How to combat fake news

There’s no news like fake news! While fake news has been around for a long time, the 2016 US presidential election showed the lightning speed at which it goes viral on social media. And brands aren’t spared either – the rise of malicious content and alternative news sites means that brands have to protect themselves, now more than ever. That’s exactly what a Washington DC pizzeria discovered when it fell victim to fake news reports that led a man to open fire in the restaurant following claims of it being a child-abuse ring.

For brands, combatting the menace of fake news means getting back to the basics of PR and developing a crisis communications plan. Here are some tips for brands to counter fake news effectively:

Stop feeding the trolls

If you’ve fallen prey to fake news, assuring people by making official press statements would only grant a short-term relief. Take this opportunity to turn a crisis around. Instead of replying to negative messages with negative response, focus on spreading positive news. Be diligent in your response, leaving no room for interpretation. Explain why the news is incorrect, state your brand’s position in that context, and distribute your content accordingly.

Don’t over react

Recognise the difference between fake news and sarcasm as some media outlets may take a contrarian view. Identifying this can be crucial and should be tacked with good humour as opposed to being defensive!

Make employees your brand advocates

In times of a communication breakdown, it is key to ensure every employee is equipped with the right message. To do this, everyone in the company should know what happened and where the truth lies. An employee may take to social media to express their own opinion about the firm, and if this opinion is ever based on fake news – a small spark is enough to start a fire.

Active monitoring and response

Implement robust monitoring for all social channels, sub-brands and key spokespeople. Get rid of auto-responses, instead respond proactively and in real-time. Moreover, investments in paid search and promotion on social media sites can go a long way to countering fake news. Have adequate skills and budget in place for paid planning and targeting.

Publish more often

Written content has the ability to combat a fake news story, alter a negative situation, and reinvent your brand in a positive light. Do not republish attacks. Instead, share positive content that counters fake news via owned, shared media channels and influencers including traditional media in the form of blogs and thought leadership.

Facing troubles tackling fake news? We can help! Reach us at hello@mutant.com.sg

How to come back from a content mistake

One Academy Award, 14 Oscar nominations, and once considered the most powerful man in Hollywood – Warren Beatty is now going to be remembered as the guy who read out the wrong name.

Things went downhill soon after the cast of LaLa Land went on stage to receive the coveted Best Picture award. Even as one of the producers was speaking, viewers at home saw someone run across the stage holding an envelope. It was quickly announced that it’d been a mistake, and that Moonlight was the actual winner of the prestigious award. The live audience collectively held its breath the entire time. But no matter how many times you watch the blunder, it doesn’t get any easier watching poor Beatty trying to explain it away.

But, mistakes happen. And marketers operating in real-time know this better than anyone else. We’re breaking down the mistakes and lessons to be learnt from this train-wreck.

Mistake #1: Driving yourself crazy with self-editing

Of course, checking what you have written is a good habit to get into, but do you really need to spend hours self-editing content that already took you hours to write? When it comes to content marketing, practice makes perfect. Yes, editing is crucial, but it should only take you a few minutes. Constantly reviewing something is a recipe for disaster, at least in the same day. When the writing is still fresh, your mind will automatically make up the gaps in your copy and your editing will be subpar. Instead, put it away and come back to it another day — or at least several hours later.

Mistake #2: It isn’t relevant

You take the time to write a content piece, possibly spend longer than you should editing and build a landing page, then there’s one thing that kills it- it’s irrelevant. And we all know that irrelevant content doesn’t drive engagement. The answer to this is simple – sit down and do your homework. Make your content is easy to read and digest. The goal is to leave your readers hungry for more.

Mistake #3: You’re too jumbled up in SEO

If you are clogging your content with back links and unnecessary keywords, your just making life harder for yourself, and your readers. Remember to write for people first, and search engines second. This way, it makes your content more readable and sharable.

Mistake #4: Your focus is quantity over quality

The biggest secret to content marketing is just that, the content. Producing blogs posts to fill that promised KPI isn’t going to bring much value. One of the biggest mistakes made is wasting precious time and resources creating content that is not attracting your target audience. Delve into the mind of your audience. Who are they? What do they need help with? And craft content to solve their problems. This is a lot more valuable than the rat race of getting a blog out before your neighbour just for the sake of it. Put more focus on creating and promoting quality content that’s fit for purpose.

