Sorority president’s f-bomb laced email led to her resignation. (Photo: thefrisky.com)

University of Maryland junior Rebecca Martinson was fuming when she sat down at her computer.

President of the local chapter of the Delta Gamma sorority, Martinson had observed and heard reports of her sisters failing to live up to their Greek Week responsibilities.  As a result, the reputation of the sorority and its standing with the university’s fraternities was in a precarious position.

Martinson’s profanity laced diatribe was leaked to the media, spread and shared via social media and quickly branded the “most deranged sorority Email you will ever read.”  Martinson resigned from her post in shame a few days later.

Retailer Abercrombie and Fitch recently came clean on its policy of marketing its clothing solely to thin and attractive teenagers.  CEO Mike Jeffries explained that “good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that.”

Mike Jeffries, Abercrombie & Fitch. (Source: Chicago Tribune)

The outcry was deafening and resulted in a precipitous drop in the company’s brand reputation.  A quick backpedal ensued with a company-issued apology.

While the tone and delivery by Martinson and Jeffries was clearly flawed, their message was candid, straight-forward and 100 percent accurate.

I’m a former fraternity member at the University of Maryland and sororities deemed anti-social are quickly blackballed from events.  And, in the case of Jeffries, a fashion retailer is in the business of selling a beautiful image.

It is a bitter pill, yet in many instances that image precludes people outside a specific look.  The movie the Devil Wears Prada captured that philosophy.

These instances leave me with a few take-aways:

Leadership and management is not a popularity contest.  There are times you have to communicate a message that an audience does not want to hear.  The sorority girls needed to get their act together.  Plus-sized teenagers should find somewhere else to shop.

Style of delivery is just as important as content.  Give it to your audience straight.  Be honest and credible.  However, embrace sincerity and empathy to ensure people focus on the message.

No longer dependent on sales reps for insight and information, the enlightened buyer utilizes Web search to find white papers and case studies.  They seek out and engage with peers in social networks.  They form assessments about their needs and the reputation of potential providers with little, if any, vendor influence.

Ironically, during a time when high value content can truly influence a buyer’s decision-making, the historical sources of credibility (i.e. trade magazines, industry analyst firms and events) have pulled back on the quality and quantity of their output.

This creates an opportunity for marketers.

On Friday, May 17, I am participating in a Webinar hosted by marketing automation vendor eTrigue about how companies can “Think Like a Publisher” to accelerate sales success.

Also participating on the panel is Michael Riemer, VP of Products and Channel Marketing at cloud software provider Decisiv — a Strategic Communications Group client.

Please consider joining us and register here.  Michael and I will share best practices and lessons learned from a campaign we work on together that integrates content, social media promotion, marketing automation and sales enablement.

Webinar – Think Like a Publisher:  Accelerate Sales to Drive ROI

Friday, May 17:  11:30 AM to 12 PM (east coast time)

Register here

Network infrastructure powers all things technology. Photo source: Slashgear.com.

Press, pundits, prognosticators, analysts and other influencers gravitate to the hip segments of the market.

The buzz about cyber security, mobility, cloud, big data, Web 2.0 and analytics hurtles at technology buyers with a near-deafening roar.  Yet, ironically, the core asset required to deliver any and all of these solutions often receives little in the way of attention.

Make no mistake, enterprises and services providers are only as competent, scalable and secure as their network infrastructure.

That’s why Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) has partnered with Juniper Networks to publish The Modern Network, a new online magazine that reports on the trends, issues and technologies relevant for government agencies and companies that seek to optimize their network.

Publishing new and insightful articles twice a week, The Modern Network will feature exclusive interviews with executive level technology decision-makers, subject matter experts from leading vendors and others who shape the landscape.  Articles will emphasize best practices, lessons learned and other strategies an organization can employ to enhance the strength of their core.

I’ve included below links to two recent articles published by The Modern Network’s editorial staff.  Are you interested in contributing?  Do you have an idea for a story?  Contact the publication at this link.

