Happy Birthday Mum

Today is my mum’s birthday - she will only read this if my dad points it out, since he is a silver surfer and she is not.  My mum deliberately avoids technology - she used the opportunity of my 17th birthday to gain a chauffeur and prefers not to drive even.

Her own areas of expertise are in the crafts (she can knit and crochet, which I cannot), cooking and pointless tidying (don’t ever try and find anything afterwards).  We established last week (as if we needed reminding) that map reading is not a forte.

But she is kind and a good friend to people.  I couldn’t ask for a better mum (she is beyond improving as my dad has discovered after 50 years of trying).

A former colleague once said that I had parents from heaven - which is undoubtedly true.

Here they are pictured last year when I visited them in France and on holiday in Spain about 30 years ago. 

Do you dress up or down online?

I’ve raised the topic of social networking and Facebook at a number of recent meetings and was interested to read a post: PR Squared: Public Relations and Facebook

My own feeling is that the personal nature of Facebook doesn’t really make it suitable for professional public relations use.  I have set up a couple of groups at Facebook, one for MIPAA members and the other for former colleagues at the consultancy PRISM.

I don’t see these as being about professional connections but about helping people in either group keep in touch with fellow Facebookers who share this common link.

I use my own Facebook to be me - so as with my blog, it has personal and some professional content.  My friends, include one journalist, who opted to contact me.  I don’t have a problem with that - but would probably expect him to email me rather than use Facebook to keep in touch professionally.  But I don’t mind either way.

For me, one of the mindshifts necessary in understanding social media is that people on line are 3D rather than the more 2D persona that they might present if you meet them only through a professional or personal connection.  And that suits me fine since I don’t create many barriers between who I am virtually or in reality - from dogs to diplomas, aged cats to car companies.

In automotive public relations that has generally been the case in that we make friends as much as professional contacts.

Having said that, I can understand that this doesn’t apply to everyone - and certainly not to their corporate masters or IT gatekeepers if they are working in-house.  So I am using the Communicators Network to set up a professional networking group for the automotive press fleet administrators. 

This aims to be a forum where we can share professional questions and information - and I feel that is more appropriate on a platform that is not as overtly personal as Facebook. 

Just like there are times for to dress up or dress down (shoes or no shoes), lunch in a restaurant or the pub, I think there need to be different online places to network depending on the nature of your relationship.

Communications strategy lacking at MoD

At a meeting at CIPR yesterday, we were looking at the assessment tools for the Advanced Certificate and Diploma qualifications (as well as for a new Introductory Award pilot which will be launched soon).

One of the ideas proposed for the Diploma is to replace the “planning assignment” which is generally a campaign document with a strategic proposal or recommendation.

So I was interested to see, via PRWatch, reference to an article in last weekend’s Sunday Telegraph which contains a link to Ministry of Defence Communications Strategy said to be drawn up by Simon MacDowall, the MoD’s director general of media and communications (and I think, also the author of various military texts on the Romans) to “reduce the bureaucracy of the department’s public relations machine”.

Comment about the number of Press Officers (over 1000), their cost (guessed at £39m) and what they might be doing is interesting - but there is more to the full MoD document [PDF] than the headline outrage (which is understandable given concerns about the war in Iraq and lack of funding for essential troop equipment especially in Afghanistan).

From a public relations perspective, what strikes me is the lack of clear purpose, strategy and evaluation of the PR function.

This was apparent in the report into the HMS Cornwall incident known as the “Iran sailors“.  The report by Tony Hall aims to identify lessons for media handling and is very informative for PR practitioners.  One fascinating observation is that:

“Today, the public knows far more about the details of military operations and the thought processes behind them than at any point in the past. This greater level of openness and scrutiny has, to a large extent, been accepted by the MOD and Armed Forces as part of modern public accountability, but its consequences have not yet been fully worked through. Neither the Armed Forces, nor the MOD, nor the media would yet
regard today’s more accessible situation as optimal, but there has been some real, deliberate progress. Finding the correct balance between openness and operational and personal security is crucial, but that balance will always be dynamic and therefore requires constant, mature reflection by all involved.”

