ATCEN Communications

Radio PR

2009-03-02T09:00:00.000+08:00

We recently secured our founder and group CEO Ernie Chen a 13 week radio slot on Bfm 89.9 The Business Station. Touted as perhaps the nation’s most credible radio station, it’s definitely fantastic to be on board.

This qualify as Radio PR. What is it you as? Well firstly it’s NOT radio advertising! Most people are like me in the sense that they don’t like or trust radio adverts. You won’t find too many people that tune in to a radio station because of the advertising. Most people listen to radio because they like the content – this will be a combination of music, the presenters and the news.

Have you ever heard a radio presenter talk about a brand on-air in relation to their own experience? Have you ever heard an interview with a doctor or psychologist where they mentioned a brand as a solution to a problem?

For most people Radio PR is so subtle that it falls below the radar of most people’s marketing defenses – which is exactly the reason why Radio PR is so effective. Radio PR harnesses the relationship between radio presenters and their audience to communicate specific messages to target audiences and generate credible third party endorsement. And that of course is next on our list and a blog entry for another day…

Brand Promotion Grant from the Government

2009-02-23T09:00:00.000+08:00

The government's Brand Promotion Grant was formed in 2003 to provide assistance to Malaysian companies to partially defray their investment cost in development and promotion of their brands. If you’ve tried to get it and didn’t succeed, this is probably why: inability to produce a clear branding strategy was a primary contributor to the low approval rate.

Malaysian companies needed to seriously consider brand development as part of their overall strategy and to make use of government assistance effectively in developing their own branding. Brand development should be an integral part of research and development activities in the intensely competitive market as consumers tended to gravitate towards brands that they could trust.

Profitability and PR

2009-02-16T09:00:00.000+08:00

Public Relations. You either hate it or love it. And while very much of it requires a generous amount of grey matter, Public Relations offers no gray areas. The opportunity to increase your profits is possible with carefully targeted, cost-effective Public Relations.

One way to get this done is by placing a stream of positive news stories in the media which will attract new customers and generate profit. And if you’ve always thought PR was an expensive luxury, think again. May agencies, ATCEN Communications for one, tailor our PR packages to suit your business budget, whether you’re a medium sized established company or a smaller new enterprise.

Why does advertising cost so much and deliver so little?

One reason is that potential clients are more and more resistant to it. In any case, there’s a far better way to reach customers. Professional PR carefully crafts commercial messages and delivers them effectively to target audiences through positive media editorial coverage.
It’s a proven fact that people skip through the adverts and pay far more attention to the news. The thing is – what can you give them that is newsworthy. Look within your organizations. I’m sure there’s a good story waiting to be told.

Brand and Marketing in a Downturn

2009-02-09T09:00:00.002+08:00

A downturn is the time to refocus your marketing budgets, not cut them.

There is no doubting the apprehension is rising for many of you as the economy weakens. I know it is tempting to begin the slashing process of your expenses. And, I know that marketing is one of those areas that typical gets the brunt of those budget cuts.

Sure, you should always be doing everything you can to maximize your marketing resources. That's true, even in a good economy. But history shows us that now is just not the time to curb your marketing efforts.

Here are some of the facts from past recessions:

• 1970 recession year - American Business Press (ABP) and Meldrum & Fewsmith study showed that "sales and profits can be maintained and increased in recession years and (in the years) immediately following by those who are willing to maintain an aggressive marketing posture, while others adopt the philosophy of cutting back on promotional efforts when sales appear to be harder to get."

• 1990-1991 recession years - Management Review asked AMA member firms about spending during the 1990-1991 recession. "Fortune follows the brave," it procliamed, noting that the data showed that most firms that raised their marketing budgets enjoyed gains in market share. Among the magazine's sample, 15 percent reported "greatly decreased" ad budgets. Advertising was "somewhat cut" by 29 percent. "The keys to gaining market share in a recession," concluded Management Review" seem to be spending money and adding to staff. Firms that increased their budgets and took on new people were twice as likely to pick up market share.

Beyond the statistics, why might it be more important than ever to market despite economic downturn? Strong consideration should be given to the idea that marketing plays a more critical role now than it did during previous recessions.

While marketing's role was once more informational than brand identity building, and considering that never more than today has the clutter factor been so great, relationships between customers and brands are critical.

Relationship marketing has surged to the top of effective marketing campaigns as a means to keep an appropriate level of share of mind for purchase loyalty. Marketing serves to foster and maintain consumer-brand relationships.

Nose for News?

2009-02-02T09:00:00.000+08:00

Last week, I had a chat with the editor of local newspaper. I asked her about the quality of writing exhibited the journalists. “Journalists?” she sneered, “What journalists? They’re more like reporters – they’re handed an assignment, come back to the office, sit down and regurgitate what’s in the press release. Aneesa, quality and journalists don’t go together. It’s no longer like how it was. Remember how you used to get yelled at? Or have your editor at the time ridicule your copy? You got better from it. Nowadays, editors can’t do that, or they just don’t care anymore,” she lamented.

Add to this the lack of good assignments and you have a great recipe for crap news. So this is where people like me come in. We provide these editors with news worthy angles and great pitches but they’re not used. Why?

“We have people to please,” was her reply, “We have to make sure that “the more important” subjects are given priority – and important doesn’t mean interesting by the way,” she explains.

And so, what should we do? “Just keep sending them in,” came the solution, “someone is bound to pick it up. And if no one does, then I guess you just have to rethink the angle and try again.”

Right. There is a phrase that goes, “If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. Then give up. There’s no use in being a damn fool about it.” Well, there’s no prizes for guessing who are the damn fools for not recognizing good news pieces even if it were to slap them across the face.

The Power of Brand Ambassadorship

2009-01-26T09:00:00.000+08:00

We tend to forget the “other” people in the company and those representing the brand throughout the sales channel don’t always understand their role in making the brand a success.

The key to turning these employees, distributors and other channel partners on the front lines into brand ambassadors is to give them a way to take ownership in the brand story.
How do we find ways to make the brand believable to this group, so they can “live the brand?” How can we make all those “brand pyramids” and other abstractions become real, and create opportunities for our team to let their passion play a role? It all starts with the truth about the brand.

By peeling back the onion (with the help of market research, account planning, or good internal audits), we’ve uncovered the nuggets that make people nod their head in agreement, and say “yes, that’s us.” By using these building blocks, not only does it make every piece of communication you create more compelling and resound more with end users, it gives your employees and channel partners an opportunity to emotionally align themselves with the brand, too.

Don’t be a news release narcissist – you may get stoned to death

2009-01-19T09:00:00.000+08:00

A very wise person I know says we mustn’t do things that are “syiok sendiri”. This is a Bahasa Malaysia colloquialism for doing things that get your rocks off and the only person excited about it is yourself. This is especially true when it comes to projects and sending out news releases.

Most of us do things with good intentions – which is a good thing until you remember this quote: “Hell isn't merely paved with good intentions, it is walled and roofed with them” Aldous Huxley (English Novelist and Critic, 1894-1963). So ixnay on the good intentions. Let’s get down to business and what really counts.

You have to open your eyes wide – if you can’t, use toothpicks to prop your eyelids. Do what you must to start noticing what really matters to around you in terms of news. And your best source is the global mess that is happening as you read this. As ruthless as this may sound, you have to make the best out of the horrible misery around the world. As Don Corleone said in The Godfather II, “It’s nothing personal, just business.”

By creating news that matters in your releases, you stop thinking about what works for you but what will work for the press. When this happens, the media will see the value in your piece which can translate into great content for them. They get it out. You’re happy. People get substance and newspapers look like they’re good for other things other than reporting about who threw what at whom during a parliament meeting.

Take off your blinders and see the world and all around you for what it truly is. You may just find a great press release around the corner.

Developing a strong brand & value proposition for business unit

2009-01-12T09:00:00.001+08:00

Consider this for a moment. It's important when developing your value proposition that it be clear and concise. It's best to start by brainstorming and focusing on what needs your target demographic group have in common. This can be done by market research. What do they all want that your business can provide? What is important to them?

Once you've found the common denominating need you can determine what it is that they are in search of and develop your value proposition around that need.

Keep in mind that the purpose of your value proposition is to identify and satisfy an unmet need that your target market possesses.

