The C-Word

Staying Relevant in a Tough Economy

2009-08-20T09:43:00.000-04:00

c21’s Sharon Goldmacher shared the stage with Patrick Fitzmaurice of The Capre Group and Moira Vetter of Modo Modo Agency at a recent American Marketing Association luncheon. Richard Warner of What’s Up Interactive moderated the panel, which addressed how small businesses can effectively market in the tough economy. Click to hear the full hour-long podcast, including valuable tips such as:

· View the current economic climate as an opportunity to invest and experiment – you’ll be surprised how quickly your competition will zoom past you when the economy recovers if you’ve dramatically cut your marketing efforts.
· Treat yourself as a client – test the techniques you’re selling. This gives team members first-hand knowledge and demonstrates that your company walks the walk.
· Consider developing a board of advisors to assist with business development and major operational decisions. An outside perspective can be invaluable.
· People look for capabilities; they hire people – a company’s employees are a differentiator. Communicate not just what you do and how you do it, but who is going to do it.
· If you pursue new business but don’t win the account, ask why. You can’t change your pitch unless you know why it wasn’t effective.
· Focus on a product. What “space” do you own? Everyone can be a generalist – identify your core capabilities and communicate them.
· BusinessWeek reported that 18% of Fortune 500 companies are reducing salaries across the board and 24% are considering it. Be clear and transparent about business revenue and forecasts – communicate openly with employees to alleviate fears and dissipate rumors.
· Develop your business pipeline with a mix of industry and trade involvement, social media, e-mail marketing and other tactics where you can measure audience response.
· Industry associations are ideal for sharing best practices and gaining skill building opportunities. Trade associations can get you in front of customers through networking, white papers, speaking engagements and more. Don’t fall into the trap of finding yourself in a pond with your peers, but not your buyers.

To learn about other upcoming AMA events, click here.

Reinventing the wheel…

2009-08-06T16:27:00.001-04:00

Something happened to me in May: I became a Twenty-Something.

Although I’ve only been in these new shoes for two months, already the gap is growing between college life and the real world.

Ads on Facebook remind me that I’m no longer the target audience for beer commercials and spring break rentals in Panama City but instead for diamond rings and Monster.com.

Friends only a year or two older are constantly asking me: “Wait, what’s Twitter?” While those a year or two younger are beginning to refer to me only as @Wbiber.

And, as I watch the way my friends still in college use Twitter and Facebook versus the way companies, such as c21, use the same social media sites, I realize my feelings of being caught between two very different worlds are legitimate.

For the last four years, every professor, counselor and career advisor warned us to deactivate from Facebook prior to beginning the job hunt. We were told that employers were creating Facebook accounts solely to watch us and make sure we behaved in the ideal manner for a potential employee. College students all around me constantly changed their privacy settings, took their last names off their account, or deactivated altogether.

But when I began working at c21 this summer, I quickly realized social media had changed, and we’d been so busy hiding from employers, we failed to notice.

We thought employers were on Facebook to find us (college kids tend to be narcissistic- which I can say now that I’m a Twenty-Something), when in actuality companies are using social media for their own advancement.

Facebook, a social site we thought only our generation had truly mastered, can be an amazing and inexpensive engagement tool for companies. While my peers use Twitter to discuss plans for the evening, my colleagues use it to gain insight into their clients, discuss marketing trends with other industry experts, and facilitate relationships. Although the two are equally as proficient and reliant upon the resource, each one uses it for entirely different reasons.

This versatility is what makes social media so genius. We all need it. We all forget what life was like without it. And we’re constantly asking ourselves why we didn’t think of it first.

Social media has become so engrained into our lives that “I heard it through the grapevine” really means “I saw it on Facebook.” It’s part of the daily routine for computer-users both young and old.

Although I was sad to say goodbye to college, I’m grateful for what I’ve already learned and excited to watch my perspective continue to change as the definition of “public relations” evolves.

c21 Is Looking for a Fall Intern

2009-07-31T11:44:00.004-04:00

c21 is looking for a Fall intern to start in late August. Our paid, full-time internship is ideal for marketing, public relations or communications majors. Responsibilities include media list development, writing of press releases and media alerts, as well as e-newsletter stories and collateral copy, media relations and general administrative duties.

Anyone who applies should be a talented writer with strong oral and computer skills, and demonstrate the desire to learn in a team-oriented environment. College juniors, seniors or recent graduates preferred.

Interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume and one writing sample to Ruth Mitcham at rmitcham@c21pr.com.

No Business is too "Niche" for Social Media

2009-07-23T15:26:00.006-04:00

Great article from NYTimes.com about the impact of Twitter on super-small businesses. In my opinion, the key takeaway from the article is that no matter the size or subject-matter of your business, smart social media use must be part of your marketing efforts.

Enjoy!

c21 Gives You Moore Contest Winners

2009-07-16T11:01:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to our “c21 Gives You Moore” Facebook contest winners: Amy Roush, Lindsey Laband, Monica Thomas Yano, Jessica Kirkwood and Marion Yoder. They will post photos of their visit to the Henry Moore exhibit at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, so check c21’s Facebook page regularly for pictures, marketing news and "Moore."

New Opportunities for PR

2009-07-06T10:31:00.004-04:00

With the decline of traditional media outlets – newspaper circulation fell 4.8 percent in the past year and an estimated 5,000 reporters lost their jobs – PR practitioners are looking for new ways to get their messages out. Traditional public relations involves sending a press release to the major newspapers, TV and radio stations in a market, making follow-up calls and waiting for the clips to come in. Now, decreasing numbers of newspaper jobs mean that there may no longer be a contact dedicated to your company’s or client’s beat, and you have to cut through even more clutter to generate interest in your company’s news.

While print coverage may be increasingly difficult to come by, opportunities for online coverage are ever-increasing. More than 60 million people are blogging; reporters are contacting people through Facebook and Twitter to obtain information; you can post your own content on blogtalkradio.com and YouTube, in addition to opportunities to live-stream content through Kyte, UStream and other online applications. It’s simply a matter of finding these outlets, providing quality content and using them to your benefit.

c21i – c21’s interactive marketing team – recently helped the Atlanta Botanical Garden enhance its online presence and secured outstanding traditional media coverage for the Moore in America exhibition as well. Through the Garden’s Facebook page and online media portal, we provided robust content, including press releases and media alerts to bloggers and online editors, as well as traditional print editors. The result was more than 19 million online media impressions for the exhibit.

Useless promotional items, or are they?

2009-06-30T17:17:00.001-04:00

Emblazoning brand logos on various pens, jump drives, stress balls, etc. has long been a staple of the marketer’s handbook. I’m sure if you look around your desk right now, you’ll see a cup of pens with various logos, a couple of stress balls you picked up at a trade show, maybe a coffee cup with a vendor’s logo and various other tchotc hkes that you’ve accumulated from vendors, clients and even your own company. These do serve as brand reminders, but, honestly, how often do you even take a second look at one of these items on your desk?

