Column on Crisis Communication

PREPARE YOUR COMPANY TO COMMUNICATE IN A CRISIS

By Roger Rosenbaum

“Thank you for suing us,” is how Taco Bell recently responded to a lawsuit filed by a ticked-off customer claiming the company’s beef recipe was full of filler.

Taco Bell President Greg Creed fought back with the unconventional ads and a YouTube video that quickly set the record straight. Creed deserves credit for looking customers straight in the eye and saying,“I want you to know the truth….I want you to have all the facts.”

The video clarified the situation by saying the recipe included 88 percent beef--fully inspected by the U.S.D.A. “What’s the other 12 percent?” he asked in the video.

“It’s our secret and I am going to tell you,” said Creed.

The video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah05FEWcJWM) then listed all the ingredients. Taco Bell bought full-page ads in newspapers with nationwide reach proclaiming: “Plain ground beef is boring.”

Creed asked rhetorically,"who makes chili with unseasoned ground beef?" The lawsuit suit alleged that Taco Bell’s meat only had only 35 percent beef. 

Taco Bell also bought online advertising and key word searches. Creed said in the Wall Street Journal,” "We will spend whatever it takes to restore our reputation.”

Taco Bell’s slightly risky strategy turned the story around. The media, public relations professionals and customers applauded the honesty and the story turned from the claim to the response.

The rapid social media response is a stark contrast to the textbook crisis communication blunders made by BP in the wake of last year’s gigantic oil spill.

More than setting the record straight, Taco Bell’s honest human response might actually lead to greater customer loyalty and increased sales.

Effective responses to a crisis capable of crimping company cash flow should be a concern to businesses even in the Hudson Valley. The event does not need to be catastrophic in order to dramatically impact work flow, employee morale, sales, reputation and customer loyalty. It can be perceived, misconceived or even fabricated.

Rosenbaum Media has worked with clients caught in the middle of a massive snowstorm, tense contract negotiations, threat of a class-action suit and a single customer complaint leading to a wave of negative media coverage.

Just like Taco Bell, our responses included high-quality video showing a wide variety of stakeholders the client’s perspective and response.

One example I am proud of is the video shot at a hospital news conference that led to the rapid end of tense contract negotiations with one of the largest health benefits providers in the country.

Reaction to a crisis needs to be carefully planned, yet timely and accurate. These days, news travels fast in social media circles and around-the-clock news cycles. A company’s reputation can be tarnished in twenty minutes after a post is made on Twitter or Facebook.

Trying to hide or ride out a wave of negative news can be bad for business. The once-common default defense, “no comment” does not serve the company, the media or customers. 

Tips:

-Gather and brainstorm with key team members in marketing, PR, executive decision makers, finance and legal;

-Avoid trying to “spin” a story;

-Stick with known facts;

-Present one single source of accurate information;

-Open lines of communication with members of the media;

-View the situation from a multitude of angles—who, how and why does the situation impact customers, employees, suppliers, board members and in some cases stockholders;
-Consider long-term legal and financial impact of incident and response;

-Strongly consider how the message might create legal liabilities in the future;

-Embrace the online and social media community to set the record straight if media coverage paints an inaccurate picture;

-Show how the situation impacts and benefits real people and

-Watch and make sure that staff fatigue over a long period of time does not lead to mistakes or sound bites that bite back.

Taco Bell’s sarcastic response is not for every company. Serving up a timely and accurate response must be. It’s just good, smart business.

Roger Rosenbaum is president of Rosenbaum Media Group, a company that integrates high-definition video into PR, marketing advertising and social media campaigns. Rosenbaum received awards for reporting from the Associated Press and New York State Broadcasters’ Association. Rosenbaum Media has locations in Albany, Rhinebeck and New York City. He can be reached at 845-943-5366 or info@rosenbaummedia.com

Clinton Wedding Ushers In New Era in PR

Public Relations and the news business will never be the same after Chelsea Clinton tied the knot in the Hudson Valley town of Rhinebeck.

A fastidious wedding planner worked for months under the radar planning the now famous lavish wedding for 500 at the former Astor Estate. Part of that work included creating an almost airtight veil of secrecy surrounding the event. Never in my 25 years in newsgathering and PR I have I seen this kind of message or story control.

A local newspaper publisher broke the story of the rumored event. Rumors of the summer event snowballed. Soon satellite trucks and camera crews from national news organizations rolled into the village. News hounds came hungry for news bites and the potential of a scoop on an international story.

The bad news: No one was talking with facts that could be confirmed. A firm “no comment” became commonplace response from shop owner to restaurant owner. It was like an entire town and village of 10,000 got high-level media relations training overnight.

Rhinebeck has a history of low-key treatment of celebrity-types. Or, maybe it was the rumored $1 million non-disclosure agreement allegedly given to contractors, vendors and companies working on the wedding. Even this plausible rumor was later proven to be false.

Village of Rhinebeck Mayor Jim Reardon couldn't even confirm that the wedding would take place the weekend of July 31. He did confirm doing nearly a dozen interviews with international media outlets leading to what he called multimillion dollars worth of exposure for Rhinebeck. "We could not afford what Madison Avenue would have charged us for this exposure," the Mayor told local YNN reporter Beth Croughan.

I joined the army of members of the media covering the event and shot footage for Entertainment Tonight’s show The Insider.