Your value proposition can equip you with the following benefits to your business:

·Create a strong differential between you and your competitors
·Increase not only the quantity but the quality of prospective leads
·Gain market share in your targeted segments
·Assist you in enhancing tools that will help you close more business
·Improve your operation efficiency

You can get started developing your value proposition today. Just remember that an effective value proposition describes what you do in terms of tangible business results. It draws interest and shares a success story within a few words.

New Year's Resolutions for the PR Professional

2009-01-05T09:00:00.000+08:00

OK. So we’ve all been down this road before. We are all excited about making New Year’s resolutions but then by the time it’s February, we find that we’ve probably managed to keep 1 ½ of them. This is not so great.

When this happens, it either means we’ve been too ambitious or just too damn lazy. Either way, the solution would be to keep things logical and simple. Just like the rest of the world, the PR practitioner also needs to make resolutions, and here are some of mine which I’d like to share with you:

1. I will no longer send out press releases. Instead I will send out "news" releases and do so at least once a week.

2. I will commit to take the time to personalize my pitches with several different versions of the news releases to the niche media I am sending it to.

3. I will make a habit out of not pitching to bloggers, but will converse with them instead.

4. I will develop PR campaigns that tell a story with an innovative and/or compelling angle.

5. I will utilize social networking and the blogosphere with transparency, not as just another venue for press.

6. I will commit to being an active listener to my client, to the consumer - listening leads to questions, questions lead to conversations, conversations develop relationships.

7. I will commit to not wanting to strangle the person I speak with while doing a phone pitch.

8. I will commit to setting micro-goals that are achievable on a weekly basis so that I don't sabotage my motivation to succeed.

9. I will focus on quality exposure for my client instead of quantity.

10. I will invest time to research and educate myself about PR practices so that disjointed media is no longer an obstacle to my success.

I’ll let you know in December how it went. Take care and have a blast.

Marketing in a Global Crisis

2008-12-22T09:00:00.000+08:00

You don’t need to see into the future to know that things are not going to be all that great economically. During the 2009 economic downturn, many people will be looking for value rather than luxury. Saving money, products that last longer. Expect growing demand for retail outlets that offer well-made, basic things at low cost.

Marketing will struggle to meet the challenge of online communities. Most consumers trust the opinion of friends and strangers more than official advertising. That is why online communities such as TripAdvisor have become so powerful.

You can type in the name of a hotel into Google, but if the comments by people who stayed recently are awful, you are not likely to believe the claims on the hotel’s own website. So future marketing strategies will look for ways to encourage positive news to spread about a brand online.

Expect rapid growth of positional marketing – where advertising is triggered by where you are or by what you are doing. It could be a special offer arriving in your mobile phone for example, just as you are walking by a restaurant. Or advertising while you are surfing the web which is linked to lifestyle choices you have made in the past.

Best Practice – Online Media Room

2008-12-15T09:00:00.001+08:00

Online Media Rooms are an important part of any organization’s Web site and a critical aspect of an effective media relations strategy. Research shows that pages in the Online Media Room are among the most highly trafficked on a site.

Done well, a good Online Media Room will turn journalists who are just browsing into interested writers who highlight your organization positively in stories.

However, the vast majority of Web sites and most Online Media Rooms fail to deliver compelling content. Sure they may look pretty, but often the design and graphics are in the forefront, not the content that journalists require.

There are ten best practices included here and each possesses the potential to benefit you, your Web site, and your larger media relations goals and objectives.

Best Practice #1 - When launching a new media site, start with a comprehensive needs analysis

Best Practice #2 - Speak with one organizational voice to create a consistent site personality

Best Practice #3 - Don't forget images: original photos, graphs, and product diagrams sell your story

Best Practice #4 - If you serve a global market, use global content

Best Practice # 5 - Avoid jargon, acronyms and industry-speak unless you define what you mean

Can character building and morality enhance and develop a good brand name?

2008-12-08T09:00:00.000+08:00

When someone meets you for the first time, you are being evaluated by you looks and judged within seconds. After a few minutes of conversation, an even stronger impression has been made, whether you like it or not.

A good first impression, like having a strong hand shake or presenting yourself in a good way, is crucial in any social situation. In the world of business, brands are being judged in the exact same way as humans. A customer is often able to provide a list of attributes to describe the personality of a particular brand.

Brand personality can be created and enhanced in a way that suits the company. It also shows that there are great possibilities to develop the visual elements of a brand in order to make it more attractive.

I believe that there are certain character criteria that individuals should have in order to help the organizations or companies they work for gain a good brand name.

One way to articulate who you are is to create your Personal Brand Statement: expressing in a very compelling way what you have to offer to the world. To be compelling, your Personal Brand Statement (PBS) must be in alignment with your values and passions (your mission) and the vision you want to create.

These qualities begin hopefully from what your parents teach you and then as we are out on our own with our peers we try to enhance on building a good and honesty character and practice morality. Morals are more important than one can ever imagine as is honesty and openness in character, but we all must realize we are but mere mortals and no one is 100% perfect.

It doesn't matter if a person is a blue collar worker or a famous person, these two qualities are still as equally important. Men and women are still based on their integrity and morality.

What do you think are some human characteristics that go into making a good brand name great?

Build Accountability Into A PR Plan

2008-12-01T09:00:00.000+08:00

What will be different this year?

Ah yes - the New Year. Whether your year end was December 31 or March 31, a new fiscal year starts with fresh ideas, plans, new energy, new ambitions, goals, excitement, and passion - what a great time. So, why will most businesses fall into the same trap they did last year?

Ask yourself this question: What am I planning to do differently this year? If the answer is I have new goals - that's great, but how do you make sure they are achieved?

One word: Accountability.

So what does that have to do with Public Relations? Everything.

You see, the key element of any PR Strategy is consistency of exposure using many different methods. It is not about doing 40 things - it is about doing five things 40 times!

So how to you take your ideas and make them come alive?

Simple. Build your own PR calendar. A PR calendar assists you in launching your initiatives in a way that can drive you to your goals in a structured and thought-out manner.

By using a PR calendar effectively you will be able to coordinate all your efforts as well as tracking any budget items for training courses, PR tools, distribution of press releases and the like.

Keep it simple. Decide on your key activities. Then look at the activities required to make it happen - writing articles, contacting journalists, preparing speaking
engagements etc. Then look at the months of the year and plug in the activities you want to achieve and in which months and then make sure you follow the plan.

Simple stuff? If it was not simple - it would not get done.

Give it a try, you will be amazed at what can be accomplished when you just write it down as a goal, schedule it and then make it happen.

Being “Branded” vs. Arrogance

2008-11-24T09:00:00.000+08:00

Sometimes certain brands tend to confuse exclusivity for arrogance. Just because a brand is internationally recognized, it does not mean the people who work for it have the right to parade huge egos. The more I mulled over this, the more it got me thinking.

Corporate arrogance that stems from a company emerging as an undisputed market leader affects various stakeholders differently, depending on factors too numerous to explore here. However, everybody—shareholders, customers, partners, suppliers, the community in which the organization operates, the larger business ecosystem, and even more importantly the planet-ends up feeling the sting of arrogance.

The company itself must ante up for the caustic effects of its own ill-advised behavior. Organizations must reconcile the gap between their ego and its real accomplishments.

There are some international brands that take pride in offering premium products and services. But when there are people within it that use this to go on power trip, an innocent brand suffers because of certain individuals who like going on ego trips.

But, the real opportunity is this—it’s important to practice mindfulness. So, if being perceived as arrogant runs against the grain of your mission or corporate values, it’s critical to step back and consider who really matters, what they care about, and how your business practices (read: corporate behavior) should or could be modified to take the sting out of your planning, execution, and messaging.

Public Relations Ethics : Challenges We Just Can't Ignore

2008-11-17T09:00:00.001+08:00

It's a pretty scary world we work in these days. Public relations activities of influence -- and that includes such simple activities as communications meant to educate -- are being closely scrutinized. The general public is on our case . . . the news media is on our case . . . even we are on our own case.

"Spin doctors," "PR ploy," "PR maneuver," "PR effort" -- these denigrating epithets abound in the news media and in normal, daily conversations between normal, educated citizens. More and more, people are paying attention to what we as public relations professionals are doing. And more and more, they're calling us on actions they consider unethical.

