the start, you're never going to be on the back foot.
Finally, PR practitioners as expert content producers are properly placed not only to take a look at the bigger picture - making sense of the social media landscape - but to create enduring campaigns that foment lasting relationships between a brand and its consumers.
Sustainable conversations allow brands to blaze a trail with compelling content that really matters to global audiences. You can very quickly turn from being reactive to proactive, creating evangelists and making informed decisions on what conversations you want to advocate yourself.
> Sophie Griffiths
Jul 7th, 2010
Business and the MDGs
In 2001 all 192 UN member states and 23 international organisations pledged their agreement on a series of eight international development goals - Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - which promised to provide the world's poorest nations with the urgent assistance they need to improve their social and economic prosperity by 2015. They include reducing extreme poverty, reducing child mortality rates, and fighting disease epidemics such as AIDS.
With ambitious international targets set, 2001 presented businesses with an obligation to intervene. There is a popular misconception that businesses create problems, rather than offer solutions to the biggest challenges to the world. However, consider this - MDG 4 sets out to reduce diarrhoeal disease that accounts for nearly 2 million deaths a year among children under five, making it the second most common cause of child death worldwide. Handwashing with soap is proven to be the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent these diarrheoal diseases occurring. So soap manufacturers must be an inextricable part of the solution.
Non-profits at local, national or international levels and their government counterparts can come up with action plans for change - carefully assessing the reality of situations on the ground and providing sound recommendations about what needs to be done. They know, for instance, that diarrhoea is responsible for 2 million deaths among under fives every year, and that the only way MDG 4 will be achieved is if this disease rate is eradicated. The private sector on the other hand, has the expertise, creativity, resources and ways of working that can accelerate progress against this target. As experts in affecting habits, marketers from the private sector are able to come up with innovative approaches that result in life-saving behaviour change.
Why do they do it? As the world is changing and becoming ever more transparent, consumers put companies under scrutiny and expect them to act. It's no longer business choice, its good business mandate. At the same time, businesses with savvy marketing expertise realise that intervening will benefit their bottom line - more people washing their hands with soap results in less diarrheal disease (accelerating MDG 4) but it also means soap manufacturers sell more soap, increasing their sales. Everyone is happy - public private partnerships in action create win-win situations that can provide the answer to the world's biggest problems, and reach corporate agendas.
Here is salt's entry to the UN's End Poverty 2015 Millennium Campaign poster competition
May 27th, 2010
Lessons in love - what can Britain's new coalition government teach brands?
As Britain picks over the details of the legislation programme put forward by its first peacetime coalition government in 80 years, are there any early lessons for corporates working or thinking about working with unlikely partners? The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have quickly gone from competing for votes to joining together to work for the 'greater good'. How does this work in practice?
There are a number of lessons corporates and their partner organisations can take from this, as it happens. Businesses and brands are increasingly looking to partnerships to help them pursue their Sustainability or Marketing with a Mission (http://bit.ly/9Mh5Yn) agendas. Nestle signs up with The Forest Trust to tackle deforestation in its supply chain, and try and get Greenpeace to leave KitKat alone (http://bit.ly/9lkpWX), soap brands partner with Unicef and the World Bank to tackle disease (http://www.globalhandwashingday.org/). What can the Clegg Cameron love-in teach them?
First, the importance of basic human trust. The new Prime Minister and his Deputy appear to trust each other on a personal level. This forms the basis of all strong human relationships, and should never be discounted in business partnerships, even, or especially, when the partners appear so different in structure, aims and size. If Nestle and The Forest Trust are going to make it work, they will need strong levels of personal trust between the key players on both sides.
Second, transparency. Our basic principle in all communications in this area is to be transparent till it hurts. Only by being up front with potential partners from the outset about what your prime objectives are (to sell more chocolate, to reduce deforestation; to reform the voting system, to cap immigration) can you hope to be anything other than dysfunctional in tackling those areas where your interests overlap.
Third, equity. This is not the same as equality. The Conservatives have a much larger number of MPs than the LibDems, but the smaller party has an equal voice at the table. In the same way, the multinational company must give an equal voice to its smaller NGO or charity partners to ensure the mutual respect that lies at the heart of successful partnerships.
It's early days for this new type of political arrangement in Britain, and of course it may all end in tears. But there are already useful lessons for businesses who feel the need to partner.
Mar 8th, 2010
Fashion 2.0
Fashion has had a painful lurch from faithful old print media into the new evolution of the uncertain world of the blogosphere. But could it teach non-fashion brands a thing or two about keeping up with their target audiences online?
During New York Fashion Week, The New York Times exclaimed: "Young bloggers have the ear of fashion heavyweights". Women's Wear Daily stated: "Everyone's doing it: Brands take on Social Media", following by "Bricks Versus Clicks: Front Row at D&G," positioning front row bloggers at D&G in Milan as a "Defining Moment"of the Spring/Summer 2010 shows.