Recognition is also given to “the attitudes and approach of the media” particularly 24:7 coverage and online media behind the demand for exclusive, more “human interest”, sensationalist stories.  It also acknowledges changes in society with less deference to organisations and more opportunities for personal communications from “operational theatres”.

This all makes Simon MacDowall’s reflections on the PR operation even more important.  However, I’m not sure that he gets the point about how communications are changing as Tony Hall clear does. 

The Defence Communications Strategy aims to enhance the reputation of the Department and Armed Forces both internally and externally, through influencing the understanding, activity and perceptions of internal, domestic and international audiences.

The Sunday Telegraph felt the strategy supports “news management” and “spin” with an emphasis on using a “steady stream of positive stories” to “promote the MoD and Forces’ reputation and offset inevitable bad stories”.

I know the CIPR definition states that “public relations is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics.”

But, this bothers me in that some people seem to interpret this as meaning reputation is simply a matter of communications - particularly one-way dissemination of messages that “changes or reinforces beliefs and behaviour”.   Any feedback is sought simply for crisis management purposes.

I consider reputation to be what people say about you when you are not around.  Of course, if others perceive the MoD as having a reputation it doesn’t deserve, then PR can devise strategies to help address the misperceptions.  Even then, it is vital to listen and understand, and be prepared to change, not simply to advocate a position that may not accurately reflect a reality.

If operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are not supported by the public - should public relations be used to change opinion?  Are people ignorant and open to influence, or do they have a right to hold different viewpoints?  Isn’t the MoD responsible to an elected government in a democratic country rather than existing to enforce a single worldview?

Criticism of the investment in public relations in public and private sector organisations can only be expected when it is seen to lack robust management and does not reflect best practice (that is flexibility and dialogue rather than “command and control”).

In fact, this is exactly the type of situation where I’d like to see a clear recommendation of a public relations strategy from Diploma students.   It is great to see public access to these documents which can be used in discussion and education too.

Blog lite - opportunity for renewal

This is the reason why I have been a blog lite over the past couple of weeks.  Her name is Ivory and she is lodging with me for the next month.

She is a 42kg, 2 year old, Landseer Newfoundland - and in a house already containing two “hybrid” dogs and an aged cat, life has got a bit more manic than usual.

Initially she belonged to my nephew’s mother who fell in love with the breed as puppies.  As well as Ivory she has Ebony, who is a standard black Newfoundland.

From very cute pups, they have grown into rather boisterous dogs and two were too much to manage - so Ivory is going to live with my parents in France.  This means she needs a Pet Passport which can be issued next month after the blood test confirms her rabies jab is okay.  Although she cannot then come back to the UK for 6 months, she will be ready to commute across the Channel.

I’m trying to establish a routine and some discipline - and given the patience of the existing tribe, we seem to be able to reach a state of calm, with occasional bursts of frenzied activity - such as when the postman arrives.

In my blogging absence, Judy Gombita has emailed me a number of interesting links - including a story about technophiles hitting the pause button. 

In reaction to online overload, some people are adopting strategies that enable them to limit their reliance on digital communication devices or at least to take a break and clear their heads.  It is called “the tech sabbatical“.

As I reported from Bulgaria, I was happy to have access to via mobile phone, email, blogging and internet news - telling myself this reduced the stress of returning to piles of work. 

In reality, the work was still there and I am only just catching up.  It feels like being a plate spinner in the circus - but perhaps more of the plates we spin are plastic or paper rather than bone china, so will survive if we don’t keep them all in the air, all the time.

If these tools are to be of help to communicators, we cannot be ruled by them - which it can feel like on occasion.  What is the worst that happens if I don’t read my Blogline feeds?  I miss out on a current round of chatter - but it is still there when I have the time or inclination to catch up. 