Smart marketers are now taking promo products to the next level by incorporating social media elements. Two examples on my desk right now are a stress ball in the shape of the duck and an inflatable dinosaur. I’m sure you guessed that the duck is from Aflac, after all, the Aflac duck is enshrined on the Advertising Walk of Fame, has its own Facebook page with more than 110,000 fans and has an online store for merchandise featuring the duck. But, even if you don’t have a highly recognizable brand, you can use creativity to develop something memorable.

The dinosaurs on my desk came from Bronto Software, the engine behind Direct Dialogue, c21’s award-winning e-mail marketing service. Bronto incorporates interactive media, including Twitter, Flickr and Facebook, with its promo products. The company invites anyone with one of its inflatable brontos to snap a pic and send it to them so they can add it to the “Traveling Bronto” feature on their Flickr page, and then link it to Facebook and Twitter. And yes, this tactic even works on other marketers – click here to see the c21 brontos on the Flickr page.

Successful marketing tactics require a combination of audience targeting and creativity to break through the clutter. Since everyone loves tchotchkes (whether they admit it or not), they are a great way to give current and potential clients a way to remember your brand. Taking the next step and using them as a conduit to encourage people to interact with your brand can be very effective in building brand evangelists.

If you think your company has an interesting tchotchke or you just want to share one of your personal favorites, just e-mail me and I’ll post it here and on our Facebook page.

Still want Moore?

2009-06-17T09:13:00.000-04:00

There’s still time to enter our “Give You Moore” contest! Post a comment on our Facebook wall by June 30 telling us why you want to see the Moore in America exhibit, what you’re planning for your summer vacation, or what you love about c21, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of five pairs of tickets to use between now and October to see the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s blockbuster Moore in America exhibit. Good luck!

Facebook Announces Vanity URLs

2009-06-10T20:43:00.003-04:00

Ready, set, go! On Saturday, June 13, Facebook pages with more than 1,000 fans as of May 31, 2009, will be able to create a vanity URL. What's this mean? You can protect your brand and better identify your business page, making it easier for fans to find you. Instead of a long string of letters and numbers, your URL can reflect your company (www.facebook.com/name). Check out this Ad Age article for details, or read Facebook's note.

This brings up the point that if you have a well known brand or your company has a common name, it's a good idea to reserve a spot now on social networking channels like Twitter and YouTube, even if you don't currently have a presence. You want to keep your options open for future outreach - and claim your brand name before others do.

Facebook Promotion Creates Buzz for Student Housing Developer

2009-06-01T09:36:00.007-04:00

c21 just completed a really fun project – a Facebook contest for a national student housing developer, University House (UH). Many of the communities have established their own Facebook pages and profiles, but UH needed a page that provided information to both current residents and non-residents about the company as a whole without duplicating the efforts of the individual properties. c21i, our dedicated interactive practice area, had just the solution.

We developed the UH Facebook page and launched it in conjunction with a contest to generate fans. Playing off the popular talent contests that air each season on TV, including America’s Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance, we created the UH Best in Show contest. College students were encouraged to become fans of the new UH page and upload videos of their best talent, or vote for their favorite by posting to the wall. The grand prize winner received a $500 VISA gift card, and a randomly selected winner from those who voted received a $250 VISA gift card.

To generate activity and spread the word about the contest, we worked with the UH community managers, called “mavericks.” They were eligible to enter the contest, and used their already established social networks to encourage both residents and non-residents to do the same. Those who submitted videos spread the word virally to generate votes. The result? The contest, which only lasted a little more than two weeks, resulted in growing the fans from 0 to over 800, with almost 600 votes for the various video entries. There were some pretty hilarious stunts – check them out on the page – but kids, don’t try some of these at home.

c21 Gives You Moore!

2009-05-27T09:03:00.001-04:00

Want to see the biggest art exhibit in Atlanta? Enter our “Give You Moore” Facebook contest for the chance to win one of five pairs of tickets to the Moore in America exhibit, which is on display now through October at Atlanta Botanical Garden. Just post a comment on our Facebook Wall telling us why you want to see the Moore in America exhibit, what you’re planning for your summer vacation, or what you love about c21. Check out our Facebook page for more details.

Fewer Outlets = Better Pitches?

2009-05-26T09:29:00.005-04:00

By now, it’s common knowledge traditional media outlets are suffering. Advertising sales are way down, which means print publications are closing their doors at an alarming rate, from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer to the Ann Arbor News. This ever-shifting media landscape means it’s even more important for PR pros to stay on top of who’s still out there and what they’re looking to cover. In light of this, here are some tips on pitching both local and national media - everyone can use a refresher every now and then.

Know the publication or online outlet. Understand its format, target audience, frequency and reporting style, and what beat a reporter covers. Read articles previously written by the reporter you are contacting.

Target the pitch specifically for that media outlet. For example, we’re pitching a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) communication kit to national media on behalf of the Arthritis Foundation. For publications like Good Housekeeping and Cosmo, we’ll focus our pitches on how RA affects women and offer interviews with women who have RA. For the Associated Press and the evening TV news programs, we’ll focus on breaking RA news (like new study results) and offer the toolkit as a free resource for those with the disease.

Be cognizant of breaking news and whether your pitch is relevant at that moment in time. For example, don’t pitch to local media in a city just hit by tornadoes unless your story is about helping with the clean-up, housing the victims or donating supplies. The same goes for national daily news.

Keep these tips in mind, and check out HARO (Help a Reporter Out) - beneficial for journalists and PR pros alike. You’ll receive three e-mails a day with queries from reporters who are looking for something specific. For example – one of my clients, Kevin Rej of Raise Studio, has an amazing vintage lunchbox collection. A few weeks ago, a writer for a magazine in San Francisco was looking to speak with a lunchbox collector. I pitched Kevin, they did the interview, and the article is scheduled for the magazine’s July issue. It’s like having a constantly updated editorial calendar delivered to your inbox! It’s important to note that Peter Shankman, the HARO facilitator, is serious about on-target pitches. He’s been known to blacklist PR people if reporters/journalists report off topic submissions.

The bottom line - the competition for editorial coverage has gotten tighter, so we have to work smarter by taking time to do our research before picking up the phone or sending an e-mail. The pitch has to be succinct and relevant in order for the news to turn into a story. Use news sites and social media to stay on top of the changing media landscape and constantly update your list with media on the way out, and new outlets appearing on the scene.

Vote for HandsOn Network

2009-05-11T17:45:00.003-04:00

Nonprofits - those organizations whose sole focus is to improve people's lives - are struggling in this economy. However, innovative partnerships can help nonprofits to raise the money they need to continue their good work. Target, which gives five percent of its income to communities — over $3 million every week, is putting the power of the people to work. From May 10 - 25, you can go online to Facebook and vote for the charity you would like to see receive $3 million (or a portion of that).