Without facts, the buzz grew bigger and bigger. The story went from being called “wedding of century” to “wedding of the decade” and finally “Wedding of the Season”. Some media outlets treated each classification downgrade like The Weather Channel reports on downgrading a large storm.

A vacuum of facts presented a fascinating scenario to me. The media had to follow the event not like a news story, but more like an unfolding reality show. The key difference had to do with the Clinton’s indifference to media coverage.

The media was not in the drivers seat.

Chelsea and Hillary Clinton kept a low profile--as they are certainly entitled. It was an historic event--the wedding of a first daughter where the mother of the bride is a sitting secretary of state.

A new band of citizen journalist armed with high quality cameras and smart phones amplified the family’s silence. Media outlets found themselves competing with locals for key shots and interviews.

This became evident when President Bill Clinton got out of a Secret Service motorcade to munch on lunch at Gigi’s Restaurant. Crowds grew as residents texted friends, posted photos on Facebook and posted tweets on Twitter.

For the first time, residents could distribute local news (text, photos and video) via smart phone faster than well-funded media outlets with giant satellite trucks. The difference--the information was sent to friends, family and co-workers inside social circles and not to large broadcast audiences.

Some news organizations and websites now rely on this ad-hoc band of citizen journalists often referred to as crowd sourcing. Even I fell into the gray area of citizen journalist when I posted footage to CNN’s iReport for which I was not paid. http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-469442 and http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-474592

Now anyone can capture an event. The ability to tell a memorable story separates pros from amateurs. This interesting scenario poses opportunities and threats for businesses and PR pros. More people can create content, but there is more content that is uncontrollable. Another angle: if national media crews won’t cover your story perhaps there are ways to create content to build buzz on your own.

Media relations strategy now must include content development and harnessing the power of consumers and customers.

On July 31^st, the village of Rhinebeck became the most watched community in the world. The story and how it was told are now history.

MAXIMIZE YOUR MESSAGE in 2010
By Roger S. Rosenbaum

2010 signals the start of the digital decade when public relations, marketing and advertising merge, are moving from traditional silos to a hybrid structure with a wide range of tools and strategies.

In weak economic times public relations remains a cost-effective choice for all types of businesses. Richard Edelman emphasizes this point in a recent article in "The Economist" magazine.

"PR is 'the organizing principle' behind many business decisions,” said Edelman, head of the world’s largest independent PR firm.

Another PR industry executive agreed. “PR firms are beginning to encroach on territory that used to be the domain of advertising firms, a sign of their increasing clout," said Global CEO of Ogilvy Public Relations World Wide.

This is not news to seasoned PR pros who know the growing value of PR compared to the ROI of traditional advertising. Yet, navigating the new maze of traditional, online and social media is not as clear-cut as it seems.

Just because a PR firm has been churning out press releases since the advent of the printing press does not mean they can compete with a digital-savvy firm ready to develop effective campaigns with fluidity and continuity.

Here is a case study: the specific details have been omitted to maintain client confidentiality.

Recently, a metro New York City hospital called on Rosenbaum Media to videotape a news conference asking for an insurance company to negotiate in better faith on a contract impacting 50,000 customers. We were hired to provide a synopsis of the event for regional media. The main news outlet in the region had just put its health reporter on furlough.

The footage was shot, edited and uploaded on location within hours of the event. It showcased real people caught in a contract negotiation between the hospital and a health benefits provider.

Rosenbaum Media used several PR tactics. With a looming contract deadline, we wrote a news release that was published by a regional media outlet and produced a 3-minute video that a hospital official later said was instrumental in changing the course of the tense negotiation.

According to the client, traditional print-based advertising created a groundswell of support for the hospital and its news conference; the video changed the outcome of the negotiation.

Sometimes the most effective approach is to “broadcast” a message on multiple channels. Other times, a direct and targeted communication achieves the desired result.

Simply firing off news releases does not cut it in the Digital Age. Elements of planning and strategy are growing more important. Some of the best campaigns integrate print ads, radio, TV, social media for the greatest impact.

Even tools from marketing are important in PR. A tried and true marketing exercise——strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis (SWOT)——can be an effective basis for mapping out an effective PR strategy.

Marketing comes into play with PR when clients are seeking to increase sales and short-term growth. Some clients will use PR for brand awareness but others just need to increase foot traffic.

Traditional silos of marketing, pr and advertising become blurrier as end-users enjoy the power of being their own information and entertainment program directors. This trend is not going to stop even as social media platforms evolve.

In some senses, everything is changing. In other senses, nothing is changing: solid thinking, planning and strategy are necessary even if marketing, PR and advertising are co-mingled in one silo.

Savvy businesses are wise to look to PR for its ability to build brand awareness and motivate customers to take action toward a predetermined outcome.

2010 marks a year when messaging can spread like wildfire——both good and bad. Content and news is omnipresent. Soon with special equipment your home cable TV programming can be received on your iPhone.

During uncertain economic times, growth comes from savvy thinking on strategy, timing and budget. As the January 14th article in "The Economist" magazine points out even in bad times, PR can be very good for business.

