Field Notes Inside an Integrated Communications Agency

Articles

• The 5 C’s of Community

  Mar 20, 2010 :: Karen Albritton :: 0 Comments

  I've been thinking a lot about community lately.

  I guess I'm at an age where I find comfort being part of something bigger than me. But also, there's so much noise about online communities and brand communities. So what goes into building a community?

  In studying various communities, I've discovered commonalities in how they are formed, how they are sustained and even how they fall apart. Here are my 5 C's for creating community:

  Common sense of purpose. This is obvious. The best communities have to have a common theme. But it's easy to assume that the common theme can just be a common interest. That's part of it, but I believe the stronger communities have something nobler at their center. This year, the Triangle chapter of the American Marketing Association galvanized around a theme of Marketing @ Work. While everyone in the association is interested in marketing, a focus that resonated most and really started the sense of community within the group was a challenge to put every marketer back to work.

  Conflict. Every community can be helped by having a villain or at least a good competitor. The PR community has advertising (As a marketer, I really don't get this.) The Apple community has the PC and Bill Gates. Craft brewers have Anheuser Busch. The Democrats have the . . . Well you get the idea.

  Consistency. Community building requires consistency. Communities have to be nurtured just like a toddler. If you're managing a group, communicate regularly. If you are running an association or even an internal group at work, set a consistent meeting time and location.

  Conversation. Communities are built on dialog and not just one way communications. Ask your community members what they think and what they want. Then let them know you heard them.

  Contact. Thanks to social media, I now know many people only online. There are some that I feel are part of a community I'm in - like the local social media community, or the national marketing community. I know them only through 140 character messages and I can't explain it but now I want to meet these people. That's why there are meet ups and tweet ups. At some point, community members want contact. They want more than an online conversation. Online communities may be cost-effective, but if you're managing a product or brand, at some point, invest the money to get your key community members together. There's nothing more powerful than peer interaction.

  I think there's never been a more exciting time for community building thanks to the desire for connection coupled with the tools that are available today.

  So, go build a community (and invite me to be a part of it!)

  Tags: building community

• 2010 Job Tip Series #3: Six Steps for Personal Branding

  Mar 16, 2010 :: Karen Albritton :: 1 Comments
  It's surprising that in an industry so enamored with brands many young agency professionals don't think much about building their personal brand. Of course, back in the day when I was starting out, no one talked about personal branding. If you were lucky enough to get on with a good agency, you worked hard, didn't complain and waited for advancement. Those who sought the limelight (what personal branding might have been called 25 years ago) were looked at with skepticism.

  Today's young professionals have to work harder than ever just to keep their job in this economic climate. Plus- Millenials need to build personal brands to compete for future opportunities.

  The same holds true for everyone in business today. Doing a good job is no longer good enough. To be in control of your professional destiny you need a professional brand that transcends your current job.

  There are lots of excuses for not paying attention to your personal brand. It takes time. It requires introspection. For some of us Boomers, the notion of self-promotion is uncomfortable.

  Here are six steps to help anyone build a personal brand — from a Millenial just starting out to a Gen-Xer thinking about a mid-career shift.

  1. Determine why you are branding. Are you looking for your first job? Trying to switch careers? Angling to get a promotion? Thinking about launching a new venture? Just as with a business, you need to think about your objectives as you shape your brand.
  2. Figure out what your brand is. In many ways it's much easier to brand a person than a product. Individuals have the characteristics we ascribe to products — creative, high-energy, smart, trendy. As you determine your brand, think about focus — industries, areas of specialization. Think about what your personal brand is not. For example, I am not creative nor entrepreneurial. In my industry, it'd be beneficial for my brand to be both of those, but it's never been who I am.
  3. Identify and study your target markets. Are you building your brand locally, nationally or globally? Are there specific companies that you are targeting? If you are building your brand for advancement within your current company spend some time doing some objective assessment of what the company values and how it works.
  4. Determine channels for building your brand. For me those are community and professional organizations, board positions, media relations, speaking engagements, conferences, blogs, awards and recognition, Twitter, LinkedIn. As you determine channels consider how your personal brand will intersect with your current employer. My brand is completely intertwined with Capstrat. Capstrat encourages its employees to be engaged in the outside world, so the link between my brand and Capstrat has been positive. But,
  5. Make personal branding a part of your daily routine. I make it a priority to serve on boards, write articles for the Capstrat blog, pursue speaking opportunities, go to networking events http://blog.capstrat.com/articles/networking-lessons/ , collect business cards, invite people to be a part of my LinkedIn and Twitter networks. I am active in social media. This is a big personal commitment, but it's required to build a personal brand. And, it has to happen on top of your general job responsibilities.
  6. Determine how you will measure your personal brand. Create specific metrics that align with your brand goals. This may be number of relationships you create, number of blog posts, number of business opportunities, job interviews, etc. You also need to Google yourself http://www.capstrat.com/darticles/darticles-no-5/my-confession/. I have the benefit of having a Web team working to advance the Capstrat search results, but if you Google Karen Albritton, you'll find Twitter, LinkedIn, news stories, blog entries, board positions etc. Find other people who have good personal brands and Google them too. (It's not creepy if you're doing it for business.)