Mistake #5: You’re selling too hard

Golden rule#1: content marketing is not created for hard selling. You create to educate, inspire, engage and build your brand. Not to receive immediate acquisition. Of course, gaining business is an important goal, but it shouldn’t be obvious to customers. These days everyone does their homework online before purchasing. That’s why it’s important to provide relevant information, answer consumer questions, solve problems and offer alternative perspectives. Because if you don’t, someone else will.

Mistakes happen to the best of us – it what makes us human. Here’s hoping that LaLa Land Producer, Jordan Horowitz, and Moonlight’s Director Barry Jenkins can see it in the same light.

If you need help crafting a killer content marketing strategy, drop us a note at hello@mutant.com.sg

5 strategic benefits of PR

“Why should I spend money on PR?”

It’s a question many business leaders and entrepreneurs ask when allocating their marketing budgets. And even though it’s possible to drive a business with minimal or no PR spend, it’s unlikely that the brand will ever gain traction in its industry or key markets.

Many businesses regard public relations as an afterthought and the PR machine is only activated when they are hit by a scam or crisis. On the other hand, brands with consistent PR efforts are able to create long-term sustainable accomplishments, and are far more successful in dealing with negative publicity.

What’s more?

  1. PR helps generate leads

A targeted media outreach backed by high-value content assets (data studies, whitepapers, opinion pieces) will gradually convert into a lead generation machine, catching eyeballs of the right investors, talent and prospects. With the right messaging and strategy, PR can increase your credibility as a stable and potentially lucrative investment target while cultivating relationships with key opinion leaders.

  1. It helps to boost your SEO

For any brand, the key to driving visibility and positive impressions relies on being top of mind. And, the importance of SEO becomes even more critical as brands must be present and found online, easily. The more media coverage a brand receives, the more links it receives back to its website. Links from reliable, trustworthy media sources rank high in Google’s algorithm, leading to better search results.

  1. Trust for editorial content is more valuable than ads

PR’s approach to positioning your business in the public light differs greatly from that of advertisements. Media reports suggest that consumers trust third-party editorial content (which is shareable and can be re-purposed), more than any type of advertising or endorsement.

  1. PR builds successful thought leadership

Thought leadership is one of the more strategic approaches to building up the credibility of CEO’s and business leaders. It provides a great opportunity to accomplish critical business objectives, evangelise company culture, support recruiting efforts and gain partnerships and endorsements. A well planned out thought leadership campaign is not just limited to publishing opinion articles but also creates a pipeline of events, conferences, speaking opportunities, and of course social media.

  1. PR enables cross-channel messaging

Creating a digital editorial calendar is critical to keeping your company’s messaging consistent across your key distribution channels. By combining information for your blogs, email marketing and PR efforts, you ensure consistency and one unified message directed to all your content channels.

With the rise of digital and social media, the fight for attention has never been greater. Trust can be difficult to build and reputation has become even harder to protect. PR helps build brand honesty and credibility, and it’s one of the best investments a business can make.

“If I was down to the last dollar of my marketing budget I’d spend it on PR!”
– Bill Gates 

 

If you need any help with your 2017 PR efforts, drop us a note at hello@mutant.com.sg.

5 tips to get media coverage for your brand

“Hello. I just sent you a press release about my client—a semiconductor company launching a new design for its latest power adaptors. Could you publish it on your website?”…Except I write for a marketing and advertising magazine.

I can’t recall the number of times I’ve had to politely and curtly tell eager PR executives that I wasn’t interested in what they were pitching. But I can tell you how many times I have received a good, well-rounded and articulate pitch– 15 maybe 20 times in nine years. That’s shockingly disproportionate for two professions that have so much in common.

When engaging with the media,please consider these tips from an ex journalist who has recently made the jump to PR.

  1. Know the publication and journalist’s beat

    Please spend time researching the publication and journalist. I’ve been called “Mr. Iyer” more times than I’m willing to admit. It is off-putting and offensive to call someone, not know their correct name, and not have a clue about what they cover. Referencing some of the journalist’s previous work and demonstrating how your client’s content fits in is a huge plus.

