RepMan

Politics does, indeed, make for strange bedfellows

No doubt encouraged by Republican Mark Sanford's Phoenix-like rise from the ashes in South Carolina, disgraced sexting politician, Anthony Weiner, just announced his run for the New York mayoral gig.

I think Weiner has a decent shot to win the Democratic nomination and go on to become New York's first sexting mayor (Note: Had the technology been available to him, I'm sure Jimmy Walker would have texted inappropriate photos of himself to adoring females in the Roaring '20s).

The re-emergence of Sanford and Weiner says a great deal about the image and reputation of politics and politicians (and our society at large).

Politics is no longer seen as a higher calling. It's no longer attracting the best and brightest. Instead, it's become a haven for the dysfunctional and misguided.

One need only look at the morass inside the Beltway to see that partisan, power politics have become the currency of the realm. And, egregious behavior no longer assures a misbehaving politician a one-way ticket to Palookaville. That's because Washington, D.C has become Palookaville.

It doesn't bode well for a country that's already falling behind China, India and other emerging nations to have so few, true leaders from which to choose.

I'm not sure when it happened, but the media's insatiable thirst for gossip, rumor and sleaze has certainly dissuaded many otherwise able individuals to take a pass on politics (think: Colin Powell). As a result, we're stuck with the likes of Sanford, Weiner, Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachman, among others.

Sadly, I don't see the situation improving. In fact, we may soon be voting in a presidential race that pits Sanford and Lindsay Lohan against Weiner and Britney Spears. And, the scariest thing about my previous line is that it isn't too far-fetched.

The Clayton Cut-Off

A recent Leadership IQ webinar invite elicited a silent chuckle from this blogger.

I chuckled because the e-vite addressed the bane of all modern-day speakers: attracting the attention of an ADD, multi-tasking audience.

Judging by their note, Leadership IQ seems to have endless ways in which to improve content, foster an interactive dialogue and get Crackberry addicts to stop texting and start listening.

Trust me. None of those techniques work with hard-core multi-taskers. But, the Clayton Cut-Off does. I should know. I've seen Peppercomm's chief comedy officer (and the Jerry Lewis of Sweden), Clayton Fletcher (www.ClaytonFletcher.com) demonstrate it to disrupt a disruptive audience.

Once, in the middle of his stand-up comedy act, Clayton paused and looked directly at a young woman in the front row who was busy banging out a text message. “Nice,” said Clayton, “Here I am pursuing my dream and you're going back-and-forth with Suzie on whether to have pizza or pick-up guys later tonight. Thank you for that.”

It was beautiful. The entire audience laughed. The texting terrorist ceased and desisted for the rest of Clayton's set. And, even better, no one else even glanced at his, or her, mobile device for fear of being publicly humiliated in the same way.

That particular line probably won't work in a serious business meeting, but I have adapted the Clayton Cut-Off in workplace settings. For example:

- One time I spied a prospect banging away on his iPhone as I walked his team through Peppercomm's 'big idea.' I knew I'd lost him, so I opted for the Cut-Off: “I can tell you really like this particular idea because I see you're e-mailing it to others in your company as we speak. I'm flattered,” I said, staring at the perpetrator. The room went silent. The prospect grinned, put the mobile device down and sat up straight.

- Another time, I noticed the CCO of a telecommunications company had been banging away on her Blackberrry throughout our presentation. Since she was the ultimate decision-maker, I knew we were dead. So, I summed up our 90-minute session by looking directly at her, and asking, “Ann, is there anything about Edelman, or our suite of services, we didn't cover that you'd like us to address today?” She didn't bat an eye, kept on typing and said, “Nope. I'm good.” C'est la vie.

Presenting in front of multi-tasking audience members is a real bummer for anyone in our field (or, any field for that matter). That's why I subscribe to the Clayton Fletcher method of re-gaining a group's attention.

