Advertisement Ideas: Barilla, Chick Fila, Hobby Lobby Oh My!
These 3 companies made news recently for all the wrong reasons. They all had employees or CEO’s that made missteps when speaking to the media. They each have apologized for their statements however nothing changes the facts that disparaging remarks were made. I used to think it doesn’t matter if you get good publicity or bad as long as your name is being spelled right, however I as a public relations specialist I have learned that it is imperative that a company or individual is seen in a positive light at all times. As a publicist it is your job to make sure your company representatives from The CEO to The Janitor understand that they represent the company and what they say has a direct effect on the business.
To address the comments of Barilla competitor Ronzoni issued this statement in a twitter campaign. BY being proactive and capitalizing on the idea of a boycott of Barilla Ronzoni saw a spike in sales and thus increased their market share. In many cases controversy will create cash, however one has to be very careful about their initial remarks. As a publicist it is important to brief your client on the right things to say. Often it is coaching your client to put their political views away and when something a bit touchy or uncomfortable comes up they can defuse the situation by saying we are in the business of—– and we strive to be of service to everyone that use our products or services. By utilizing this statement it protects the representatives of the company from making a statement that they have to apologize for making.
Advertisement Ideas: Ways to Avoid and Advertising or Public Relations Mess?
I ask this question all the time. I am surprised by so many that do not have a plan and are simply winging it when it comes to public relations. Everything you do in your company is Public Relations from the voice mail message, to the website, to comments made at a networking event, to the charities you support it is all about having you and your company seen in a positive light. There is an old saying that one oh crap ruins a thousand at a boys. Think about companies or people who have made some disparaging comments and how it affected their brand. The question is how do you avoid this.
Being prepared is half the battle for you know what you are going to say and the message that you want to deliver. In many instances avoiding certain issues that can adversely affect your business is important. Think about it Barilla alienated the Gay and Lesbian Community, who have a strong base that represents a large amount of money spent in many communities. Had the CEO been prepared to say our product is all about supporting people of all races, creeds, and sexual orientation and we support the concept that the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations he would have never had to issue an apology and might have picked up more customers. Think about what you are saying to people who may be affecting your business.
Creating customer loyalty through all of your advertising and marketing is important thus it is important to choose the correct verbiage to convey a consistent message. Realize that if you say something to alienate a section of your target audience then you may lose some business. If you understand it is easier to keep a customer than it is to replace one you can pick and choose the correct copy to use in your written and oral communications.
properly training your staff again from The CEO to The Janitor on how to greet people, how to assist them, and how to leave them with a good feeling about you, your products, and your services is a key component to avoiding a public relations mess. The employee at Hobby Lobby really made a huge Faux Pas as he stated we don’t cater to you people. Instead he should have stated our buyers make all the merchandising decisions here is the 800 number to contact them, by the way if you are seeking Hanukkah Items there is a Judaica Store located at ——————————–. This would have been perceived as excellent customer service and the customer may have blogged positively about the company. It is when you enhance the customer experience that you build good public relations and create more customers and good will amongst others who when they need your products or services will think of you before they think of your competitor.
Stay Positive!!!!
