Communicating clearly is a constant pain for publicists like us. If we do it well, nobody is going to say a thing. If we botch it up, however…
Just yesterday, our Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong posted on Facebook about the ongoing need for public officers to communicate more clearly to the public. He shared a link from The Irish Times which described how Apple’s “lost its way with words” in a recent employment ad using “gibberish”.
Jack Welch speaks with his fists (courtesy of MinnPost)
Charity begins at home. Likewise, a company’s mission, vision, goals and brand values must start with its employees.
The challenge however is that we’re so fixated with getting the right “message” across to customers, shareholders, and the media that we forget what its like to speak to our team.
Have you wondered what works (and doesn’t) in Facebook?
Or how you can undo an ill conceived tweet let loose in a fit of anger?
Jesus certainly knows the power of good stories! (courtesy of Life with Da Man CD)
Since time immemorial, storytelling has influenced billions around the globe.
We’ve all heard of cave men and women sitting around a fireplace, listening intently as a wizened elder regaled the tribe with heroic chronicles of his younger days.
Courtesy of NewGadget00
Consider the following two headlines:
“Optimise Your Basal Metabolism with Product X – The World’s Most Technologically Advanced Nutritional Supplement”
Photo opportunities are good ways to grab media attention (from SHINE Youth Festival)
How can trade associations, societies and NGOs leverage on Public Relations (PR) to get the word out there? What strategies can they apply to “build buzz”?
As Vice Chairman of the Association of Singapore Attractions (ASA), one of my jobs is to increase the visibility of the association and establish it as an industry leader. Thanks to an invitation from MCI Singapore, I learned a few new tricks relevant to my association while refreshing my knowledge of the discipline.
Changi Airport’s successful efforts in newsjacking following Joseph Schooling’s Olympic Win (courtesy of Changi Airport Facebook Page)
Joseph Schooling’s historic win in the Rio 2016 Olympics kicked off a wave of media publicity.
It also resulted in multiple brands riding on the brand-wagon, with some brands doing better than others.
Are these foods not “white” enough? (courtesy of Daniel’s Food Diary)
When the ingredients to a dish are not properly assembled, the outcome could be a recipe for disaster.
It all started rather innocently and positively. Pitched as part of a global initiative, Dîner en Blanc is the world’s first viral event premised on the concept of a “très chic picnic” imported from Paris. According to its website, this mass gastronomic extravanganza have taken place in outdoor public spaces in 20 cities across 5 continents this year, from Barcelona to New York City, from Montreal to Sydney.
Source: Edelman Insights
Thanks to a blog post from Jackie Huba of Church of the Customer, I came to learn about Edelman Insights Presentation titled “Key Employee Engagement Findings from Edelman’s 2012 Trust Barometer”. From the survey results (graphic above), several facts seemed to pop out:
1) People are increasingly losing their trust in the heads of organisations like CEOs. This has dropped by a whopping 12% in 2012 compared to 2011.
Thanks to June, Tiffany and Laura of the Coca-Cola Singapore team, I was invited to the cosy 126th birthday party for Coca-Cola held at the Dallas Restaurant and Bar at Boat Quay. As a marketer and a publicist, I’ve always admired how the world’s largest beverage company continually reinvented its flagship Coca-Cola brand despite having such a long heritage. It was fascinating to see how the brand associates itself with values such as fun, happiness and enjoyment through activities that resonate with its customers.
At the thematic party adorned with Coca-Cola’s unmistakeable reds and whites, I learned how the company continually innovated its marketing and PR efforts. Other than traditional advertising on mainstream channels, Coke experimented successfully with guerrilla marketing, emotional marketing, buzz and viral marketing, co-branding, sponsorship (Coke has sponsored the Olympics movement for 84 years in total!) as well as immersive experience rich events and showcases (such as the party itself). The company further embraced its role as a corporate citizen by sponsoring and encouraging sustainable and civic-minded practices such as recycling and caring for the less fortunate.