I use humor to distract and disengage the guilty parties. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. But, I can tell you one thing: aside from walking on water, there is NO silver bullet when it comes to disrupting a disruptive audience. So, why not have some fun and give the Clayton Cut-Off an audition?

So, do you have any great mult-tasking audience war stories you'd like to share? If so, send them my way. I can't promise I won't be texting someone on my BB when you do, but I'll do my best to stay focused and respond.

Passion vs. profits?

Like many business leaders, I've always advised college and university students, protégés and the occasional street person to follow his or her passion in life.

Whether it's anthropology, aeronautics or astronomy, I've counseled young people to become experts in the area that most interests them, and then believe the salary and career path will follow suit.

Well, according to Cal Newport, an assistant professor of computer science at Georgetown University, I'm wrong.

In a recent article in The New York Times that was excerpted from Newport's book, ‘So Good They Can't Ignore You; Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love', he says you can still be happy even if you hate your work! Say what?

Newport contends “...the notion we all have a pre-existing passion waiting to be discovered applies to only a small group of people and puts a lot of pressure on the rest of us.”

As a result, says Newport, when the going gets tough, the majority of people have “an existential moment in which they ask: is this really what I'm meant to be doing?”

The academic believes this doubt, in turn, generates anxiety and chronic job-hopping.

Newport may be right about other professions, but not public relations. I don't think many PR people hate their craft. They may hate their employer, but PR is an art, not a science. It's not like accounting, the law or Wall Street. I've always believed that one either loves or hates PR from the get-go. It either becomes part of your DNA and, yes, your passion, or it doesn't.

That's why when young people do leave Peppercomm after a year or so, most opt for an entirely different profession (teaching is far, and away, number one).

I still believe young people should pursue their passions in life. And, I disagree with Professor Newport that if one applies oneself to one's job and becomes more proficient, a sense of fulfillment will accrue over time. Lots of people make lots of money on Wall Street, but I've yet to meet one who says he's developed a greater sense of fulfillment over the years. Wall Streeters work on Wall Street for one reason: to make big bucks. And, most hate their jobs.

As far as I'm concerned, the decision is easy: follow your passion and hope you make decent bucks down the road or settle for a job you hate and learn to like it as you get better at it. Since we have only one life to lead, I couldn't imagine following Dr. Newport's advice or working at a job I hate.

Angels in the Brand World?

Today's guest post is by Peppercommer Maggie O'Neill.

As a semi-lapsed Irish Catholic, my memories of halos are all stained glass windows and guardian angels. 

But today, it’s the brand halo that would-be, angelic marketers are chasing.  But can we create one, manage one or keep one -  that is the real question.  Or is someone else, i.e. the consumer, calling the shots?

So non-angelic halos are the rippling effect that one good, or bad, product, deed or development can have on an entire corporation.  Apple has a halo effect – think I love my iPad therefore I will get a Mac.  Samsung sells refrigerators because people love their cell phones.  A few good shows are driving Netflix buzz.  The preceding are examples of how halo effects of one product or service drives brand preference. 

And yes, there are fallen angels and broken halos.  Think recalls, environmental dumping, bad leadership.

So as a marketer what can you do?  Nurture the halo yes; create it no. 

Consumers make or break a corporation’s halo.  If they believe in a brand or product, their preference, loyalty and hard earned dollars feed into that brand’s corporate entity (something easy to ID nowadays with one Google search). 

But companies, if aware of the halo effect’s existence, can certainly nurture it.  And, if an organization thinks they can hide from it, they need to pull their head out of the sand, and fast. Some believe no one will ever know the company behind their brand, or care if they try to brush one little misstep under the rug.  Untrue.  Each, and every, move can polish or dull the halo.

Second, companies need to look beyond the bells and whistles that first made their consumer brand loyal, and talk to their audience about the benefits that matter most to them.  An oven isn’t just about cooking and a camera isn’t about the best zoom in the industry.  They’re about taking care of family and creating memories, respectively.