  If you have other tips, please share them with me, either by comment below or email to kalbritton@capstrat.com. And, I'd love to connect with anyone reading this post.

  Twitter: @kalbritton LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karenalbritton

  
  
  Tags: building-personal-brand

• The No Excuses path to awards

  Mar 3, 2010 :: Karen Albritton :: 0 Comments
  I often hear agency people making excuses for mediocre work — not enough time, not enough budget or decision-making by committee. Too often these excuses get in the way of good work.

  Last year, we took a no excuses approach to improving the quality of our work. This approach came on the heels of a successful 2008, both financially and with work quality.

  In 2009, when Capstrat won more Addy awards than any other local agency, you'd think we'd have been happy. But Chief Creative Officer Todd Coats, said good, but not quite good enough. Several of our awards were bronze or honorable mention. So, we set out not to win more awards, but to improve the quality of our awards.

  Our no excuses approach meant we would expect great work no matter the circumstances. When we shared work internally, we talked about the strategy, the message and the results — not the low budget, unrealistic deadlines or the long hours. We used the normal barriers to good work as inspiration or even an asset in our creative process.

  The results speak for themselves.

  A video we developed with our clients at GSK won a Judges Choice award, a top honor. The video was concepted, filmed and produced in three weeks. We relied on close collaboration with our clients and our shared understanding of their business to create a video that produced cheers and tears from internal audiences.

  An advertising campaign http://deliver.capstrat.com/development/capstrat/2010Addys/ for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill won multiple awards. If you've ever worked on a higher education client, you know that committees are a part of the process. We were blessed with client contacts who helped navigate the organization, but we also embraced the knowledge of the crowd in campaign development. Our research included meetings with more than a dozen small groups and individual departments. Our open approach helped generate buy-in and uncovered stories that formed the basis of the award-winning campaign.

  And, a low-cost grassroots campaign for Tobacco.Reality.Unfilitered. took home two silver awards http://deliver.capstrat.com/development/capstrat/2010Addys/ Our creative team used resourcefulness and a passion for the story to produce a campaign that's not only winning awards, but also is winning over a very skeptical teen audience.

  There is no denying a bigger budget, more time and access to the decision maker can improve work quality. But, these factors aren't required for good work and can't make up for strategy, talent and creativity.

  
  
  Tags: 2010 addys raleigh

• Testifying to save a brand?

  Feb 23, 2010 :: Karen Albritton :: 0 Comments
  Millions were glued to the television last Friday when Tiger Woods made his first public appearance following the scandal that has rocked his personal brand. His statement was analyzed and critiqued by reporters, in social media, at cocktail parties and at pro shops around the country. Was he humble enough? Did he meet the required sincerity threshold? Was he truthful? Did he do what he needed to do to begin to rebuild his brand?

  Some might say a similar performance is on tap for Wednesday morning when Toyota's chief executive, Akio Toyoda, is set to testify before the House oversight panel. The news media are setting high expectations for his testimony, saying his remarks are critical for confidence among current customers, the future of the brand and even the reputation of Japanese products overall. It's a high bar for any executive, but one that will be especially difficult the Toyota chief executive for a number of reasons.

  Mr. Toyoda will have handicaps that Mr. Woods did not face in his remarks. He'll be testifying before a congressional committee of representatives eager to build their reputation. They're tired of getting beaten up in the polls and want to demonstrate their value to the American public. No one can argue with taking Toyota to task on safety. Mr. Woods' by contrast was able to orchestrate a tightly controlled environment for his remarks.