  1. Presentation

    In today’s fast-paced, competitive content hungry environment, journalists are far more willing to write something when you give them a good, relevant story. Think of a fresh angle and build it into a wider narrative. Please do not cc the entire world in your emails—certainly not reporters and editors at rival publications.

  1. Expectations matter

    Just because all publications have digital versions doesn’t mean they are going to change words and sentences to suit clients whims and fancies. There are house-styles to adhere to and it’s a reporter’s job to bring in different perspectives. So unless something is factually incorrect, please try to manage expectations as best as you can.

  1. The race for exclusives

    Journalists will lap up anything with the word exclusive. If you can’t offer an exclusive on some big news, arranging an interview with a top executive from the firm in question could be useful. Pitching a sensible follow-up could also earn you brownie points.

  1. The follow up

    This is a big pain point. A journalist will typically show interest in a story idea immediately. If he/she is somewhat interested I would recommend following up once presenting new information or context. Find out what additional information or angle would work better. But please do not spam or call someone everyday. Move on to the next publication.

Whether you work in PR or are simply looking to get your brand noticed by the media, it’s critical to do your research and creatively frame every single pitch.

If you need help developing a compelling story and delivering the right messages to the media, get in touch with us at hello@mutant.com.sg.

 

Are brands responsible for what customers do with their products?

Companies develop new products with the intention to make the world a better place. They see a gap in the market, develop a solution, people use it, the company earns money, and everyone’s happy.

However, not everything is always that straightforward. Ethical issues can come into play when consumer usage deviates from the intended use of the product. Which begs the question of just how much responsibility companies should bear when their product (inadvertently or not) has caused harm.

Here are a couple examples to consider:

Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go, the wildly popular augmented reality game turned the entire world into its playground. Along with it came side effects of players flocking to places they’re not always welcome to “catch ‘em all”. From the backyard of private residences to places of worship and memorial grounds, there’s no stopping players from trespassing beyond opening hours in search of Pokémon and the Pokéstops. Even more dangerous is the behaviour of distracted drivers playing Pokémon Go, which has resulted in fatal accidents. Does this land Niantic, the game’s developer, in murky waters? Are they obligated to come up with updates to completely block users from playing when in moving vehicles? Or respond to Pokéstop removal requests at private residences and memorial grounds?

With such controversies, the risk for potential lawsuits resulting from injuries or privacy violations increases, which is why it’s crucial for companies to have a crisis response strategy in place to answer potential public backlash that could arise.

Tinder

Dating apps have revolutionised the way people find love. Figures show that there are 50 million global users on Tinder, the most popular dating app. For the uninitiated, Tinder matches users with people near you with just a simple swipe. As the stigma around such apps fades and online dating becomes acceptable, there are still negatives associated with dating apps – such as the concerns of under-age users or married folks. Should dating apps take stronger steps in enforcing stricter policies to stop those behaviours? Just how much are they supposed to be responsible for the behaviours of users?

Having a messaging strategy in place is key in establishing who and what your product is meant for. A solid communication strategy can ensure your brand pushes the product out to the right people for the right reasons, and set an off-track narrative right again.

If anything, digital technology has made it harder to decide who is responsible. At the end of the day it’s up to the end user to apply common sense. The brand is simply providing a solution for a gap in the market. But that’s not to say brands bear zero responsibility. It’s equally important for companies to have strong messaging in place to establish their intended audience and product use. With a strong PR team working alongside you, issues that could potentially turn sour can be nipped in the bud early on, and the backlash from crisis situations can be better managed with a well-planned response strategy.

If you need help to sharpen your communications strategy, get in touch with us at hello@mutant.com.sg

6 content-driven ways to engage the finicky Millennial

Millennials are an interesting bunch. They currently make up the largest portion of the Singaporean workforce, and by 2020 they will account for over a third of the global workforce. Many will soon be entering their prime working years with high purchasing power, making them one of the most lucrative target groups for marketers.

However, connecting – really connecting – with Millennials is no easy task. There’s a reason so many marketers tear their hair out when trying to target and engage them, simply because Millennials aren’t very responsive to traditional methods of advertising. This is also true for the Millennials’ younger siblings, Generation Z.

So how can you approach and execute a campaign that appeals to the needs of today’s tech-savvy youth? Answer: Through smart and targeted content.