Federal Budget Concerns Drive Need to Shrink Data Center Footprint

Following decades of unbridled ‘organic’ growth, government agencies find themselves with large IT infrastructures and more data centers than they realistically need. With the federal budget tight, agencies are scrambling to identify efficiencies and cut costs any way possible – and their sprawling collection of data centers are in the crosshairs.

Data Center Efficiency Drives Cost Savings

There are new technologies that are making the data center more efficient, automating processes and effectively reducing the cost to both provision and run data center for federal agencies.

The sustained shift in influence and advertising spend from traditional media to search and social has created a revenue free-fall.  The understandable knee jerk reaction by publishers was to slash costs – page size, frequency, personnel, infrastructure, etc.

Yet, there is only so much a business can cut and remain relevant.  This is especially true when faced with a lasting market change, rather than merely an economic cycle.

For publishers, an advertising-supported model is as history as retail music and video rentals.

Plan B is to identify alternative revenue strategies based on the core competency of publishing – content creation.  This has led many publishers, such as the vaunted New York Times Company,  to stand up pay walls, allowing readers free access to only a fixed amount of content.

New into the fray is 1105 Government Information Group’s Washington Technology magazine which earlier this month announced an “Insider Membership Program.”  Now, 70 percent of the articles, analysis, research and insight produced by the magazine’s editorial staff is only available to subscribers who are willing to shell out $429 a year.

Nick Wakeman, Washington Technology. Will a pay wall save my magazine?

Will its newly erected pay wall be the savior for what remains of Washington Technology?

I sure hope so.  Market segments need the independent reporting generated by journalists, even if many who are still employed lack the experience or contacts of their predecessors.

One thing I am sure of is that a meaningful segment of business and trade press readers will elect not to make the pay jump.  They’ll seek out alternative sources of high quality and credible content to make professional decisions.

What products to buy?  Who to partner with?  Which best practices to employ?

This makes the content generated by vendors exponentially more important.  You can call it blogging, content marketing or corporate publishing.  It doesn’t matter.

What is important though is a commitment to publishing thought leadership-oriented content, and then sharing that output with clients, prospects and partners through multiple channels, such as search, social media and marketing automation.

Build a community of readers in a high value, content environment and you’ll realize a measurable upswing in sales opportunities.

It is a brutally humbling experience as D-list entertainers like myself are often subjected to heckling and other forms of audience torture.  Yet, during the past year I’ve found my way into successful gigs at Georgetown University, Capitol Hilton, Sheraton Reston, Crystal City Sport Pub and MOCA Gallery, an artsy venue in Washington, DC.

The “Strategic Guy” on stage at the Punchliner Comedy Club.

Practice in the art of comedy has also polished my professional speaking.  It’s true…how you say it is absolutely as important as what you say.

The topic has to be timely and relevant to the audience, yet industry event attendees desire to be engaged and entertained.

In 2013, I have been a featured speaker at corporate events hosted by Pitney Bowes, Polycom and the HR Leadership Forum.

When participating in a conference – either as a presenter or attendee – I take great interest in executive speaking styles.  I happily repurpose what works for others and integrate it into my own approach.

On this blog, I have written about exceptional talks given by Joe Payne (formerly with Eloqua) and Andy Miller of Polycom.

This past week found me at the historic Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego for GetConnected, the annual customer conference hosted by GetWellNetwork.  Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) produces an online magazine called Transformative Health in partnership with GetWellNetwork.

My jobs at the conference were to promote the magazine to the 500+ conference attendees to attract new readers, and visit with GetWellNetwork’s partners to discuss sponsorship and advertising opportunities.

Those roles kept me busy, yet I did have an opportunity to attend GetWellNetwork CEO Michael O’Neil’s keynote address.  Michael is a valued client and my company is compensated by GetWellNetwork.  Yet, I write without bias or reservation that his keynote was masterful.

Here are six take-aways I plan to incorporate into my future presentations:

1.  Establish a timely, relevant and concise theme.  Entitled “The Soul of Innovation,” Michael’s presentation was meaningful to the audience because of the role they play to deliver health services in a rapidly evolving environment.

2.  Make it personal.  Michael is a cancer survivor, and during the presentation disclosed that he and his wife also lost a child 22 days after birth.  This information was shared to establish an intimate connection to the topic.