As a friend and longtime supporter of HandsOn Network, all of us at communications 21 hope you will vote for them. The money raised through your vote will go to HandsOn's work in schools across the country. You can vote once a day until May 25 - so click here.

Moore Scoop on Going Green!

2009-04-28T16:49:00.012-04:00

Yesterday, we helped the Atlanta Botanical Garden reach a major milestone—they introduced media to Moore in America and the $55 million Green Expansion, highlighted by the Garden’s new green-built Hardin Visitor Center. So what’s all the fuss about?

Well, when you see it for yourself, you’ll understand moore (yes-pun intended) than the words can ever portray on a blog, but suffice it to say that the Garden’s Visitor Center is a hallmark of modern technology, ecologic design and beauty. Gardeners, hold your shovels and get ready for my description. From rooftops that showcase growing expanses of sedum juxtaposed against the backdrop of Atlanta’s downtown skyline, the view just couldn’t get any better than this. Frothy lamb’s ear dance against the lawn perpendicular to osmanthus trees that look 50 years old, but have recently been planted. Elated for the Garden over its eco-friendly efforts, I resolved to make some changes in my own “green plan.” What could c21 or I do differently to help sustain the planet?

Then, I read this inspiring article by Paul Hoffman that offers 10 tips for a greener business that provide immediate results for this new resolve. These are ideas we all can implement today. Check back with us in the future and see how we have put these tips into action to make our “gardens” greener.

Highlighting Atlanta's Green Efforts

2009-04-22T08:48:00.022-04:00

Happy Earth Day!

Our team recently had the pleasure of working with Atlanta Recycles and the Green Foodservice Alliance to promote the first Zero Waste Zone in southeast. Zero Waste Zones are designed to reduce the environmental impact of waste in homes, workplaces and in the community. Phase One of the Zero Waste Zone focuses on the convention and dining district downtown, where more than 12 Downtown Atlanta restaurants, hotels and even the Georgia World Congress Center have pledged to recycle, reuse spent grease for the local production of biofuel and compost or donate food residuals to drastically decrease the amount of waste going to landfills. We're proud to be a part of such an inspiring effort.

Want to know more? Check out CNN's recent coverage of the story.

Henry is Coming!

2009-04-08T10:38:00.017-04:00

Henry is finally coming – that’s right, Henry Moore and his famous bronze sculptures are coming to the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s fifth major art exhibition (I’m talkin’ MAJOR as in GIGANTIC) since 2004. These bronze sculptures will begin to take their place in the Garden’s 15 magnificently manicured acres in the heart of our city starting today. c21 is partnering with the Garden to tell Moore’s story—helping provide more news, more scoop, more events, more hoopla through a donation of our time for marketing PR support.

Here’s the deal—these 20 sculptures weigh anywhere from 300 lbs. to 12 tons (that’s about the size of Ralph, Atlanta’s whale shark at the Aquarium). Henry created each piece by hand from natural, green products like bronze and granite, in the serenity of the English landscape outside Hampstead. These massive structures, which have previously been on exhibit at only London's Kew Gardens and The New York Botanical Garden, are arriving on trucks where gargantuan cranes will lift them up into the sky and place them on custom stone slabs architecturally designed to manage their weight and display their beauty against the backdrop of one of America’s top 10 gardens.

While Henry is gone, his work lives on. When the Garden opens on May 5, I’ll be there to welcome Henry for his last dance in the United States. It's America's last chance to see Henry's 20 sculptures together in one exhibition before his gifts return to London and are dispersed to various owners forever. You’ve got 158 days to climb into his “Hill Arches” arms and photograph your child against Henry’s 10-foot bronze “Oval with Two Points.” While at the Garden, tour the new LEED-certified Hardin Visitor Center, learn about their award-winning conservation efforts and more (or Moore as Henry would prefer…).

Let's explore more, see more, do more. See you in the Garden!

Dos and Don'ts for Spokespeople

2009-03-26T08:38:00.004-04:00

A great post from the team at Bad Pitch Blog about the dos and don'ts of spokespeople. My favorite? Number 8: Don’t make one group look good at the expense of another. What a great tip to keep in mind whenever you're speaking! All of the tips in this post can be used whether you're speaking to reporters or presenting to a group, making it all the more valuable.

Three Questions to Ask Before Launching a Social Marketing Campaign

2009-03-17T14:27:00.006-04:00

I have a confession to make. I’m a slacker blogger. That’s right, c21’s VP of Interactive Services has a three-year-old personal blog about a topic I’m quite passionate about, yet I can go for months at a time without uploading a single post. This fact was formerly my shameful secret, but when I work with clients who want to launch innovate social media marketing initiatives that impact the bottom line, it’s my very public example of the importance of proper planning before diving into the deep end of social media marketing. Yes, anybody can start a blog or Twitter feed, but without a strategic approach, a schedule and measurable goals, the effort and expense are unlikely to achieve the desired results.

Below are what I consider the top three key questions to ask on the front-end of any social media marketing effort:
1. What’s the primary objective?
Sometimes our clients don’t know what their objective is for social media marketing –and that’s ok. We figure that as the marketing experts, it’s our job to help them uncover those objectives and determine the best course of action to meet and exceed them. Your needs will impact the mix of social media tools best suited for you – whether you need to drive sales, build brand awareness or change public perceptions.

2. How will effectiveness be measured?
This can’t be over-stated: measurement in social media is KEY. Of course, what you measure may run the gamut from engagement, to site traffic to direct sales, but the point is the marketing team must establish the key metrics on the front-end. Check out Jeremiah Owyang’s article about measuring ROI.

3. What are your available staff and budget resources?
Ok, here’s the deal: Social media is not 100% free. Sure, there are tons of awesome free tools available that allow you to participate and monitor the social media space, but there are time costs associated with that participation and monitoring. You must have an estimate of the people and hours can you devote. Comcast and Zappos are prime examples of the human capital required for true social media interaction.

And the list goes on. Actually, there are at least 10 more questions we work through with our clients looking for social media marketing solutions. Click here if you’d like a copy of the complete list. And leave a comment here to let us know what you think are the top three questions.

Me, Myself and I. Common Grammatical Mistake Plagues President Obama

2009-02-24T14:29:00.006-05:00

those of us who write for a living know firsthand the constant questioning and checking required to achieve proper grammar, punctuation and sentence construction. Thank goodness for talented editors. The New York Times has a great piece today about President Obama's grammatical flubs. He's not the first to use these words incorrectly - and he certainly won't be the last, but hopefully the little tip provided at the end of the article will help him and maybe me. Or is it I?

2009-01-31T12:04:00.004-05:00

When I think of the Super Bowl, even though I'm a marketer, my mind drifts more to food, drink, fun with friends and ranking the commercials. I'm into the game if it's a grid iron battle - and would be a fanatic if my Dolphins were there, but sadly we haven't been to the show in sometime.

