The good news? Your good ideas are lurking in your subconscious, you just need to identify the right triggers to wake them up.

Most people start, logically enough, by identifying and describing the main categories of your business, including details that feel “humdrum.” In the infographic below, that’s the “Old School” approach that should yield some food for thought.  You can take the “Old School” queries even further by conducting a roundtable where you ask colleagues or clients to compare notes on how they would answer those questions.

But…you’ll be a better content marketer and storyteller if you ask the “New School” version of those questions:

What questions help you overcome Blank Sheet Syndrome and create great marketing ideas?

To reach Elizabeth:

Phone: 212.840.0017
Email: elizabeth@blisspr.com
Twitter: @elizabethsosnow
LinkedIn: Elizabeth Sosnow

Following are three research possibilities that fall in the “free” category.  We’ve worked with clients who have used each of these approaches and built highly successful marketing and PR campaigns around the results.

• Analyze Public Records. There is a wealth of free, public information online.  Records like proxy statements contain a goldmine of useful data and trends if you take the time to dig through and analyze. For example, our client Hay Group does a review of proxy statements annually for the Wall Street Journal to identify changes and trends in CEO compensation.  Not only is it great media exposure for the firm around an important business offering, but it’s the basis for a larger marketing campaign that includes webinars, blogger and trade media outreach,  and local events.




• Mine Your Own Database. Sniff around.  Internal data collection systems within some organizations can house powerful information that is right under your nose. What kind of data do you regularly collect from or about customers?  Are you already benchmarking information to report back to customers?  Are there surveys you send out to customers into which you can sprinkle a few PR-friendly questions?  If your organization collects data, then your job as a PR professional is to take the time to understand what’s there and explore looking at the data in different ways that might catch an outsider’s attention.
  
  One example: Our long-time client MetLife has an extensive database of disability claims for millions of employees.  They are able to look at aggregated information to analyze emerging patterns and trends.  A few years ago, they pulled some of this data into a research guide, which then fueled a marketing campaign and ongoing conversations with the media about how absence and disease management programs in the workplace.  However, data collection can also be as simple as making a point of asking the same three questions to every customer you meet with and collating those responses over time.




• Partner with an Association. If you don’t have the means or the size to do it all yourself, look externally for partners and powerful customer groups to survey.  Professional associations can be a perfect source for relevant professionals to survey.  However, it needs to be a true “partnership” to work; meaning both parties enjoy some type of gain.  In the category of practicing what we preach – my own firm recently did this. We partnered with a marketing firm (Bloom Group) and the Association of Management Consulting Firms (AMCF) to survey our collective contacts about how consulting firms are using social media.  From preliminary brainstorming discussions and conversations with various consultants, we knew marketers in this space were curious about what the competition was up to and if/how they could effectively embrace social media.  We used the survey results as a means to educate AMCF members about an issue their members wanted to learn more about and as a marketing tool to fuel conversations with clients and the media for BlissPR and Bloom Group.

One important note:  while all of the ideas above may be free from a dollar standpoint, it’s definitely not without a “price.”  You get what you pay for.  In this case, you’re not paying an external resource to help collect and crunch data or analyze information.  It’s all up to you.  To do a quality job requires a significant time investment from a group of people dedicated to doing the analysis, message development and marketing the results.

All of the hard work can pay off tremendously if you take the time to plan carefully and do it right.

You can check out other tips on how to maximize the value of surveys for PR by viewing the full presentation I gave via a webinar last week for the Central Ohio chapter of PRSA.

Have you used inexpensive means for gathering research to fuel a PR program?  What advice do you have to offer?

(photo by stuartpilbrow)

To reach Kellie:

Email: kellie@blisspr.com
Twitter: @kshe
LinkedIn: Kellie Sheehan

Last week, I had the opportunity to make a presentation to the St. Louis chapter of PRSA on this topic – which is based on multiple conversations with my fellow BlissPR colleagues about how we help our clients achieve their business goals. 