Finally, it’s about doing good.  Not just CSR type of good— which does help support both brand and corporate— but doing good as a company: treat employees well, provide unmatched customer service, embrace practices that think about a company’s impact on the world.  This is a lot to think about, but an every increasingly important element to the savvy consumer. In a recent white paper on this, we found that companies like Unilever have 10-year plans to achieve a sustainable halo effect.  

So as Sister Anne Marie always told me, if I was a good girl, nice to my classmates, and did what I was supposed to, I would be rewarded.  With the three nurturing thoughts above, and with a long-term vision and commitment to transparency and constancy, I guess that’s true for brands too. 

AMEN.

Does A+F deserve an A or an F?

Join Matt Conroy and Steve Cody as they debate the outcry over Abercrombie + Fitch's controversial sales policy. Watch as moderator Ted Birkhahn flails helplessly in an attempt to keep both combatants from engaging in fisticuffs in this latest installment of PepperView ("Where frank talk is never out of fashion."):

Oh, and feel free to post your comments in support of Steve's far more open-minded POV.

From here to eternity

According to published reports in Ad Age, Procter & Gamble is now extending the time it takes to pay agencies.

Effective immediately, P&G will stretch payment terms to 75 days from the previous 45-day limit.

But, if you think waiting two-and-a-half months to be paid is brutal, check this out: Ad Age reports that Anheuser-Busch Inbev recently set its payment terms to 120 days AFTER it receives an invoice. So, if one were to bill A-B as the flowers are just beginning to blossom, it may not receive payment until the first frost occurs. Talk about a chilling effect!

Stretching out agency payment terms is a direct result of the rise in power and prestige of the procurement officer. Hired specifically to cut costs and improve profits, the average procurement officer sees no difference whatsoever between a strategic public relations firm and, say, a local Staples. He demands the lowest costs possible and strings along the payment to the most ridiculous lengths imaginable. And, his incentive program is based upon how hard he squeezes the company's suppliers. Nice way to make a living, no?

And, while PR trade publications have spotlighted 'enlightened' procurement officers who view their agencies as partners, the facts are very much the opposite. The P in procurement stands for pain, not partner.

We once represented a large company whose procurement officer insisted we front ALL of their out-of-pocket expenses for events. This was not a minimal request. At various points in time, we were on the hook for paying $100,000, or more, to secure venues, talent, street teams, etc. And, we weren't reimbursed until months afterwards. In effect, a $16 million agency was forced to be a Fortune 500 corporation's bank.

I'd like to see our industry trade groups and media do more than shine a spotlight on the small number of procurement officers who respect what we do and understand our need for prompt payment. I think it's high time a PR trade publish a story like the one in Ad Age that outs these penny-pinching penny pushers.

Make no mistake that, as they continue to wield more and more power and stretch out payments to an even more egregious period of time, procurement officers will begin to impact many firms' ability to attract and retain top talent (because a cash-strapped agency is a non-competitive one). And, our industry's journalists have a responsibility to cover the story.

Give me Samoa room!

I'm a live-and-let-live kind of guy, but when someone else's lifestyle choice impacts my quality of life, I put virtual pen to paper and bang out a blog.

Take obesity. Please!

Were it within my power to do so, I'd award Samoa Air an automatic first-class upgrade for charging passengers for the combined weight of their bodies and baggage. Now, that's what I call accountability.

Having just shared puddle-jumpers to, and from, Rapid City, SD, I was genuinely bothered by:

- A 600-pound seat mate whose sheer bulk forced me to sit sideways for the two-hour flight (where my left shoulder was repeatedly scraped by the beverage cart)
- A very real fear that the number of grossly obese passengers might prevent the puddle-jumper from jumping the puddles along our route.

I'm not alone in my belief that airlines need to crack down on passengers whose eating habits have made them land-locked wide bodies.

According to a public opinion survey from YouGov, an Internet market research firm, four in 10 Americans say they wouldn't mind being weighed at airports. I'd put the scales right by the security areas ("Ma’am, you'll have to put down the double cheeseburger, fries and supersized Coke before stepping on the scales.").