Let's face it, folks. The "ethics police" are here. They're outside your door, they're on the street, they're in their homes, they're in front of their TV sets, they're in their cars listening to their radios.

Every minute of the day, every day of the year, know that you are being watched. The ethics police are looking hard for conflicts of interest, they're looking hard for improprieties, they're watching for a slip-up, they're itching for a fight, they're waiting to pounce.

But you know what? They have every right to. After all, public relations is an advocacy profession. Our ultimate goal is to influence public opinion. Our ultimate objective is to get people to take positive action on behalf of our client, organization or cause. And that in itself is controversial.

It's quite a powerful position we hold. And because of this power, the public relations profession faces tremendous challenges:

Misleading Information:We're counted on and trusted to provide accurate information to our publics. It's so easy to send out -- on purpose -- incorrect information designed to lead them astray. Does "Sell the sizzle, not the steak" sound familiar?
Influence of Management Actions: If we have won the ear of our CEOs, then we are remarkably well-positioned to influence the way our client, company or organization operates. How we exert this power is cause for concern.
Promotion of Inferior Products: How ethical is to promote products made by our company that we know are inferior -- products that we know are unsafe, or of poor quality, or will be used illegally?
Discrimination: As elementary as this may sound, we are still constantly faced with issues of discrimination -- religion, appearance, physical disability, sexual orientation, age, race, or gender.
Gain at Expense of Others: To the victor belong the spoils, the Law of the Jungle, only the strongest will survive, nice guys finish last, the "New Golden Rule" (The one with the gold, rules).
Political Influence:Does money still buy influence in politics? Should public relations professionals use political action committees to gain influence with elected officials through economic support? It happens all the time. Is it ethical? Or is it just good business?

When it's all said and done, what you do in your own particular situations will be judged by your bosses, by yourself, and by the general public in the court of public opinion. Whatever you do, whatever your choices are, choose well, and represent yourself well in this court of public opinion, because . . . you will be judged. And as public relations practitioners, you represent the entire profession. How you respond to your particular ethical dilemma will invariably affect your colleagues' livelihood.

A caveat: Sometimes if you win . . . you lose. Sometimes what you think is the absolutely, positively, most logical, most legal, most sensible solution will blow up in your face. The public is a fickle animal. No matter how right you are, if the public thinks you're wrong, then you are wrong. To quote an oft-used phrase, "perception is reality." Deal with it.

Growing Market Share - Branding in Manufacturing

2008-11-10T09:00:00.000+08:00

In manufacturing, like many other industries, there is a tendency to confuse the business of the business with the business of the brand. This means that there is often confusion in the value proposition of the brand —describing the brand in terms of the product and its efficacy rather than the brand equity that adds value and increases margins.

In many manufacturing environments, it has become a numbers game – the more widgets a company can produce the more money they make. This mentality, in essence, buys into the abyss that drives the products that are manufactured into the role of commodities.

The brand is the product and the product is the brand. In today’s manufacturing environment, there is great similarity between products and it is often difficult to slide a sheet of paper between the differences in attributes between competing products.

There may be no real difference in product efficacy, and if there is a difference, it may well be a fleeting one. In the absence of a REAL brand with defined brand equity, all manufacturers have left is a commodity definition – forced to compete solely on the basis of price and relationships.

Therefore, many savvy manufacturers have begun to take pages out of the consumer-marketing manual and have changed their tactics to better reflect those of consumer marketing. Manufacturers are learning that in order to be successful, their brands must be more than a commodity.

If your price point is similar — and your product is identical — then build your brand around the precepts of the customer you wish to influence to differentiate and hold meaning to the target audience.

It’s sad, but most companies here are looking at branding in manufacturing just to receive generous grants to expand their business. When will they day come when industries such as manufacturing, and even sectors look into branding for what it is all about – looking good by providing great products and exceptional service. How long do we need to wait before we see this happening?

The Politics of PR

2008-11-03T09:00:00.000+08:00

If the situation and structure of politics in this country could be compared to an accident, then we are probably looking at an emergency room scenario. And whilst in the emergency room, the only kind o medical attention needed is one from a Spin Doctor.

As the risk of rousing anger and heckling, I have to say this: People with PR skills are needed in government. Government ministers have to run the country (sometimes a scary thought…). Do you think that they should spend their time trying to cut down hospital waiting lists or spend an hour writing a press release? Time is the world’s most valuable commodity, a point sorely missed by critics of PR in government - and a point that those in corporate communications within the government are (or choose to be) in the dark about.

Then again, I think I know where have all the good PR practitioners gone – nowhere, they just don’t want to be found and be made a apart of something that will not validate them. It is sad that PR is a thankless task. I believe in this 132%. You get into PR not for the fame. But if you get really good at it, you are most certainly guaranteed a fortune.

Journalists and editors are those that see the lack of PR finesse in ministries at close range and perhaps even on a daily basis. My question is, will they be able to deal it with a good PR person who might have to safeguard the best interest of their client, therefore denying the media some tasty bits of political pudding? You can’t criticize people for a lack of PR skills and then complain when they go out to hire someone to help improve them.

The media should be free to criticize PR practitioners if they’re trying to spin figures, but they have absolutely no right to complain about people whose job revolves around providing them with information they require. It’s a bit like giving out about your taxes being spent on employing a postman to deliver your mail when it could put another bed in a hospital. If you want to receive letters then the resources need to be in place to provide that service.

It’ll be superfly if certain fickle quarters could please make their minds up. It seems to me that the real reason they keep playing this broken record is because sometimes they need to fill column inches that will sell the papers – and some, their souls and integrity.

The problem is that the media will always have the last word. And no matter how reasonable the individual PR people are, they are still a barrier to access which the media resent and have free reign to attack. It’s not fair, and the media don’t have to be.

Bring on the better Spin Doctors. Don’t get cold feet - a flatline isn’t fun.

The Simplicity Of Branding in Marketing

2008-10-27T09:00:00.001+08:00

Getting attention is a vital part of effective marketing. You must stand out from the herd. What separates those who survive and ultimately succeed in building a viable, profitable, predictable business is an understanding of business fundamentals such as planning, budgeting, and time management. But in the end, their most formidable business challenge will be to distinguish themselves in an impossibly crowded field.

In sales -- the goal is to go find a customer and persuade them.

In marketing -- the customer comes to you, predisposed to use your services.

Marketing is mental positioning. Take and hold the number one position in the minds of a couple of hundred people (your "community") such that anytime they think of real estate or real estate finance, your image comes to mind immediately. Marketing takes time. Selling is easier to teach than proficiency in the real estate business. But in the end, marketing allows you to spend more time with the customers and referral sources of you're choosing. You developed them and no one else can advertise them away from your brand. Marketing your brand to your community rather than being dependent on the warm leads of your company is in-line with how the role of brands has changed. These are some things to consider:

1. Define the result you want.

2. Identify the target market you will market your brand to.

3. Design your brand to reflect your uniqueness and be effective with your target market.

4. Create a niche.

Do not be disinclined to seek professional help in what might be the most important decision you ever make about your business. In the end, you, not the brand, still have to be that trusted advisor, who is trusted to provide the best products and services.

Mission, Vision and Brand Promise – The Perfect Link

2008-10-20T09:00:00.001+08:00

You’ll come to find that when a CEO intends to build consensus around and anchor his or her organization’s raison d'être, he or she often looks to mission, vision and core values statements to do this. The CEO leads the process of crafting these statements with his or her senior leadership team and board of directors, usually with the help of an outside facilitator.

When the organization’s primary or sole brand is at an organizational level, a similar process can be pursued to anchor the brand’s essence, promise and personality.

These exercises (organization mission/vision/core values and brand essence/promise/personality) are complementary and can be addressed together. For instance, the mission talks about what the organization does, while the brand’s promise talks about the covenant it intends to make with its customers. A strong promise will focus on meeting an important customer need in a unique way. This provides the added dimension of relevant differentiation.

The vision focuses on goals to be achieved. Obviously, this should be closely linked with brand’s promise if the brand is an organizational brand. The brand’s essence is closely related too as it captures the brand’s “heart and soul” in an economy of words. And the organization’s core values should complement and support its brand’s personality.