It is actually quite liberating to hit the delete button on a couple of hundred feeds in any folder - a bit like having a house tidy and dumping the clutter.  A touch of digital feng feng shui to improve the flow of energy.

Of course my hits might decline if I’m not blogging - but who cares?  And, I hope most readers are friends and will be happy when I am able to dedicate time to my reflections rather than posting for the sake of it.

In the past couple of weeks, it has been more important for me to spend time with my parents as I don’t get to see them very often now they live in France.  And using the presence of Ivory as an excuse for more walks won’t do me any harm either.

So maybe providing feedback to students and responding to emails might take a little longer than usual - but I know that I can rely on the goodwill my usual efficiency has bought me.

I’ve decided to have a bit of a Summer schedule shuffle - getting up early to walk the dogs and then work effectively and efficiently until 2pm after which, time will be my own.  Another walk, some reading, a little light blogging, shopping and other projects that are “meantodo”.   What Covey calls Sharpening the Saw or balanced self-renewal.

Given that the GreenBanana ethos is one of continuous development - how can I ignore the necessity to switch off as part of growing? 

Do rats make the best PR practitioners?

I love the idea in the story about China being swamped by 2 billion rodents.  The crisis of the plague has been turned into an opportunity by businessmen who reportedly are catching, shipping and selling the “eastern field mice” to restaurants in Guangzhou where the delicacy will appeal to rich diners.

The “rebranding” of rats as “eastern field mice” is a brilliant stroke also.  Although it might also help that the rat is a respected symbol in the Chinese horoscope.  Deemed a courageous, enterprising person, rats are seen to be problem-solvers and well able to survive any condition.  Makes me wonder how many public relations practitioners are born in the Year of the Rat, since apparently:

The Sign of the Rat
Being born under this sign determines many talents, as well as other characteristics that may not be so commendable. Rats are very lively and need a lot of mental and physical stimulation. They can be calm and perceptive, but sometimes their brains can cause a mental restlessness, tempting them to take on too much, only to discover they are unable to meet their commitments. Rats are blessed with one of the best intellects going. Add to their intelligence a curiosity and a bright imagination, and they seem as sharp as a needle.

And, reportedly:

the Chinese say others should always listen to the advice of the Rat. Because of their intellect and observatory powers, Rat people possess prudence and perception. They can anticipate problems, and are always able to see the big picture. They can hone in on issues at hand and make measurable judgments. These skills, combined with their sense of aspiration also make them clever operators. Status, money, title, and recognition are important to the Rat. They have keen senses of observation that allow them to foresee upcoming business opportunities as well as potential occupational problems. The Rat makes a better boss than an employee and, although motivated, they can be pinned down by routines. Rats work better in flexible situations where they can be freely creative.

In case you are wondering, I was born in the Year of the Ox.  I am a Metal Ox who “work harder and more scrupulously than most people”.  Of course, I am “completely trustworthy and dependable” and have “the strength of steel, with a will to match”.  As a Taurean Ox, I am “obstinate and persistent, they get what they want by plodding on.”

Check out your own sign and let me know whether you feel it is a good match to your personality.

Crisis management relies on dissonance

A very interesting series of posts at Force For Good where Jon Harmon considers the implications of a US online initiated crisis involving companies Whole Foods and Wild Oats. 

The back story is that the CEO of Whole Foods, John Mackey, has spent several years venomously slating his smaller competitor using an anonymous persona in Yahoo! financial bulletin boards, whilst stalking Wild Oats for a takeover.

[Apparently, this is known as "sock-puppetry", ie creating a fake identity online and then using that alias to pump up yourself or your endeavors or your company, often while denigrating your rivals.]

Jon’s posts relate to how the seemingly lenient treatment, so far, of Mackey relates to media archetypes of such “ethical brands” as essentially good and so not subject to the same aggressive criticism as would be the case for more traditional “bad business”.

