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While brainstorms are certainly a fun part of the PR profession, (oh the games, we play!) we can all relate to feeling a little creatively stumped from time to time. But don’t fret! Good ideas do exist outside the walls of a PR agency (gasp!) and there are a lot of ways to get them, including crowdsourcing.

The recession affects every aspect of our lives, and in response consumers are cutting back, doing away with, and trading down across the board.  Although consumers are eating at home more, CPG manufacturers can’t afford to sit idle.  Food prices are increasing at their fastest rate in 17 years, and private and store label products are tempting consumers with lower prices and flashier packaging.

Swine Flu.  Financial meltdown.  Bankruptcy.  Banks failing the government’s stress test.  Excessive executive compensation. The nature of crisis hasn’t changed, but the way crises emerge has.  And the way we counsel clients has, too.  Bottom line:  companies must aggressively anticipate problems before they draw public attention.

In a digital world where blogs are proliferating with a speed matched only by the growth of social networks, it should come as no surprise that the two entities are breeding a hybrid beast of interpersonal communication. 

It should surprise no one that the economic events of the last 6 months have many consumers tightening their belts and consuming less. The Business Week cover story called “The New Frugality” chronicles how some consumers have taken substantive steps to adopt values that focus on considered consumption, self-recycling and creating strategies that stretch their discretionary income as far as humanly possible.  It’s a lifestyle counterpoint to the notion that the winners have the most toys. 

 As PR pros, it’s our job to be “in the now” and “in the know.” Trend tracking is one way we accomplish this but it’s not the only reason to stay on top of the market pulse. Trends help us maintain our clients’ relevance in the marketplace, identify changes in consumer expectations, and increase a client’s “cool factor” with specific audiences. Market trend knowledge gives us valuable insights so we can develop goods, services, and experiences that appeal to customers. It helps us avoid the risk of disappointing (or worse yet - not even reaching) target audiences.

  Just Do It. Where’s the beef? What happens here, stays here.   Just Do It. Where’s the beef? What happens here, stays here. There is nothing like a good tagline. And for organizations that develop (or stumble upon) a t-shirt-worthy one, a good tagline can boost brand value considerably. So what happens when an organization with a noteworthy catch phrase decides it’s time to refresh and rework its image? Do they drop kick their slogan and hope for the best, or use it as the cornerstone of the new identity?  The United Negro College Fund opted for the latter. After four years of research and planning, UNCF decided to keep one of its most defining assets when it unveiled its new look on January 17. Since grabbing the public’s attention with the phrase, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste” in 1971, UNCF has become an icon in American history, as the largest private minority education assistance program in the nation. But after 30 years, while the tagline and the public’s admiration for the brand endured, UNCF’s ability to convey its ever-expanding mission to key audiences dwindled, creating a need for a facelift.   The new identity of UNCF, created by Landor Associates, is designed to help clarify the mission and vision of the organization and increase its relevancy with its past, current and future beneficiaries. UNCF’s new logo features an updated torch, the use of color, and its acronym, rather than its full name (similar to AARP, formerly the American Association for Retired Persons).  Michael L. Lomax, UNCF’s president and chief executive, explained that the elimination of the full name was a nod to change in nomenclature since the 70s, as many African Americans no longer identify with the word “Negro.” Using just “UNCF” is a way for the organization to speak to its current stakeholders, without losing its heritage.  The tagline is another story. According to The New York Times, “Surveys conducted for the organization suggest that the ‘A mind is a terrible thing to waste’ motto enjoys ‘exceptionally strong’ recognition by the public, but that only 56 percent of people make the connection between the slogan and UNCF. Mr. Lomax hopes the new campaign will tie everything together in the mind of the public.”   While it may not ring true for a majority of organizations, UNCF recognized that the tagline transcended the brand, and is using it to help drive awareness in the wake of its redesign. A wise move, in my mind, because a good tagline is also a terrible thing to waste.

Increasingly, the question on most minds is not if a recession is coming but when. Everyday we are confronted with shrill headlines predicting the worst for the economy. So why, as a marketer and public relations professional, am I not quaking in my shoes? Increasingly, the question on most minds is not if a recession is coming but when. Everyday we are confronted with shrill headlines predicting the worst for the economy. So why, as a marketer and public relations professional, am I not quaking in my shoes? The answer is surprisingly simple: unlike other marketing categories, this downturn should be a boom for public relations. Even in recessionary times, consumers still spend dollars albeit in a more conservative manner. As the dollar becomes more precious, consumers grow increasingly skeptical of traditional advertising messages and are relying on recommendations from fellow consumers. Companies and their brands must adapt to this shift away from traditional media to succeed. Word of mouth is king. The mass-market economy has been replaced by a “customer economy,” which calls for customer-to-customer communications built on trust. Users are embracing this form of engagement as evidenced by their activities online. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project Surveys, 27% of Americans share files from their own computers with others online, 30% rate a product, service or person using an online rating system, 34% use the Internet to display photos and 11% use online social or professional networking sites like Facebook or LinkedIn. Traditional media services have revealed their flaws as they struggle to not only connect but remain relevant to consumers. Public relations firms are best positioned to strategically drive branding. Leadership needs to be taken by firms that understand the universe of communications – across segments and various means of communication – and not solely a buyer-seller directive. Traditional advertising agencies will still be needed but on a smaller-scale basis. In fact, marketers have less confidence in advertising agencies and will turn to other for effective branding. More than three out of four corporate advertisers – 78% to be exact – said they have less confidence today in the effectiveness of TV advertising than they did two years ago, according to a survey released at the Association of National Advertisers TV Ad Forum (March 2006). In 2006, Nike spent just 33 percent of its $678 million US advertising budget on ads with television networks and other traditional media companies -- down from 55 percent 10 years ago, according to Advertising Age. “We’re not in the business of keeping the media companies alive. We’re in the business of connecting with consumers,” said Trevor Edwards, Nike’s corporate vice president for global and category management in an interview with The New York Times. Today’s consumer is far more sophisticated and even more skeptical of traditional advertising messages. Public relations agencies are well positioned to lead brand strategy in today’s fragmented media environment because they can break through this wall of skepticism. PR has been delivering third credibility since its inception and has taken the lead in applying that knowledge to help brands navigate today’s hyper-syndicated Web environment in order to build lasting and meaningful connections with their core audiences. PR is adept in understanding how to communicate with all types of constituents utilizing alternative channels for building brand image, connecting with audiences effectively, delivering a demonstrable return on investment and driving sales.

In case you haven’t heard, 2007 was the best year yet for the videogame industry, with nearly $18 billion in US sales – 43% better than last year’s total take.