So one can make the argument that the organization’s mission, vision and values and the brand’s essence, promise and personality can be created in sequence or together using a similar process. I have begun to do this for an increasing number of organizations. CEOs like this as it provides even greater clarity and depth around which to “rally the troops,” while chief marketing officers like it as it provides clear direction on brand strategy that is cohesively linked with organization strategy.

Walk The Talk

2008-10-13T09:00:00.000+08:00

How safe is your brand – with your people?

Customer loyalty and profits depend on consistent customer experience – and the best way to do that is walk the talk consistently and continuously.

A compelling and unique message is not enough. The value of your brand must be delivered consistently by every employee in your company, -- reputations take long to build and can be destroyed in one moment.

Engaged employees create satisfied customers, and customer loyalty drives profit for stockholders – and benefits all stakeholders. An integrated brand penetrates deeper than product quality and customer service -- it involves every part of the company, including non-customer touch points. A Brand Culture saves time and bottlenecks by having a common language and clear communication between all departments – Marketing, Sales, Public Relations, and Human Resources.

How do you engage your employees? By living the brand from inside out, aligning your brand with your employees’ search for meaning, identity and purpose, -- values integrated into the service of every employee action, the product of every employee interaction, and the rationale for every business decision.

Social Media and Public Relations: The Change that Is Yet To Be Utilized

2008-10-06T09:00:00.001+08:00

From Wikipedia:
Social media is the use of electronic and Internet tools for the purpose of sharing and discussing information and experiences with other human beings.[1][2] The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and "building" of shared meaning among communities, as people share their stories and experiences.

Public relations is a business in a state of change. When the Internet emerged as a force roughly ten years ago, I suspect that PR practitioners were wondering what the future would hold for them. Since that time, the ‘net has boomed, busted, and recently re-emerged, yet PR practitioners as a whole aren’t ready for the new media that we call “social media”.

Another reason PR professionals aren’t catching on with social media: nobody is teaching them! Personally, this is my biggest issue. Working in my office, everyone is expected to “get it” but nobody takes the time to teach anyone what “it” is. No matter how much everyone else talks about, unless you sit down with some people and show them exactly what this Technorati thing is, or how to sign up for a del.icio.us or Bloglines account, they will never even begin to understand what everyone is talking about.

The technological gap is huge. I have been listening to what is considered to be the two premier PR-industry podcasts, For Immediate Release: The Hobson and Holtz Report and Inside PR. I’m not a gambling woman, but I daresay there are thousands of other PR practitioners in Malaysia who aren’t listening, or aren’t aware of the podcasts themselves, or aren’t even aware of what a podcast is.
There is so much to learn from these podcasts and the thousands more like them – all you have to do is look for it.

If I were to walk into a PR firm today and tell them that two great PR practitioners will be conducting a free workshop, rest assured they’ll turn up in droves. If I mentioned that these two will be giving a free lecture on PR for free via a podcast, chances are I’ll lose a good 90% of the audience – and that’s being optimistic.

It’s ironic then with all this technology and with PR (supposedly) at the fore, it’s still behind in many ways. Orthodox or traditional PR is great and it has it’s many plus points. But there’s no denying the power of social media and what it can do for a business and the masses.

Mutual Respect in Client – Vendor Relationships

2008-09-29T09:00:00.001+08:00

The intent of governance in outsourcing is to provide a mutually agreed-upon framework for the way a service provider and client will work together to conduct business (the outsourced function) and manage their relationship. Unfortunately, the relationship aspect has traditionally been overlooked, with both the service provider and the client focusing almost exclusively on contractual terms, rather than on building and nurturing a win-win business relationship.

We all need clients to sustain a business and a great many friendships often result from business/client relationships. However, on the dark side of things where it’s also very real, we go through days where we’re pulling their hair out because a client has said or done something slightly irritating. So below is a little list, which I’m sure will be expanded over time, to help us cope with the more challenging people around us to create an effective and respectful client/provider relationship:

Please afford us a little mutual respect. Sometimes we know what works better for you.

We feel a responsibility to you and to our other clients.

We want to provide you with service that exceeds your expectations because we value you – not because we are trying to be difficult.

We’ll set the stage for a fruitful relationship beneficial to all.

Building a Career in PR

2008-09-22T09:00:00.000+08:00

Before you get carried away thinking that PR is a glamorous job – let me tell you otherwise. It’s not a job for those who want glory – but it’s a great place for those who want to be in the background while doing some pretty phenomenal publicity for their company and clients. Career development opportunities within the public relations industry are excellent but competition for jobs is relatively fierce.

Most entrants tend to be graduates, although there are some opportunities for persistent school leavers with relevant work experience. Most of the time, many people get into PR without even knowing what a typical day is like – or what are the tasks involved. So in case you are thinking about it – this is what it’s all about, and then some…

Day to day in PR:

Writing and editing - this could be shareholder reports, annual reports, press releases, film scripts, articles and features, speeches, booklets, newsletters.

Media relations - developing and maintaining a good working contact with the media.

Corporate identity - developing and maintaining an organization's identify, presenting the company's name and reputation rather than its products.

Special events - news conferences, exhibitions, facility celebrations, open days, competitions and award programmes are all used to gain the attention of specific groups.

Research and evaluation - the first activity undertaken by a public relations practitioner is usually analysis and fact gathering.

If you still want to be in PR after this, good for you. But talk to people who have been doing it for a few years before making a final decision.

When Will the Importance of Branding Be Realized?

2008-09-15T09:00:00.000+08:00

Those in sales and marketing who think branding matters only when you're selling coffee, cars, and sneakers haven't been paying attention. The added value of a brand can be summed up in how proud you are of your organization and what it stands for. I’ve come to learn one thing – ironically enough, they don’t think branding is an important factor at all.

Branding isn't just for the big guys. It's important for everyone regardless of company size. Your brand is the crystallization of its identity, and with economies, mindsets and a host of other things changing, it’s best that these companies start adapting to change and recognize the imperative need for branding.

From Fluff To Tough

2008-09-08T09:00:00.000+08:00

In many organizations, corporate communications doesn’t get a lot of respect. I’m one the fortunate few who can in all honesty say I’ve got a great job in Communications. I’ve got a supportive CEO, and an incredibly super team who are really very good at what they do. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been busy with Press pitches and the response received to the ideas proposed were very encouraging indeed. On the drive back to the office, I mulled over why are there complaints about the difficulty in getting publicity with the press.

There’s real work and then there’s communications. Actions, of course, speak louder than words. There are the people who get their hands dirty and actually deliver value to the organization, and then there’s those who are a drain on resources. Content is a form of communications, and it’s something you store as quickly and as cheaply as possible.

Content, as I have said so many times, is a hidden asset within most organizations. The corporate communications department is ideally placed to tap this hidden asset. Here’s how it can do it. This is a very different way to use content. It means going for function and becoming much more hard edged. It means avoiding big fancy images and lofty sounding words. It’s about being practical and relentlessly to the point.

You can become relentlessly focused on helping your staff complete their most important tasks as quickly as possible. You can change content from the fluffy stuff to the hard stuff.

The Rise Of Political Branding

2008-09-02T09:00:00.000+08:00

It is mostly agreed that if a politician of a certain party is “contaminated” , then the brand is just as contaminated. This was said by the well-respected political commentator and former editor of The Times (UK), William Rees-Mogg.

Branding is now taken seriously as a phenomenon within politics. Of course, branding in its most widely understood sense has always had a role to play in politics. Slogans, which are now used to promote the virtues of everything from washing powder to beer, originated as the rallying cries of warring factions, Who could argue that the Nazi party or the Communist Party of the former Soviet Union did not present strongly branded identities? Historically, however, branding techniques were used to reinforce and communicate fundamental points of difference – either you believed in the redistribution of wealth or you did not.

I think branding makes politics more interesting. I think they did a spectacular job with Clinton-- even after all the public messes he's been in, the American public would probably re-elect him if they could. Branding is a required pipeline for a sound decision. The problem with political candidates/parties is they try to constantly change the brand to meet the desire of the audience, just to win votes. That is what creates bad branding in politics.