I’ve just finished reading Seth Godin’s “All Marketers are Liars“, where he presents an argument that relates to the concept of cognitive dissonance, in that we seek harmony in our thinking processes and will lie to ourselves in the face of information that conflicts with our existing views.

Clearly this has resonance here, allowing those who felt positive about the Whole Foods brand to accept Mackey’s ”defence” that he was just having fun, often playing “devil’s advocate”, not reflecting any official corporate line (despite being the CEO) and his comments need to be placed in context of discussion and the time they were written.

This has another public relations dimension in terms of the value of corporate reputation in a crisis situation.  Building positive relationships and having people think the best of you does buy time to get your house in order and resolve a situation.

Consider the Cadbury brand in the UK, which has a long-standing reputation as Britain’s favourite confectioner, sponsoring that national institution, Coronation Street, and founded on Quaker values.

Yesterday it was fined £1m for causing a salmonella food poisoning crisis last Summer.  It followed the standard crisis management procedure of recalling product and publicly apologising.

The judge in the case seemed to be influenced by the company’s positive reputation accepting that a “badly flawed” change to its testing system was at fault rather than believing claims this was a cost-cutting measure.

But there has invariably been an impact on reputation - a loss of brand equity - and more active publics (which Hitwise UK noticed at the time of last year’s recall).

Beyond the cost of directly managing the crisis, Cadbury has seen its profits fall, job cuts and threats of a private equity takeover.  The sharks circle.

It seems amazing that companies fail to recognise the real strategic value of their reputation - stupid actions by CEOs and poor operational procedures are just two examples of self-inflicted wounds that public relations crisis managers are then expected to resolve.

But the old days of apologise and rely on relationships and goodwill seem over.  People have more choices and are becoming cynical about see-through apologies or flippant responses. 

Cognitive dissonance can easily shift - from denying incoming information that contrasts with our existing goodwill to believing the negative message and forcing a change in perceptions.

Long-established trust is destroyed.  Then of course, the dissonance will see positive messages rejected or explained as being false and “spin”. 

Eco-marketing needs more focus on 3Ps

Being in Bulgaria meant I missed the fever pitch of the Live Earth concerts fortunately.  This irritates me on so many levels - from the arrogance of the objective of “raising awareness” of climate change (don’t they think we’ve noticed already?) to the extravagant lifestyles of those involved (sod the carbon ratings, how’s my back catalogue doing) to the sponsorship of mega brands who saw this as just another global marketing opportunity.

Some of the media weren’t so easily influenced though and there are some good pieces on the topic of green consumerism.   I particularly like the view that:

If nothing else, Home Depot’s Eco Options at least make even the most ignorant consumer aware there is an option – and therefore, a problem. I’d bet more people in North America have become at least marginally more eco-aware because of marketing rhetoric than from Live Earth or even An Inconvenient Truth.

This is not nothing. It’s not much, maybe. Not yet, anyway. But the paradox – one that true activists would abhor – is delicious: We consumed our way into this mess, and we’re trying to consume our way out. The other way – to stop consuming at all – is a beautiful notion, and a thinly conceived pipe dream.

So does this justify the hyperbole of eco-marketing?  I don’t think so.  Making more environmentally conscious products is justifiable social responsibility.  If you are going to sell or buy things, they should make as little impact as possible.  That is good business as well as being responsible.  There should be a kaizen approach also of continuous improvement as consumers and producers.

I’d like to see more focus of marketers on environmental product design - such as ensuring devices cannot be left on stand-by.  Looking at place, ie distribution, and ensuring local production and consumption would also be good.  Price can be another environmental consideration - cost reduction necessitates poisoning the population of China or undertaking mass transportation of goods around the globe?

Instead we see too much concentration on the 4th P - the promotion of green regardless of the reality.  David Phillips picks this up gloriously in his post about being pitched by a PR intern (student) on behalf of Chevrolet (one of the sponsors of Live Earth).

Of course communication is important - but instead of recognising the need to do good first, we get the spin and bling of marketing/PR.  All the classic tools (which are largely recognised as being more and more ineffective) are used to shout “green” at the world.  Lots of hot air - marketing’s contribution to global warming.