Column run by PR Bull Dog....

http://www.bulldogreporter.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=2436B6EB9392483ABB0A373E8B823A24&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications::Article&mid=53D88D74A99849C185183B336A3F3B02&AudID=213D92F8BE0D4A1BB62EB3DF18FCCC6&tier=4&id=11B10E36F79B4A8FAA1BDD573E05B0E3

Issue Date: Daily 'Dog - December 30, 2009, Dominos Vs. Tiger Woods: Social Media Turnaround Campaign Offers PR Lessons By Roger Rosenbaum, President, Rosenbaum Media Group LLC In 2009, Dominos Pizza became the victim of a social media PR smear when employees mishandled food and uploaded footage of the half-baked idea to YouTube. In a day, hundreds of thousands watched the mess on YouTube. In my opinion, the corporate response shot back via YouTube video was weak and watched by a much smaller audience. Instead of being once burned, twice shy about social media, the pizza chain delivered a hot new social media campaign. In the opening of the video, Dominos CEO Patrick Doyle confronts customers: "There comes a time when you know you gotta make a change." Feedback from customers online and in focus groups blistered the brand with criticism. Instead of running from it, the company showcases the customer complaints in the video. "Pizza. Where's the love? Cheese, sauce . . . fresh ingredients. It doesn't feel like there is much love in Dominos pizza," complained a cranky consumer. Another focus group participant piped in, "Dominos pizza crust to me is like cardboard." Yikes! This type of public admission of product flaws is a bold move that most CEOs could not stomach. Dominos' CEO comes across in this video as a change agent rather than a mealy mouthed executive willing to accept the status quo. Doyle gets points in my book for publicly professing his love of pizza: "You can't lead a company like this—unless you love food. I love pizza," said Doyle in the cutting-edge video. It reminds me of a slogan at a company I once worked for: "Get wired or get fired." Some companies give lip service to customer service. Careful thought and consideration to customers' opinions is so basic, yet so often ignored. Critics will say that Dominos showed weakness, in that they have not been offering customers their best product. The truth is, I don't expect Dominos to make a better pizza pie than my favorite local pizzeria. Al at Village Pizza in Rhinebeck, New York won't accept a bad customer experience. He makes his own connection with customers going table to table to check in on how fresh the food tasted. When Dominos Pizza is a convenient option, I want to think of them as better than just mediocre. New product launches and shifts in company commitment can be risky business. Just think of how many versions of Coca Cola have been introduced over the years. Some have succeeded, most have fizzled. Here is some food for thought: Are companies afraid of—or confused by—their customers? To me, you can't go wrong by listening to customers with genuine concerns. Consumers are so often fed spin, BS and disingenuous marketing. There is often a disconnect between external messaging and real customer experiences. Don't tell me my call is important to you and then keep me on hold for 20 minutes. Customers want to be treated with respect and feel that their patronage matters. For example: One of the reasons I love doing business with FedEx is because it feels like they care about my business as much as I do. The Dominos video also serves as a case study in getting out in front of an issue and dealing with it head on. In 2009, the media ate up small and large issues ignored by companies and celebrities. Tiger Woods landed himself in a trap by not immediately confronting the crash and subsequent slow-leak bombshell announcement of his extra marital affairs with models and waitresses. Sponsors—who usually back a brand that brings in money—have clearly backed away from the golfer who apparently drove into late-night trouble. "Late Night" host David Letterman looked into the camera and told viewers his side of the story. Letterman basically shut the situation down by deflating rising interest in his extra marital affairs. Telling the truth (facts that can actually be verified) has great power in changing perceptions. It has been said that it is not the crime that causes the most damage—it's the cover up that sometimes follows. What is clear is that Dominos is eyeballing every inch of their pie and the people with the power to purchase them. They are also reviewing the commitment of the company started decades ago. No one can afford lukewarm connections with customers in an uncertain economy. This campaign has me thinking, "Why can't other industries and companies think this way?" New times require new ways of thinking. Instead of looking for bailouts, more companies should be looking for their bootstraps. It will be interesting to see if this campaign helps Dominos' sales figures rise. If Doyle is wise, he will issue an equally powerful follow-up video in a few months saying: "Our customers talked to us—and we listened." Social media makes two-way communication real, rapid and relevant. There is no question that there will be replies and satire from customers and competitors. The power and reach of social media to direct customers making minute-by-minute purchasing choices is a marketer's dream. It requires constant monitoring, strategy and proactive response. Sweating the details is a reality of PR and marketing in the Digital Age. Earlier this year, I met with a boutique PR firm in New York City. God only knows what is going to happen to the "old school" firm when the traditional press release becomes old news. Dominos' CEO is right on target: There does come a time when you know you gotta make a change. Roger Rosenbaum is president of Rosenbaum Media Group LLC, a digital communications consulting company. RMG specializes in PR, digital video and social media.

Landed Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome on CNN...

THE DOMINO'S EFFECT: NATIONAL PIZZA MAKER GETS BURNED BY VIRAL VIDEO

If you want to observe the raw power of social media or how a hot viral video can spread over the Internet then Dominos pizza will serve as an unsavory case study.

Two Dominos franchise employees shot a video in a store kitchen, where according to print reports, they stuffed cheese not in pizza crust but in nasal passages. Within a day, that half baked idea ended up becoming a viral video viewed by one million people on YouTube.

The video provided an unsavory look at food preparation and broke the unspoken promise that prepared food will arrive at your table or door without being mistreated.

While the actions in the video violated good taste and common sense, the pair charged with the incident say none of the food used in the video was delivered to customers.