Regardless, what I don't think about is the Super Bowl's logo. Brands are likely one of the most argued over in terms of importance and impact on consumers. For example, my colleagues and I have been wondering why time honored brands like Pepsi and Gatorade have changed their brand marks to now look like a beachball and the single letter "G". I'm assuming some marketer convinced them it was time to 'modernize.' In truth, I am less motivated to buy Gatorade because now it seems trendy instead of effective.

But when I read the following from Reveries magazine's Cool News of the Day, it made me realize the logo for the Super Bowl just hasn't been that much to look at - and for a day that is one of the most watched events every year, it's kind of surprising.

From Reveries... "The 43 Super Bowl logos 'draw a line through the league's growth, the trends of graphic design, even the vagaries of one nation's popular culture,' reports John Branch in the New York Times (1/28/09). John observes: "Flourishes arrive in the disco era, leading to a decade-long phase of red-white and blue badges. They look more like corporate logos, tinged with cold-war-era patriotism ... As designers moved to computers, their logos became more complicated, their palettes more varied" (gallery). Design critic Stephen Heller has a more brutal assessment: "I'll go out on a limb and say that all the logos starting with XVII are based on beer labels." However, he thinks this year's logo (designed by Landor Associates) marks a departure, suggesting it "looks like the Bank of America logo." The current logo is also the first to use the color green, in a nod to "the surf and turf of Tampa," where the Big Game will be held on Sunday. That's part of the design spec, as each logo, in addition to including those Roman Numerals, is meant to convey something of its host city or stadium.That's a tradition that started with Super Bowl XXI, with a rose representing the Rose Bowl. Only once was the logo changed, and that was post 9/11, when it was switched from a "festive" New Orleans motif to a more "patriotic" theme (images). Among other uses, each logo "is reproduced on $100 million worth of licensed merchandise."

If however you'd like to see new options, or create one of your own, the New York Times is inviting its readers to submit their own designs via email (link) with the best ones published on its blog, The Fifth Down.

If the game turns out to be a blow out - maybe creating a new logo will make you feel better. If not, have another beer.

Catching a Bzz

2009-01-28T10:36:00.000-05:00

c21 recently moderated an American Marketing Association panel focusing on viral marketing and social media. Experts from Bzz Agent, a word of mouth marketing company, Facebook and CNN’s interactive marketing division offered numerous takeaways for companies that are planning or executing a social media strategy. Download the tips and resources here.

What Crisis?

2009-01-21T11:09:00.003-05:00

Between the misallocations of bailout money and the fleecing of investors, we’ve seen our share of crises in the news. As public relations practitioners, we know a crisis can arise at any time, and a well-laid plan inclusive of appropriate spokespersons, an escalation chart, messaging and media training best practices can be the difference between success and failure when it comes to the ever-critical (and rightly so) public eye. While your company may not be under the public microscope, you still have important audiences to consider if a crisis arises.

There are basic tenants of executing a good crisis communications strategy:
1) Take responsibility. Be accountable – immediately. Do not transfer blame. Highlight your company’s positive track record, which will help establish credibility in a time that it might be questioned.
2) Express empathy. Be genuine in demonstrating that you understand the frustration or loss that resulted from the crisis. This will help make you and the company human.
3) Offer a solution. It’s not enough to say “I’m sorry.” Be specific in steps your company will take to fix the situation and ensure it doesn’t occur again. This will help create or rebuild confidence.
4) Deliver. Follow through on your promises. Be prepared to illustrate your company’s progress to the media, key stakeholders and affected individuals. This will help rebuild trust.

Kudos to AirTran for prompt communication to the public after the airline removed Muslim passengers from flight 175 to Orlando, Fla. Which company deserves a slap on the wrist for its crisis handling? Post a comment and let us know your thoughts.

Interactive Marketing When You Don’t Know Your Twitter from Your Ning

2008-12-08T13:37:00.010-05:00

As communications professionals, every member of the c21 team understands the power of the Internet – as both a sales and a communication channel. Some of us might even be considered cyber geeks (but I won’t name any names). Like many integrated marketing professionals, we’re comfortable tweeting away on Twitter, friending on Facebook, using LinkedIn to build our personal and professional networks and debating the merits of iGoogle vs. Netvibes. But we also realize that our clients may not have the same level of expertise in interactive marketing that we have. And frankly, we know how annoying it is to feel like the subject-matter expert you’ve hired to help you is speaking a completely foreign language.

That’s why we take a very measured approach to developing interactive strategies with our clients – starting with getting an understanding of each client’s level of readiness and capacity for the work. Recently, our team led a Social Media 101 webinar for non-profit professionals, in which we explained pros and cons of various applications, showed examples of best practices in their industry and gave participants an opportunity to ask questions they otherwise may never have gotten answered. Sure, we love “exotic” projects like building social media promotions and creative pay-per-click campaigns, but we’re just as amped to help a client monitor their online reputation or to analyze and improve the effectiveness of their existing Web site and search results.

It’s easy to get excited by the bells and whistles associated with Internet marketing, but in the end it’s all about finding the tools that generate results.

What's your opinion?

2008-11-13T00:16:00.008-05:00

These days anyone can publish an op-ed piece ... by simply posting an opinion story on his or her own blog. However, if your blog has yet to reach a readership of hundreds of thousands you may want consider a more traditional method to reach target audiences - drafting an opinion piece with the intent of getting it published in a printed newspaper or magazine.

Recently at a media panel hosted by c21, Ken Foskett, editor of the opinion pages for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, shared what he looks for when considering which op-ed submissions make it to print. The submission must be well-written, take a strong stand on one side of an issue or topic, and connect with timely news.

Coincidentally, at about the same time, two of our non-profit clients asked us for suggestions or "best practices" for writing and placing op-ed articles. While compiling these best practices and guidelines, we came across a useful article and "checklist" for writing op-ed pieces from former journalist John McLain. Below are 10 items from his checklist:

Focus tightly on one issue or idea – in your first paragraph

Express your opinion then base it on factual, researched or first-hand information

Be timely, controversial but not outrageous

Be personal and conversational

Have a clear editorial viewpoint – come down hard on one side of the issue

Educate your reader without being preachy

Issue a call to action

Use clear, powerful, direct language

Avoid clichés and jargon

Appeal to the average reader

You know what they say about opinions ... yep, everyone has one. And, if you articulate your organization's opinion or position well, it might actually be heard.

Branding and Positioning = Blogging

2008-11-04T11:28:00.007-05:00

A study called "Harnessing the Power of Blogs," sponsored research by BuzzLogic and conducted by JupiterResearch, a Forrester Research company, recently was released.

