Blog Posts By Category

  • Good employee communications will make the EFCA a non-issue for companies
    Monday, June 22, 2009 - 10:19

    The impending passage of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) means companies have just a few months left to make the case against union organization. If EFCA becomes law, companies will likely lose their ability to campaign against union organizing efforts – something that’s now possible in the weeks leading up to a formal union vote.  Such votes would effectively be optional under EFCA.

  • Warm and fuzzy ads won’t work for banks; dialogue will
    Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 10:50

    A June 9 article in The New York Times suggests that banks and other financial institutions are betting they can reconnect with consumers by launching warm and fuzzy advertising campaigns.  Their theory is that consumers are ready to “move on.” 

  • Does it feel like the world is fraught with crises?
    Friday, May 15, 2009 - 12:51

    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.

  • From "Greedy" to Great
    Monday, February 2, 2009 - 10:10

    Over the past few weeks, Americans have been shaken by an onslaught of bad news.  What the market foreshadowed last quarter is now being realized in the paper every morning.  Earnings are down or non-existent, GDP contracted by nearly 4%, and layoffs seem to be a daily occurrence. 

  • Welcome to Wolfe Tracking
    Thursday, January 22, 2009 - 11:16

    Welcome to Wolfe Tracking, Cohn & Wolfe’s single, all-agency blog featuring observations, insights and ideas from a team of communications professionals across each practice and region in our global network. Like the wolf, the truth is elusive. But every one of our more than 25 bloggers is in dogged pursuit—and we are eager to share our experiences surveying this new media wilderness.

  • Trends & Neighbors
    Sunday, February 24, 2008 - 20:18

     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.

  • A Good Tagline is a Terrible Thing to Waste…
    Monday, January 28, 2008 - 05:10

     uncf_graphic.JPG Just Do It. Where’s the beef? What happens here, stays here.  uncf_graphic.JPG 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.

