CBS won't allow ManCrunch to run with the ball.

I am really excited for the Super Bowl–the teams are getting ready to put their best face forward; millions of people will see stars in the making and see others thrown to the side by armchair quarterbacks wondering what they would have done differently.

And oh yeah, there will be a football game, too.

The marketing community’s annual tradition of Super Bowl advertising hype is in full force.  This year, there is controversy even before I can throw the hot dogs on the BBQ.  This morning, I saw a story about CBS pulled the plug on the following ad from ManCrunch, a gay dating Web site.  The PR people at CBS are already spewing statements noting that the site also has issues with its credit.

If anything, I would question the credit of CBS.

How does a network like CBS draw a line in the sand between Florida Gator Tim Tebow appearing with his Mom in an anti-abortion ad and the ad from ManCrunch?  Is one ad more or less acceptable than the other?

Analyzing the drivers of these decisions are crucial to the study of PR ethics:

• Tebow has a bright future ahead of him in the NFL (although many scouts think he is the next Gino Torretta).  He is a safe bet to be a poster child for something which can be good for the NFL, i.e., family values.
• I have never seen morals get in the way of Super Bowl ads until now.  Where were all of the pundits when GoDaddy ran its ads on the air?  Sure, sex sells, but does the thinking go that it only works for heterosexual men?
• Then there’s the almighty dollar discussions, especially if the prevailing thought is that sponsors would leave the game because there is an “offensive” ad.

If the “sex sells” argument is being utilized here, then what about the “no sex sells” idealism?  Rather than going in the direction that the Tebow family went, what about an alternative message promoting safe sex that prevents thinking about abortions?

ManCrunch is gaining a lot of publicity and ad views online because the CBS brass said no to the ad.  But in what I think will be an ongoing debate leading up to the Super Bowl’s kickoff, there is already a penalty of offensive interference–and there hasn’t even been a snap count yet.

What do you think?  Am I off-base here?

I am one of those PR people who often gets feelings of guilt when he gets coverage for himself; I would rather get the coverage for our clients.

Still, when we have a good idea and the media likes it, we like sharing the news.  Last week, PRWeek printed an article I wrote which speaks to something near and dear to me–how to create more value out of the results that PR firms generate.

I thought you might be interested in reading it (if you cannot open it or don’t have access, Tweet me @shmaraksmpr and I will send it your way), and hope you can apply some of what is here to your company and its clients.  If you’re ever up for discussing specific ideas within your agency, the door (and e-mailbox) is open.

Many thanks–

Michael Shmarak

How Labor Is Liberated–WSJ ONLINE

Thanks to one of SMPR’s fine colleagues sending me the following article, I am reminded–perhaps even validated–that traditional models of leadership need to be shown the door.

At SMPR, we tell our clients that the best communication programs are built when leadership does all it can to connect with its lower ranks so that key messages are germinated through an entire chain of command.  Top-down leadership has its place; bottom-up leadership is how smart companies are made.

Perhaps labor being “liberated” means that workers are having a voice, and that managers are listening to them.  Radical concept, eh?

I have always been a fan of old-fashioned idioms and phrases; for some reason, a lot of them are about horses:

• You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.
• Don’t put the cart before the horse….
• And my personal favorite, the “carrot and stick” idiom which refers to how a carrot is used to entice and motivate a horse to do something.

In PR, we have been trained to go after carrots way too often.  There’s always a carrot dangling in front of us in the form of  new business, a media opportunity or the next big thing in social media (Twitter being a great example).

Let’s make a resolution a little early this year–let’s create our own carrots.  Ask different questions.  Look to different resources to find your leads.  Connect with new people.  Step outside your comfort zone.

You might just find there are a lot of better tasting carrots in the patch….

Why are we always chasing carrots? Isn't it time we create our own carrots?

It goes without saying that every PR firm has some sort of new business pipeline.  What I have found these days is that there are several firms who don’t know how to fill it–or fill properly.

If I hear one more person say they have gone through their rolodex, their LinkedIn profile, their Twitter account or other forum to find people to start conversations about PR counsel, I’ll get sick.  Know why?  In many cases, these people are having the same conversation.  It goes something like this:

“Has (INSERT COMPANY HERE) ever considered its use of PR counsel?” says the agency representative.