The coverage about the study, posted on ClickZ, claims blogs influence buying/purchasing more than social sites. But, after careful review, I believe the correct statement should be advertisements on blogs influence buying/purchasing more than advertisements on social sites. Regardless, there are some great stats on blog use and response to advertisements on blogs.

And, according to the story, a blog "plays a greater role than social networks, likely because bloggers establish themselves as an authority on a topic, particularly in niche areas, and create a relationship with the consumer."

The point? Blogging is quickly becoming the new "executive positioning" and "thought leadership" tactic. Many clients want to be viewed as leaders in their respective industries or have their executives positioned as thought leaders, but shy away from blogs potentially due to the interactive or two-way feedback mechanism, but is that really so scary? Really ... what's your reason NOT to blog?

Social Media Mistakes Hall of Fame

2008-10-28T18:09:00.005-04:00

If you're new to the world of social media marketing, you may be concerned about making missteps and faux-pas on the Web. Don't let those fears stop you! Blogger and tech journalist David Spark recently penned a great piece about some of the bigger mistakes social media gurus have admitted to making. So if you're just jumping into this brave new world - take a look, take a deep breath and go forth! And if you're an old pro at social media, let us know what mistakes you've made and what you learned in the process.

Making it in the “Real World”

2008-10-01T15:18:00.001-04:00

When I joined c21, I was encouraged to join and participate in a professional organization. I had no idea of the depth of benefits these organizations could provide. When I was in college, professors endlessly recommended professional organizations as great resources for job and internship listings, but didn’t focus on the long-term benefits of membership. Since I’ve been involved with the Georgia chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) for the past two years, I have really begun to recognize the impact it’s having on my career.

I began my involvement with PRSA as a member of the Real World committee – a group that plans and executes an annual conference for college students to help prepare them for the “real world” and a career in PR. This year, I’m continuing my participation as the chair of the development committee – which secures sponsorships from corporations and agencies across Atlanta. (Shameless plug: to find out more information or sponsor, click here)

As a result of my work, I’ve had greater exposure to the Atlanta marketing PR community. Now when I attend events, others read my nametag and say, “Hey, you’re the person who sent me those e-mails – it’s nice to put a face to a name.” It’s honestly pretty cool to have people at other agencies and corporations recognize my name this early in my career!

Beyond networking opportunities, I have gained practical experience as well. I’ve learned how to approach people I’ve never met and I’ve taken that knowledge back to my daily client interactions. I’ve learned that people pay attention when you lead with the benefits they will receive, whether they are potential sponsors for an event or a client. I’ve also learned that sometimes people say no, but they may be willing to help in other ways. For example, I’ve worked with a company that wanted to sponsor, but couldn’t due to budget restraints. By creatively thinking about what the company could provide on a limited budget – providing branded tchotchkes for the attendee gift bags, for example – I was able to secure the company’s involvement and build the relationship so that when they do have the budget to sponsor, they will be more likely to participate.

In addition to my work with PRSA, my colleague Elyse Hammett serves on PRSA’s APR board and mentors professionals working toward their own accreditation in PR. Other colleagues at c21 are involved with the Atlanta chapter of the American Marketing Association and contribute by organizing events and serving on the board of directors.

Based on my personal experience and the experiences of my colleagues, I would recommend professional organizations to anyone, no matter what industry you’re in. You can find more information on the PRSA and AMA Web sites, and information on the benefits on networking can be found on job-search sites such as Monster.com.

Football Season

2008-09-10T10:55:00.004-04:00

It’s that time of year again – when the air begins to cool, the leaves change colors, and people make mass migrations to their favorite college campus to watch some football. I get goosebumps just thinking about. Yes, it’s time for NCAA Football. I’ve religiously followed college football for the last six years and thought I knew a lot about the sport – until c21 began working with NCAA Football to provide marketing PR support for its Youth Initiative.

The Youth Initiative includes NCAA Football Youth Day clinics, a grant program and events surrounding the BCS National Championship game in Miami. The program strives to attract more kids to the game, provide them with additional motivation to pursue a college education, help them develop the necessary skills to be successful on and off the field, and help to establish a new base of lifelong NCAA Football fans like myself.

The Youth Initiative program further deepens my commitment and excitement surrounding NCAA Football – in that this national nonprofit is giving back to youth football leagues across the country and nurturing the growth of my favorite sport. Check out our Web site for case studies of similar projects, and be sure to watch your favorite college football teams battle it out over the coming months in the race to the BCS National Championship on January 8! Go Dawgs!

Are you a die-hard college football fan? If so, e-mail me and tell me about it.

Social Media – effective campaign tactic or waste of time?

2008-09-05T13:09:00.003-04:00

As this year’s presidential candidates are eight weeks away from decision day, they’re competing even more for our eyes and ears. Countless TV commercials, online ads and emails have already started, and we’re not even halfway through September. But, as a marketing PR professional, I find it fascinating to see how this election has incorporated social media tactics on a whole new level.

Through promoting his Facebook page and other social networking sites, communicating on Twitter, driving supporters to his Web site, and offering text messages, Obama reaches out to young voters, and it seems to be working. For example, he has more than 1.6 million supporters on Facebook, while McCain has just over 250,000. On Twitter, nearly 73,000 are following Obama, and McCain doesn’t even have an official Twitter account. These numbers are also reflected in national polls; among 18 to 29 year olds, who are typical social media users – Obama leads McCain 52 to percent to 40 percent (according to a recent Reuters/Zogby poll).

While McCain also has a Facebook page and a Web site, he’s by no means a maverick when it comes to technology – the candidate has admitted that he not only rarely e-mails, he also is effectively Internet-illiterate. However, in a recent and surprising twist of fate, McCain was able to connect with young voters. In response to a McCain ad that compared Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, Paris filmed her own campaign ad thanking McCain for his endorsement for her candidacy. This video has garnered more than seven million views on funnyordie.com and more than 1,000 responses to Paris’ ad have been added to YouTube. While the increase in online discussion about McCain was completely accidental, it did get more young people talking about him, which may work in his favor in the long run.

We still have a couple of months to go before we know the full impact of these new tactics, but we have already seen how they can effectively engage an overlooked and often under-appreciated segment – young, dedicated voters. It will no doubt be an exciting election to watch!

The Value of Labor Day

2008-09-02T15:39:00.004-04:00

So---it's Tuesday on the calendar, but it’s Monday from my perspective. Yesterday was Labor Day, and I joined my family and friends for some fun at the lake. In the boat on the crystal clear green water, I wondered:

What are my colleagues doing to celebrate their Labor Day?

How does our nation manage to still even celebrate this day with our performance-pressure, deadline-driven, Wall Street oriented corporate culture?

Who was still at the office working and why was I the lucky one who really got to be off?

Congress made Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894. I think those sages knew better than us the answer to all these questions. Bottom line: we needed perspective. Back then, it was respite from the labor unions and the fields. Today, its time away from communication inundation via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, instant messenger, e-mail and our cell phones to name a few.