  1. Keep things mobile friendly

Everyone knows this about Millennials – they eat, live and breathe mobile, and are addicted to social media in all its forms. They are the mobile generation, constantly consuming online content on the go. This means brands need to tailor their marketing to think mobile first.

From making sure your creatives are specifically tailored to each social media platform, through to creating bite-sized videos that are interactive and easy to digest – make it a point for your marketing to be fit for the Millennial on the move.

TIP: You can make use of some amazing free resources such as Facebook’s business tips and ad guides which can help ensure your content is both desktop and mobile friendly.

  1. Make them feel important

Be active on social media, and by ‘active’ we don’t mean just post things regularly. You have to engage with your audience on a genuine level. Reply to comments, ask for feedback and interact with people, as opposed to using these channels purely as promotional avenues. Involve your Millennial audience and let them be a part of your brand and its story.

  1. Listen, educate and don’t interrupt

Millennials grew up in a world of smart devices and laptops, surrounded by fast-advancing technology. Having been bombarded with advertisements from a very young age, they know when they’re being sold to and hate it, which explains the amount of ad-blocking apps at our disposal. Think about the commercials played before a YouTube video, or between songs on your free Spotify account. Those commercials interrupt to sell, and detract from the user experience. Instead, a targeted content marketing campaign focuses on listening to people. It allows brands to address consumer pain points without that annoying sales pitch.

Produce educational content that is engaging and inspiring. Always consider the end-user and what they need. As Millennials are time poor and want quick solutions for everything, you can post an advert online that tells how fast they can do something, be sent something, or complete a task. For example, if your ad’s messaging is around the world’s fastest-drying hairdryer, promote a piece of content discussing “5 speedy ways a quality hairdryer can save you time”.

Where an ad might be disruptive, the article serves to educate and allows the readers to make up their own mind on their next beauty purchase.

TIP – Always have a call-to-action on every content piece. This will help direct a potential customer further down the purchase funnel.

  1. Get personal

Instead of creating content around a generic understanding of Millennials, create targeted information that appeals to life stage rather than age. Targeting all Millennials is too general, and would likely result in your audience thinking you don’t understand them at all. A 30-year-old professional would have different life priorities when compared to a 17-year-old student.

Makeup giant Sephora, does a great job in targeting the Millennial audience with all the latest makeup products, tips and tricks. Here’s a Hello Kitty styling product focusing on a younger Millennial demographic with this cute graphic and fun content.

Then there was this year’s must-have beauty buy – the new Dyson Supersonic hairdryer. This post is targeting those ‘older’ Millennials with a bit more disposable income who value beauty and luxury. Each post from Sephora has a different targeting purpose to ensure the brand covers the wide Millennial demographic.

  1. Be authentic, relevant and fun!

It’s important for every piece of content to be authentic. Create personalised stories and use a conversational tone of voice. Millennials will appreciate it and are more likely to respond to a genuine conversation.

Remember, Millennials love to be a part of something and respond well to human qualities when it come to brands and their marketing. Be real and relevant to YOUR audience!

Clever marketing will get the message across in an engaging and humorous way that will have the audience coming back for more. Check out this great Instagram post from Dunkin’ Donuts who were able to have some fun with the Pokemon Go craze and received a lot of fan attention as a result.

  1. Bring your visual game

As people who live in the digital sphere almost 24/7, Millennials are easily distracted. A website or post with poor design is an instant turnoff, while eye catching visuals accompanying content is more likely to grab attention. It’s all about the #aestheticgoals here, so use a mix of engaging creative such as videos, infographics, images and GIFs.

Global snack food brand Oreo has mastered the art of visual content with its clever Instagram account. Check out this fun work-themed example from Oreo that received a lot of fan engagement:

Yes, Millennials may seem like one of the hardest demographic group to target, but this is largely due to our lack of audience understanding. A well-developed content marketing campaign helps brand to engage and drive meaningful connections with their key audience.

If you need help reaching your audience, get in touch with us at hello@mutant.com.sg

 

5 PR tips to get you through the festive season

So, you’ve made it to December. You’re probably wondering where the last 11 months have gone, but hey ho, it’s now time to start looking ahead.