The marketing agencies have jumped on green and carbon emissions with glee.  More reason to spend money advertising, sponsoring, even bizarrely using direct mail.  Less understanding at the top of the need for strategic change, when their consultants are promoting how easy it is to be seen to be green.

Hammering the Hummer

Should the Hummer be illegal?  I wonder having seen the news that Wayne Rooney has bought one of the 10mpg beasts (photo mocked up by The Sun).

This vehicle surely undermines all the environmental messages that the motor industry aims to convey?  How can anyone believe the autoworld, specifically GM, has any commitment when it produces the Hummer?

Of course, in the US, GM don’t need to count it against their CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy ) figures and it is even exempt from the gas guzzler tax since it is classified as a truck.

It’s a truck that sucks in terms of safety - any normal car would undoubtedly come off much worse, let alone cyclists or pedestrians in an accident.  In size, it is a commercial vehicle, but the Hummer is most often driven by the likes of Rooney who lack the skills of the professional driver.  Our UK roads, whether in town or country, aren’t meant for morons in Hummers.

That’s my third objection to the Hummer - the type of people it attracts.  The endorsement of “macho” celebs from sportstars to mega millionaire rappers to Schwarzenegger target similarly knuckle-headed owners.  Alright, so Big Arnie has persuaded the General to create him a one-off eco-Hummer powered by compressed hydrogen - but that’s “green-washing” this environmentally unfriendly monster.

The world really doesn’t need the Hummer - so it is top of my list of products that should be deleted immediately.  What would you subject to the environmental eraser?

Speaking plainly about car campaign

Apparently Volkswagen is aiming to cut through marketing jargon and position its latest Passat as the only sensible car in a world of ‘fluff and nonsense’.

Unfortunately, this turns out to be a marketing strategy rather than a reflection of a core value.  Indeed, it is a direct mail campaign, created by Proximity London.  The agency doesn’t actually have a functioning UK website at this time, and its global site is irritatingly over-designed and includes typos (see: breaktrough behaviour change)  

Anyway, the campaign targets “130,000 prospect and current customers and takes a no-nonsense approach to communication.”  Surely, prospect is marketing speak for potential customers?

It positions the Passat to appeal to “40 to 50 year-old males, an audience that is increasingly frustrated by today’s celebrity-obsessed and spin-fueled culture.”  The logic goes that this group will see the car as “a brand of substance in a world of fluff and nonsense.”  Isn’t that yet more marketing-speak?

The Plain English Campaign is cited as having awarded VW a Crystal Mark for the clarity of its communications - although I can only find Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Limited listed - so it is unclear whether this actual marketing campaign has been accredited.

I think it is a great idea for all companies to adopt effective communications as a core value and think clarity of thought is an important aspect.  But, the quote from James Hough, account manager at Proximity London, fails on this front:

Passat customers know a good thing when they see it and don’t need to be insulted with nonsense marketing. We worked with The Plain English Campaign to demonstrate that Volkswagen Passat is a car that thinks like the audience.

Being pedantic (as one should be if you care about use of language), a car is unable to think as defined here.  I also find irony in the quote from Ian Johnston, Volkswagen’s communications manager large cars, that:

The Passat is quite simply the best vehicle in its class. We have no need for bamboozling consumers with flowery ‘ modern-speak’. This latest campaign demonstrates that gimmicks or fluff are not needed for communicating with our customers.

It appears that clear communications are being used as a gimmick in this case.  I would have preferred to see a focus on communicating information about the Passat in a clear way.

Instead, the “strategy” is a distraction from providing information about the car in preference for 

mimicking the verbose language used in modern society, such as a ‘ double-choc cinnamon mochaccino with cream’ which is described in plain English as ‘ a cup of coffee’.