In my dual-income, one-kid, two-dog household, time is precious. Juggling business dinners, dance classes, my child’s homework, last week’s laundry and the proverbial “What’s for Dinner, Mom” saga, perspective isn’t about a 9-to-5 day and then home for tea-and-crumpets, its about the seven P’s: prior proper planning prevents piss-poor performance. The perspective should always be—what can be done today to prepare for tomorrow. Utilizing resources creatively helps maintain that balance and is the foundation for the ability to provide the cool, objective, wise-counsel our clients deserve.

I wasn’t at c21 when Sharon started the firm in 1992, but I know she wanted to create a great place to work that offered clients Remarkable Service and Real Results. She wanted a place where it was not about the billable hour, but about the final product. She wanted a place where employees felt compelled to cross the finish line and keep running. Her perspective has always been work hard, play hard. And so, to that end, I found myself on a glassy lake, with the wind in my face, celebrating the opportunity to labor---for a great company with an intelligent team that never gives up in the pursuit of what is best for their clients, community, colleagues and companions.

The Intern Speaks

2008-09-02T09:16:00.003-04:00

As I began my senior year at Indiana University, one thing seemed to reverberate again and again in the halls of the Journalism School: “It’s not necessarily what you know, but who you know…”

So when I bought an airplane ticket to Atlanta and showed up at PRSA’s Real World PR 2008 – alone – I figured I had my work cut out for me. I spent the day stepping outside of my so-called “comfort zone,” approaching strangers and asking questions. At lunch, I recognized the logos on the nametags of two people who sat across from me. I jumped at the chance to pull up a chair with Jessica and Renee from c21 – an agency I found during pre-conference research (and that I secretly decided was already my favorite).

Following the conference, I kept in touch, flew back for an interview for the summer internship position, and got it. In May, I packed up my car and headed south.

Three months later, I’m sitting here on the last day of my internship. One thing’s for sure: I’ve come a long way.

c21 is a small agency – so I realized quickly that I would have a lot of different responsibilities. Did I get the mail every day? Yes. Did I file stacks of media clips? You bet. Did I update databases? Oh yeah. But I also conducted media relations, participated in creative brainstorms, wrote press releases and e-newsletter articles, and even managed some projects of my own.

After drafting a press release for our client OnTheSide.com and distributing it to local media, I pitched a story, secured interviews, and saw it through until the story ran in the DeKalb Neighbor. My first clip – and a bump in OnTheSide’s Web site traffic!

In addition to traditional media relations and PR, I’ve been a part of our digital service practice group, c21i. I’ve worked on social media integration, link building, keyword development and copy suggestions, and – now – blog posting.

I’d like to think I’m the only intern that has had such a great experience, but I’m sure there are others who feel equally satisfied with their internships. What I do know is that not many have been lucky enough to work with a team of women as awesome as the c21ers.

These ladies know what they’re doing, and the best part is they love doing it. I’ve been impressed over and over – and not because my desk is next to a wall full of awards (not shelf – wall). I’ve experienced a hard-working team environment, client dedication, and innovative PR tactics at their best.

Maybe it’s what you know. Maybe it’s who. Either way, I’m confident what I learned from, and who I know at c21 have gotten me off to a pretty great start.

Marketing to Teens

2008-08-11T13:22:00.008-04:00

According to Teenage Research Unlimited, teens spent $176 billion last year, flexing their significant buying power muscle. In a typical week, these teens spend an average 12.5 hours online, which is more time than they spend watching television. The question for today’s marketers is, how do we reach the kids who are always “plugged in”?

Facebook and MySpace are social networking sites that have established a pervasive presence in the lives of teens. These outlets can prove challenging for marketers who have previously relied on mall promotions and free concert tickets to reach teens, but it can be done if marketers use social media effectively. For example, when Apple recently launched the much-anticipated iPhone 3G, its marketing strategy included an iPhone fan site on Facebook where any one of its more than 132,000 fans can access top songs and albums, new music releases, post comments and questions on the wall, and more. Within the first three days of sales, Apple sold one million iPhone 3Gs – not solely due to its Facebook presence, but in part because they connected to their fans in a meaningful way beyond traditional ads.

c21 recently hosted Mike Haines, Facebook’s southeast regional director, at our lunch n’ learn for clients. He revealed that the site has more than 200,000 new users each day, with 43 percent of all users between 18 and 24 years of age. Marketers who partner with Facebook can access deep user demographics on the site and use them to create applications, advertising campaigns, event notices, photo albums and more to appeal to teens on Facebook. For examples, Victoria’s Secret PINK has a well-developed fan site where the company posts promotions, widgets, photos and videos – it’s a one-stop shop for customers who love the clothing line, and they can connect with others who have similar tastes. Overall, Facebook visitors are spending an average of 167 minutes a month on the site – that’s a captive audience if I’ve ever heard of one.

c21 is currently working on a branded Facebook page for University House (UH), which provides off-campus student housing at colleges across the country. While many of the brand’s individual communities already have groups and fan sites, we are developing a page that conveys the UH brand while incorporating elements of each community. Once complete, we’ll drive prospects to the branded UH page through e-mail marketing and direct mail pieces, where they’ll find links to the individual communities.

c21 knows a thing or two about social media and interactive marketing. c21i, our dedicated digital services practice, helps clients stay current with effective Web-based interactive marketing strategies. Our services include e-mail marketing (speaking of which, have you signed up for our e-newsletter?), pay-per-click advertising programs, search engine optimization, blogging, Webinars and Web site design. We also have experience integrating clients’ products and services into social media, including Flickr, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube as part of an overall campaign. As we create case studies on client successes, please come back to visit.

c21 = Real Results

2008-06-27T14:33:00.006-04:00

Results are our focus, and we put that into action for people who are affected by arthritis. We recently wrapped up national media relations outreach for the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program study, and were thrilled to secure coverage on iVillage.com. We hope this information will help thousands who suffer from arthritis to get moving and ease their pain. Check out the awesome slideshow iVillage posted here.

Update: Response to "The Flack Over Flacks"

2008-06-23T15:58:00.005-04:00

Yesterday on CBS Sunday Morning, Gil Schwartz -- Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications, CBS -- gave viewers his own thoughts on Andrew Cohen's essay from three weeks ago. He rebuts Cohen's argument by offering solid examples to show that PR professionals are not flacks, in fact they provide a valuable service to journalists by arranging interviews, providing detailed information and more. In addition to his role at CBS, Schwartz also is an author and columnist for the New York Times and Forbes under the pseudonym Stanley Bing.

Raking It In in Margaritaville

2008-06-18T11:01:00.002-04:00

Last week, I had the chance to see my second Jimmy Buffett concert (third if you count camping outside Fenway Park during grad school, too broke to go inside). Watching the 61-year-old musician/writer/pilot/restaurateur, I wondered how he managed to still sell out stadiums city after city, year after year. The answer I determined: Relevance. While many in his industry have failed to preserve their relevance (think Michael Jackson), Buffett has not only maintained his fan base, but has grown it.