When Good PR Goes Bad

2008-08-25T09:00:00.000+08:00

Over the course of my career in PR, I have met quite a number of people and boy, were they characters. There were those who couldn’t take feedback and “poisoned” other participants to turn against the facilitator, there were also those who claimed to have 18 years or writing experience yet had nothing to show for it – what about the ones who was all sugar and spice in front but then stabbed your back at the first chance – then of course there was the curious case of the newbie to Corporate Communications who acted like she’d been doing it for 10 years and counting when she’s been in it for just over a month. Meeting these individuals made me understand why PR in Malaysia has such a bad rep – it’s not the industry, but some of the people in it.

What people don’t understand is that there is a difference between facilitating a PR workshop, to the actual business of public relations. When conducting a class, one can either be nice and kind or be brutally honest about how people are on the outside. And if you can’t take it, then get out and go do something that will not stress you out at all.

As a facilitating consultant I am here to equip you with enough skills that will empower you to begin a cleaner and clearer writing process. I am here to be brutally honest, to the point that it might be hard for you – but if you take it with a good attitude, you’ll find that you’ll develop skills you thought you had but in actual fact didn’t. If you think I’m here to be your friend and not stress you out because apparently you are already stressed out at work, then please by all means, join other workshops that sound great but leave you with nothing when its done.

Word Of Mouth – No Cost But Of Great Value

2008-08-18T09:00:00.000+08:00

Your most precious customers are those who buy the most, right? Not necessarily. Your most valuable customers are those whose word of mouth brings in the most profitable new customers, regardless of how much they themselves buy. Like its literal meaning, word-of-mouth marketing spreads from one person to another outside of a formalized setting, without heavy intervention by advertisers.

Word of mouth is a powerful component in driving business growth as it can be used to predict sales growth – the more people who promo the product or the service, the higher the growth. A recommendation from someone familiar and trust-worthy is the easiest path to a product sale, link or new subscriber. Why? This is because recommendations are generally perceived as incentive-free, unlike the obvious motivation of advertisers, who may over-promise in a bid to increase sales.

What accounts for this phenomenon? High-purchasing customers who say they’ll recommend your firm to others often don’t bother – and that’s the truth. Most of the time, they’re just paying you lip service. And a lot of others just talk about what a powerful tool this is but not many do anything about it.

It seems a shame that there are companies with Marketing, A&P Departments and even Ad Agencies but do nothing to engage the people within or internally to help spread the word.

Of the many things you can do – here’s one: leverage existing social networks. Online communities have a tightly knit group of users who can help to increase brand awareness for your product. Tap into these communities with tools or content targeting their specific sub-culture and you are likely to get a lot of attention.

These can include applications for platform-specific websites like Facebook, Firefox and Wordpress, which each have a large body of users. Content which examines, mentions or analyzes mini-communities or sites within large overall niches will work as well.

When PR and Journalism Collide

2008-08-11T09:00:00.001+08:00

I have a confession to make – I was a journalist. Wondering what’s the big deal behind the confession? Well, I’m now in Public Relations. Why is this a confession? Because I read somewhere that certain media people have said that journalists are in the truth business while PR people are in the opposite. If this is so, then it means I’m a no-good liar.

When journalists and PR figures start questioning one another’s integrity, you know things are going to get fiery. When a journalist ex-colleague found out that I am in the PR business, I was flat out accused of being a sell-out and got shot (pun not intended) this question: “How many PR’s have been killed in the line of duty?”

He also argued that journalists, “… try their best to tell the truth” – unlike PRs. Although he had not personally, he said, been lied to by people in PR, he had been blocked from finding the truth. He had also been “… distracted, diverted and generally manipulated”.

He added that that the situation with PR’s used to be manageable, in the days when journalists had the time and space to find their own stories and sources, and challenge PR versions of the news.

But journalism has been “… robbed of its resources” as he continues, such that it is now much more vulnerable to manipulation by vested interests. He made it sound as if he was witnessing an imbalance between the seekers after the truth and the gatekeepers to the truth. The gatekeepers have, in the last decade, increased their numbers and resources enormously. While at the same time, news organizations have cut bureaus, cut journalists and grown output.

Personally, I think journalism (here anyway) is in trouble. However, I also feel that this is not the fault of the public relations agency but the management consultants that pass for proprietors of. It is the owners’ fixation with their share price and shareholders that has led to the decline of standards in journalism, and an ever-increasing cynicism from the media. As standards decline and newspapers rely more and more on ‘fliers’ which are reports based on single sources or rumors, PR has had to step in to protect people’s reputations and prevent wild inaccuracies.

The integrity of public relations is being threatened by the lack of resources in the press. The growth of PR has made the press more honest, not less - and yes, PR conceals, but it openly conceals. As a PR person, I openly admit my bias, unlike some journalists who conceal theirs. As a PR advocate, myself and my organization work on behalf our clients, and we do so as honestly and as straightforwardly as we can.

Let me just get to what I feel is the real difference between a PR person and journalist - the former represents a client’s private interests to the best of their ability. The latter, when they’re doing their job, represents the public interest. The problem is that this is exactly what many journalists aren’t doing (or aren’t able to do).

Journalists should take responsibility for their own faults, not seek to blame PRs. Now accountability – that’s good PR.

Does PR Need Media Relations?

2008-08-04T09:00:00.001+08:00

The second way social media has changed PR is that the public relations industry no longer depends on the media to communicate with their clients’ audiences.

That’s huge.

Social media has nullified the cornerstone of PR, media relations. The old process was to write a news release and get it approved; media train a spokesperson, pitch the media; suffer the pain of rejection and the elation of an actual interview, organize the logistics around the interview, confirm the interview and then accompany your spokesperson to the interview before waiting with baited breath for the article to appear.

Now you can sit a charismatic executive down in front of a WordPress interface or podcasting rig and self-publish all the coverage you want. I’m simplifying things somewhat but that’s the sort of change we’re looking at – and you can start with a podcast.

Fret not. It’s not all doom and gloom for the traditional media – so rejoice editors, you’ll still have PR groveling and begging for you to publish their releases. Many corporations, and PR agencies, have been slow to embrace the social media phenomenon. RSS use hasn’t taken off with the launch of IE7 the way people predicted. People are still wary of blogs and very few listen to podcasts.

Today’s PR needs to be a hybrid of media relations tactician, social media doctor (because their fingers are on the pulse…) and brand strategist all rolled into one. That’s not likely to change for a while.

eMarketing Know How

2008-07-28T09:00:00.000+08:00

Marketing has pretty much been around forever in one form or another. Since the day when humans first started trading whatever it was that they first traded, marketing was there. Marketing was the stories they used to convince other humans to trade. Humans have come a long way since then, (Well, we like to think we have) and marketing has too.

The methods of marketing have changed and improved, and we've become a lot more efficient at telling our stories and getting our marketing messages out there. eMarketing is the product of the meeting between modern communication technologies and the age-old marketing principles that humans have always applied.

Very simply put, eMarketing or electronic marketing refers to the application of marketing principles and techniques via electronic media and more specifically the Internet. The terms eMarketing, Internet marketing and online marketing, are frequently interchanged, and can often be considered synonymous.

eMarketing is the process of marketing a brand using the Internet. It includes both direct response marketing and indirect marketing elements and uses a range of technologies to help connect businesses to their customers.

By such a definition, eMarketing encompasses all the activities a business conducts via the worldwide web with the aim of attracting new business, retaining current business and developing its brand identity.

While we have seen how convenient it is seeing that we in a very advanced economy within a tech savvy environment, there are certain individuals that need to wake up and be aware of eMarketing. The ATCEN International Group sends out email broadcasts quite regularly to a database of current and potential clients. Recently, however an individual reacted very badly to what was sent.

What we’re trying to do is provide a service, there is always the choice of removing oneself from the email list. There is an urgent need for eMarketing to be recognized as a fantastic marketing tool. This is the face of new media. It’s time to step into the light and stop living in the dark.

Insights in to PR

2008-07-21T09:08:00.000+08:00

Think you don’t need a PR Firm because you have an advertising agency? Better rethink that if you do. Public Relations is a management function which establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and those publics on whom its success or failure depends. As such, public relations encompasses a broad range of communications activities including advertising, publicity, press relations, public affairs, lobbying, issues management, investor relations and development.

Advertising on the other hand, is just one tool to be used to achieve a communications objective. Public relations strategies run the show. An advertising agency with a public relations “department” is much more likely treat public relations as an afterthought. You should not expect the same commitment to public relations strategies, professionalism and journalistic skill from an advertising agency as you would receive from a public relations firm – from the good ones anyway – and that’s the truth.

