Designer PR

It frustrates me just a tad when I come across a businessperson who doesn’t quite get PR or even worse, writes it off as marketing. Then commences my passionate lecture on the value of PR and difference between marketing and advertising which everyone is so familiar with. Of course, my frustration will not be detected and you wouldn’t even know you received a lecture.

In essence, public relations is about managing perceptions… establishing mutually beneficial relationships between an organisation on the one hand, and specific people on the other. This managing of perceptions and building of relationships can only happen through communication. It is here that the science of PR meets the art. PR’s most valuable contribution to an organisation’s success lies in its ability to create and innovate.

Sorry dudes, but marketing and advertising on its own is so yesterday. These days anyone can not only smell an ad miles away, but are prone to ignoring it. People want to express, want to be listened to, want to engage in what is being offered. And with social networks evolving our communication platforms like never before, we find connection in unprecedented ways. Gone are the days of “business as usual”.

Designer PR calls for the taking of risks, authenticity, adaptability, innovation and creation… the very stuff that keeps us moving forward. Can the business of today really afford to miss this boat?

(Pic: http://is.gd/gur4R)

My 2c on exhibitions

With three successful exhibitions under my belt – I’m beginning to slowly feel like a little exhibition pro. Each expo though it seems comes with its very own set of valuable little lessons.

Working with a small biz for just over a year now, and of the marketing tools employed thus far, I have high praises for exhibitions.

Flippin hard work though, there’s (1) the planning and preparation phase: deciding on specific objectives, stand design, promotional material, staff etc. (2) your implementation phase: 3 days of utter madness… set-up preparations, long hours, those weird and wonderful questions, blabbering non-stop. (3) the after: lead handling, networks … those valuable contacts.

I firmly believe exhibitions, if appropriately matched with the event, carefully planned, and flexibly run – are invaluable for the brand and business concerned. As the old saying goes – absolutely nothing can replace the face-to-face. Even with today’s technological age, social media etc. … that face-to-face just cannot be beaten.

Despite each event being different – with its unique set of visitors carefully targeted by event organizers- I have noticed a usual trend. Day 1 is always super slow – your “strollers” or “browsers”… where a few business contacts is what would make it worthwhile. Day 2 is traffic traffic traffic and, if you’re selling a product, a sale or two. Day 3… the remainder of the world descends on your stand and is guaranteed to be your busiest day and best day for sales. I’ve concluded that the reason for last day scurry is simply cos its that precious last and thus- it helps to be a little extra prepared.

One important little note though – exhibitions are not the place if your sole objective is to make sales. Exhibitions are more about those intangible benefits – getting your brand out there, interacting with your market and learning more about them… what they like …what they don’t like, making valuable contacts and leads.

It can be a little costly to pull off – but for a small business- exhibitions are a fantastic marketing tool.

(Pic: http://www.events.in/events/images/tradefair.jpg)

Try a cliché

… or not I’d suggest. Here I’m steering towards those advertising clichés we’ve all come to know so well. For example…

“Order now and you also get….”
“As seen on TV”
“The lowest prices in town”

Advertisers have long since made use of platitudes and clichés to drive campaigns. I personally doubt these are as effective as they once may have been. Today’s consumer smell sweet talk a mile away. Recall Cluetrain?

Platitude is defined as "a flat, dull, commonplace, or trite remark uttered as if it were true and profound". Cliché is a phrase that is used excessively and has become a bit meaningless and even irritating to many. Why persist? Is it not high time we at least attempt to be a bit more creative and innovative? And if that is seeming like mission impossible, what about just being a bit more genuine?

Note to PRP’s: check out the July/August briefing by trendwatching.com titled Innovation Insanity for some inspiration on doing things differently.

Or… here’s a cliché for you: “ Flattery will get you … nowhere”.

(Pic: http://www.adliterate.com/archives/Cliche%20Jpeg.JPG)

Augmented Reshmality

PRP’s... I hope you sitting down... and up for this one! Whilst sitting down with our website guru recently- I learnt about something called Augmented Reality. In considering how social media has evolved, transforming peoples lives within such a short period of time... I’m afraid to think of what this Augmented Reality’s gonna do to us. From my limited understanding, it will (and already is) taking marketing and advertising by storm... maybe da pro... and it could also mean the end of privacy as we know it... da con?

Augmented Reality (AR) is the intermingling of our real and virtual worlds... using graphics and data from our virtual world and integrating it into our real world... as in REAL-TIME... now... ultimately enhancing what we see, hear, feel or smell...

Using software on eye-classes or on our mobile phones for example, AR allows us to interact with our real world like never before. Admittedly, me still a little fuzzy as to the mechanics of it all- ... but shoo! ... talk about blurring the lines.

Already used by Saatchi & Saatchi in a campaign for Wordsworth Books in SA... seems AR is gonna take brand communication to whoooole nother level! No doubt – it’s a matter of time before AR really rocks SA. What’s scary is when AR meets social media... imagine walking down the street and having graphics and audio coincide with what you see... info and ads popping up as you go along. Or what about an instant view of online profiles of those around you... people you might not even know?! ...”Ooooh... dat dude was at Mavericks last night and OMW!... he knows Cindy... small world ne!”. … so what? Bye-bye privacy?

Google it and check it out on YouTube people... AR is something that’s got me scared and excited at the same time. And to my fellow PRP’s, here’s to making magic with our future campaigns. If anything, AR is sure to change how we view our world.

(Picture by: http://www.mikearauz.com/images/socnetwork_AR_lg.jpg)