The video certainly violated company policy and local health codes, but it should be a wake up call to companies large and small that responses to a wide variety of social media activities need to be delivered in thirty minutes or less.

This situation should cause companies of all sizes to pause and examine proactive and reactive social media strategies. Blogger, Facebook, My Space, Twitter have seeped into mainstream marketing, advertising and PR. Actor Ashton Kutcher now has the bragging rights of being followed by 1 million on Twitter, which he triumphantly reported as being more than CNN has.

The New York Times quotes a Domino's spokesman. “We got blindsided by two idiots with a video camera and an awful idea.”

The New York Times reports that Dominos top brass got alerted to the online food fiasco from a blogger. Later, Dominos created a Twitter page to help put some shine back into the Dominos brand. Some members of the online community live by the golden rule.

In response to the alleged hoax cooked up by franchise employees, Dominos U.S. CEO Patrick Dolye shot back with his own YouTube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l6AJ49xNSQ

The was video watched by only a third of those who watched the alleged video hoax. "It sickens me that the actions of two people could impact our great system, where 125,000 men and women work for small businesses owners around the U.S. and in 60 countries," Doyle said in the video.

There is no question that social media--relating to individuals or communities rather than in outdated broadcast models--has come of age.In the Digital Age, social media gives consumers their own printing press. With YouTube and sites like Magnify.net they also have their own broadcasting towers.

Small groups of bloggers can chase down corporate greenwashing and attack multimillion-dollar companies with Pitbull-like power. Online communications need to be monitored and shaped in ways that internal and traditional external communications are distributed.

Unilever Chief Marketing Officer Simon Clift recently outlined five key strategies for marketing in today's digital landscape. In the AdAge article, Cliff said that customers are not morons they are the ones defining your brand. http://adage.com/print?article_id=135943

It is a whole new world where customers can control communications--good and bad--about your company. It is unfortunate, but some companies are just getting on board with a solid, yet static website. Those just accepting a Web 1.0 site are far behind.

In the Web 2.0 world, Dominoes brand was "hijacked" leaving Dominoes execs scrambling to respond to the situation. "This was an isolated incident. The two team members have been dismissed and there are felony arrest warrants out for their arrest. The store has been shut down and sanitized from top to bottom. There is nothing more sacred to us than our customers' trust," said Doyle in his response video.

Most customers can see through the unsavory actions of two individuals YouTube video. In the short-term, the alleged hoax might leave a lingering mess in subconscious minds of customers. You have to give Dominoes credit for a rapid response to a unexpected nightmare.

However, the one mistake the YouTube response made was not directing Doyle to look into the camera. His message would have been delivered more effectively if he looked viewers straight in the eye. That is the kind of talk he needed to have with his customers for effective “brandaid” damage control.

Rapidly, rebuilding brand loyalty is not a pie in the sky goal for Domino’s, whose reputation up to this point has been squeaky clean.

Just in case sales slip, Domino’s may want to fire back against the social media smear with ads that show pizza makers scrubbing up for work like a heart surgeon. Or, show the pizzas being made in a high-tech clean room next to computer chips.

Chances are, however are they will want to put this incident behind them and continue focusing on the companies smart (and timed right) big taste bailout package promotion. It has all the right ingredients to become a successful campaign.

Roger Rosenbaum is a digital and social media strategist. He can be reached at info (at sign) socialmedia.biz.

Column in PR Bulldog (See by 50k PR Pros)

Issue Date: Daily 'Dog - June 26, 2008

Do You Have Imagination for Innovation? PR Practitioners Must Now Conduct R&D

By Roger Rosenbaum, President, Rosenbaum Media Group

Savvy PR professionals are finding themselves at a crossroads. For half a century, the news release has been the mainstay of our business to reach the public through members of the media. A whole new world of Web 2.0 digital tools strategies and distribution channels to reach target audiences are emerging.

The growing options pose an interesting proposition for sole practitioners, as well as small and large PR firms. For many firms, traditional pitch and follow–up for press play is a tried and true method of getting media coverage for clients. Some clients are happy with this approach, cost and the potential results.

While Web 2.0 and world of social media is absolutely wonderful, clients who foot the bill must be on board with the costs and benefits. We must be able to understand, use and sell new PR options.

So what are you doing in your business to bring digital PR to your clients? Who in your firm is scouting new technology that can benefit new and future clients? Put simply: Developing an "imagination for innovation" leading to new products and services is essential in a competitive field where there is growing competition as well as easy access to Web–based automation of news release distribution.

Research and development is often associated with manufacturing—and not with service businesses. But firms of all shapes and sizes cannot afford to ignore changes in technology. Digital PR allows for greater control of the content and in some cases less control of where the content goes. However, a key component of digital PR is that the flow of information can be tracked and provide a more interactive way for clients to develop relationships with target audiences.

The options are vast and growing. Case in point: The Hudson Valley Center for Innovation (HVCFI) is the type of client who is willing to embrace technology in reaching out to communicate with entrepreneurs, mentors, board members and members of the media.

In April, HVCFI's Entrepreneur's Breakfast Seminar was offered as secure, live webcasts to these audiences. These seminars are a mixture of educational and news opportunities that allow a potential worldwide audience. By collaborating with technology provider CallEveryOne.com, my company was able to set up the live webcast and allow reporters to attend virtually. The we cast led to solid coverage by a regional news columnist. It was an important vote of confidence for the presenter and the client.