  • Scandal 2.0
    Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 02:37

    SpitzersIt is hard to recall a news story that so obviously revealed the changing face of media as much as the most recent scandal involving Eliot Spitzer.SpitzersIt is hard to recall a news story that so obviously revealed the changing face of media as much as the most recent scandal involving Eliot Spitzer. On Monday, within two hours of posting an article connecting New York Governor Eliot Spitzer to a prostitution ring, traffic on the NYTimes.com web site spiked 60 percent higher than at the same time the previous Monday, with mobile traffic nearly doubling during the same time period. As the story began to unfold in the coming days, resulting in Spitzer’s eventual resignation on Wednesday, the Times’ website continued to show signs of strain and slowdowns, as it sluggishly heaved through the traffic of the hungry public who wanted the most up to date information available. And it was perhaps Spitzer himself who recognized how quickly news is spread, proof being that he stood on a podium making apologies for his misjudgment and poor character less than two hours after the news of his involvement in a prostitution ring broke, denial wasn’t even an option. Besides revealing the well known fact that no one loves a sex scandal quite like a New Yorker, the speed-of-light pace at which the details of Spitzer’s scandal were exposed, prove that in this increasing world of digital connectedness, there really is no hiding from a scandal or the Internet news machine. This may just look like another political and personal failing (Clinton 2.0?) however this news story also revealed some interesting patterns about the way in which the Internet and social networking are changing how a news story plays out in the public, on TV and in the papers, and further proves that now more than ever, the media must aggressively attempt to stay ahead of their tech-savvy public who knows how to retrieve details and information faster and sometimes even better than they do. It wasn’t only that people were hungry to learn the details of Spitzers’ story, but rather they sought to stake a personal claim in the scandal as well, and there is no easier way to do that than buying domain names. Minutes after an article was posted on New York Times referring to Spitzer as the particular “Client 9” that was named in a criminal complaint filed by prosecutors last week, the client9.com domain name was registered for $10.13, and in addition to this purchase other savvy business minds bought client-9.net, and client-9.com. And it doesn’t stop there. As we found out in the days that followed, it appears that the very break-through in this case itself has been intricately affected by the amount of data exchanged on the Internet through a variety of digital platforms. What led the FBI and the IRS to Spitzer in the first place was a complex electronic virtual paper trail that revealed a large unaccountable movement of cash, corroborated by telephone wiretaps, computer records and other electronic evidence. With this information stored permanently on a variety of servers and databases it really does call into question what other persona digital traces are out there being tracked, and what if any, are the rules of privacy are associated to them—in this case the possible criminality of the act proved privacy wasn’t a concern when retrieving Spitzers’ records. In an article for Businessweek.com, Hillary Rhodes points out another interesting aspect of this news story, highlighting the changing face of one of the oldest professions in the midst of the wired world. Rhodes writes “the prostitution scandal involving New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer lays bare some of the inner workings of modern day sex work: text messaging to clock in the client, electronic fund transfers, a Web site featuring color photos, prices and rankings” and I would add, an easier more convenient method of payment. paypalAs Rhodes goes on to discuss, workers also use high-tech measures to avoid getting caught by the police (wire taps, cameras etc.), and in the case of Spitzer, also use technology to do the catching. And just when you thought the web of technology couldn’t be weaved any more tightly around this case, the infamous “Kristen” whom Spitzer was said to have been with on the night of February 13th, was revealed to the public via her Myspace page to be a woman named Ashley Alexandra Dupre. The ease of access to this information may cause Myspace devotees to rethink their security settings. In addition to the New York Times article which splashed the shots of Ashley across any empty space they had available, CNN showed screenshots of the Myspace screenshots, and awkwardly scrolled through Ashley’s page reading her “about me” stating them as a testimonial of her theories on life, and as insight into her psyche. At just about the same time this media bonfire was ablaze, local news crews camped outside her apartment tracking her every digital move saying, “We can tell from her Myspace page that she has signed on this evening.” It is hard to think of another story in recent history whose details unwound so immediately and one that also relied so heavily on a social networking site for a solid evidentiary source. In addition to Ashley’s face gracing the cover of every major newspaper and news program; it appears that her goal to be an R&B artist is now more fully realized than ever. She sells her music on Amie Street, which sets the price of songs based upon how quickly and how much it sells. With her new found fame it appears Ashley’s song is now selling more quickly than Radiohead at 98 cents per download, so even she is cashing in.Ashley R&B And if selling songs faster than Thom Yorke is not exciting enough, there are now 13 Facebook groups dedicated solely to Ashley. Every angle of this news story points to the rapid rate at which information is consumed and exchanged throughout a number of growing digital outlets—from the reveal of initial scandal to the way in which the perpetrator was caught in the first place. Whether it is a story breaking on a popular newspaper website, buying domain names to stake a claim to Internet intellectual property, or cruising Myspace to better understand the psyche behind a scandal, one thing remains clear, new media has made the public life of politicians and breaking news stories even more public and consumable.

  • Public Relations: Recession Buster for Marketers
    Thursday, March 6, 2008 - 05:01

    empty pocketsIncreasingly, 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? empty pocketsIncreasingly, 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. word of mouthCompanies 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. ad failureMore 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.

  • Advertisers Look Downhill for Returns
    Thursday, January 31, 2008 - 03:52

    It’s official – figures just released by web analytics outfit comScore have confirmed what we’ve all been discussing for the last few months – mainstream social networks are loosing steam.

    You can check out all the stats here at Creative Capital. What you’ll find is that the average length of time users spend on all of the top three sites is on the decline…big-time!

    With MySpace, Bebo and Facebook all posting double-digit percentage hits in Q4 2007, where should advertisers be looking?

    According to BusinessWeek, niche social networks – particularly those that break a sweat – are where high-caliber advertisers are spending their money.