I also believe airlines should enforce a second seat policy. If you can't squeeze your Big Mac-bloated frame into one seat, then buy a second one.

Last, but not least, why should the comfort (and safety) of slim, fit Americans be compromised by their bulky peers? That very same YouGuv survey I quoted earlier says 60 percent of Americans agree with me.

So, here's hoping other American airlines follow Samoa Air's flight pattern.

If our population won't take the personal responsibility to lead a more healthy lifestyle, maybe our airlines can hit them where it hurts most: that money belt attached to their 52-inch waistlines. Paying for an extra seat has to be cheaper than forking over the serious cash needed for gastric bypass or stomach band surgery.

The devil's in the details

It occurred to me after my son and I summited The Devil's Tower in Wyoming this past Saturday that, strange as it seems, there are some striking similarities between climbing and public relations.

As our superb guide, Art Mooney tells us again and again, climbing is a puzzle.

It's an intricate physical, mental and emotional challenge that presents limitless obstacles and choices. Select the proper hand grip and foot hold and, voila, you'll ascend to the next level. Make the wrong move, though, or rely too much on power over precision, and you'll find yourself just as easily hurtling downwards.

PR is the same way. Whether it's a properly crafted pitch letter, a thoroughly researched proposal or a well-rehearsed presentation, the devil is, indeed, in the details.

I've been on the right and wrong side of detail-reading in climbing and business.

With the latter, I can remember missing some MAJOR details, such as:

- Projecting a Google Earth map to illustrate a special events tour to a group of arch-rival Yahoo executives. Happily, they laughed off the excruciatingly painful mistake and handed us their account.
- Projecting a visual in the middle of a new business presentation and being stopped in our tracks by the prospect's CMO, who asked: “You do know that's our competitor's product, correct?” That cost us the business.
- Butchering a prospect's name. Believe it or not, one of our partners mixed up a prospect's first and last names repeatedly during a new business pitch. So, client and agency members alike winced as Neil Norum became “Norm” for a full 90-minute pitch. Call him what you will, but call us deader than a door nail after that virtuoso performance.

On the plus side, I remember rolling out of bed the morning after PR Week had named us agency of the year.

We were staying at our corporate apartment and neither Ed nor I had any interest (much less strength) in rushing to a previously scheduled new business pitch with Donald Marron, the CEO of none other than Paine Webber!

But, being the new business troopers that we were, Ed and I threw on our wrinkled tuxedos from the previous night (neither of us had clean clothes) and showed up unwashed and 45 minutes late.

Marron's personal assistant was aghast at our appearance, but she nonetheless ushered us into his football-sized office. Marron took one look at us, smiled and said, “Rough night, eh boys?” We nodded our heads. “Sit down,” he said. “I need to figure out how to reach dotcom millionaires, and my gut tells me you're the ones to help me.” He hired us on the spot. Go figure.

I guess on that day, the detail was in sucking it up and attending a meeting we had no business whatsoever in winning.

Art Mooney will tell you there are some routes you have no business summiting but, by a combination of skill, chutzpah and taking the time to read the details, you end up on the top regardless. And, I can tell you the same holds true for PR.

Five Lessons from Dad

Today's guest post is by Peppercomm president, Ted Birkhahn.

((Note from Rep: While I'm climbing in Wyoming, Peppercomm President and Partner Ted Birkhahn, has whipped up a very special guest blog. Enjoy. And, let Ted know what you think of his lessons.)

This month marks the 26th anniversary of my father’s death. He passed away suddenly and without warning from a brain aneurysm on a brilliantly beautiful Saturday morning. I was 12. My life would never be the same.

I didn’t get much time with my dad, but the time I did spend with him has paid off in spades. Here’s what I’ve taken from him and learned from the experience of losing him at such an early age.