December is a month that is notoriously filled with back-to-back celebrations. From year-end parties to Christmas and New Year gatherings, it’s full on – but it’s also a time where some people (and businesses) slow down as they mentally prepare for the next year.

However, the media doesn’t stop. Newspapers and magazines are still being published, and TV news doesn’t take a holiday either. Journalists are always on the lookout for new stories and ideas – in fact, this slower time of year often means journos are keener than ever to be approached with thoughtful content. It’s basically a prime time to pitch!

Here are some PR tips to help arm you throughout the festive season and keep your business on track well into the New Year:

  1. Pitch, pitch, pitch!

The worst thing you can do is go silent during this month. Instead, keep pitching and stay in touch with key journalists. Research what’s trending and create content pieces or use past ideas and share them with the media. Keep things fun, and where possible make it relevant to the festive season. Even if your story isn’t immediately picked up, the journalists have you on their radar for any future stories, and you can follow up come January with a fresh pitch.

  1. Become a social butterfly

It is the party season after all! So get out there and spread those wings. Meet new people, attend industry events, parties and talks. Chances are you’ll bump into members of the media or like-minded people that may have an interest in your business. Have fun, but keep your PR radar on for any opportunities to spread the good word about your brand!

  1. Keep connected

Yes, your usual media contacts may be away enjoying their holidays but there will be other writers and editors you can connect with. This will also help expand your PR network and database in general. Stay on top of your target publications and check out who’s writing stories that are relevant. If you’re not sure who’s holding the fort while your closest journalist contacts are away on holiday, pick up the phone and find out.

  1. Stay socially active

Whatever your do, don’t forget to remain active on social media. Today’s consumers live and breathe social all year round, and this includes Christmastime. Whether you are manually posting on your company’s chosen platforms or using management and scheduling tools such as Hootsuite, make sure you have a strategy in place – even if you are on holiday. Staying active helps keep your brand top of mind and maintain the traction you’ve built up throughout the year. Download our social media content calendar template to help you map out your social plans across the next month and into the New Year.

  1. Plan ahead

Given December is a quieter month, use this time to plan your PR calendar for the New Year. Map out your communications goals and get prepped for new announcements or launches which you know are happening in 2017. Create plans, make calendars and add in tentative timelines to stay on track with execution, ensuring you start the New Year off with a bang!

So what are you waiting for? If you need advice on how to use the festive period to your advantage, get in touch with us at hello@mutant.com.sg.

 

4 things Casey Neistat can teach you about PR

This week CNN announced that it has acquired shortform video app, Beme – the product of a collaboration between ex-Tumblr(er) Matt Hackett and filmmaker Casey Neistat. Never heard of Beme? You’ll be forgiven. Despite a promising kickoff, the video messaging app (akin to Snapchat) never achieved widespread appeal and suffered a ropey adoption curve.

The acquisition (reported to be $25 million USD) represents a logical skip-jump for CNN, who have come along way from their broadcaster roots to become a 24-hour global multi-platform network, and a consistent adopter of new mediums. In an age where anyone with a smartphone can become a news correspondent, it was only a matter of time before a global network like CNN dipped its toes into shortform video.

What seems clear though, is that CNN is really buying Casey Neistat, the filmaker turned vlogger who regularly draws over 20-million views to each of his daily vlogs and, who arguably changed the entire vlog medium by bringing a filmmaker’s lense to a disposable, low-fi format.

Here are four key PR lessons you can learn from Casey Neistat:

1. Be open and real

Neistat leads a successful tech company, yet he talks to his audiences through channels and forms that they understand and can connect with. When Beme started having technical issues, rather than a smoke and mirrors approach to hide his company’s shortfalls, he was open and sincere about the mistakes. As a result, he was able to build greater trust and buy-in from the public and key stakeholders.

2. Trust a influencer’s integrity – it’s what makes them valuable

With nearly 6-million subscribers, Casey inevitably monetises his activities with brand partnerships. However this doesn’t mean Neistat becomes a starry-eyed spineless brand ambassador. Instead he’ll often work closely with brands such as Apple or Canon, only to criticise the products, albeit in a constructive and level-headed way.