  Mr. Toyoda has to consider the legal and financial ramifications of every word he utters. He has to strike a balance between responsibility and blame. It's doubtful he'll deviate much from what has been approved by a team of lawyers. While Mr. Toyoda has an obligation to the brand, his obligation to shareholders is of a higher order and that will dictate what he's able to say.

  Finally, even with all the media coverage of the Toyota case, it's unlikely that the congressional appearance will attract the same audience as Mr. Woods. It seemed everyone stopped on Friday to watch. Sadly, we Americans are much more interested in athletes, infidelity and destructive addictions than in safety, engineering and jobs. So Toyota will have to continue to mount its own education campaign.

  With all that's at stake for Toyota, I do hope that Mr. Toyoda learned from the mistakes of the US auto executives and arrives in a modest sedan instead of taking a private plane and limo. Maybe he should consider a Toyota pick-up. Those haven't been recalled, have they?

  
  
  Tags: brand toyota

• Marketing @ Work Case Study

  Feb 16, 2010 :: Karen Albritton :: 0 Comments
  This month's Triangle AMA meeting featuring a panel of leading health care marketers will be our highest attended meeting of the year and our largest turnout since MySpace filled the room in August of 2007 (yes MySpace.) If you know any of the panelists, you won't be surprised. But, there's more to this record-breaking meeting than meets the eye. It's a great example of this year's chapter theme — Marketing@Work.

  Here's how our local chapter is practicing what we preach: Like any good marketer, we started with research — not all of it statistically sound, but still useful. We know from member surveys we have a good number of members who work for health care organizations. And, in our attendance tracking, we have learned that panels, versus individual speakers, tend to draw higher crowds. We drew on both content and context in shaping our program. Health care marketing is a big area and a lot of people can and do speak on the topic. We recruited real experts to offer varying perspectives on how the changing landscape impacts what they do every day. This combination of expert content in the context of a dynamic industry will offer lessons for all of us.

  We executed on our event promotion plan and went beyond the basics to tailor our plan for this panel. As you know, our local chapter is not shy about promoting events via email marketing, social media and increasingly through public relations. Over time, we have found a plan that works and we stick to it. (One tip to reduce the number of emails from the chapter. If you know you will not attend an event, RSVP no and then you will not get more emails for that months' event.) For this event, we added targeted outreach to health care reporters and health care organizations.

  By following the basic approach outlined above, we saw early sign-ups were very strong. For this month, we had the luxury of not having to worry about whether we'd have good attendance. That's not always the case and for our all-volunteer board it can be stressful when sign-ups do not meet our experations. But we didn't sit back. We added one twist at the end — a promotion targeted primarily to our board members — our most loyal audience and our best ambassadors.

  The chapter president (me) agreed to wear a Duke-blue wig for the meeting announcements if registrations for the meeting exceeded 150. If you know me, you know I love Carolina with a passion. Every time I enter Chapel Hill, I feel that the sky is bluer, the grass is greener and the air is sweeter. I loathe Duke basketball — from the chest-bumping, floor-slapping players to the smarty-pants fans. So for me this was a big deal. But, what, you might ask, did this have to do with a health care panel?

  It had nothing to do with the panel. Nor was this promotion designed for our general membership. This promotion was meant to motivate a handful of volunteer brand ambassadors to make an extra push on behalf of an organization and a program they were passionate about. The promotion did not cost the chapter anything.

  Did it work? Did we hit 150? Come to the meeting on Thursday to find out. Register here.

  Originally posted on Triangle AMA News Blog.
  
  Tags: february-event promotion triangle-ama

• Super Bowl 44 and MASH. How one great story surpassed another.

  Feb 9, 2010 :: Karen Albritton :: 1 Comments
  The news that viewership for Super Bowl 44 had broken the record set by the finale for M*A*S*H was bittersweet. On the one hand, it's good to see that traditional media aren't as dead as everyone thinks. The Super Bowl still transcends media fragmentation, cultural differences and geography. On the other hand, seeing M*A*S*H dethroned was like losing a piece of Americana. How a show about a 50's-era war that wasn't a war could be relevant during the disco era can only be explained in one way. It had great stories. The 1983 finale drew 106 million viewers, not because of hype, but because viewers expected the finale to deliver an unforgettable story. They weren't disappointed.