1.)    Don’t sweat the small stuff: It’s easy in life and business to focus on the wrong things. We often obsess over issues and events that have very little impact on the big picture. Prioritizing where and what to stress over is critical. Stress on the things that matter, which is to say the things you have control over and that will have a significant impact on the desired outcome – whatever that may be.

2.)    Common sense: In the global information economy, common sense is the new currency. With a world where power and influence has shifted to the masses and the web has forever changed how we live and work, the missteps made by those who lack common sense are amplified. Conversely, those who apply smart street sense rooted in strong common sense will separate themselves from the pack. We recently had an employee resign and for no good reason burn multiple bridges; a short-sighted move that will no doubt come back to haunt this individual. An example of a lack of common sense failing for the entire world to see.

3.)    Laugh: Humor and the ability to see the lighter side of most circumstances will make you a nicer person. Your friends, family and co-workers will enjoy you more. There’s always a time and place to be serious but the ability to laugh or even smile will put others at ease and make you more endearing. This is true at home and in the workplace. Think about a boss that you’ve had that wouldn’t know humor if it landed in their lap. Now think of another boss who embraced humor in everything they did. With whom are you likely to be more loyal or use as a mentor?

4.)    Smell the roses: I rarely do this, but we really should stop and smell the roses more often. We don’t celebrate our accomplishments often enough. Too many of us go from one task, job and right of passage to another without reflection. What’s the point of succeeding if you don’t enjoy it along the way?

5.)    Family first: I save the most important lesson for last. Most of us want to succeed. We want to make money and earn recognition for the work we do. We crave getting that promotion and we want to achieve financial security that will allow us to ride off into the sunset. Heck, many just want to get rich. None of it -- and I mean nothing – matters if you don’t put family first.  Having breakfast with your kids. Taking the day off to be with your significant other. Whatever your family situation is, investing in it will make you happier and more successful at work…and in life.

As my wife, kids and colleagues will attest, I don’t always practice what I preach, but I am trying. Twenty six years ago was a hellish day followed by lots of ups and downs. But the silver lining is that bad things can make you stronger.  And, perhaps, that is the most important lesson of all.

Who do you trust?

A survey of 1,000 Americans asking them to name our country's 100 most trusted individuals revealed that Tim Tebow is more trusted than Anderson Cooper and Alex Trebek ranks higher than former president Jimmy Carter.

Yes, Virginia, Americans place more trust in a washed-up NFL quarterback and a game show host than they do in a respected journalist and former president and humanitarian, respectively. Now, that's scary.

But, wait. It gets better.

According to The Reader's Digest poll, Americans trust TV judges more than Supreme Court judges. So, yes, Judge Judy has more street cred than Chief Justice Roberts.

And Oprah isn't all that trustworthy after all. In fact, she finished a distant 59th, far behind such notably trustworthy folks as Eli and Peyton Manning, Dr. Oz and Muhammad Ali. I feel your pain, girl. I do!

In case you're interested, Tom Hanks is America's most trusted American.

In fact, the top four most trusted Americans are actors: Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep. What does it say about our society when the people we trust most earn their living by pretending to be other people?

Not surprisingly, business executives polled poorly. Jeff Bezos of Amazon was the most trusted American businessman, finishing in the 78th spot just behind Ben Stiller. Having seen Starsky & Hutch, I can see why Stiller won.

As for organized religion, not a single Roman Catholic cardinal made the list. So much for the media frenzy surrounding Pope Benedict's successor.

I hate to say it, but the Reader's Digest survey is yet another indicator that the land of the free and the home of the brave is in steep decline.

If our president is ranked 65th (just behind comedian Adam Sandler) and Rachel Ray engenders more trust than Colin Powell, then we're in a world of hurt. Or, to put it more succinctly, a world of denial.

Americans believe most in those who can help them escape reality.

And a tip o’ Rep’s cap to Thomas J. Powers, Jr.* for suggesting this post.

* Thom is a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Man of the Year Candidate. Please support this charity and "vote" for Thom by donating to the LLS: Click here.