Working in PR, we often bang our heads in frustration when a story hasn’t gone quite the way we planned, or didn’t even land at all. But it’s the influencer’s ability to speak honestly about products that separates the role of PR from owned media and is precisely what gives it true value. Brands who understand this will always work with influencers like Neistat, respecting their unswayable integrity, rather than treating them like glorified infomercials.

3. Storytelling is everything

 

casey-neistat-content-strategy

Neistat hammers this home with every video he creates, from ads with Nike, to vacation vlogs in Vietnam, to Beme itself. With a growing emphasis on native and content-based advertising, it seems that many marketers get distracted by the medium over the message. In essence though, nothing has actually changed. Storytelling is and always will be the most crucial element – irrespective of platform, medium or screen.

PR’s value-add is its ability to really understand the audience and convey a story to audiences with unparallelled authenticity and sincerity. Consumers and the media are now more savvy, discerning and BS-resistant than ever before, so make sure your story is compelling, interesting and not just a sales pitch.

4. Know when to zip it

Neistat’s usual topics cover technology, gadgets, filmmaking and storytelling. However, on a few occasions, Neistat has stepped off-piste into commenting on areas outside his usual content, such as the US election. He was met with quite a violent backlash from the YouTube community who didn’t appreciate him stepping off his impartial boosted-board.

screen-shot-2016-11-30-at-4-29-19-pm

So what’s the lesson? Make sure you understand where your area of knowledge lies and stick to it. The media may often look for outsiders to comment on subjects outside of a spokesperson’s field, either to offer a fresh perspective or draw them out of their comfort zone. Succumb to the temptation to enter another arena – even slightly – and you risk alienating your brand, diluting your core messaging or, at worst, diving headfirst into a PR disaster.

As a hybrid of consumer, creative agency, tech evangelist and influencer, Casey Neistat has made more impact on the content marketing ecosystem than can fit concisely into this blog, and nothing says this more than CNN’s latest purchase. It’s certainly an exciting time to be in content marketing and PR.

If you need help spreading your brand message, get in touch with us at hello@mutant.com.sg

Image source YouTube

The rise of digital: How an online strategy can complement traditional PR

Let’s face it, we’ve moved into the digital age. APAC is now home to more than half of the world’s internet users, where there are currently 1.83 billion Internet users and 1.43 billion social media users. Comparing this with 2014’s figures of 1.2 billion internet users and 9.6 million social media users, that’s a whopping 52.5% and 47.5% growth in each category.

With the shift to digital, comes a lot of change in the way we communicate and absorb information. Consumers are expecting different forms of interactions, which means the way we communicate with our audience should evolve too. Here’s a few things to consider:

1. Establish your online presence

A key component of PR is working with the media. But in today’s context, the media is not restricted to solely print media – it extends to bloggers, social media influencers, e-magazines and more. Firing off press releases to engage only traditional media is simply not enough anymore. These days, people are almost always online. Failing to be where your audience is could harm your business and you’ll get left behind. A digital strategy establishes your online presence, builds brand reputation, and engages your audience with relevant and useful content. This results in increased visibility on search engines and following count on social media platforms.

2. Apply personalised communication

A digital strategy creates two-way communication and brings the audience into the conversation with options to share their opinions and thoughts. It also offers a personal look into your organisation – afterall you are reaching out to real people.

3.  Grab their attention

Attention spans are dropping, and long-form content from print does not work in the digital landscape. Instead, a good digital strategy delivers bite-sized attention-grabbing information to readers, with links to longer content such as formal press releases, blogs, or media coverage.

Traditional PR no doubt still has a place, but a digital strategy can complement those efforts and elevate it further. A smart mixture of both extends the reach of a purely traditional PR approach, and ensures your business stays on top of its game.

If you need help seamlessly executing a comprehensive PR campaign, drop us a note a hello@mutant.com.sg

 

What Trump’s victory can teach us about today’s media

His quaff has been compared to everything from salmon nigiri to the silky tassel on the tip of corn on the cob.

His triumph as President Elect has confused everyone from his own supporters to my grandma.

He’s… *sigh*. He needs no introduction.

The US Presidential Election results had us squirming and swivelling in our office chairs all year. Not because of our respective political views, but because we’re in the business of communications. As specialists in the marketing and PR field, we were just cringing about how fast his controversial messages moved with the right format. Sadly, in the days of partisan Facebook groups, memes, and Twitter, false messages can go viral quickly.