The HVCFI webcast also included a remote guest speaker who was linked in via a Verizon wireless data card. The whole process gave me flashbacks to my days in the control room producing live TV and in the field when the station satellite truck rolled up to a crime scene to beam the scene back to the newsroom.

There is no question that there were bumps in the road with the HVCFI webcast production and it was not network quality, but the reality is that it does not need to be. Costs in equipment were just a small fraction of what a satellite truck costs.

This is not to say that I have turned my back on the benefits of mainstream media or the impact that an independent evaluation can have for a client. I shot footage that aired on The Weather Channel, which is seen in 80 million homes. http://www.rosenbaummedia.com/pr4resorts7/pr4resorts.html

For another client, it took me a year of pitching to get Connecticut's number one news station to cover a client story. Here is the story: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qts2L0Qx–4.

Following the airing of the story, I took the YouTube link and sent it to all NBC affiliates in the tri–state area. I got a call from WNBC with interest in the story. They have yet to drive up to Litchfield County to cover the story, but showing editors that a story exists can be stronger than a paper news release. The YouTube link resulted in coverage by Home Living Connecticut magazine.

As PR professionals, we must embrace an imagination for innovation. We must be willing to invest in new ways to cut through the junk mail, voice mails and indoor/outdoor advertising.

To grasp the value of a service, most clients want to see how it works. New does not always mean expensive. For one client, my company purchased a newspaper Web banner ad at a cost of $300 a month. This ad linked to a countywide client's Web video content. The ad helped my client reach 50,000 Web video hits during a one–month period using user–generated website Magnify.net.

Even with the latest and greatest technologies to help deliver our message, the message itself must either be compelling, entertaining or educational. Storytelling remains a key skill for all of us. We must stretch and expand the impulse to cut and paste brochure copy and present it as a news release. It must look and feel like a story to journalists without being overly promotional.

While research and development may not pay immediate dividends, it must be done in order to stay competitive in a rapidly changing world. To ignore the need to innovate may be as detrimental to your company as it is to your clients.

Traditional PR and digital PR can work independently or in the same universe. The one thing you can count on is some interesting partnerships between firms operating in traditional and digital worlds. To spread the word about innovative partnerships, I would recommend the best of both worlds—a traditional news release as well as a live webcast.

Roger Rosenbaum is president of Rosenbaum Media Group LLC, a New York state–based digital marketing communications consulting company. RMG specializes in raising the visibility and profitability of clients through digital PR and Web 2.0 services, and operates www.realestatepublicity.com. Roger can be reached at: info@rosenbaummedia.com.

NATIONAL TRAVEL EXPERT TELLS TOURISM CONVENTION: "BURN BROCHURES AND GET VIDEO."

By Roger Rosenbaum
info(at sign)rosenbaummedia.com

"Burn your brochures!" declared network television travel editor and New York Times best-selling author Peter Greenberg at the 2008 New York Governor's Tourism Conference held recently at the Sagamore Hotel near Lake George.

Peter Greenberg offered a strong dose of tough love for those gathering to build statewide enthusiasm for the re-launching of the I Love NY brand.

At a general conference session Greenberg explained: "It is not about burning brochures in the literal sense. It's about burning the ‘brochure mentality.’ Being overly promotional is not going to win you any points with travelers."

Nor is he himself willing to route those materials to print, TV, radio or Internet outlets. Greenberg who provides content and news for MSNBC, CNBC, AOL and AARP magazine explained that slickly produced pieces in print, online or in video that he receives will only take an express route to the trashcan.

"Travel journalism is not an infomercial. People want independent evaluation," said Greenberg.

His reviews and coverage of properties, destinations and events can catapult little known travel ideas into national spotlight. "If a hotel says we have the best pool in the Western Hemisphere I show up saying, “Oh yeah, show me that pool.” But if they say we have a pretty interesting pool and we hope you look at it I say, “That's fair. Let me take a look at it."

Greenberg who was the senior travel correspondent for six years at the Travel Channel said that marketing professionals must learn to separate overtly promotional material from actual news. "You have to get rid of the hyperbole and you have to get rid of the absolutes terms, because the audience is so far ahead of you."

Greenberg is also author of The New York Times best-selling series, The Travel Detective, which uncovers secrets the airline, hotel, cruise and rental car industries don’t want consumers to know.

Rather than focusing on what is in the best interest of a resort or destination the focus should be on how the information is newsworthy and impacts travelers.

Greenberg bluntly told the audience that regions, tourism offices and resorts seeking coverage really must have their own high quality video footage. Without this professionally shot footage these locations are “dead in the water.”

He said that footage known in the industry as "b-roll" is absolutely essential to have ready to ship to media outlets. He explained that most of his appearances on NBC rely on what is known as "cover footage." Greenberg said that the network is not going to send out a crew to tape the top five roller coasters in the country. They will rely on high-quality footage provided by the theme park. The same rules about overly produced marketing material apply to this type of footage.

Greenberg has received many awards for his work including a national Emmy. He explained that a videographer with news experience really should shoot the footage.

Providing cover footage to a TV station or network allows producers to have eyes and ears at a location or region. "No video means no TV coverage. This is the reality of our medium," said Greenberg.