How did he do it? First, he stayed true to his roots. Buffett built his career around his margarita-drinking, beach bum, living the high life persona, and no matter how his private life has changed as he’s aged, this will always be his public character, and he knows it. A 1998 Time article quoted Buffett as saying, “The set I’d like to do is all ballads.” Ten years later, he still hasn’t done it. Why? “The carnival atmosphere wouldn’t allow it. You’ve got to do what’s necessary for the business you’re in.” Remember that whole Garth Brooks is now Chris Gaines debacle of the 1990s? That’s the perfect example of an artist who did not stay true to his roots, neglected his core audience and still hasn’t completely recovered from the mistake.

Buffett also maintains relevance by offering his audience multiple touch points, but every single one of them is true to his persona. His Margaritaville restaurants are located in places you’d expect Buffett himself to be hanging out – Key West, New Orleans, Mexico, the Caribbean, etc. The day a Margaritaville opens in St. Louis is the day that Buffett will lose his relevance. Fans associate Buffett with an escape, a vacation. If he starts being associated with after-work happy hours and kids birthday parties, his restaurant, and therefore his brand, will become just another chain.

A similar approach that recognizes and capitalizes on brand strengths is sure to keep any brand from becoming a “Fruitcake.”

The It List

2008-06-05T10:05:00.001-04:00

When c21ers recently had the opportunity to present at the annual conferences of the Georgia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and Silverpop, a leading e-mail marketing service provider, one question seemed to be at the forefront of both audiences’ minds – How do you build a marketing database?

There are several steps you can take to create an effective database, but c21 preaches one concept above all others… Quality over quantity. We have created mailings to lists of 20 and lists of 20,000. Targeted, permission-based campaigns always outperform campaigns to purchased, borrowed and out of date lists. For example, we recently sent out an e-mail newsletter for an Atlanta homebuilder. One list consisted of 300 current homeowners and hot prospects who had visited the builder’s communities. The second list contained 16,000 names from a variety of sources – some of the names were purchased from a list management company and others had signed up to receive information from a local real estate agency – not from the builders the agency represents. The targeted e-mail outperformed the untargeted list by more than 350%.

So, if quality is king, how do you create a quality list?

1) Look at what you’ve already got – Who are your current customers and prospects? Who do you and your colleagues know? To get your list off to a strong start, add friends, family and satisfied customers – people who are familiar with your brand and who can help you expand your list further.
2) Create an online sign-up form – Link to a sign up form from your Web site so that visitors can easily express interest in receiving additional information. Sign up forms offer an unobtrusive way to gather data, and can easily be added to your Web site, blog, e-mail signature and more.
3) Be where your target audience is – Are they attending professional conferences? Send a representative who can network and gather contact information. Are they attending local festivals and fairs? Have a booth where people can learn more about your organization and sign up for your newsletter.
4) Offer an incentive to sign up – People are more likely to give you their contact information if they know they are getting something in return. One homebuilder we work with is offering a $100 Home Depot gift card to anyone who signs up and tours a model home. Offering access to white papers and research data is an inexpensive way for BtoB organizations to obtain qualified leads.
5) Create a referral program – Satisfied customers are your best brand ambassadors. A free gift or a deep discount for your best customers can result in new prospects that could translate into revenue.

List-building is an ongoing process. Large, qualified lists can’t be created overnight, but with the cost-effective steps above, you can build a marketing database that will yield a strong ROI.

Response to "The Flack Over Flacks"

2008-06-04T14:08:00.001-04:00

I normally enjoy CBS Sunday Morning. At 24, I know that I'm not the target audience for the show, my parents and grandparents fit that bill, but I still find something intriguing about watching and listening to Charles Osgood and the correspondents give deeper insights into a moment in American history or an event that will soon become American history. Unfortunately, this past Sunday morning, the peaceful time I spend with my breakfast on my couch was disrupted by Andrew Cohen's essay "The Flack Over Flacks," in which the CBS News Legal Analyst spoke about Scott McClellan's new book, What Happened.

At first, I agreed with Mr. Cohen's analysis. There is certainly "nothing funny" about the revelation that Scott McClellan lied about vital policy decisions within the White House. However, his essay continued with:

"But in every tragic drama comes a moment of comedic Zen. And in L'Affair McClellan, that has come from the public relations community, where some now wonder whether the former flack violated the 'ethics' of his craft.

Apparently, an industry the very essence of which is to try to convince people that a turkey is really an eagle has a rule that condemns lying."

Even after doing his research and quoting the PRSA's Code of Ethics, he goes on to say:

"The reason companies or governments hire oodles of PR people is because PR people are trained to be slickly untruthful or half-truthful. Misinformation and disinformation are the coin of the realm..."

Admittedly, there are a few bad apples in the PR business -- which can be said about any profession. But, for Cohen to blanket a profession in which the majority of practitioners are truthful and strive to provide their audiences with accurate information is poor form. As a proud, honest member of the PR profession, I know that my colleagues do their best to present accurate information about the companies or clients they represent -- when asked to do otherwise, the answer is an emphatic "No." PR professionals must maintain their integrity since it is a vital resource when contacting reporters to secure media coverage, working with vendors for a special event, speaking with community leaders to gain their support or any of the other activities we do every day.

"Show me a PR person who is ‘accurate’ and ‘truthful,’ and I'll show you a PR person who is unemployed," writes Mr. Cohen. Well, I can name at least eight -- my colleagues at c21.

Get Fired Up

2008-06-04T09:57:00.000-04:00

It’s what The Atlanta Hawks’ Web site tells us – and we’re listening. The Hawks advanced to game 7 of a first round playoff series after a nearly 10-year playoff absence, and a sold-out stadium of nearly 19,000 people greeted the team for its last two home games. The team was able to draw attention to its brand - with new uniforms and refreshed logo and Web site - at the same time it was climbing to the top of its game.

Timing is everything, and knowing when to re-brand can be difficult – especially for a highly visible brand like the Atlanta Hawks. The re-brand has been executed at a time when the sports industry is plagued with bad publicity a la Michael Vick, Roger Clemens and others, making it potentially risky. Still, the Hawks guessed right, and timed its re-branding perfectly to build a new corps of fans.

But does re-branding always work? What about Wal-Mart's "Save Money, Live Better" tagline? The brand's new tagline was relevant since it was rolled out at a time when Americans began feeling an economic pinch, but Wal-Mart drew heat from critics who failed to see the connection between shopping there and being able to afford the mortgage, a family vacation or a new car. Some also found the slogan ironic - coming from a company notorious for high health insurance premiums and low employee wages.