Brand Communications vs. Marketing Communications vs. Corporate Communications

2008-07-14T09:02:00.003+08:00

It takes everyone within an organization to build brand trust. Brand trust is the level to which your customers and prospective customers or clients believe in your brand. Having said this, do you know where to begin? Do you begin with creating a brand? Or perhaps you should go with posters and brochures? How about starting with a PR campaign? Dizzying isn’t it – the classic chicken and question of which one came first.

It is the extent to which they see your brand as a trusted necessity in their professional or personal lives. Which toothpaste do you always buy? Which mechanic do you choose to service your car? Which school do you send your children to? These decisions are based on brand trust.

Employees are also part of your brand trust equation. Brand trust permeates a business. It is not just about the customer perception. Employees have to believe in your brand too. Weak links in your business and supply chain can affect the brand trust your business has with your customers and others you deal with, such as suppliers or the community.

Missed orders, lackluster service and offhand communication can drive customers away. On the other hand, if you pass or exceed the brand trust health check, then keeping customers, positive word of mouth and expanding your business are key benefits.

The power of word of mouth can make or break a business. When you think of it, word of mouth is often about brand trust... sharing good and bad experiences about a business. Customers are your best advocates for spreading the word about your point of difference…or are they?

The Evolution of the Press Release

2008-07-11T09:17:00.001+08:00

The definition of a news release has expanded. The press release is no longer exclusively a media relations tool; now, with the Internet's search capabilities, consider it a direct-to-consumer online page of Web content.

Press releases or news releases as they are sometimes called, changed forever in September 2002, with the launch of Google News. From then on, all major public relations wire services - BusinessWire, PR Newswire, Market Wire, et al - became searchable online. Yahoo! News and AOL News soon launched their own news search portals. Today, each has more site traffic than the New York Times' website. Imagine that!

This sea change for news releases (and the PR industry) means that consumers now access releases simultaneously with journalists. This has important connotations for news release content, style and format.

Press releases are no longer one-dimensional. Rather, they encourage a dialogue between an organization and its audience and engage an entire online community in an integrated conversation. Integrate new media tools into your overall communication recommendations; don't add them on like shiny ornaments on a Christmas tree – until it looks gaudy and just plain ugly.

New Directions in Public & Media Relations

2008-07-09T09:08:00.000+08:00

Once upon a stone age, there were only a comparatively few major media that conscientious public relations practitioners could use to reach their target audiences with any certainty: magazines, newspapers, radio and television.

The professionals who staffed these media were often referred to as "gate keepers" because they pretty much controlled whether a PR practitioner's offering was "newsworthy" enough to interest their audience/s and therefore had earned the right to appear in public. In return for giving up this control, PR practitioners gladly settled for being able to espouse the strength and purity of "third party credibility." And then came along a new era - The Emergence of "New/Emerging" Media – and blogs are just one of the many channels.

Traditionalists argue that many of the "citizen journalists" manning various "new" media can hardly claim the same experience, objectivity and credibility as a traditional print or electronic journalist. So their output often tends to lack objectivity and "third party credibility."

Instead of waiting patiently for the scheduled evening/ morning newscast or print run, the public has developed a crushing need to access news and information practically before it exists, and so there is a growing dash - particularly in the younger age brackets so precious to clients - to find out what's new or breathtaking as quickly as possible via the thousands/millions of blogs, podcasts, social network sites and other "new" media that mushroom exponentially on a daily basis.

Say what you will about new media – it is here to stay – and perhaps it’s time we took matters into out hands and begin disseminating what’s newsworthy the best and most accurate way we know how.

Crisis Communications – When it’s never good to over-reassure

2008-07-07T09:20:00.002+08:00

We all know what’s been happening lately – and the Malaysia came very close to a financial standstill only a few days ago – it almost became a crisis. The days of sticking your head in the sand and hiding from the unsavory are gone. There are many case studies of what happens during a crisis and you can take your pick from Bridgestone-Firestone, Bill Clinton, Arthur Andersen, Enron, Worldcom, 9-11, The Asian Tsunami Disaster, Hurricane Katrina and Virginia Tech.

If you don't prepare, you WILL take more damage. Organizations do not understand that, without adequate communications:

- Operational response will break down.

- Stakeholders (internal and external) will not know what is happening and quickly be confused, angry, and negatively reactive.

- The organization will be perceived as inept, at best, and criminally negligent, at worst.

The basic steps of effective crisis communications are not difficult, but they require advance work in order to minimize damage. The slower the response, the more damage is incurred. So if you're serious about crisis preparedness and response, read and implement these 10 steps of crisis communications, the first seven of which can and should be undertaken before any crisis occurs.

The 10 Steps of Crisis Communications:

1. Identify Your Crisis Communications Team
2. Identify Spokespersons
3. Spokesperson Training
4. Establish Notification Systems
5. Identify and Know Your Stakeholders
6. Anticipate Crises
7. Develop Holding Statements
8. Assess the Crisis Situation
9. Identify Key Messages
10. Riding Out the Storm

PR Will Save The Day

2008-06-11T20:20:00.000+08:00

In August, I’ll be conducting a PR, Media Management & Creative Writing workshop. The ATCEN Communication team began the pitching process to clients over a month ago and the response has been good. I don’t quite know which point to make first, so I’ll just write randomly – it usually falls into place. Firstly, good on the companies who recognize the imperative need for Public Relations at time like this. Next, a big Kudos to my colleagues who have worked really hard describing the workshop in detail, sending out emails, doing follow-ups and eventually closing the sale. I hear them everyday and their effort moves me to the core. It’s not easy doing what they do and they’re essentially pitching a product that is immensely helpful and will add value to important aspects of public relations and corporate communications.

It’s a shame that people don’t recognize this and think that it’s just another workshop. Successful companies are fully aware of the power of PR especially during a recession. Don’t kid yourself and say that it isn’t here. Wake up and smell the gasoline. It is here and it’s very real.

PR is so necessary because unlike advertising which costs an arm, leg and nowadays, a torso, Public Relations is affordable and attending PR workshops is an investment that will show you how to weather the economic downturn with affordable ideas that will still keep you in the minds of your clients, customers and the media. So if you’re thinking of cutting back on PR, don’t. – it may be your life jacket in the choppy waters of today’s chaotic economy.

The Write Way

2008-06-11T18:54:00.000+08:00

Mention writing to almost anyone and they’ll be most likely cringe because getting someone to write is like getting some of us to believe that the price of petrol will drop to RM1 per litre. Most people don’t like writing because it’s cumbersome - how to start, what to write in the middle and how to end. The writing process isn’t as difficult as you think it is. It became difficult the moment you said you didn’t like it. And why is that? Because of the mindless essays we were asked to write in school and the shelling that we got when we didn’t write how the teachers wanted us to write. Here’s the deal. If you can send an SMS and write an email, you can write bigger things. But the key to writing well must first begin with the readiness to improve your communication skills. Don’t worry if you can’t speak well, the key is make an effort – keep doing it and you’ll soon be speaking like a pro and writing like one too. Writing is vital to communication – recognize this and make a change that will do you and your organization good.

What’s Your Brand?

2008-06-09T21:49:00.000+08:00

Personal Branding is an elusive factor that many people are searching for – especially in the marketing industry. What is personal branding you ask? Well, it’s either a word or a phrase you want others to think of when they think of you. Being different is something that we want to be – and some of us look for it either consciously or otherwise. And it’s this differentiation that that will set you apart from the rest.

It’s also normal that individuals with the best personal brand win – and the news flash is this: personal branding is no more an option if you want to stay ahead. But how many of us have the discipline which is crucial to define our personal brands?

You may think you don’t need it – if that is so – ask yourself this question: Does it matter what people think of me? Be honest about the answer and perhaps you’ll realize you’ve already begun the personal branding process.

Do You Have What It Takes?

2008-06-03T14:57:00.000+08:00

Here’s an exercise for you – list down 10 Globally recognized brands. Once you’ve done this ask yourself if the founders of these companies and people powering it right now practice the following:

“You'd better believe it” attitude
Make sure what you say rings true, is true, and exudes credibility.
Be consistent. Every company needs to ensure that it is honoring its true identity; this is why branding is so important to communicate continually-and make sure it is done in a consistent manner.