B2B service companies are great clients because they stretch us to come up with a clear vantage point on technical and often enterprise level matters.   But they can also be tough clients because they are very busy, as well as risk averse and slow to adopt change.   When we are faced with creating a new campaign, here are some of the things we think about to get out of the traditional “lather, rinse, repeat” kind of PR.  Here is what I said in St. Louis – what have I missed?  (Want to make sure you see this, @tressalynne)

1. Raise the Altitude.  First, get up above product.  If you are discussing the features and benefits of what the company sells, you won’t get the audience’s full attention.  It’s like looking at photos of someone else’s kids.  Find out what the audience truly cares about, and focus on that.  Here’s a great example of a major financial company surfacing the issues of concern to its customers, who are heads of HR:  MetLife’s 8th Annual Employee Benefits Trends Study.
2. Carve out an Issue to Own.  Second, don’t be afraid to make an idea the hero of the moment.  The idea can be an issue, a trend, a topic area – think “privacy” or “motivation” or “risk” or “capital flows” — but it’s not the product.  Then build a microsite or a blog or a strong point of view around that.  We have seen consulting firms take this tack, and predict that corporations will do so as well.  
3. Be of Service to the Communities you Care About.  What does your client know that can help the communities that they serve?   How can you help them do their own business better?  Often, research, benchmark data, opinion, counsel can be packaged in a way that galvanizes decision-making.  Here’s an example: BDO’s Retail Survey.
4. Enter the Ongoing Conversation. If your client is discussing a topic that matters, and has a point of view or research that extends the conversation, then you better be finding the right dialogues, and the people (bloggers) who are influencing them.  Addict-o-matic is a great way to find them. 
5. Learn to Share.  Once you have created your content, deliver it in many forms and formats.  SMPRs, video, data nuggets, how to advice, predictions.   And don’t be afraid to partner with a media outlet to deliver all that content goodness.  Here’s an example of what we mean:  Bloomberg BusinessWeek.com/Hay Group Study Identifies Best Companies for Leadership.
6. Don’t Hog the Microphone.  When your client is the only one talking –even if he or she is the smartest person in the room, it’s less interesting than if you invite other voices in to the discussion.  Open it up and more people will listen.    That’s what they found at McKinsey’s whatmatters microsite.   
7. Get Local.  If there’s a national trend – movement of some kind, whether it’s a rule change, a regulation, legislation – there will likely be local fallout.  Capture it!  People care about changes and problems happening in their own backyards, and are more likely to pick up the phone and call someone in their own area for help.
8. Build Your own Community.  In the old days, we used trade media to reach niche markets.  Not so much anymore.  Plus niche markets are getting nichier.  Sometimes you find them, sometimes you have to help your clients create them.  So if it’s CFOs of Canadian natural resources companies, or hospital facilities managers in the southwest, or med students who care about TB,  or meeting planners for financial services companies, sometimes it’s easiest to build your own audience.  

That’s what I came up with – what steps would you add? Click here to see the full deck or feel free to email me at abby@blisspr.com.

To reach Abby:

Phone: 212.840.0088
Email: abby@blisspr.com
Twitter: @abbycarr
LinkedIn: Abby Carr

Like many media relations enthusiasts, I crave the opportunity to really sink my teeth into a story and bring our spokespeople’s strategic thought leadership to life. In the case of financial reform, it is essential to investigate the media coverage around the issue and work closely with spokespeople to make sure they offer not only compelling insights during an interview, but also that they present their point of view in a way that is digestible for the media – and in turn, their potential clients and the media’s audience.

Oftentimes, a spokesperson’s success during an interview depends upon your ability to effectively support thought leadership development as well as offer media training tips. Here are a few things you can do to strengthen pitches and help your spokesperson be a better interviewee:

1)      Regularly “Checking-In” is Key. Remember to talk to each spokesperson on an ongoing basis – especially if your financial services account relies heavily on media relations. This may seem like a “no-brainer” but it is something that can be neglected as media relations specialists work at a fast pace. Remember, your spokesperson’s insights add color to your pitches, so “check yourself before your wreck yourself” especially when pitching complex financial related issues. If time is of the essence, run the pitch by the spokesperson at the very least. But for pitches with longer lead times, its best to speak with the spokesperson to verify the content of the pitch and learn any additional – and hopefully new and different – points you can use to promote their expertise/thought leadership. 

