An interesting thing happened on the way to filling Senator Ted Kennedy’s seat here in Massachusetts – the Republican candidate, Scott Brown pushed ahead of Democrat Martha Coakley with only a few days to do before the votes are cast. We are witnessing a grass roots initiative in Scott Brown’s camp that’s taken hold. New media and social media are playing a big role, keeping in mind that Scott Brown didn’t have nearly the name recognition that Martha Coakley had when this all started. Presidents Clinton and Obama visited Boston this weekend to try to bolster support for Coakley. Senator McCain has endorsed Brown, as did Ted Kennedy’s hometown newpaper, the Cape Cod Times. The Tea Party Express has endorsed Brown in a YouTube video (also a TV spot), even though the candidate was unfamiliar with the organization. Pollsters and pundits are scratching their heads. But haven’t we seen this grass roots effort demand change before?
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I like new ideas. But ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you that I like old things: old typewriters, radios from the 1930’s, antique airplanes – actually biplanes (even the one I wrecked), vintage cars, movies based on true stories from the past and visiting historical places. To some that may sound boring, but I think the reason I like those things is because we can still learn from them in new applications of life’s experience. It is either that, or maybe I actually lived in one of those eras and I find those things familiar. Anyway, the same is true to a certain degree in the principles of marketing, PR and communications. Tried and true being re-tooled works. For example, social media is an extension of the neighborhood idea, the church group idea or the professional club idea only global. Social media allows us to stay in touch with friends, colleagues, clients and meet new ones more easily than we ever could before. New media (online video and podcasts) allows us to visit places and see things we can’t physically take the time to go to see. And all of those things are an opportunity. And when used in marketing, PR or communications, an opportunity to attract attention to a certain goal or objective. The other day I ran across something I had saved from more than a few years ago. Seth Godin (one of my favorite gurus) wrote The Top 10 Secrets of Marketing in a blog post back in 2006. If you haven’t read it – you should – because it still makes sense today in 2010! My favorites are #5 :If it makes you nervous, it’s probably a good idea and #7: At some point, you’re either going to have to stick to your convictions or do what the market tells you. Then of course #1 is #1 for a reason: Don’t run out of money. If you read and really think about them, the Top 10…are still the Top 10. 
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There are a lot of things that amaze me about this story. First of all, that a media-crazed egocentric couple could actually pull this off, gaining access to the President so easily, points out a significant security breach that needs to be addressed seriously. And secondly, I’m amazed that the media (both traditional and new media) seem to be consumed by the story. It leaves me wondering why there isn’t this much attention to the debate over President Obama’s decision to send 35-thousand or more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. I think THAT would be worth all the talk-show and journalists time and debate among experts. Whether the party crashing couple lied to federal officials and now may face felony charges will be decided in short order. But the long term consequences of sending tens of thousands of young men and women on the ground into harm’s way in a country where we can’t win on enemy territory is far more important to the future.
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I wish someone would explain to me why there seems to be a new so-called profession of social media experts. First of all, we haven’t had social networking long enough for any of us to be true ’experts.’ Yet, I see loads of people charging huge amounts of money to teach others the fundamentals of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc…when in fact, if you sit down and focus on each one of those for a few hours each day, you’ll learn it by doing just like most of us have. So, I ask you – are they selling snake oil? Now, let me be clear, I DO use social networking tools and I DO see good value in them for business and I DO understand people charging for their transfer of knowledge (expertise) about how best to use these new tools in Public Relations and Marketing for different industry sectors. On size does not fit all especially when you make the leap from personal social networking to your business. But that’s about sharing professional expertise in Marketing, for example, not ‘how to upload a photo.’ And if I could send a message across all my social media networks, it would be for everyone in various groups to which I belong, to STOP selling themselves in every post. And beware of the snake oil and the price of it.
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Posted on 20. Oct, 2009 by admin.
Here’s an idea. If you’re disgusted by the antics of the parents in Colorado whose sole purpose was to get mindless publicity – turn it off. Turn off the rancid news coverage analyzing every twist and turn on TV. Stop watching the YouTube videos, reading the blog posts, newspaper articles and ridiculous Tweets about it. If [...]
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Video does it Best
Posted on 29. Sep, 2009 by admin.
One word. Video. I know I’ve been away from the blogosphere for a little while – so I should have more than one word right? Sorry it has been a busy place here between the company and teaching and…then there’s the son in college app mode this year! Clients and recent research point the extraordinary value [...]
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PR or Marketing?
Posted on 06. Sep, 2009 by admin.
As I begin to think about the class I’m teaching this Fall at Emerson College in Boston, I can’t help but be reminded that the worlds of PR and Marketing are extremely blurred. The class is Principles of PR, which is a big topic and there’s a lot of history and a lot of principles. We hope to [...]
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Cronkite: A legend to remember (1916 – 2009)
Posted on 19. Jul, 2009 by admin.
Many of us remember watching him on the CBS Evening News and the oh-so-many historic news events that we recall with his presence indelibly tethered. With the 40th anniversary of the first walk on the moon with Apollo 11, we will certainly see those clips of his news reporting the moment with such joy that [...]
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admin: Thanks for sharing such a great story, Debbie. Kee...
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Scott Hess: The Poynter article should be mandatory reading fo...
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Debbie Hemley: Lu Ann, Thank you for your post, and for your c...
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