  Perhaps the real lesson in the ratings bonanza for Super Bowl 44 isn't about the power of the big game, but rather about the power of the story. Conventional wisdom for sports finales is that big market teams draw big audiences. Well, Super Bowl 44 featured two second-tier markets - Indianapolis (#25) and New Orleans (#51.) Yet, the game drew a larger audience than the New York Giants (#1 market)/New England Patriots (#7 market) Super Bowl game two years ago.

  This game, like M*A*S*H, had great stories. It had tragedy, recovery, underdogs, second chances and history. Once again, it was the unforgettable stories, not the spectacle, that proved irresistible to a record-setting audience.

  
  
  Tags: mash super-bowl

• Dear Roy: From one Boomer to another

  Feb 5, 2010 :: Karen Albritton :: 0 Comments
  Coach, I feel your pain. As a true blue Tar Heel fan this has been a tough basketball season. And, as a Boomer who has had to learn how best to work with Millenials, I empathize with your frustration in not being able to get through to a young team.

  At Capstrat over 40 percent of our employees are Millenials. They are an amazingly talented and hard-working bunch. But, they aren't wired the same as Boomers or their Gen X counterparts. So we've spent a fair amount of time learning about this group and how to best motivate them to achieve their considerable potential.

  Roy, if you're still coaching Millenials the way you've been coaching for 21 years, it's no wonder you aren't getting through. Here are a few observations that might help you with your current bunch of Millenials.

  They won't blindly follow someone else's system. You've said that for the first time, you can't get these new guys to buy into the Carolina system. Millenials don't want to buy into someone else's system, they want to be a part of creating a system - or at least feel like they have some input into how things work. They aren't being bullheaded. This is a generation that has been taught to think critically rather than just accept the way things have always been. From personal experience, this is not easy for a Boomer to accept. By golly, we've got the experience and the results (in your case the rings) to justify our way of doing things. With Millenials, I've found it helps to let them know you're open to their input on how things get done. I've also found that when I listened, I've learned quite a few things. You might too.

  They crave frequent praise. Carolina has a team of all-Americans and I modestly assert that Capstrat has a team of all-stars too. They have been raised on positive reinforcement and they have come to expect a steady stream of atta boys and recognition. If we don't tell them they are doing a good job, they start to believe we are not happy with them. And then they make up stories about what we think. That can mess with their head and affect their performance. So, show a little more love.

  They don't mind working hard, but they don't wear it like a badge of honor. C'mon Coach, you have to admit that we Boomers love to talk about how many hours we put in, how much harder we work than anyone else. Millenials will work hard but they want that hard work to fit into a balanced life. Roy, I know you're working hard and losing sleep over how to save this season. I appreciate it. But, Millenials don't want to hear about your sacrifices or all that desire you have in your little finger. They'll see the hard work, they'll appreciate it and they'll emulate it.

  Finally, no matter how disjointed this Tar Heel team might appear at times, Millenials are team players. They are used to working together to finding a solution. Don't make this season about you. It's their team, their time. Give them a chance to play a role in finding a solution. Good luck. I'm rooting for you.

   

  
  
  Tags: millenials roy-williams tar-heels unc

• Toyota: Being Big Instead of Being Great

  Jan 29, 2010 :: Karen Albritton :: 0 Comments
  More information is coming out about Toyota's stunning recall that has now expanded to Europe and China. Some say that Toyota had to take action before federal regulators stepped in. Some are speculating that in their quest to big bigger they took their eye off of quality and Toyota seems to be confirming this speculation.

  "Our president, Akio Toyoda, has said that expansion may have occurred to the extent where it is difficult for us to keep an eye on the ball," said Paul Nolasco, a Toyota spokesman in Tokyo. "Other executives have said that part of the troubles we are having today have been because of speedy moves in the past," he added, the Washington Post reports.

  Several years ago I read a great book, Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big, by Bo Burlingham. The book profiles eight very different companies that rejected fast growth strategies. The companies are vastly different, but they all share a unwavering commitment to being the best at what they do. These small companies also have other interesting qualities in common, but I won't spoil the book for you.

  I'm not saying big is bad. The Toyota recall should serve as a wake-up call to every business large and small, particularly those businesses that grew rapidly before this latest recession. Growth at the expense of quality will always come back to bite you. In the case of Toyota, it may destroy the brand. Now is a great time to reevaluate processes, quality control and your company's standards of excellence.