2)      Focus on the big picture. Even high-level executives like Mad Men’s Don Draper need media training. In the case of financial services, many bank, insurance and asset management spokespeople possess such a wealth of knowledge that it becomes difficult for them to drill down to the four main points. Remind them that they only have five-ten minutes to speak with journalists so it’s important to avoid getting bogged down by the technical details. Asking questions can help so… 

3)      Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Offering probing questions helps the spokesperson focus on the most important aspects of an issue while enabling you to learn the key points you need to develop a thoughtful pitch. For example, questions you may ask a spokesperson about a topic like financial reform could be “What are the major provisions of the bill and why? What is missing from the bill? What will the passing of the bill mean for investors, businesses and consumers?”

4)      Pepper the pitch with sound bites. Examine the points the spokesperson makes and highlight the main takeaways in sound bites throughout the pitch. More importantly, share the final pitch with the spokesperson – this will further their understanding of what points you consider to be the most media-friendly. Further, the pitch can serve as notes that will sharpen their focus during the actual interviews.  

How do you help spokespeople be better interviews on complex issues? What resources do you use to strengthen your pitches on complex financial topics?

To reach Rachel:

Phone:  212.840.5476
Email: rachel@blisspr.com
Twitter: @RachelBethG
LinkedIn: Rachel Gerber

Lee cites an article from the Harvard Business Review on customer loyalty in which the authors presented research showing that satisfied customers are not necessarily loyal.  Writes Lee: “on a scale of one to five [one being very unsatisfied and five  being very satisfied], a customer who marks a four is six times more likely to defect than a customer who marks a five.  In other words, there is a six-fold increase in customer loyalty between fours and fives.”  While Lee is examining patient/employee satisfaction and loyalty in hospitals, the implication for our industry is clear: loyalty is critical to the security of client-agency relationships – and therefore, it’s essential that we understand the distinction between satisfaction and loyalty. 

So, how can professional services PR firms build client loyalty?

1. Deliver quality work:  If your clients are not satisfied, they’re definitely not going to feel loyal to your organization.  Therefore, client satisfaction is a logical precursor to client loyalty.  While it might sound like common sense, it’s critical that you’re responsive to your clients and consistently provide quality work in a timely manner.
2. Anticipate your clients’ needs:  If you’re successfully delivering quality work, your clients are likely satisfied, but are they yet loyal?  Anticipating clients’ needs is an important step in moving from a four to a five on the client satisfaction scale – and making you an invaluable marketing partner.  According to Lee, “loyalty is generated by memorable things that happen that we didn’t expect.”  So, ask yourself: are you maintaining the status quo, or are you creating memorable moments by going “above and beyond;” consistently staying one step ahead of your clients and anticipating their needs, so they don’t have to.
3. Know your clients’ business:  In order to successfully anticipate your clients’ needs, you have to know their business, inside and out.  In a recent discussion with Dallas Kersey, former director of marketing at Towers Perrin and Edward Jones, he said the number one thing PR professionals can do to make themselves invaluable to their clients is to think of themselves as business professionals first, PR professionals second.  That is, “know your clients’ business.”  As Lee notes in his book, “doing everything to perfection…meeting all [of your clients’] standards of performance and courtesy” is not enough to build client loyalty.  As PR professionals, in order to build client loyalty, we must understand how everything we do fits into our clients’ overall marketing strategy and ultimately, how that’s tied to the company’s bottom line.  Without that understanding, you cannot cross the line from “outside agency” to true marketing partner.

These are just a few of the ways that you can work toward building loyalty.  What else would you add to this list?

To reach Aven:

Phone: 212.840.1661
Email: aven@blisspr.com
Twitter: @avenlea
LinkedIn: Aven James

“There are no second acts in American Lives.”  - F. Scott Fitzgerald

“One’s a born liar; the other’s convicted” – Future Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, referring to Yankees manager Billy Martin and team owner George Steinbrenner, respectively.