What can we learn from this? Is there a silver lining to this mayhem? Whatever your position on Trump’s politics and message, his win says a lot about the type of content that travels. The shorter, the better. The more conviction, the more viral.

We could have written a Mutant blog about what NOT to do according to the 2016 Presidential Election, but we want to keep it light (and we weren’t sure if WordPress could support 5000-page manifestos, TBH.) So, while the first debate taught us how to live tweet, here are some brand messaging lessons we learned from the Trump win:

1. Sound bites make the news

“I’m gonna build a wall.”

“It’s freezing and snowing in New York – we need global warming!”

Sure, it’s a whole lot of crazy, but these words received media coverage – not just because they were outrageous, but because they were short and said with conviction. It’s not uncommon for politicians to drag on about unpopular policies, but people just tune out. In Trump’s case, his short, syndicated quotes travelled fast. In any news event, journalists literally sit through press events waiting to pick up on a soundbite that will draw in viewers or clicks.

Trump was at goldmine for these. The Cheezel-hued President Elect received a ton of free media coverage because his messages were easy to digest by mass media.

Ensure your own (less crazy) company message is short and concise. For example, when telling people what your business believes in, say it with conviction, and make it easy to digest and repeat to others.

2. The general public is THROUGH with jargon

One of the reasons some citizens don’t vote is because politics can be confusing. The dialogue is full of inconsistencies, and it can be hard to follow if you’re not regularly tuning in. Trump wanted to appeal to the general public and the working class, so he avoiding talking too much about policy and spoke to the people about their everyday problems.

You’ll easily be able to see some parallels between politics and business. Both are important for mobilising people; they’re hard to understand unless you’re in the industry, and both topics can be dryer than Donald’s throat during Debate #3. Here is how he explained his stance on illegal immigration:

“I will build a great wall – and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me – and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border. Mark my words.”

Ok, ok, it sounds like it came from a children’s story book. Be simple, but still sound smart.

By using soft, simple terminology that anybody can understand, not only will your message be loud and clear, but it will be easier to spread. Start with the need of your audience, before you start to sell your product. If you’re a tech company, for example, talk first about what need you’re appealing to, then talk through the product.

3. Branded content trumps traditional advertisements

Trump became a walking billboard for his campaign. In fact, he has allegedly spent only a fraction of what Hillary had on ads. He is a walking content strategy, so much that the camera follows him, not the other way around.

To maintain this level of consistency, company leaders need to always be preaching their values and conveying them in everything they do. To C-Suite leaders, whether you are writing a blog, speaking at an event, or speaking on television, be consistent and stick to four or five core values. You know you will have succeeded when you people are unable to differentiate you from your brand and values. For some, Trump is a symbol for change; for others he is an unpeeled, boiled sweet potato headed for Office – but his message has been consistent. It’s just his audience that varies.

There you have it. The Donald’s message is what it is, and there’s not a lot we can do but learn from it.

Need help with getting noticed in the media? Write us at hello@mutant.com.sg.

 

Image credit: marieclaire.co.uk

 

The battle of the brands: Does controversy work?

In an incredibly dense and competitive marketplace, it’s becoming increasingly hard for brands to really stand out and make an impact. Brands now have to constantly think up of innovative strategies to captivate their audience.

Even if a brand has done everything right, it sometimes just isn’t enough to get great traction. And when all options have been exhausted, controversy may be roped in as a last-ditch attempt to scramble for some buzz.

Granted, some brands like United Colors of Benetton have been controversial from day one. But others like Adidas and Dunkin Donuts have learned the hard way through intense negative public backlash.

So, does controversy actually help or hurt brands?

The positive:
It can help start important conversations.


Global fashion brand, United Colors of Benetton faced criticism for their 2012 “Unhate” campaign. The ads featured world leaders (on opposing sides of religious, political, racial and cultural spectrums) in a lip-lock. An initiative by Benetton, the Unhate campaign’s main aim was to ‘fight against hate and discrimination in all its forms’.

Though it was slammed by the Vatican, the series of ads went on to win the Press Grand Prix at the Cannes Ad Festival, a prestigious award in the advertising industry. It was lauded by press jurors that the ad ‘has heart impact’ and promotes ‘a global debate’.