Greenberg said sales and marketing videos need to be produced and shot differently from b-roll footage. "We will not put on a video brochure. A sales and marketing tape has no presence on or place on any news show. Every network, thankfully, is looking at travel as news,"he said.

News outlets don't need super models in the shots or a stylist to arrange the flowers, according to Greenberg. He said that there are a lot of great videographers, but few with the experience to know what a network show is looking for. "You would be shocked to know how many tapes I see that have a 'star' filter on throughout most of the shots. This is a production effect that has no place on a newscast," he said.

####

Roger Rosenbaum has shot and edited footage airing on ABC News, CNN, CBS News, CBS Sports, The Weather Channel, USA Network and Telemundo. He has produced b-roll footage that has aired in New York, Albany, Chicago, Portland, Memphis and Houston.

Roger Rosenbaum is president of Rosenbaum Media Group LLC, a New York state-based digital communications company, specializing in tourism and real estate public relations, marketing and digital video production. He just launched a company called PR4RESORTS.COM.

My Day With Rachel Ray...

OVERNIGHT SUCCESS DOES NOT OFTEN HAPPEN OVERNIGHT

By Roger Rosenbaum

Marketing is the process of presenting a product or service to appeal to potential customers. Some product developers seek mass appeal, while others are happy with reaching a niche audience.

More than appeal, there must be real value in what you bring to the table. Value comes in many forms—cost savings, entertainment, information and making life faster, easier and better for those you hope to serve.

Building a long-term connection with customers is not a flash-in-the-pan proposition. Getting customers to know, like and trust your product or service often does not happen overnight.

Going from bright idea to blockbuster product or service takes talent and persistence mixed with plenty of patience. One perfect example can be seen all around us. No matter how hard you try, it is next to impossible to spend a day without seeing or hearing celebrity chef Rachel Ray.

The spunky chef has her own magazine, national TV show and a one-hour celebrity-flavored profile on E! True Hollywood Story. Not to mention her photo, which is plastered all over grocery stores and advertising for Dunkin’ Donuts.

As with most success stories, there are lean times. Perhaps this is when she did research on how to eat on $40 a day. The E! True Hollywood Story reveals that she was making $50 a segment cooking on local TV. Much of that money, according to E!, went to buying food to prepare on the air.

Vision, determination and seemingly boundless energy brought Ray from serving customers at a diner in Lake George, New York to entertaining millions of fans who tune into her show, read her magazine and by a multitude of products with her image on them. Ray’s rise to national stardom did not happen overnight.

This much I can confirm: After a long night of shooting a news story in Lake George, I pulled into a Warren County diner on a Labor Day weekend in the mid-1980’s. The diner staff must have seen the TV station logos on my car as I remember hearing a little buzz between the waitresses as to who was going to serve me.

I had not eaten in 12 hours when a waitress approached my table. My mind was set on ordering a ham and cheese omelet, but the waitress would not stop peppering me with questions about the television station and how to get on TV.

My immediate goal was getting food in my belly. Rachel’s goal was getting the scoop on how to break into television. She told me her plan of hosting a cooking show and wanted to know what steps she should take. It seemed like a far-fetched idea. At the time, I was scraping together a living shooting hard news stories. Most were of the spicy variety (fires and scandals) which are a staple of the local television news coverage. The idea that the station would pay for cooking segments seemed at the time to be half-baked. Ironically, the station where I worked had launched the career of another chef…Mr. Food.

Ray seemed unfazed by the reality of local broadcasting or its focus on the disaster de jour. Undaunted, the questions continued every time she approached my table. I gave her the names of key television station staff members on the chance she might turn unbridled ambition into something audiences cannot get enough of. She did tell me that she had a friend who knew someone in management at the station. She networked and made the right connections.

From the overnight shift at an upstate diner to national daytime television Ray continues to bring a lot to the table. Companies seek her out to promote their brands, products and television viewers want her recipes.

Sometimes products do not live up to their promise or to expectations. Rachel Ray is a rare example of what happens when dreams, tenacity and smart marketing are allowed to develop over time.

Roger Rosenbaum is the president of Rosenbaum Media Group LLC, a digital marketing communications company located in the Hudson Valley. RMG specializes in public relations, digital marketing and development of Web 2.0 content. He can be reached at: 845-943-5366 or info@rosenbaummedia.com.

BRANDED WEB VIDEO CONTENT BIG IN 2008

Web video has become desktop television. Sales and marketing teams can become today’s TV network programming executives, replacing traditional corporate “suits” responsible for shows like "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"

The web-based clip culture inspired by YouTube and Google Video has really paved the way for businesses to create their own high-quality content to help build the loyalty of current customers and educate new customers about the benefits of their products and services.

Digital web video can help sell, tell, educate, motivate, train and entertain. Think of it as your company’s own TV network available in offices and homes around the corner and the globe. Web video can be delivered in crystal-clear DVD quality with almost instant playback for offices and homes simply equipped with a high-speed Internet connection.

Effective web video can range from a single clip to a series to educational material presented in a documentary style. The options are endless.

FOCUS ON THE PURPOSE:

Web video must serve a real purpose with a result in mind. Do you want a viewer to place an order, forward the clip to a colleague, join a discussion or RSVP to a seminar or trade show? The ultimate goal for any website is to make the content and information so compelling that visitors feel they need to check in on a regular basis. Creating a community of people to participate on a regular basis can create a competitive advantage that is hard to beat.