3.  Bond with the audience.  Michael was quick to recognize that each attendee – health providers, hospital executives and a health system administrators – plays an important role in the adoption of innovative solutions for patient engagement.

4.  Cite respected third parties to reinforce key points.  Michael’s presentation included a quote on innovation from Steve Jobs, as well as video interviews with GetWellNetwork’s customers and employees.  This commentary was carefully crafted and presented to reinforce a key message.

5.  Get hands-on with the product.  GetWellNetwork introduced several new product enhancements at the conference.  Michael talked the attendees through each offering, and effectively demonstrated features and functionality.

6.  Ad-lib when possible.  Overly rehearsed speeches sound corporate and hollow.  Michael was well prepared, yet effectively interjected humor throughout the presentation.

For instance, at one point when showcasing a product his hands were visible on the giant screens situated above the stage.  Michael was quick to point out he’d never make a living as a  hand model.

GetWellNetwork CEO Michael O’Neil acknowledges the crowd after his well received keynote at the GetConnected conference.

Patient engagement is a key component to improved health services.

I was reminded of this today while at GetWellNetwork’s annual user conference, entitled “Get Connected.”

I’m in San Diego this week to represent Transformative Health, an online magazine Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) publishes on behalf of GetWellNetwork.  In this role, I had the good fortune to speak with a number of our client’s customers and partners, all of whom are enthusiastic about how GetWellNetwork helps them more successfully fulfill their mission.

Put aside corporate messaging, positioning, thought leadership, visibility, etc.  Success in business is ultimately achieved by providing a high value solution that directly addresses a customer’s needs.

More than 500 customers and partners have gathered in San Diego for GetConnected.

The conference is held at the historic Hotel Del Coronado.

]]> http://www.thestrategicguy.com/customer-passion-speaks-volumes/feed/ 1 http://www.thestrategicguy.com/3pillar-global-goes-live-with-digital-growth-insights/ http://www.thestrategicguy.com/3pillar-global-goes-live-with-digital-growth-insights/#comments Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:01:17 +0000 Marc Hausman http://www.thestrategicguy.com/?p=8599 There is a set of criteria I use to assess the value and ROI Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) can deliver to a prospective client.

Is the prospect in a market space that has momentum?  Do they have a track record of successful delivery of products or services?  Are their marketers experienced?  Who are their subject matter experts?  Does the company have a well organized sales organization?

Perhaps most important thought is the prospect’s ability to clearly articulate its sales priorities and metrics.  Tell me who you sell to, why they buy, the competitive environment and the current standing of the sales pipeline (i.e. where are the opportunities and the challenges).

It’s with this critically important direction that Strategic can effectively align content creation, multi-channel promotion, and analytics and intelligence to best achieve measurable sales outcomes.

3Pillar Global is a welcome find as a client.  In addition to meeting our evaluation …

The “it” is the “get.”  It’s an exclusive interview with a movie star, musician, comedian, politician or socialite that compels viewers to tune in.

Letterman knows the value of the “get.” (Source: ABCnews.com)

In the crowded chaos of celebrity journalism and entertainment, the get is absolutely critical for a show and its host to remain relevant in the ratings.

The world of talk show hosts is actually quite analogous to the environment that confronts corporate marketers when they step into publishing of thought leadership content.  It’s wicked competitive with an extensive range of information options available to customers, prospects, partners, employees, investors, analysts, journalists and other influencers.

Corporate blogging and social engagement programs often rely on bland, me-too perspective, content aggregation, and marketing fluff masquerading as thought leadership.  And then corporate marketers wonder why no one reads this junk.

An effective content strategy demands the “get.”  Act like a journalist and interview top level customers, profile executives and high-value influencers.  Focus the conversation on best practices, lessons learned and insight into timely trends, rather than promotional hype.

Make your content a must-read and it will be just that.