The press release regarding this campaign seems to originate from Proximity (although of course, I cannot see it on its website) rather than from the in-house team at VW.  This again isn’t helpful if such a message isn’t integrated across the organisation.  To me, it seems a wasted opportunity to take something as important as clear communications and ensure it is apparent in everything the company does rather than just to promote a particular car on a short-term basis.

[Thanks to Judy Gombita for link to the VW story]

Dante’s Heathrow - gateway to Britain

I had rather a dramatic return to the UK over the weekend.  Owing to a combination of factors, we arrived at the shiny new terminal at Sofia airport just 30 minutes before departure on Saturday and BA decided it was impossible to let me board.  I appreciate this was cutting it fine, but it should have been possible with a little goodwill on their part.

Anyway, the only option offered was to take the 6.45am flight on Sunday morning instead (that’s 4.45am UK time).  Although this meant a final, pleasant evening in Sofia, it also involved a 4.00am start since BA’s instructions were to be at the airport this time two hours ahead of departure - or else.  Of course, there was a queue on my arrival at 4.35am - and the plane itself was delayed in leaving and arriving for various reasons to do with slots, gates and other excuses.

We finally deplaned/disembarked at 8.00am UK time.  I was teaching image and identity last week, and certainly found Heathrow to be a case study in poor image management.  In fact, the impression that came to mind was Dante’s Inferno and the famous phrase:

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here

Wikipedia says that “before entering Hell completely, Dante and his guide see the Opportunists, souls of people who in life did nothing, neither for good nor evil.”  Those like me arriving at airports are looking to enjoy opportunities, but do we deserve the punishment:

to eternally pursue a banner, and be pursued by wasps and hornets that continually sting them while maggots and other such insects drink their blood and tears.

I exaggerate, but you feel like you are being punished in walking miles, eternally following signs to the exit, standing in queue after queue to pass through security,  faced by stressed staff, fighting to reclaim your baggage all in an increasingly dirty, unpleasant environment. 

Outside is no better as chaos ensues with cars, cabs, buses, people and armed police, everywhere.  I wait for the bus transfer to the long-stay parking, which then stops at each terminal before dumping me back to walk to my car.  Finally, some 90 minutes after landing and a £150 parking fee, I can start the journey home.

Is this really the impression we want to give of Britain; an inferno of chaos and madness?  Of course, security concerns are paramount, but how can this lack of order help anyone? 

In car production, there is a system of “just in time” where components are organised to arrive ready for the assembly process.  The goal is “continuous flow” and reflects Japanese thinking on efficiency.  It seems there is much in this approach that could be practised at airports.  Not least in seeking to eliminate the wasteful practices as described in the Toyota Production System:

Muda: Any activity that consumes resources without creating value for the customer.

Mura: Unevenness in an operation; for example, an uneven work pace in an operation causing operators to hurry and then wait.

Muri: Overburdening equipment or operators.

All of these are evident in management of people at airports - little value, rushing and waiting, people and equipment at breaking point.

It strikes me that the most efficient method of ensuring security, and effective travel for customers, would be to reverse many of the current processes.  Instead of encouraging thousands of people to arrive ever earlier, piled like wasteful components at the side of a car production line, we should consider methods of ensuring passengers arrive “just in time” - where their flow through check-in and security can be smooth and more conducive to maximising the potential to detect any terrorist or other threats.

Is anyone looking at how to devise a system that reduces waste and maximises continuous flow in respect of passenger travel through airports?  For example, could we not be given a specified time and place to arrive, where we could wait comfortably until called through individually; entering a process that operates seamlessly? 

To take an analogy of clothing, it seems that rather than create an approach to solve a problem (like Gore-Tex to provide a waterproof/breathable fabric), we’ve just added more and more layers of the old way of thinking. 

Despite the apparent work to increase investment at Heathrow, this feels like a system on the edge of collapse.  BAA appears more focused on revenue from shopping and corporate financing than addressing this crisis in travel.

Surely they can learn cost-effective solutions from other systems which are effective.  Britain deserves a better first impression than this.