I was born in 1975 and raised a Yankees fan, so George Steinbrenner made it an interesting time to grow up. I was a little young to remember the late-70s championship teams, but I have some vague memories of the 1981 World Series loss to the Dodgers. For some reason, though, they center around Goose Gossage beaming Ron Cey and a beyond awkward post-victory performance on “Solid Gold” (Of course I’ve also blocked out most of the 2001 and 2003 World Series’ too, so maybe age wasn’t the issue).  

For most of my formative years then, I was raised with one core unbending truth: George Steinbrenner was a horrible person, singlehandedly destroying the New York Yankees. The evidence was there for all to see. The botched trades and signings.  The off-the-field controversies. The seemingly trivial issues that ballooned into major stories.  The overbearing behavior.  The managerial turnover.  The suspensions.  Thirteen years of controversy with not one playoff appearance.

And then things changed. The Yanks made the playoffs in 1995 and went on to win the World Series in 1996. There was an early playoff loss to Cleveland (an otherwise lovely city) in 1997, then three straight championships and a run of five World Series appearances in six seasons. The distractions were still there, but didn’t seem to matter nearly as much so long as the wins kept coming. Steinbrenner’s public image changed along with the team’s fortunes, though. He went from being reviled to receiving standing ovations from fans appreciative of his never-ending desire to win – and willingness to pay up to do so. 

Over the past few years, fans had seen Steinbrenner take less of a public role as the head of the Yankees before finally handing over official control to sons Hal and Hank. And then the news came last week: After 37 years as the principal owner of the New York Yankees, George Steinbrenner had passed away at 80 years of age. 

As a PR professional, I cringe when I think about the public persona that Steinbrenner allowed the media to portray early on: the fiery, win-at-all-costs team owner that cared little for the feelings and well-being of anyone that didn’t get on board with his program. Looking back though, maybe this was intentional on George’s part, creating the image he thought fans wanted to see attached to the most successful franchise in Major League Baseball.

Because after he was gone, the stories started to come:

“George paid for my surgery.”

“He paid for my son’s college tuition.”

“He taught me how his own mistakes had shown him the value of a second chance.”

My own Steinbrenner story: I was in an elevator at Yankees Stadium in August of 1994 – the last game before the strike would end the season, robbing the Yankees of their best shot at a World Series in over a decade. I turned to see “The Boss” and his entourage in the elevator with us. My now husband said, in a low voice, “Raise your hand if you’re famous.” 

The man I had grown up to view as a fire-breathing tyrant – during what was probably among the more stressful nights of his career – didn’t say a word, but gamely raised his hand.

I’m stricken again by the art of image management. This was a man that was for years known as a cold, demanding team owner. There was no question that George himself had encouraged this view. There have been incidents along the way that are still difficult to excuse for their boorishness. At the same time, though, it appears that there have been countless acts of philanthropy with an impact that really matters – far more so than the results of a baseball game. 

If he had chosen, it now seems that we all could have had a different picture of George Steinbrenner and his core values over the years. Whether it was driven by his view of what the business required, or mere modesty, he kept that view hidden until he was gone.

Rest in Peace, Boss.

To reach Donna:

Phone:  212.584.5479
Email: donna@blisspr.com
Twitter: @donnamcsorley

The words of a former BlissPR client and marketing expert Dallas Kersey seem to summarize it perfectly: the best PR pros make the client look like the hero.

Yes, ladies and gents, that means putting some of your ego/pride aside. That doesn’t mean you can’t highlight your good work – but have a sense of boundaries. If you really want to shine, you find ways to put the spotlight on making others (i.e., the ones paying your bills) look good. And to be effective, you better know what makes them tick and how to make their bosses happy.