High-quality production can be expensive. However, the good news in the Digital Age with nonlinear editing is that footage can easily be exported for use in many formats, including PowerPoint presentations or for convenient exhibition at trade shows. You can put the video on a SmartPhone, iPod or portable DVD player to show on sales calls.

BACK TO BASICS:

Developing a web video strategy requires teamwork. The information technology (IT) department staff can embed the content and marketing department or agency can develop a creative way to position the company.

It is wise to re-evaluate key questions: Who are we, what do we do, who do we do it for and why do we do it? And developing a new presentation is a good time to examine branding and marketing materials to see if they are up-to-date or if the desired response is achieved from them. Take it a few steps further: What are our distribution channels and what do our customers say about us? Think SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) marketing analysis.

MAKE A CONNECTION:

Digital web video is the most dynamic marketing tool created to date and there is certainly means and space out there for image-building campaigns, but many skeptical companies will be looking to justify the cost of production.

In some cases, it can be very effective to put clips of a telegenic and charismatic CEO on a website to showcase the company mission and goals (a la Steve Jobs), this should not be the only marketing effort.

The goal is to bring the company’s products, services, team and industry to life with compelling content. Customer testimonials can be powerful selling tools to help inspire confidence in your company.

There are fewer boundaries than in the traditional world of advertising when you paid for a thirty or sixty-second spot, though there are some limitations on the technology as well as conventional wisdom about the shrinking attention span of web surfers.

Web video presents a single very appealing aspect among the others discussed: accountability. You can track how many people viewed the video, how much time they spent on the site and what zip code they came from. You can allow viewers to rate or comment on the video.

Rosenbaum Media Group produced content for an Ulster County, New York client that lead to 50,000 views during a 30-day period, a very high number for a focused, regional campaign. It is very important to note that factors beyond web video (like a powerful website) also have a great impact on results of a campaign. The value you provide to your customers must be clear and presented in a way that is appealing and effective.

If you have produced a great web video that accurately and creatively positions your products and services, steps must be taken to properly package and promote the presentation. Special tags can be embedded so that the video comes up on web search pages (and there are methods available to optimize placement high up in search results). Another option is to embed the video clips in electronic newsletters to customers or news releases to members of the media.

Building buzz around your content is one sure-fire way to get it noticed. Writing a news release about the new content or create place the information in an RSS feed. The use of video is a clear signal that one-dimensional, billboard-like websites are a thing of the past. Welcome to the world of Web 2.0.

There is no question that you are smarter than a 5th grader. Now, let the world see it.

Roger Rosenbaum is the president of Rosenbaum Media Group LLC, a digital communications company located in Ulster County. Rosenbaum Media Group consults with clients to create premium digital public relations, marketing and Web 2.0 projects. He can be reached at: www.rosenbaummedia.com or 845-943-5366.

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Finding your marketing sweet spot

Just before Valentines Day, the timing was right to sell chocolates and loads of them.

A man set up a card table at 7 a.m. in a Hudson Valley business hoping to catch the attention of a large group of passersby. The presentation was colorful and selection was plentiful. You could say he had a lock on the lucrative market. Business should have been sweet, but instead it had gone sour. There was one major flaw with his marketing plan: He was selling to the absolutely wrong audience. The man had set up a mobile sweet shop at a busy gym during what is in essence rush hour.

It is true that the gym has 1,300 members, but the profile of a potential buyer was someone with a weight problem or someone with a vow to improve their health. Runners, weight lifters, and Spinners arrive at the gym at the awful hour of 5 a.m. to fight the battle of the bulge and ward off the winter blues.

Most passersbys consider it a show of strength to stare the candy down and ignore the sugar’s siren-song call. What could this wayward Willy Wonka have done differently to target this large group of potential customers? The most obvious answer is to think about what the target audience would want to have either before or after a workout. Perhaps sources of protein are the solution. But, the gym already does sell protein drinks and products, so they have the corner on that market.

While the term sweet spot originally came from sports (the spot on a club, racket, bat, etc., where a ball is most effectively hit.) it has a really nice ring around Valentines Day.

Perhaps this is too much of a hard-hearted evaluation of the candy man’s venture to capture chocolate loving customers. The sugar-laced scenario does beg an important question: Does your business set up shop in a high-traffic area appealing to the wrong audience? Does your company need an emergency SWOT TEAM? A wise tactical approach might include a thorough evaluation of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Most can benefit from this exercise to determine how their value proposition benefits customers.

Another business that has found their sweet spot is Live South. The real estate marketing company publishes a magazine, Living Southern Style, which showcases nearly 20 new residential communities. Company president Dave Robertson describes his high-end publication as a cash business. ”If communities don’t pay, they aren’t in the publication, which reaches a key demographic of buyers.”

Robertson has taken the time to carefully analyze his target audience. What’s more, he then takes his clients on the road. Live South puts on a real estate road show with the sales and marketing staff of each of the communities.

A recent event at the Hyatt Regency in Old Greenwich, Connecticut had an overflow crowd coming to kick the tires of upscale communities throughout Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and Florida just to name a few. Robertson understands that vacation and second homebuyers seeking warmer climates are currently located in the Northeast. Old Greenwich is not the only stop, so he cannot be accused of seeking customers in an affluent area who are in essence the cream of the crop. These shows also pull into Ohio, New Jersey, Boston and Washington, DC. They reach potential customers where they live and give Robertson’s clients hot leads of people seeking milder climates.