A few seasons ago fashion shows were the preserve of industry professionals, buyers and retailers, but in this changing media industry bloggers are front row taking pictures with their iPhones; a week later what you saw on the runway you see kids sporting on the high-street. The fashion bloggers du jour with names like The Satorialist and Style Bubble - both about a blogger's individual take on fashion - are collectively climbing the ranks of the stratified fashion hierarchy with their insatiable appetite for fashion.
Fashion shows have historically been so undemocratic but with bloggers now taking up this prime front row real estate, has democracy penetrated this most autocratic of industries?
Take Tavi for example, a 13-year-old blogger from suburban Chicago crowned "Style Rookie" by the fashion industry. She's faced the front covers of fashion bibles, Pop magazine and Love, and become a fashion icon overnight. Tavi's blog attracts half a million hits a month and she is taken so seriously by the industry that she earned front row seats at all the biggest shows last season.
Bloggers who are at the forefront of content innovation can attract viral attention and foster relationships with readers, and are also the most important drivers of traffic and loyalty. So if you're targeting Generation X or Y you can be sure to find them online, and to retain their interest you need to communicate to them through the new wave of "Editors" - bloggers.
The question is, how to do it right? Brands need to grant "access all areas" to bloggers if they want to be talked about. The creative duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have embraced the online culture by providing internet viewers live streaming footage. Bloggers set up their laptops "get set" ...tweet, comment, post, link, stream...
But it's not enough just to be seen to embrace bloggers. Brands must build long-term relationships with them, not short-term exploitative ones. Engaging with bloggers on new campaigns ensures their "buy-in" from the outset.
Finally, some advice from New York-based fashion blogger Yuli Ziv who recently said: "If you are looking for sales, make sure to provide detailed product info, pricing and availability; if SEO (search engine optimisation) is your top goal - make sure you use the right keywords in your pitch; if it's publicity you want - give us juicy stories, and if you simply want love - give them the reasons to love you." It's as simple as that.
Tori Lee
Jan 18th, 2010
Google's China syndrome
Google, which is known for its corporate mission "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful" and more widely for its unofficial motto "don't be evil" has always had a tough ride in China.
In 2006, Google agreed to work with the Chinese government to censor its content for users in return for obtaining an operating permit - removing some of its search results that the government branded 'too sensitive' (think anything connected to the Tiananmen Massacre as a starter for ten).
It came up against staunch criticism for operating its Chinese arm according to guidance from the Communist Party of China. In an attempt to put a positive spin on the situation, Google had this to say for itself: "While removing search results is inconsistent with Google's mission, providing no information (or a heavily degraded user experience that amounts to no information) is more inconsistent with our mission".
Last month however, the Chinese government took it one step too far when they launched a sophisticated attack on the Google corporate infrastructure, targeting 20 businesses and hacking into the Google Mail accounts of human rights activists.
With that in mind, Google is now "review(ing) the feasibility of our business operations in China" and has suggested that it is no longer willing to censor search results. Spokespeople have suggested that they may shut down Google.cn and potentially all their offices in China.
If Google goes ahead and exits the market, it will lose access to an incredibly important economic powerhouse, depriving it from access to 338 million internet users and an estimated $600 million annual revenue.
It's a risky move for Google, but making it, and re-aligning itself with its moral standpoint "don't be evil" might just ensure that it is capable of maintaining its Number One spot in the corporate league tables. And as PR professionals, we know why reputation management should be top priority for brands in today's global economy.
> Ali Morpeth
Jan 7th, 2010
2010 - the year ahead
So despite the new (working) year beginning with a bit of a flurry, the majority of salties managed to brave the snow and skate down to the office, where the conversation quickly turned to resolutions for the new year.
A quick straw poll revealed that all the popular resolutions were represented; getting fit... learning something new... helping others... drinking less etc. Among the more interesting ambitions; learning to speak Swedish, building a chest of drawers, get interested in rugby, crocheting more, selling handmade wares online, stressing less ("because it's really not worth it") and finding a wife for a housemate.
Helpfully, one of the girls in the office sent round a link to an online service that helps people stick to their resolutions... but only time will tell whether it works.
And as well as being delighted to be back in the office, we're also very pleased to welcome Christie Palmer to the team at salt. Christie, formerly of Eulogy and Exposure, joins us as account director and is the first of five new and forthcoming saltie recruits.
So here's to 2010, onwards and upwards!
Nov 17th, 2009
What's in a name?
Snickers, Big Mac, PG Tips, Sprite, Aquafresh, Corn Flakes, Domestos. A selection of well know brand names that conjure up certain, and often quite powerful emotions and opinions. Of course, it's not only the name that evokes these feelings, it's the product itself and the values, heritage and people we associate with it. But even when taken in isolation, the emotive power of a name shouldn't be underestimated.