————————————————————————————————-

Here are a few examples of great “gets” published by Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) clients:

Casey Miles at Brocade Discusses Big Data Trends with Federal Technology Insider

The Evolution of Social Referral Marketing:  Q&A with Vijay Sundaram of Social Twist in Engage Today

CIO of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Discusses Her Career Passions with Federal Blueprint

For instance, an article in the March/April issue of  Chief Executive magazine entitled “Leveraging Social Media to Collaborate with Employees and Customers” makes an observation straight out of 2010:

We are likely approaching a tipping point for social media in the enterprise.  Today, many CEOs believe that social media is – at best – little more than window dressing and – at worst – a distraction for already over-stretched employees.

But by 2013, an increasing number of CEOs will awaken to evidence that social media is where the important conversations, internal and external, take place and that real business benefits can be realized by harnessing the relationship-building power of social media platforms.

Why is the top corporate brass such laggards when it comes to social media?

Yes…there is a demographic consideration as the corner office continues to be populated primarily by middle aged guys.  Plus, there’s the issue of competing priorities for time and attention, which slows the adoption of anything new and innovative in corporate environments.

However, my view is the number one reason why social sputters among the executive elite is the inability of marketers, consultants and advisors to articulate a clear and compelling value proposition.  The return on investment for time and money to be spent on social is perceived by the CEO to be middling and murky.

Here are two ROI benchmarks cited in the Chief Executive article:

1.  According to an analysis of 4,200 companies by McKinsey Global Institute, social technologies stand to unlock between $900 billion and $1.3 trillion of value by 2016.

OK…seriously?  How did anyone possibly come up with those financial benchmarks?  And, what the heck constitutes corporate value?  Stock price?  Revenue growth?  Profits?

2.  An IBM study of 1,709 CEOs reported firms that outperform their peers are 30 percent more likely to identify openness – often characterized by a greater use of social media as a key enabler of collaboration and innovation – as a key influence on their organization.

Organizational openness – I can’t even write that phrase without experiencing a neck twinge.  It’s such consultant mumbo-jumbo.

I talk to corporate executives on a daily basis to understand their priorities (and pain points), and, when appropriate, to position Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) as a resource.

There is an evaluation criteria most organizations employ to assess whether an initiative should be blessed with funding — will it help us capture revenue more quickly, effectively and/or at a lower cost?

The writer of Chief Executive’s article  does cite a couple of compelling examples of ROI delivering social media campaigns from FedEx, BAE Systems and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Yet, they’re buried in the article.

To earn the ear of the CEO when it comes to social we need to get to a single point (and fast):  when applied appropriately, it will help your company grow more quickly and profitably.

“You’re actually firing me?”,  he asked with a tinge of astonishment in his voice.

“Yes…when we adopted a flexible work environment you and I agreed to set of metrics I would use to measure your performance,” I explained.  “You chose not to do the work needed to meet any of those metrics.”

His response confirmed my decision, “You were serious about that?”

The move by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer to require employees to work on-site has drawn an avalanche of criticism.  My initial reaction was one of disbelief:  how could a company whose very products enable mobility, communication and collaboration require employees — its most important asset – to be tethered to their desks?

I initially discounted the rationale presented by Yahoo as corporate side-stepping.  Employees working in the office together will build culture and morale, Yahoo contended.  It will inspire creativity and innovation, they reasoned.

Then, I started to get a more comprehensive picture of what Mayer inherited at Yahoo.  There are employees with work-at-home arrangements who are running their own start-up on the side.  Entire floors empty because multiple staffers elected to take the afternoon off.

Yahoo is broken and on the precipice of irrelevance.  Mayer needs to enforce dramatic change, and a mass firing of deadbeats and underperformers simply isn’t feasible at this time.  It would be too disruptive to the operations of the business.

Kudos to Mayer for making a tough decision that she believes is in the best interests of Yahoo, its customers, its partners and its shareholders.  The CEO job is not a popularity contest and Mayer has demonstrated she has the fortitude to drive success.

At Strategic Communications Group (Strategic), we embrace and encourage all employees to take advantage of our flexible work environment.  My view is that work/life balance is paramount to the delivery of innovative and responsive service to our clients.

Yet, this flexibility comes with responsibility and accountability.  I have to be clear on my expectations, yet if a colleague of mine fails to live up to their promise then the decision to separate becomes self-evident.

Yes…I am serious about that.

Yahoo’s Mayer: courage to make tough decisions.