Calling All Skeptics (and Other PR Blog Jots)
Sprint Thank-You Cards: Cute or Calculated?
The Buzz Bin
Or perhaps that headline ought to read, “PR Bloggers: Trusting or Cynical?” Andrea Morris praises Sprint’s new effort to build customer loyalty, but joins me in wondering about the company’s true intentions. Andrea received a cutesy thank-you card that appeared to be hand-addressed, thanking her for her patronage. The idea is terrific, and will no-doubt help with brand-loyalty, but was it a response to a negative article about Sprint CEO Gary Forsee’s compensation in the Washington Post last month? “With this gentle reminder, Sprint effectively made me just a little more brand loyal - which adds to my lifetime value…Still, being the skeptic I am, part of me wonders if this is authentic. Could this be in response to the Washington Post article Geoff commented on last month?”
New Meaning to Text "Messaging"
On Message
John Wagner reports on the newly widespread use of text messaging as part of PR and marketing campaigns. The idea is to incorporate user SMS responses into campaigns, such as offering a free trial of a product by encouraging a consumer to text in a code, or offering downloads or surveys to users via text. Wagner’s client, qtags, offers various text services with marketing elements. “By far, however, qtags' biggest success stories involve "opt-in" campaigns where consumers text a keyword to sign up for news and information on a regular basis about a product, service or brand. These community-building programs enable marketers to build direct relationships with people who desire to have more interaction ... a win-win.”
BL Ochman
In a follow-up to a previous post accusing corporate blogs of “hiding in plain sight” by not linking from the company’s homepage, BL Ochman responds to the companies’ protestations of visibility (left in her comments). She lists the main reasons companies remain reluctant to link to their blogs, which boil down to a basic attachment to the 1.0 world, worry over loss of message control and damage to their brand from the unruly Internet mob. “Having a company blog, or several, allows the company to say "we're hip, we're cool", and, most importantly "We're listening". Not having a link to the blog from the home page allows companies not to take what they still see as the ultimate risk of letting everyone in on the conversation.”
Comments