Inspired Media Communications - Portland Public Relations

Tiger Woods and PR

Steve — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:03:07 +0000

Those of us in the business of PR have a few worn out sayings. One is: “No news is bad news,” or “All press is good press.” In light of the recent controversy concerning his love life, Tiger Woods may beg to differ.

So, if all media attention were good press, why would the brand of Tiger dislike the current stories about cheating, or any other controversy? It has to do with values. And, this lesson can be applied to every type of business out there. Whether you are in the service industry, a nonprofit organization, or sell products, your company needs to align its values with public perception—and they had better be matching. Your customers, the public and any potential customers you might attract will pick up any incongruence in your messaging and brand. From pricing, to promises, your customer expects and demands consistency.

The brand of Tiger Woods portrayed an image of a calm, talented, disciplined family man with a beautiful wife and two babies. People do not like to be deceived. If he were a rock star, wore shirts open to his navel, long hair, tight jeans, and was shown drinking and carousing in the media, there would be little uproar with the new stories of him carousing, cheating, and lying to his family. So, what is the big deal?

The big deal is that if he were the rock star I portrayed above, his endorsements would have been in alignment with his image. Today, Tiger Woods is losing endorsements right and left. Big companies that endorse athletes probably don’t care what they do in their private lives. After all, it is the bottom line that drives their decisions. However, image, perception, and branding is everything. Many of the companies that signed Tiger for endorsements, wanted to align their branding stars to his, creating a perfect galaxy of reliable messaging. The underlying value here is trust. If you build trust, you will have customer loyalty. If your customers feel betrayed they will bail—fast. They will take their business elsewhere. And, this is where the bottom line is affected!

What does this mean for you? Take this example of Tiger Woods. Take a look at your brand, your image, and your messages. Make them seal proof. If your business has a spokesperson (maybe it is you, the business owner) make sure that you live up to the image you are portraying. If your image includes the messages of solid family life, wholesome living, going green, make sure that the message is authentic to your life both personally and professionally. In case you become famous, your brand takes off, and your image becomes a household name, you will not have to hide behind a false persona.

Your customers may be tolerant, forgiving, and lenient. However, they will not tolerate dishonesty and incongruence.

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October Newsletter

imc — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:17:33 +0000

Inspired Media Communications Newsletter

October 2009

The tips provided in this newsletter are intended to inspire, motivate and inform you of the power of effective and targeted public relations strategy. I truly hope you find the information useful and put some of the suggestions into play for your business today.

In This Issue

Sell to your Existing Customers

Make your Business a Destination

FREE 30 Minute Consultation

Diane Dennis

Sell to your Existing Customers

It is far easier and more cost effective to sell products or services to your existing customers than to seek out and find new customers. With your existing customers, you have a built-in audience. Because there are a variety of strategies, your type of business will determine what will be the most effective.

For example, if you sell skin care products, take an audit of your most successful sales. Your customers are already sold on the product. Making a special offer, like: buy one, and get the second one for 30 percent off, can create an incentive for the customer to buy in volume, and tell others in their circle of influence. This does a few things. You increase sales for the month, which is always good for your bottom line. Secondly, you become a more important customer to your vendors or alliances, who may offer marketing opportunities and alliances you can take advantage of (i.e. co-op advertising, or volume sales discounts).

Of course increasing customer base is always a goal and need. Look for next month’s newsletter to discuss ways to find, establish and retain new costumers.

Make your Business a Destination for your Customers

With the holidays coming, open house comes to mind. Studies have shown that the more a customer comes to your business location, the more familiar and comfortable they become. This comfort zone creates a sense of belonging. Today people don’t merely want to buy products and services, they want to be a part of an experience. They want to know you remember their name.

No one knows this better than chain restaurants. The décor, menu, taste, texture, lighting, colors are all the same, giving customers comfort and brand recognition. The Red Robin they are visiting in Peoria is just like their Red Robin at home in Portland.

Even if you don’t have multiple locations, find reasons to have your customers make visits. The holidays are a good opportunity to create events that honor and give back to your customer and keeps you on their radar screen.

Inspired Media Client Successes