Nancy Vaughn
White Book Agency - Principal, PR & Marketing DirectorTampa, FL
http://www.whitebookagency.com
Nancy's Blog
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I think we've all heard the phrase: The cobbler's children have no shoes. While I'm not sure where the phrase originated, I know I've fallen victim to it more times than I'd like. For those who don't know, it's the accountant who dismisses her taxes, the lawyer who overlooks her own legal matters, the organizational consultant with no organization, or the wardrobe stylist with a suit from the 80s (not a classic one...a trendy, dated one).
This doesn't mean that the aforementioned individuals are not good at what they do. How can you tell? Just ask their clients! They're usually excellent at what they do, they just don't do it for themselves or their own businesses. This is nothing new for women, we have a tendency to take care of others before we take care of ourselves.
It took me almost two years to get to work on updating my company's website, and once I got started...it took me two months after that to complete it. Not because I wanted all of the bells and whistle [...]
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As a publicist, I don't think it's absolutely necessary to have event planning skills, but I've found that having these skills has served to benefit my clients and my business.
My experience runs from planning small office parties and fundraisers to event logistics at large scale national conferences (think 40,000+ attendees). Events can be beneficial from a PR standpoint because they can help to create a buzz around your business (especially when you seemingly have nothing else going on). Plus, let's face it - people like a party!
Here are few reasons you should consider having a mini-event:
Product launch. If you are adding a new product to your cosmetic line or jewelry collection, why not have a party to celebrate this? This can help to establish more than one reason to gain press coverage. If the press doesn't write or review your new product, they may actually cover your event or promote it to the general public. Any pre-event coverage may increase attendanc [...]
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I came across this video on Advertising Age from Pepsi and thought it was very ingenious of the popular soda brand to just "go with the flow."
Pepsi found that some Spanish speakers found it easier to pronounce the Pepsi brand name without the "P" as in "Pesi."
This commercial does a great job of driving home its main point, "regardless of whether you say 'Pepsi' or 'Pesi,' our beverage is the one you're going to want to drink." Pepsi was aware of their target market and open to experimenting a bit with their brand to reach their audience.
As a business owner, I find it refreshing to be able to experiment and try new things. Admittedly, they haven't all been winners, but I enjoy the flexibility. Are you open to change or do you always try to play it safe?
How do you feel about reaching out to a new target demographic (i.e. men, Boomers, Gen-Y, different ethnicities, etc.)?
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We've all heard it before...choose your words wisely and watch what you say. This applies to words used personally and professionally. Thanks to texting and character limits, we've become more (or perhaps less) creative with word usage. Think: thx, lol, gr8t, ltr.
I've seen the texting language in response to media questions and in cover letters I receive from applicants. (Texting language can be a whole other blog post.) It's kind of sad. I'm not a grammarian or English major, but I am a fan of the written word and the art of choosing the right ones to communicate a message. Sometimes I do a decent job, other times I know I've missed the mark because of the blank stares or the strange response message I receive back.
I think it's especially important to remember the power of words in business. I have associates who think I'm crazy for taking the time I do to craft an e-mail message, reply to a post, etc. Most of us are aware of e-mail etiquette, however, the words us [...]
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That's what I'm learning to do when I'm having one of those days. Just ignore it for a little while.
Have you ever had one of those days where not only is nothing going as planned, but you just want to crawl back into bed because you kind of see where things may be headed for the day?
Here's an example of one of those days:
- I had a call from a client who was wondering why her interview hasn't been published. Turns out the reporter had more pressing news she had to feature and I'm playing the waiting game along with an antsy client until it's our turn.
- I had a meeting with a vendor partner and we were both clearly speaking foreign languages to one another. It was English with no comprehension. It made for a frustrating conversation and an hour later...we kind of got to the point.
- There was a plumbing issue which resulted in me emptying an entire closet and moving wet boxes.
- I played peacemaker between two talented, creative personalities.
This all occurr [...]
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I have a "one more thing" syndrome. That's when I try to do "just one more thing" before running out the door, or check just "one more" email or take just "one more" call. All in the name of being more productive and trying to make the most efficient use of any available time.
I read somewhere by starting/stopping/starting tasks again, you lose about 25% of time. I'm not sure how that's calculated, but this seems pretty accurate. You know when you go flying out the door at the last minute because you took that one last phone call? You're rushed, possibly disheveled and arrive to your new destination all smiles but with mild panic underneath it all because you zoomed through yellow lights. Phew! That "one more" thing may have pushed back your entire day causing more than one more problem.
I've been trying to stop. It's not easy allowing calls to go to voicemail or to watch the inbox fill up with extra emails. It's not easy to just get up and walk away from the compute [...]
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At least a few times a year I have to explain the difference between some often confusing marketing communication techniques, like advertising, branding and public relations. I wanted to share this image with you as it's a clever way to help some people understand.
While there is much more to marketing, public relations, branding and advertising, this graphic seems to help people, "get it" initially. (There's also another one that includes telemarketing and design.)
I presented a much cleaner version when speaking to a group of students a few months back. I had them create an image of a "cool guy" (their brand). Then I had them go through the scenarios referencing, "I'm a cool guy" and "I hear you're a cool guy."
In a nutshell:
Advertising: Pay for placement in a publication, on the radio, television or online. You have control of your message.
Public relations: You don't pay for placement in a publication, on the radio, television or online, however, [...]
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Here in Tampa Bay we have these dancing advertisement people who promote businesses - everything from pizza to legal services to apartment rentals.
They're not professionally trained dancers and at first look, you'd probably think it's pretty ridiculous. These people are performing dances that most people only do alone...behind closed doors...sometimes in front of mirrors...while singing into a hairbrush. You get the picture. They have their headphones on and they are shaking what their mamas gave them.
After months of seeing these "dancing advertisements," many of us who drive by have become accustomed to seeing them - occasionally honking and waving. Most recently, it got me thinking, "Why don't we all do that in business?" I don't mean letting go and just having fun all the time, but just enjoying ourselves more. I've watched my ad sign friends progress in their dancing skills and dance just as energetically as they did six months ago. They entertain themselves i [...]