   

  
  
  Tags: corporate-growth quality recall small-giants toyoto

• Client relationship lessons from Obama’s first year

  Jan 28, 2010 :: Karen Albritton :: 0 Comments
  While watching President Obama's first State of the Union address, I found myself wondering, "What if he had tackled some easier issues earlier and gotten some small wins under his belt? Would it have made a difference if he had developed a better working relationship with Congressional Republicans before tackling the complex task of healthcare reform? Would he have had more success if he had tempered his ambitions early?"

  I don't know the answers and it's easy to be the Monday Morning Quarterback on politics. But I do believe there are lessons we can learn from Obama's first year to inform how we build new client relationships. Here are four:

  • Trust is earned, not assumed. I sometimes have the sense that agency people believe clients should take their advice because, well, we're the experts. That strikes me as arrogant. No matter what your agency or personal credentials are, you have to build trust in each individual client relationships. That means backing up your recommendations with facts and research. Doing what you said you would do. Assuming accountability.

  • Nurture relationships. It's easy to get focused on doing the work and forget about building the relationships and processes to execute. The best way we've found to build relationships is to ask questions. Learn how your client contacts like to work. Understand their priorities. Find about their typical day. Know how they are evaluated and how the work you are doing fits into their goals. From this starting point, you can build a relationship that will sustain the rough patches.

  • Score quick wins. Working with your client, identify early opportunities for success. Within the first 90 days generate quick wins. The wins will help establish trust and build momentum for the long march. If you haven't had any wins in 90 days, chances are the relationship is in trouble.

  • Keep focused on the goal. Some would say Obama failed in communicating the big picture to the American people. That he allowed the healthcare reform debate to get into the weeds without keeping people focused on the challenge and the potential. We often face the same challenges in client relationships. We get distracted by tactics and get off course. One way we have approached this is to keep our top three goals for the client's organization front and center in all communications. We have posted it in meetings and used it at the top of recommendations and reports. Repetition helps.

  The good news is most client relationships don't start with presidential-level expectations, a 24-7 news cycle or with an opposition party. Paying attention to a few basics upfront a can set the stage for a successful first year.

  
  
  Tags: client-relationships trust

• Toyota: Accountability Before Trust

  Jan 27, 2010 :: Karen Albritton :: 1 Comments
  Can you imagine the conversation in Toyota's board room over the past few days? "Boys, we have a big problem. Now, what are we going to do?" Can you imagine the review of the data, the potential causes, the options, the implications, the risk? Surely, there were different perspectives offering a point-of-view on what to do - perhaps a naysayer, a skeptic, a customer champion, a company loyalist, the risk analysts, the financial experts and undoubtedly the lawyers.

  Can you imagine the guts it took to make the final decision? To say to shareholders, dealers, customers and the world "not only are we going to recall 2.3 million vehicles, we are going to suspend selling eight other models accounting for 57 percent of our business."

  We all make mistakes. And, sometimes things go wrong without anyone making a mistake. I haven't met anyone who likes to admit their mistakes. (And, if you ask my husband, he'd say the same thing about me.) Perhaps one of the hardest things to do as a leader is take accountability for the actions of others. Coaches routinely do it. Witness Roy Williams' comments in the wake of the Carolina Tar Heels basketball team's collapse at the start of the 2009-10 ACC season. When a leader takes responsibility it can take some of the pressure off the team. That applies to business as well as sports. Leaders build their teams. They are accountable for systems, process and oversight. Leaders take the compliments when their team succeed and they have to take responsibility for shortcomings.

  It's one thing for a leader to admit a mistake, it's another to be accountable. Accountability doesn't mean ferreting out who's to blame, although sometimes that's a necessary part of making sure the problem doesn't happen again. Accountability means making it right. That's what Toyota is doing and that's what business has to do. Research, such as the Edelman Trust Barometer, shows consumers trust in business is down. Taking responsibility and then being accountable to customers is a necessary step in regaining consumer trust.

  Customer confidence and trust is a tremendous asset to a business. Businesses invest a lot of resources in having the right products, services and talent to earn the confidence of their customers. Even with stellar products and people, problems will happen. And when they do, how the business responds to the challenge will determine whether customers will continue to trust the brand.

  Many will speculate on whether Toyota is making the right call. The accelerator problem may be so widespread that the damage to their business and their brand is irreparable. But if you were in the Toyota board room faced with data showing a problem that was potentially risking millions of lives and you had a brand built on reliability, there was only one call to make.

  
  
  Tags: accountability consumer-confidence leaders recall toyoto