There are plenty of examples of brands meddling with their names and irking their customers in the process. Recently, in Australia, Kraft was forced to rename one of its new products following a national backlash against the first choice. Out went 'iSnack 2.0' and in came 'Vegemite Cheesybite.' Not so long ago Pizza Hut in the UK changed their name to 'Pasta Hut' as part of a promotion. In January the company announced that 81% of consumers polled wanted to go back to the original name they knew and loved.
What's interesting about both these examples is the very vocal opposition they generated, stemming from the sense of ownership consumers felt for these brands. Especially as 'their' product names were changed as a PR tactic.
These days, brands have to be very open, honest and responsible as to why they're changing a name. Kraft realised this the hard way when it was revealed the company had already trademarked the iSnack2.0 name in Hong Kong before announcing it as the apparent winner in a Australian competition.
Changing a brand name shouldn't be done purely as a PR tactic. A business driver must lie at the heart of the decision. And if the right name is chosen, for the right business reasons, then PR has an important role to play in telling the 'story behind the name'.
Done well it can help brands start afresh, and hopefully grab more share of voice and awareness in the process. Take Microsoft's recently revitalised and relaunched search engine Bing, nee Live Search. Already research shows that 55% of consumers plan to replace Google with Bing as their main search tool, many of whom said they'd switch because they liked the name more!
> Justin Bates
Oct 6th, 2009
We want you
Last night the Tories became the latest political party to promise more jobs (should they get into power)... 60,000 over the next two years makes for good headlines.
So we thought we'd get in on the act with our own job promise > We are currently on the lookout for an experienced account manager to start asap
If you're bright, creatively inclined and like the sound of what we do at salt, then please get in touch.
hello@saltlondon.com
Sep 7th, 2009
A Convenient Truth
Comedians are brilliant. They stand up on stage, in front of hundreds of people, and share everyday insights, all of which are obvious, but you've never stopped to think about them and how applicable they are. This in turn somehow makes them funny and entertaining. Take Michael McIntyre's 'man drawer' (1min30 in) for example - such a simple concept, part of our every day lives, but until now, nobody had thought to label this wonderful place where we deposit often defunct stuff that for some reason we think we'll need in the future but probably never will.
The best communications campaigns reflect what comedians do best - they identify a human truth - an everyday occurrence, a way of speaking, or sometimes a stereotype etc. that means something to their consumers and hone in on it. It doesn't need to be complicated. In fact, it just needs to be 'simples', honest and transparent. It also helps if it's funny, a form of escapism from every day life or has a tension point that gets people talking. It's when brands try too hard to sell and get it spectacularly wrong that we as consumers switch off, mentally and even worse physically, by pooh-poohing the product.
The best PR campaigns often think BIG, are extremely SIMPLE and are RELEVANT to people's lives. A great example of this was the competition for the Hamilton Island caretaker job in Queensland Australia. A global campaign, it asked people to apply for the 'best job in the world'. Think about their target's thought process: recession > redundancies > job on island > dream job > happiness > it could be me... This campaign put Hamilton Island into everyone's consciousness (job done) and they started to see it as the 'golden ticket' to paradise. And hats off to those who had the gumption to invest in this global campaign, with PR as the lead discipline. Good for them that their investment has paid off.
So sometimes, at the end of a hard day's work when we comms folk flick on the telly for a spot of light relief, we're reminded of what everyday people, like us, really care about - simple, human truths that we can relate to. The trick is finding a way to bring a brand into the equation. Find a way to do this and then you're laughing.
> Nicky Young
Aug 19th, 2009
The Future of Online News
At the beginning of the month, media mogul Rupert Murdoch announced plans to charge for access to all news websites under the News Corp umbrella.
A popular initial reaction was to scoff at his claims of the intrinsic value of 'quality journalism', rubbishing the idea that the public would ever pay for news they once received for free. But now that the dust has settled, the question has become how fast will other media follow suit and what payment model might they use.
The clear favourite is an iTunes-style, micro-payment-per-article service. The ease of payment on iTunes is universally familiar, and has encouraged tens of millions of consumers to purchase quality music legally and conveniently, rather than hunt down free downloads elsewhere.
The appeal of such a micro-payment system for articles of niche interest, or by certain journalists may well work better than tucking "premium" content behind a subscriber only paywall, like the ones used by FT.com and the New York Times. The FT.com has 117,000 online subscribers, but with 15,000 non-paying subscribers signing up each week, the publisher is looking closely at alternate payment models to leverage the perceived quality of journalism with this wider readership and thus boost revenues.
No one is quite sure what the right answer is. But regardless of popular / unpopular opinion, Murdoch plans to launch a pay-to-view Sunday Times later this year. If it is a success, it could change online news as we know it.
> Gavin Harry