You don’t have to be superstar to help your client look like a hero. Some of the most useful pointers I’ve picked up from mentors over the years are quite simple:

• Eliminate Surprises: While real super-heroes may have a sixth sense for trouble, in the business world, no one likes to be blind-sided. If something is awry, flag it immediately and come armed with possible solutions. 
• Listen: Know what keeps your client – and his/her boss – up at night. What are they most concerned about? What results please them the most? Have you asked them how you’re doing lately and then acted upon what they’ve said?
• Ask Smart Questions: Last month, I heard Alan Hilburg, a renowned crisis communications expert and president and CEO of Hilburg Associates, speak at a PRSA luncheon in St. Louis. He has counseled C-suite executives at the biggest brands in the world. Yet, he joked about his low SAT scores entering college, claiming he would never consider himself a genius. His secret sauce? He asks smart questions. He challenges clients to think about things no one else has. I can still remember walking into the doors of BlissPR almost 9 years ago, overwhelmed by the thought that I’d have to know – and actually understand – everything about the insurance industry because of our clients. The sage advice I received, and now pass along to others, is that it’s not about being a know-it-all; it’s about understanding enough to ask the right questions. You’re in a unique position as a relative outsider to help clients think about scenarios they may not have considered.
• Manage Expectations: Everyone is juggling a lot these days; the business mantra continues to be “do more with less.” If a client asks you to do 5 things, but you know you realistically can only do a bang-up job on 2 of them, why not have an honest conversation about it? When you help clients understand project challenges and what constitutes success at the outset, it helps alleviate disappointment along the way. They can then pave the way for appropriate conversations with their bosses. Wise people have taught me it’s best to err on the side of under-promising and over-delivering.
• Communicate Often: Well, it is our business after all. If you’re not talking to your clients regularly, they don’t know what you’re up to. If they don’t know what you’re up to, then neither does others within their firm. That’s when questions start rolling in. There’s no hard and fast rule here other than to know how often people want to be communicated with – and do your best to anticipate and answer questions before they are asked. If you do, people may just call you a genius! 
• Earn Their Trust: You’ve heard the phrase “happy customers are loyal customers.” But to get to that happy place in a service business, you first need to establish trust. How? Don’t just give clients a satisfactory job; bring your “A” game. Take pride in your work and it will show. Your client asks for recommendations? Don’t just regurgitate a checklist of items; make it a thoughtful response. Beat deadlines. Go above and beyond sometimes. That’s what creates long-term relationships. 

Earlier this week, a colleague shared an excerpt from the book “If Disney Ran Your Hospital” which seems particularly relevant as a closing thought: “It takes something memorable to turn an ordinary, satisfactory experience into something special…Loyalty is generated by memorable things that happen when we didn’t expect.”

Do you create memorable experiences for your clients? What pointers can you share? What experiences have you had – good or bad – that others can learn from?

To reach Kellie:

Email: kellie@blisspr.com
Twitter: @kshe
LinkedIn: Kellie Sheehan

After all, most attorneys market in order to do one thing: identify new business “leads.” But that’s not the only reason to develop an online marketing strategy.  What about positioning key practices as leaders on client sector trends?  Is it important to strengthen the firm’s brand equity in emerging markets? Can we extend the life of our current thought leadership with a new distribution system?

In short, you can. Here’s a copy of the presentation, if you’d like a deeper dive:

In the meantime, here are my first 5 tips for getting started:

1. Recognize that you don’t have to start by getting “social:” While it may be sacrilegious to say, it’s possible to derive a huge amount of value from social media without ever becoming, well, social. Instead, think of it as your firm’s competitive intelligence engine.  You have an opportunity to gain sector, competitor and client market insights – why would you pass that up?
2. Benchmark and compare trends over time: What happens if you check once and your competitor hasn’t entered the space? Does that mean they never will? Of course not. 96 of the AmLaw 200 are now blogging…only 39 were in August 2007. Keep gathering data to guide your marketing decisions and investments.
3. Evaluate aspirational marketing leaders: Large law firms know how to do many things well, from attracting laterals to extending global scope. But it’s still possible to learn from smaller firms who can sometimes be more nimble and almost certainly have been experimenting longer. Don’t make marketing decisions based on what your exact peers are doing. It’s short-sighted.
4. Construct early warning systems:  You already have Google Alerts set up to monitor your partners, practices and peers. Take it a step further and look for comments on blogs and message boards.
5. Think small: Somewhere in your firm there are emerging rainmakers that have the trust of senior partners. They are already essential in critical deals, they have keen insights about the direction of their marketplace and they are hungry for advancement. To top it off, they have a little more time than your major rainmakers. Why not let them experiment with some targeted engagement on a network such as Legal OnRamp?