Whether you’re considering a complete overhaul or a minor brand refresh, give as much weight to the timing of the announcement as you do the planning stages, creative and design process. For example, you might consider tying your re-brand to a newsworthy event, like a tradeshow in which your company has a presence, or a milestone or significant occasion in the company’s history, which can help to leverage your message and make it even more relevant to employees, clients and stakeholders alike.

On c21's 15th anniversary, the company unveiled its new logo - a more contemporary design that embodied the company's cutting-edge marketing PR services and its expansion into new media marketing. We communicated the change via an integrated campaign consisting of media relations, e-mail marketing and a special event – all of which echoed the essence of the new brand. Learn more about c21’s approach to branding.

Vegas, Baby

2008-05-04T15:07:00.002-04:00

“Vegas Right Now” is coming to a city near you. Las Vegas is hoping to drum up tourism by sending its showgirls on the road to visit other big-city sporting events and attractions, and giving away a few free flights to Sin city along the way. New York City’s “Just Ask the Locals” uses star power to boost visits, while Philadelphia’s “More Summer Fun” plays to the pain at the pump by providing gas cards. I’m a sucker for deals, but all this promotional talk conjured memories of Atlanta’s unsuccessful $15 million “Every Day is an Opening Day” campaign.

Brand Atlanta, a conglomerate of the city's advertising and marketing specialists, is planning a new campaign -- one that will target young professionals and empty nesters who live a short flight from Atlanta, according to Brand Atlanta’s executive director Melinda Ennis-Roughton. The campaign will be promoted via event sponsorship, blogging and social networking. The major downfalls of the original campaign, cited in a September 2007 Atlanta Business Chronicle story, include an unmemorable tagline, an unclear distinction between branding and advertising, and surveying public opinion on the ad campaign after it was launched. These mistakes are evidence of Brand Atlanta’s disregard of three of c21’s golden rules, which we follow to garner Remarkable Results for our work – from branding and marketing PR plan development to media relations and special events.

Know your audience: Who will benefit from your product or service, and how can you best reach them? Consider multiple touch points appropriate for your audience by researching its behavior, desires, purchase patterns, etc. To those of us in Atlanta, it was unclear who the "Opening Day" campaign was trying to reach, and thus generated more confusion than action.

Nail your message: Design can only go so far. Involve your stakeholders, employees and customers in generating ideas – and be sure to include the “why.” “Every Day is an Opening Day” didn’t communicate “why” tourists should visit Atlanta, or why metro Atlantans should make the trip into the city.

Measure, measure, measure: Conduct a situational analysis. Measure milestones along the way. Measure your end results. Too often we concentrate on the finish line and miss opportunities to make adjustments along the way that could have a great impact on the success of the campaign. The year after Brand Atlanta was launched, the organization spent $1 million to survey tourists in other states to determine the effectiveness of the campaign. The results? Brand Atlanta did not increase desire to visit Atlanta, and only three percent recalled the “Everyday is an Opening Day” tagline. Aggressive focus group testing pre-launch and at predetermined milestones throughout the launch, as well as the involvement of Atlanta residents and out-of-state tourists in developing the “why” of the campaign, are just two check points that may have allowed the Brand Atlanta to change direction and become a success.

Marketing in Tough Times

2008-04-11T08:54:00.011-04:00

Sharon Goldmacher, c21's president & CEO, was recently interviewed by DM News for an article about how real estate-related businesses should strategically market during an economic downturn.

Click here for the article and Sharon's insights into building brand awareness and generating sales leads with e-mail and direct mail marketing.

"Spellcheck didn't catch it"

2008-04-08T19:27:00.000-04:00

"Spellcheck didn't catch it" is a common phrase heard for mispelled words in e-mails and documents. In fact, I'll probably use it a great deal in this blog. I mean, who has time to actually read what you're writing? Especially communications professionals or college students learning to become communications professionals (please note the sarcasm).

So, every once in awhile, I'll share some real-life, sometimes funny misspellings that have come across my desk and desktop. Of course, these misspellings were not committed by anyone at c21. Mainly they're gathered from a friend of mine who teaches business communications and public relations classes at a metro Atlanta university. She's trying to rectify the "spellcheck" problem, but there is only so much one person can do.

A recent example she provided to me ... Felling. Used in a sentence, "I'm felling this class. What should I do?" Keep in mind, Atlanta is in the South, but I'm not sure if she even answered this student.

There are many resources available for the spelling and/or grammar challenged. A good one in book form and online is Paul Brian's Common Errors in English Usage. And, of course, there are numerous online dictionary resources.

For a little chuckle about software spelling checkers, check out Jerrold Zar's poem "Owed to the Spelling Checker."

Design - Just because you can, doesn't mean you should

2008-03-26T15:00:00.005-04:00

After conducting a communications audit for a client - reviewing more than 100 documents, brochures, Web sites and more - I had one very clear revelation. Similar to the joke of "why does a dog lick his balls? Because he can" - I learned that just because designers can use a range of special effects, doesn't mean they should.

In-house designers like to experiment. Experimentation is great - and when done well, can be quite successful. But more times than not, it falls flat on its face.

Our recommendation for clients is to create a brand standards manual to ensure consistency, professionalism and the end goal of reinforcing who you are, and what you're about with every communications piece created. Brand standards do not need to be complex. My favorite page in brand standard manuals is usually the one with Word art, shadow boxes and picture edging - all that have red x's or circle's with lines through them indicating that these effects should be used - never. I mean, you never see Coca-Cola's logo in pink, do you?

Nonprofits, especially start-ups, often have design donated by those desiring to be designers. As a result, colors, fonts and more importantly messaging is inconsistent. Gwinnett Children's Shelter tackled this problem by acquiring grant money to create new materials to reach their growing marketplace. We worked together with a cause marketing firm and a professional designer - all of us working at deeply discounted rates - to create a new logo, tag line, color palette and design standards. Since that first grant, we have created three professionally designed brochures, all with distinctly different color uses, but still within the brand standards set more than a year ago. More importantly, they have seen their awareness in the community rise, and the funding dollars grow.

Why It's Called the C-Word

2008-03-17T12:07:00.002-04:00

Welcome to communications 21's blog, The C-Word, where c21's integrated marketing public relations experts will enlighten and -hopefully - entertain you with news, views and bugaboos from the industry and beyond. No topic is off-topic if it relates to the art of communication and creating real business results. We'll try to keep the shameless self-promotion to a minimum, but we will highlight cool things our clients and industry colleagues are doing.

You may be wondering why we chose to call our blog The C-Word. Obviously, it fits the company name and our other communications tools. But we also have to thank our very own Atlanta resident Jane Fonda for the inspiration. Her recent communications "oops" on a major network morning show sent us into hysterics and reminded us again of the power of the spoken word. We're also an irreverant bunch, and get a kick out of almost using one of the seven deadly words.

Welcome aboard!