“We like where we are,” says the client.

“Can I send you my capabilities one day?”

“Sure.  We’ll keep it on file.  You never know what can happen.”

What if you challenged convention and asked questions that MATTER to the CLIENT’S business as opposed to that of an agency?  Here is an example of something SMPR did in landing one of its most recent clients.

I asked questions that had nothing to do with PR:

• “When was the last time retailers sought ways to transform passive shoppers into active customers?”
• “Who are the companies that are researching how to transform retail’s current environment?”

No mention of PR anywhere here.  Why?  PR can help solve problems when you find other people who are asking similar questions.

We found one of our latest clients because this company was asking similar questions; we had a different answer than what they had heard before.  We started talking about the paths we could each take in finding answers.  Above all else, we proposed that our answers would unveil new opportunities for the company as it sought  new ways to reach clients.

I asked how to solve a problem.  In doing so, I solved a problem that all of us are trying to answer–where to find new business.  Now, this client and SMPR are answering more questions than just about marketing–we’re getting deep into the client’s business.

Isn’t that what a PR firm’s TRUE measurement is about?

I am wondering if there are any tallies or surveys out there for the industries with the worst overall reputation–not just for their image, but for keeping their word for getting things done.  We hear a lot about used car salesmen images, but even they take a back seat to the construction industry.

Back in February, one of the windows in my house cracked due to the extreme cold weather.  The windows were made by Hurd Windows and Doors, so I needed to get a replacement. Plus, I had a leaky jamb or two, so I’m wanting to get those replaced as well. With a tagline of “Welcome to the state of Perfection,” I shouldn’t be worried, right?

Here we are in October–neither the window company nor the construction company which required a deposit to get the windows ordered has delivered on their promises.  What’s more, the construction company never updated me about the lack of progress about the windows being ordered.  Far from perfection here…

To be sure, I get it that when Hurd filed for bankruptcy and that the number of distributors had been cut, things had changed.  But when a company puts forth a message and relies on finances and other excuses as shields, they are as far from perfection as possible.

In this case, the words/expectations of both the construction company and the window company are worth nothing to me.

Give me ACTION, not WORDS. Right now, both of these company’s words are as valuable as a cracked window in the middle of winter.

For those of you who know me, Ella, Max and Lexi are my raison d’etre.  Everything I strive to do in PR pales in comparison to what I try to do as a father.  Just last night after a rough day at the office, I took the kids out on a mini-picnic (McDonald’s Happy Meals in tow) so the kids can play at the park after a “hard” day of preschool.

One of my heavily pushed paternal lessons is to learn the right times to say “thank you.”  For three kids under 4 1/2, that isn’t easy.  But for us adults–especially those of us in PR–saying “thank you” should be such an easy thing, but we don’t do it enough.  Why?

–Is it assumed that we appreciate the business?

–Do we appear to “kiss up” to clients when we say it?

–Or is it because we merely acknowledge clients as “clients” and not as “people?”

Lexi (2 1/2), Ella (4 1/2) and Max (2 1/2) Shmarak--the next generation of PR practitioners?

I recently decided that SMPR will follow my own fatherly advice, and we will be saying “thank you” a lot more to our clients in the weeks and months ahead–and in a lot of different ways using the ethical approaches we follow:

THE MORAL THANK YOU.  We will do a better job of embracing our clients for what they provide us and who they are as people and resources as much as we provide them.

THE LEGAL THANK YOU.  This one is the toughest one–and I’m open to feedback on this.  We decided that we would thank our clients legally by helping them share as many issues, secrets and potential pitfalls as possible, exposing them–and us–to what could be wrong with their business so we know in advance how issues can be fixed.

THE ECONOMIC THANK YOU.  This one was the easiest–we’re thanking clients economically through the referral of new business.  Put simply, if an existing client refers another piece of business to SMPR, we will thank the existing client by providing a credit to their project.  For those who prefer numbers, if CLIENT A (whose retainer is $5,000/month) refers us to CLIENT B  ($3,000/month), CLIENT A will receive a credit in the amount of CLIENT B’s services.  Ask us about this for more information.

THE SOCIAL THANK YOU.  At the end of the day, we want clients to feel good about working with us, and we want to feel the same about working with our clients.  We will do everything possible to continue to foster the professional relationships we have secured, while looking for ways to make those relationships deeper than ever before.