While this is a clearly smart strategy, Robertson’s website could reach the target audience on a year-round basis with digital video tours of each community. Not just overhead shots of sprawling southern golf courses, but real life interviews with current residents talking about what makes living in the community so appealing. These testimonials can showcase a lifestyle, which can be as important as the home a buyer will purchase. Customers want to imagine how a communities amenities fit in with their values and desire for relaxation and security.

In fact, a recent statistic in the New York Times stated that 80 percent homebuyers make purchasing decisions based upon Internet research and comparison-shopping. High quality web video can help communities seal the deal with customers.

There is no question that the photo-rich Living Southern Style magazine is a valuable sales tool for the communities it serves. The coffee table quality publication has a real place in an age of information overload.

Nonetheless, Live South is executing a marketing plan better than selling chocolates to the fit-conscious crowds. For all his heavy lifting, the Candy Man did not score one sale in a two-hour period. No one had the heart to tell him what he was doing wrong.

Roger Rosenbaum is the president of Rosenbaum Media Group LLC an Ulster County-based marketing communications company. He can be reached at: roger@rosenbaummedia.com

Video Is The Printing Press of the Digital Age....

Businesses Finding Their
Role In Digital Community
Web Video Content is Consumer-
Driven, Builds Brands and Increases Sales

By Roger Rosenbaum
President, Rosenbaum Media Group LLC

The digital video revolution is in full swing, and is growing at dizzying speeds. The sale of Internet upstart YouTube in October 2006 for $1.65 billion constitutes a shot heard round the world. As the world goes gaga over YouTube and Google Video, businesses can also profit from web video to increase sales, marketing and public relations efforts.

Some see YouTube as a worldwide version of America’s Funniest Videos, where the family pets and goofy gags often share the spotlight. Innovative marketers, however, see web video as an opportunity to successfully promote themselves, their products and services.

Companies such as Monsanto, Sun Microsystems Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and General Motors understand that web video content is no laughing matter and are already embracing the “clip culture” by using digital video to help sell, tell, train and entertain. Web video is emerging as the printing press of the digital decade as it helps to bring websites to life. Without digital video, many sites remain static, one-dimensional billboards.

Get the picture?

Seventy-five percent of the American workforce has high-speed Internet access at work, according to Neilsen/NetRatings. The Pew Internet & American Life Project reports that 45 percent of American homes have high-speed access. These numbers will continue to climb as broadband deployment grows and more digital content will smoothly flow to more users.
Better video compression and encoding software has improved the end product—in some cases allowing DVD-quality video without waiting for downloads.

Websites with digital video elements increase “stickiness”, information retention and the ability to case products and services. Sales can increase from targeted customers who understand how products and services meet their needs.

Tech savvy companies understand that digital video can deliver a very targeted message to customers and consumers around the world for far less than it would cost using traditional broadcast outlets. Business Week magazine reports the online advertising market will more than quadruple in the next five years to $82 billion worldwide.
(http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8MHUMT01.htm?chan=search)
Digital video and interactive elements will play a huge role in this vertical market.

How Do You Get Your Web Video to Carnegie Hall? Strategy, Strategy, Strategy!

While it is true that anyone with a DV camcorder and the right software can technically create web video, to be truly effective, campaigns require careful planning to integrate branding, positioning and marketing communications strategies. The goal is to develop content rather than individual clips. Footage produced for companies must serve a purpose, contribute to the bottom line and provide value to target audiences. The Ford Bold Moves campaign (www.fordboldmoves.com) masterfully uses web video to map out the future of the ailing automaker.

Compelling Content Is King

Making content memorable and relevant is a key factor to keep customers interested in your Internet video. Mentos made a big international splash when an experiment captured on tape showed the candies being dropped into a bottle of Diet Coke. The geyser-like reaction resulted in unexpected worldwide attention. Customers and web viewers can be an unexpected addition to your sales force. Millions watched the footage online and sales of the mints surged up a cool 15 percent. (http://mobile.adage.com/html_article.php?li=5041c668)

This a prime example of the unexpected “viral marketing” campaign (word of mouth and e-mail forwards creating an “underground” swell of popularity). Go to http://www.eepybird.com/exp214.html to watch the volcanic video.

Mentos received the equivalent of half of their annual advertising budget in free publicity from the soda stunt, according to a June 12, 2006 article in the Wall Street Journal.

Helpful Hints

Loading your website up with talking heads in the traditional TV manner just won’t cut it on the web. The same often goes for re-purposing footage from previous projects. Web video projects need to have a beginning, middle and an end. Site visitors must identify with or understand the people on camera. Interviews or comments need to be delivered in a conversational manner. Presentations need to have appropriate graphics and a sense of forward motion. Lighting and shot composition are also very important to maximize visual impact and information retention.

Get Video or Get Lost

The television and web viewing habits are changing. Time magazine recently identified that the power is now with the people. Consumers now decide what news, information and entertainment they want and how they will get it. Smart companies will profit from this power shift; others will be left on the breakdown lane of the information superhighway.

Roger Rosenbaum is the president of Rosenbaum Media Group LLC, a Hudson Valley-based custom digital content production company. He has 20 years experience as a journalist, media manager and PR practitioner. Reach him at roger@rosenbaummedia.com