The ad itself is the epitome of controversy, but what made this a win for Benetton is the effect it had on viewers. The message behind it is something that cannot be ignored.

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The negative:
It can seriously hurt the brand

 

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Adidas came under fire shortly after the announcement of a new pair of Jeremy Scott designed sneakers, the ‘JS Roundhouse Mids’. The sneakers featured a pair of orange plastic shackles, which many fans picked up as ‘offensive’ and ‘ignorant’ because of  similarities to shackles worn by slaves in the 19th Century.

Though Jeremy Scott claimed it had nothing to do with the alleged atrocity, Adidas cancelled the release of the shoe, apologising if anyone had been offended by the design.

Adidas may have received great sales from Scott’s outlandish designs in the past, but it just goes to show brands should always do prior research before releasing anything to the public.

When it comes to controversy, the pros and cons must be weighed out before any action is taken. Some brands may perform better with more controversy, but for others, it just doesn’t work out. If a brand’s values don’t align with the consumer, it’s going to get increasingly hard for people to identify with the brand in the long run.

Controversy can be a great exercise for brand building, but it can also hurt and bring about unwanted attention and perceptions which are always tough to change. Play carefully.

If you want to create some hype around your brand, we can help you. Get in touch with us at hello@mutant.com.sg.

5 myths about Public Relations

Working in public relations (PR) has it’s fair share of benefits – cool product launches, exclusive parties, and getting to meet some great leaders and innovators – but the profession has been somewhat glamourised by a few Hollywood films.

public-relationsFact: It’s unlikely you will lead a life like Samantha Jones

Don’t get us wrong, life in the PR fast lane can be glitzy, but behind the scenes there’s a lot of hard work, research and pressure for results. Let us bust a few of those common PR myths.

  • MYTH 1: PR is just press releases
    “Why are we paying you so much to just sent out a couple pages to media?”

Reality: PR does not stand for press release. Public relations is about building long-term relationships with the media and the members of the public through a defined strategy and campaign. Anyone can send out one press release – but what you’re paying for is experience, relationships, strategic insight, networks and expert advice and account management to portray yourself and your business or product in exactly the right light. If you’re doing this across multiple countries, it’s even more work. Don’t underestimate how much work goes into getting your name out there.

  • MYTH 2: PR is easy
    “Anyone could do it.”

 

Reality: Yes, well, you could try but you won’t necessarily succeed. Good PR takes time and a lot of research. You need to constantly be in the know about what journalists are writing and which topics certain journalists cover, and how to pitch your story in a way that will capture their attention. If you don’t do this right, you risk embarrassing yourself and your brand, offending a journalist, and losing the game before you even begin. PR is not just parties and fun – there is real work that goes on to get the right coverage with the right results.

  • MYTH 3: Public relations will make me an overnight sensation
    “Following this press release, I’m gonna be a millionaire overnight.”

Reality: While you will definitely see an uptick in sales, sales or website traffic, understand that PR is about long-term engagement. A strong public relations and marketing strategy will undoubtedly help grow your revenue and help make you successful, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Building brand awareness, trust and credibility is a slow and steady burn that needs to be managed well.

  • MYTH 4: Only large public relations companies can do the job
    “They will have the resources and staff to handle my needs”

Reality: Big agencies are obviously good at what they do, but depending on your needs and your brand, a smaller, more nimble agency can become your ideal partner. And it’s not just because it saves you money – it’s a combination of less bureaucracy, being quicker to adapt, and the ability to have more senior managers on your account. Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better.

  • MYTH 5: My business is doing well, so public relations has no value
    “Only bad products and images need PR.”

Reality: PR has more value than you think, even if things are going well. It’s not true that PR is only necessary from a crisis point of view, when things are going wrong, or when you want to change an audience’s perception. That can be part of the role, but more often that not, PR is about letting your customers know about all the great things you’re doing. Customers today are savvy – they know the deal. They turn to the Internet for credible write-ups and reviews of a product or service before they decide to purchase – and this is something your advertising dollars alone can’t buy.

So there you have it! There is a lot more to PR than meets the eye.

If you need help in spreading your brand message, drop us a line at hello@mutant.com.sg.

 

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