blog

The Pink Bunny and Corporate Reputation

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:34:43 +0100

Abercrombie and Fitch (ANF) is facing some serious criticism for their brand right now. There are stories almost daily quoting (or attacking) heartless, and now famous, CEO Mike Jeffries who markets only to thin, popular kids. For any brand this kind of coverage would be a nightmare. Public Relations and branding pundits have been commenting for days about what A&F should or shouldn't do.

What has been left out of the conversation is something far more troubling for brand and reputation managers: This story is SEVEN years old. This kind of durability in the press, until now, has been reserved for the likes of Jennifer Aniston or Princess Diana. Seldom has the press or the blogosphere dredged up quotes that a C-suite exec made so many years ago. That was then, this is now. Reputation managers need to start thinking about these issues in a new way. We have been captivated by the speed of the news cycle and rushing to get information out quickly. Perhaps what we haven't thought about enough is that what a brand, or an executive, says or does will live on the internet forever in some form. A story, like the Energizer bunny, can just keep going and going and going.

Where do you look for ideas?

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:51:29 +0100

This is excellent talk by Tim Brown of Ideo. I thought it was a simple, brilliant summary of how we can generate fresh ideas and what makes us creative. If you take time to watch it you'll find both their work and his conclusions extremely interesting.

Where Misery Impacts Your Bottom Line

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:18:55 +0100

Evidence in a recent Gallup study suggests that miserable staff members may be having an impact on your bottom line. Most businesses measure success with numbers like profit, loss, staff retention and productivity, but the most important factors may be lurking under these numbers. An unhappy employee isn’t thinking about how to grow your business, retain your clients or find a more efficient way to do their work. They are also unlikely to be committed to furthering your mission. Part of assuring financial success is making sure that employees are happy. Companies like Zappos or Southwest have proven that happy employees translate to higher profits and loyalty. Increasing profitability may be as easy as asking your staff if they are happy, if not, find out what you can do to change it. It might be the most profitable decision you’ve ever made.

Why Peggy Isn't Funny

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:33:10 +0100

The veritable flood of television commercials right now that use the humor behind poor customer service. The reason they are so universally funny is that they share a single, universal truth. We recognize the feeling of not being heard. We have all called an automated phone system that doesn’t recognize our voice or talked to a customer care specialist who doesn’t speak English well. This can add a layer of frustration when you are already at wit’s end. Customers at every level want the same thing you want. They want to be heard and they want the problem to be solved. Whether you are sitting with a CEO or a client administrator take to heart the truth behind the Discover card commercials and ask yourself ‘Does my client feel they’ve been heard?’ If you don't know Peggy, click here. For other bad service click here and here.

Transparency Goes Both Ways

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:47:53 +0100

One of the key ingredients of a successful client/agency relationship is candor. Clients must feel that they can tell their agency the unvarnished truth. They must also have a sense of agency transparency. If they can see how things work inside of the agency they’ll be able to provide you with valuable feedback.

Allstate and Leo Burnett have shared a 54-year partnership. This is a great example of how two-way transparency serves both clients and agencies. A Long Union, Allstate and Burnett

Saying Thanks for Bad News

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:13:05 +0100

When I worked in corporate communications for a Fortune 500 company. One of the first things I learned was that everyone was extremely unhappy with our long-time PR firm. Even though the agency consistently delivered what we asked for and had placed a full-time person in our offices to ensure timely service. My colleagues complained consistently and specifically about the agency’s performance, and never once said a word to anyone at the agency about what they were doing wrong. When I finally asked why they didn’t direct their complaints to agency management my peer said quite sincerely “What’s the point of telling them?”

Unfortunately this is all too common in agency/client relationships. Many people naturally avoid conflict and giving others bad news, especially people they like. In addition, many clients feel that speaking up won't make any difference. Creating an environment where your clients feel free to give you negative feedback is crucial to creating a lasting relationship. Another important step is acting in a visible way once you have input from your client. Make sure they feel there is a benefit to telling you what you are doing wrong.

The Natural Expression of Growth

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:15:07 +0100

The image below visual expression of the Fibonacci number which appears throughout nature. From pattern of the florets of a flower to the leaf arrangement in plants, the center of a sunflower, the scales of a pineapple, or the bracts of a pinecone bears a certain natural perfection. The Fibonacci numbers represent the growth of every living organism, beginning with a single cell, a hive of bees, and continuing up to the complexity of human society. I chose this symbol to represent Client Service IQ, because I believe in the natural beauty of organic growth and that it can be expressed mathematically. I'm a person that uses both my right and left brain equally. I am an artist, a writer and a statistics nerd. I believe that a client relationship, like any great relationship is a living, growing thing. That's what Client Service IQ will create for you and your client.

If you are interested in math, the first two numbers in the Fibonacci sequence are 0 and 1, and each subsequent number is the sum of the previous two. The Fibonacci numbers are expressed in the following integer sequence: 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,12,21,34,55,89,144…

The mathematical equation that expresses the relationship is beginning with 0 and 1:

F _n= F _n-1 + F _n-2

At Least Know WHY You Were Fired

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:36:34 +0100

When I was just starting out I worked at a large international agency, (who I’ll call Acme Advertising). At the time Acme Advertising had a relationship with a client (who I’ll call Top Chemicals) that was famous for its longevity, they had been together for 68 years. The day that Top Chemicals announced the business was going into review the Acme Account Director was playing golf with the Top Chemicals VP of Sales and Marketing. When he returned to the agency after his golf game we asked what had happened, how had we been fired after 68 years? He said, and I’ll never forget it, “I have no idea.”

The thing that is so troubling about this story is that it is so common. Many times agencies have been dismissed for reasons they may only dimly understand. There are the inevitable changes to management or budgetary constraints that may lead to agency changes, but you should never find yourself in a situation where you have no idea why you have been fired.