It is also imperative that your brand image holds fast to your organization’s mission and since ideally, the mission and vision focus on a deep consumer need that the organization has unique abilities to meet. The entire organization should be designed to deliver on that mission and vision. Yes, the business' financial model must make sense. And yes, the organization must change over time to adapt to changes in the market. But, the underlying sense of mission and vision must not falter.

If you do this, there will be no stopping you in your ascendancy within your market space.

Strength and Reassurance – the Heart in Organizational Branding

2008-06-03T10:55:00.000+08:00

Organizations report that during turbulent times, strong brands are essential to their success. It’s easy to see why because it’s all about trust given an ever-changing economy. You’ll find that people will shift to your side – to a brand they can trust because they want to know that in spite of tough times or not, quality service still takes precedence.

You would have seen this shift by now – that customers and companies are much more judicious about what they're buying these days; this makes the brand symbolic of both your track record and your ability to deliver on your brand promise in the future.

If anything you must always remember that your brand is the one thing you own. In times of uncertainty, people love the security of strong brands and brands also reflect the fundamental character of their organizations.

Brands help organizations break through the clutter. One reason consumers reach for brands they know is that familiarity reduces their decision-making time. There is so much information that we have to process daily - brands exist to help make the decision-making process easier and differentiate themselves from everything else that’s around.

Can Branding Save Your Organization?

2008-06-02T15:28:00.000+08:00

Do you know what sustains an organization? How do an organization's brand and reputation affect its ability to attract, retain and motivate employees? Can organizations with well-known brands outperform their competitors, especially during turbulent times? If you consider your organization as a well-known brand or have aspirations to get there, these are some of the questions you have to ask yourself.

Before reinventing, renovating or overhauling your existing brand, you must first know it well enough to remodel it into what you want it to be. Before anything else, you first have to put people first because a brand by itself cannot sustain an organization; however with senior leadership strongly committed to people, organizations like Southwest Airlines can keep "flying high" even during hard economic times.

Look at this next quote: "We put our people first, even before our customers. This might surprise you. When employees know they are valued and taken care of, then they can take care of customers” – (Texas-based Southwest Airlines vice president of public affairs Ginger Hardage.)

Employees within their respective organizations should also be aware that even if yours is a well-known company/brand, NEVER at any one time take it for granted. You could be great today and worth nothing tomorrow. Be wary of arrogance and the thinking that you are solid enough to withstand the toughest of times. The higher you think you are, the harder you’ll hurt if an inevitable change in fortune comes around. Everyone must shoulder the responsibility and dedication to making a brand work and the only way to do that is to work hard.

Anyone who tells you that it’s easy is flat out lying. While the ideas may come easily enough, the actual execution is no walk in the park. So be conscious of your organization’s brand and your individual role within the company at all times – it’ll help prepare you for what’s ahead.

How To Start Your CSR Program

2008-05-31T15:18:00.000+08:00

As you would have guessed by now, today’s blog is about CSR and if you’re fired up and would like to know how to get started, here are some thoughts. Fortunately, it's pretty easy to get a handle on what CSR is and how companies are dealing with it from a communications standpoint. Large companies such as Reebok, Timberland, and the Gap have information on their CSR programs available to the public on their Web sites. It's also important to get the advocates' perspective; checking out reports issued and campaigns launched by Human Rights First and Global Exchange will help you get a sense of some of the hot button issues. Some business classes may also deal with the subject. Most corporate websites have content about what they do for CSR - click on the button and read up. You have to know what they’re all about and what their particular concerns are before attempting to approach them.

Role of Corporate Communications in CSR

2008-05-31T15:00:00.000+08:00

A new issue that has emerged in recent years within corporate communications departments is a company's social responsibility record. While corporate communications executives once focused on communicating with shareholders, the government, and employees, they now have a new group of people to be concerned with; those who want to know what a company is doing about a host of social and environmental issues.

In case you aren't familiar with the term corporate social responsibility, or CSR, it refers to the social and environmental record, policies, and practices of a business. The idea of corporate social responsibility gained popularity in the mid 1990s, when celebrity figure Kathy Lee Gifford's clothing line was alleged to have been produced by the use of child labor. Other corporate scandals, such as the Union Carbide Corporation incident in Bhopal and the Exxon Valdez oil spill have drawn attention to the issue of what responsibility businesses have with regard to the treatment of people, communities, and the environment.

So how does CSR fit into the role of a corporate communications professional? While many large businesses have a dedicated CSR division that develops policies and practices for a company, corporate communications specialists are still very much involved in how a company's policies, practices, and progress against stated CSR goals are communicated. For example, Ford Motor Company issues an annual report on its CSR efforts. A corporate communications professional will likely have to learn about these issues and how best to communicate them to various stakeholders, such as shareholders, customers, consumer advocacy groups, and socially responsible investors. Know this. It will stand you in good stead by way of accountability and responsibility.

The Great Orange Charity – Bringing Out True Colours

2008-05-31T13:54:00.000+08:00

Every year end, our company does something for the community. This year, we decided to take things one step further by embarking on a six month corporate responsibility project which we call the Great Orange Charity Drive – orange because it’s our corporate colour and great because many great minds will come together to make life a little better for the community.

There are some quarters who will remark saying that we are doing this for publicity purposes – but they fail to see is that the publicity we are looking at is for many other corporations to take note that there is great deal that can be done and together we can make many positive differences.

The Great Orange Charity Drive will kick start in August 2008 with a children’s charity home painting project. For this, we are very proud to be partners with Nippon Paint (M) Sdn Bhd who have been so incredibly supportive of this endeavor. It’s really gratifying and moving in the sense of how quickly Nippon has responded to our proposal and is sparing no expense in making this project work. And when they found out that it’s for children’s homes, Nippon Paint (M) Sdn Bhd immediately offered to use their odorless paint for safety purposes. That’s known as going the extra mile – initiative in other words.

They have even expressed their want to come with us on a recce of the children’s homes to see if it’s just a basic paint job or if the home needs extra protective coating. Inspiring to say the least.

Corporate Social Responsibility doesn’t take much – except the conviction that you can make a difference. If you are a corporation reading this, the next time you get an invitation to participate in a CSR project, please read the proposal and think about the time and effort that has gone into writing it and the dedication that goes into making sure it happens.

Branding – Organizing It To Your Needs

2008-05-30T12:20:00.000+08:00

What’s the most memorable ad you’ve seen to date? Got one? Now what made you choose it? Hold on to your answer and read on.

With advertising brands, a company is burning their logo or name into your mind. They are constantly trying to get their image in your brain. That way, when you need something, you are more likely to think of them first. If someone has done a good job advertising brands, they have imprinted an image in your mind that remains. If the company makes laundry detergent, they are trying to make sure that the next time you go into a store you will think of their brand first and that is what you are going to buy. If the company makes fast food, they want to be the sign you are looking for along the highway when you are hungry, or the place you drive though late at night when you get the munchies.

Sometimes, advertising brands is easy, and other times it is hard. You may think of brands like McDonalds or FAB first when you think of some of the most successful brands. Others like Pepsi or Coke also come to mind. These companies have been around for a long time, so there is a long term connection with that brand. This is a power they have behind them that can overcome any other type of advertising brands that others may try to do. Those others may succeed, but these companies know what they are doing and how to do it for longevity.

So think about branding. It looks good – some say it’s easy even. Try branding yourself for a start and perhaps we’ll see you on a billboard someday.

Are You Ready For Tomorrow?

2008-05-30T11:48:00.000+08:00

We are told that if we embrace change, accepting it will be easier. Most people do not easily accept the new, mostly because of the unknown factor that people tend to call fear. It is not only as Dostoyevsky had put it that "taking a new step, uttering a new world is what people fear most." Even in slight things the experience of the new is rarely without some stirring of foreboding.

In the case of drastic change, like the one information technology has currently imposed on many aspects of our lives, the uneasiness is deeper and more lasting. No man is really prepared for that which is wholly new. Everyone has to adjust and every radical adjustment is a crisis in self-esteem. By undergoing through a change people have to prove themselves right. It needs inordinate self-confidence to face drastic change without inner trembling.

Why We Need Quality Leaders...