Tomorrow I’ll give you six more reasons to consider if social media has a place for your law firm. But what would you add to the list so far?

To reach Elizabeth:

Phone:  212.840.0017
Email: elizabeth@blisspr.com
Twitter: @elizabethsosnow
LinkedIn: Elizabeth Sosnow

According to a new survey – conducted by BlissPR, Bloom Group and the Association of Management Consulting Firms (AMCF) – consultants spend roughly 18% of their thought marketing budgets on social channels, up from 5% in 2005.  Over the next five years, firms expect the percentage to climb to roughly 33%.

While challenges abound – including cultural issues, resource constraints and the need for integrated traditional/social marketing plans – savvy firms recognize that social media is here to stay and are adapting accordingly.

Among the major benefits:

1. Professional firms are rich in content (data, methodologies, trend commentary, insights, stories), and content is the currency of social media.   At a minimum, social outposts (Twitter, Facebook, Slideshare, LinkedIn) are a natural way to extend the reach of existing content.
2. Social media reinforces traditional thought leadership marketing activities such as speeches, seminars, studies and books.  Firms that are experimenting with social media and breaking new ground (e.g., McKinsey, Cognizant), have found that online engagement increases attendance at offline conferences and readership of articles, white papers and studies.  It’s not an “either/ or.”   Social media and traditional marketing reinforce one another.
3.  Blogs and microsites enable firms to build a dedicated group of followers with deep interest on particular issues.   Microsites also allow firms to aggregate their thought leadership on a given topic, which makes the information easier to find via search engines.
4. Social and digital channels give professionals a cost-effective way to stress-test their ideas and collaborate with colleagues.  Increasingly, professionals are using social channels to develop thought leadership – as well as to promote it.
5. Social media is a cost-effective way to build personal and organizational brands, spread ideas and bring together decision-makers from around the globe. It’s also relatively easy to measure impact/reach, which satisfies leadership’s desire for quantification on ROI. 

Social media is already reshaping the way that many professional firms build relationships, promote ideas and, ultimately, go-to-market. 

How quickly do you think professional services firms will cross the digital divide?

To reach Meg:
Phone:  212.840.0095 
Email: meg@blisspr.com
Twitter: @megwildrick
LinkedIn: Meg Wildrick

1. Data does not equal strategy. Data is available at our finger tips, which makes it powerful to B2B organizations; however the click of a mouse does not automatically equal strategy or give companies a competitive advantage.  
2. Strategy at the speed of light with the life of a firefly.  Kiechel offers that “in the 1980s it was expected that consulting services would yield a strategy in eight months, today that time line has been shortened to six weeks, including deliverables.”  Strategy sets goals and designs actions to achieve those goals – it is not born, nor does it die over night – the best strategies stick to a thread but are open to a constant evolution.
3. Are directors of strategy necessary? According to Kiechel and his colleagues, if a consulting firm is asking this question, it has missed the boat.  Professional services firms’ today have a more decentralized notion of strategy and so it might not be wise to pin all the responsibility on one person. A central person can be useful to ensure continuity but it is important that ideas are collaborated on and collected across the organizations. Marketing directors, CEOs, heads of PR, directors of thought leadership are all involved in strategy and the sharing and dissemination of ideas across an organization.
4. Don’t underestimate creativity. There are a lot of left brain thinkers in businesses, thank goodness, but right brained thinkers are just as vital to an organization. And being creative isn’t about playing an instrument or being able to draw – it is a way of thinking and viewing the world.  Darrell Rigby from Bain & Company believes that “the pairing of creative and more business minded people creates longer term ROI in companies.” I agree – some of the best and most innovative brainstorms I have been a part of include both types of thinkers. And innovation is the special sauce in most strategies.

What considerations are most important to you in developing B2B strategy?

To reach Cortney:

Phone: 212.840.1661
Email: cortney@blisspr.com
Twitter: @cortneyr
LinkedIn: Cortney Rhoads Stapleton