How do you say “thank you” to your clients?  We’re interested in hearing more.  In the meanwhile, remember your best sources of inspiration might be right in front of you.  Thank them for it.

Is this what brand managers hope for when they communicate messages?

What’s the old phrase–fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.  I’m starting to think that this should apply to brands and their marketing practices.

Within the past three months, my business checking account has been hacked.  Twice.  By seemingly the same person.  The Fraud Prevention Department of my bank (A clue on the name:  The bank is “chasing” this customer away) doesn’t seem to know how someone could get both my debit card number and PIN code when I haven’t shared it with anyone or anything other than the ATM machine that gets my inputs.

This is troublesome–for months, banks like Chase and Bank of America have spent millions of dollars on advertising to small businesses like mine about how secure their banking systems are.  Yet here they are having to spend time and energy on another case of fraud; I am sure I am not alone.

Chase has failed on its promise as a bank to keep my money secure, and they have failed to deliver on what their brand is supposed to stand for.  Sure, it is not popular or cool for a bank to admit they’re not perfect, and that accidents can happen.  But doing so is a lot better if you want to stay on an equal footing with your customers.

Truth in messaging is about respecting your customers.  Apparently, the only thing Chase respects is…well, I don’t know what they respect anymore.  They’ve lost me, both for the brand identity as well as a customer.

I am going out on a limb here, but very few PR people would ever gain a lesson in ethics from their condo Board.

But in fact, I had the most unusual opportunity to gain insight thanks to outdoor seat cushions that the Board felt my wife and I didn’t keep in optimal condition.

One member of our Board has spent time going around the neighborhood to cite people for the littlest of worthless details (e.g.,another neighbor for having a Welcome mat that didn’t look so welcoming). In doing so, it has become as much a vendetta as doing her supposed job.

How many times do we have clients who ask us to advocate a special position, only to find out the position takes you away from the client’s core service?  This personal crusade becomes a dangerous path which moves client teams–and companies–away from core strategy.

The lesson here–both for clients and for my condo board–know when to say when.  Stick to what you know, and you’ll become known for it.  Stick to your crusade,however, and your entire team will be known for something you really don’t want.

Who knew “inside information” would take on a whole new meaning?

Steve Jobs’ personal health has taken as much a position in Apple’s corporate positioning as the newest iPhone. In its most recent article in the New York Times, there are several people who suggest that Apple’s shroud of secrecy is a significant detriment to telling the world about the company’s performance.

Have you ever seen 12 ANGRY MEN, the movie about a jury who, at the onset, was convinced a crime had been committed, only to conclude that the person on trial couldn’t have done it?  Reviewing this situation reminds me of the movie.

To be sure, Jobs has been the face of Apple and is as much an asset as his company’s sleek designs.  But I am having a hard time siding with people who suggest that the company has a responsibility in disclosing his illness.

Let’s turn the tables for a second and leverage SMPR’s view of ethics in thinking about this issue:

• Morally, is there an absolute reason why the matter should be divulged?  What if Steve Jobs worked for any other company, public or private?   One’s personal health should be viewed in the context of how it affects one’s family first.  If he/his family don’t want the news to be released, then should it matter who else knows about it?
• Legally, what court system would hold Apple accountable for withholding information about its CEO?  Is he the one designing the computers and iPods and iPhones?  Last time I checked, there were a lot of other people who worked there who have as much (if not more) influence on product design and performance.
• The brunt of the argument seems to be on the economic impact that Jobs has on the company.  Again, last time I looked at the stock quotes, the doors are still open, and they WERE open while he was off of work.  Sales were high, people are still flocking the stores, the brand still has high equity among consumers.
• Socially speaking, I can appreciate both sides of the argument–if a company is not accountable and clear with its communications, then there is a perceived level of “untruth” unless the company comes clean.  But if a company believes its intellectual property is an asset that shouldn’t be shared, then they have the right to preserve it–however unpopular it might be.

Last point here–have you ever noticed that neither this story nor others like it have made it a point to ask how Mr. Jobs is feeling?

So Mr. Jobs, if you’re reading this, feel better.  I hope you can make it back to work, but if you cannot, I have faith in the people running your company.