2008-05-30T08:28:00.000+08:00

There was a movie on recently about a band of robbers whose leader got shot in the end. That got me thinking. Is that was leadership is all about? Getting killed? Can’t help but think so sometimes since most leaders are on the chopping block on a daily basis. There are various qualities of leadership. Leaders, however, are mostly known for their vision and implementation of that vision. Leaders know how to enlist others to help them achieve goals. They know how to create strategies and encourage others to change behaviors. Some of the most important leadership qualities include:

* Listening to others' opinions and views. Good leaders know how to do this in a positive way. They also learn how to base some of their goals and strategies off of the needs of their followers.

* They are good communicators: A leader knows how to speak clearly. They know when to be motivational and when to speak calmly. People find them very easy to follow because they give directions that are easy to understand.

* Leaders know how to help their follows see problems and obstacles. But more than that, a good leader will know how to help the team overcome these obstacles and find answers to problems.

Games People Play…

2008-05-29T09:54:00.000+08:00

It’s very gratifying to receive emails from clients telling us how much they have benefitted from a teambuilding session. And we make this such an enjoyable learning process because of the nature of the games. If your team building games do prove successful and your teams become more effective in the office, make sure you reward them for meeting their goals and becoming more efficient. Reward can come in the form of simple thanks, praise and treats but the form of appreciation isn't nearly as important as making sure it is expressed. Work may not be as fun as team building games, but meeting their goals and being recognized for their work can go a long way in keeping people motivated.

When It’s Really Fun With A Purpose…

2008-05-29T09:50:00.000+08:00

Just to add on a little to what was said earlier, most companies don’t seem to realize how crucial team building is. Some don’t believe in such practices because they say it’s a waste of time. Games are such an effective tool because they usually take place in a less stressful environment than work which makes it easier for people to open up and be themselves. Games are also useful because they create shared experiences that everyone enjoys which will help them bond together and become a better team. By adding a little fun into the mix, the activities you choose can also function as a release valve that rejuvenates and recharges your employees.

Teambuilding - The Cornerstone To A Successful Company

2008-05-29T09:31:00.000+08:00

We organized a series of team building sessions lately. With every one of these we are constantly reminded that adults, like children need to take part in some form of playground playtime.

Teams are valuable because of their ability divide and conquer large tasks in an efficient and creative way. Everyone wants their teams to be strong and unified, but they need to be diverse too. In the best teams, team members are able to understand each other and work together without losing their sense of individual worth.

After all, unity doesn't mean that differences need to be homogenized out of existence. Rather, it means the team has learned how to capitalize on group dynamics and individual strengths that contribute to the team's effectiveness as a whole.

Details Make the Difference - by Carol Siew

2008-03-30T16:57:00.000+08:00

There is not another industry that requires extreme meticuluous attention to detail than the event management field. Our mission to exceed customer delight further propels our team into that direction as we believe that our clients' success mirrors our standard of expertise, care and professionalism; as aligned with our promise to create branded experiences.

The translation of a business intelligence or corporate event into a branded experience urgently calls for an in-depth revision of the details involved. Everything MUST be strategically thought out, planned, reviewed, executed and evaluated with much care and attention not to satisfy the clients' demands, but truly to traverse what is being expected.

Overlooking even the most minuscule detail will indefinitely affect the branded experience. When a particular element is unintentionally left out of the submitted budgetary analysis, the overall costing projected to the client is inaccurate. The Project Manager would then have no choice but to make last minute additions to the projection; immediately affecting the event company's credibility.

This level of unprofessionalism MUST be avoided in order to uphold the company's image. There is no need to rush the preparation of proposals, budgetary frameworks and other documentations; take the time necessary to ensure content quality and accuracy instead.

Branding with Public Relations - by Debbie Ong

2008-01-15T14:31:00.000+08:00

Over the years of its growth, the public relations field is consistently known as something else less flattering. Then again, how can the public ever put good faith in the industry when the so-called practitioners themselves are misrepresenting their own image? Of course the public eye would judge otherwise. It is, after all, what they see.

These misconstrued perceptions place a great barrier on what the industry truly stands for. Good looks, good language and good communication skills aside, public relation practitioners are brand representatives that work to uphold the image of the brand; whether it is for internal purposes or for external clients. They are the brand consultants that take on a myriad of duties to ensure the success of the brand image.

Many do not comprehend the significance of public relations to their organizations. The power that the industry is able to generate is often undermined due to the traditional dominance of advertising and also the above misperceptions. These parties do not realize that public relation practitioners can elevate the visibility of a brand in the public’s eye with their expertise in media and communication.

A range of elements make up the public relations package, covering both verbal and written communication strategies. The elements include:

a) Press kits & releases
b) Talks
c) Newsletters
d) Sponsorships & partnerships
e) Charity efforts
f) Publications
g) Networks & associations.

The following entries will discuss the implication of each element to the industry and how the brand image benefits from the services. For now, let me just leave you with a quote to ponder upon: “Public relations means telling the truth and working ethically – even when all the media wants is headlines and all the public wants is scapegoats. Public relations fail when there is no integrity” (Viv Segal, MD of Sefin Marketing, Houston).

Creating Branded Experiences - by Carol Siew

2008-01-15T14:29:00.000+08:00

The term “experience” is often underestimated in the field of event management. Most event management organizations do not realize the importance of creating an experience that clients can identify and remember for days, months and even years to come. Such impression is unheard of nowadays.

Let me tell you about an element that the team at ATCEN Communications believes in. We believe in the power of creating branded experiences. We believe in providing quality service to our clients; service that touches hearts, minds and remains in memory.

As we all know, the success of an event is measured at the end, where the response of the attendees are collected. Placing emphasis on creating a lasting experience certainly contributes to the overall outcome because the effort, time and total care given eventually makes the event a success. Let me tell you why.

When you are invited to attend an event, there are many things you expect to see. You would want to see everything in place; from the lineup of activities, the food and beverage, the sound system to the emcee. You want to be given a reason why you should even be there. All this is why your client seeks for your expertise. They outsource for your help to give delegates, participants and other attendees an event experience that they can hold onto for some time.

Event management organizations must always demonstrate commitment. When you are fully committed to your client’s every need, you are able to attend to all matters of the event to ensure its smoothness. A committed team of event executives would also stay put throughout the event and ensure that everything is well taken care of – an element that is obviously absent in the practice today.

Once all elements are synergized to achieve a single objective, clients would then be able to identify your organization as one that truly cares with the experiences that they may have had with you. Besides doing a lot of good to your brand image, client retention would not become a problem after all. They have placed their trust in you.

4 Elements of Successful Event Management - by Carol Siew

2008-01-15T14:26:00.000+08:00

Over the years of practice, the team at ATCEN Communications has established and stuck by the four elements that have made our business a success. The business intelligence and international corporate events that we organize on behalf of our clients are built around four elements: strategic research, speaker quality, thorough planning and aggressive marketing.

Strategic Research
Before stepping into the meeting room with a potential client, you must always be prepared beforehand. Take the initiative to understand the needs of the clients as they would have communicated to you prior to the meeting. What do they want out of the event, and how can we meet their requirements? When adequate research is done, you would be able to respond and provide strategic solutions to their needs. Only then will you be able to give them a reason why your organization should be selected.

Speaker Quality
The most crucial element of a client’s event is none other than the speaker himself. The speaker is the person who sets the mood, as he is responsible for leading the lineups throughout event. He is the person that brings the event to life. That is why the speaker must possess the characteristics needed to engage the participation of the event’s attendees - he needs to be of great quality.

Thorough Planning
This stage requires heavy attention because various different factors are involved. The item that tops the list is the schedule of the event. You must always bear in mind that your client may have already structured the list of items that is to take place; your expertise would be to put it all in order and supply the elements that are needed. Such elements include operations, manpower, logistics, accommodation, food and beverage, sound, lighting and decorations. You may even need to consult the expertise of other vendors.

Aggressive Marketing
No event can be successful without the crucial support of the delegates, participants, sponsors and partners. This is why aggressive marketing and promotion activities must be carried out on your side to satisfy your client’s expectations. Sponsorships and partners are important because they take some financial headache away; at the same time, they get to elevate their brand image with the event’s publicity. In terms of delegates and participants, your part would consist of doing direct marketing, public relations and advertising among others.