    For instance, US Olympian and ski icon, Bode Miller, recently launched SkiSpace, a social network that snow-riders can join to meet ski buddies, plan weekend trips, and hear first-hand reviews of ski resorts. SkiSpace grew to a community of 10,000 in its first month.

    There are countless other niche social networks that are attracting big crowds – and big money from advertisers. By catering to niche markets, these social networks can offer a channel for targeted ads.

    BusinessWeek reported that some ski resorts are spending as much as $50,000 for such campaigns, leveraging new media capabilities such as mobile blogging widgets and RSS feeds to interact more directly with members.

    Perhaps Mark Zuckerberg will take those pesky billion dollar offers more seriously this year.

  • Transparency is the New Black
    Monday, June 9, 2008 - 00:39

    Greg Owsley, Chief Branding Officer of New Belgium Brewery, spoke today at the Sustainable Brands 2008 conference in Monterey, CA on his company's sustainable branding success story. New Belgium's quest to showcase their sustainable practices began in hopes of inspiring other breweries or companies with similar values to embrace environmentally-conscious practices and culture from the inside out. Naturally, the quirky, fun-loving company faced trials and tribulations in defining its sustainable image, including marketing efforts developed both internally and externally that showcased their core values but failed to tell their whole, quite impressive, sustainable story. One challenge that often arises in this space, is ‘walking the talk’ - incorporating sustainable practices within the organization to coincide with marketing sustainable products or services to customers. Companies often jump ahead to the marketing part and forget that the proof truly is in the pudding, then come under attack for slacking in their own sustainable manufacturing or business practices. New Belgium faced such an experience when an ex-employee challenged its 100% wind power claim to local media by explaining that the company still utilized natural gas in its brewing process. Greg’s advice to companies who face an experience such as this is to be completely transparent about whatever it might be they’re under fire for. He advises that acknowledging your slip-ups and working to correct them will ultimately put you in your customers’ good graces. Covering them up only makes for an inevitable uncovering and a deceitful reputation to follow. This is a topic we face often in the PR industry, in crisis situations or more recently with clients building more of a presence on the blogosphere. We can all learn a lesson from New Belgium Brewery, which started with one man in a basement in Fort Collins, Colorado and has become one of the most recognized sustainable brands of our time. If you’re battling how to walk the talk with your sustainable practice, or facing a communications crisis, just sit back, have a Fat Tire and be transparent. Your customers will understand and even value you for it.

  • What’s a hip investor?
    Wednesday, June 4, 2008 - 08:15

    The answer, according to one speaker at the Sustainable Brands conference in Monterey, is an investor who wants both a high return on capital and help the world become a better place - ethically, environmentally or socially. Paul Herman is the CEO of HIP Investor, a San Francisco-based company which advises both investors and companies on how to be more sustainable AND profitable. Here is Paul talking to me about the fact that the mainstream financial world on Wall Street and the City of London isn't paying enough attention to the potential for highly profitable growth which also has a positive human, social and environmental impact. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDDatDdhQHg[/youtube]

  • Green Brands study 2008 launched in Monterey
    Tuesday, June 3, 2008 - 12:25

    On the first day of SB 2008, my colleague Annie Longsworth and Russ Meyer from our WPP sister company, Landor, unveiled our Green Brands study 2008, examining consumer perceptions of environmental issues and companies in both the UK and the USA. The findings are remarkably similar. In both countries, it's body care companies and supermarkets who are really capturing the imagination of the public with their environmental initiatives, such as Marks & Spencer's 'Plan A'. The Guardian has picked up on the supermarket angle in its report on our study:

    High-profile green advertising campaigns by supermarkets appear to be paying off with five of the country's biggest grocers coming out top in a survey of the most environmentally friendly brands. Campaigns to discourage plastic bag use and an emphasis on less packaging helped Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda take five of the top six places in a survey of 1,500 people.

    What strikes me about this year is that, although people are clearly more worried about the economy in 2008, they have not forgotten green issues. They are forming ever-more sophisticated opinions of companies based on their environmental performance and commitment.