Author Archives: Don Beehler

Celebrity Endorsements Can Be Problematic for Ad Agencies

Michael Vick, the former NFL quarterback who recently was released from prison for a dog-fighting conviction, is having a hard time finding a team that wants him. No doubt one of the reasons is the public relations baggage he’d bring and the controversy he’d generate.

If he ever plays football again, it’s hard to imagine companies lining up with endorsement offers. At one time Vick was an admired athlete and an attractive endorsement prospect. But, once his criminal activities came to light, public admiration quickly turned to revulsion.

Even though Vick has served his time, his tarnished image will be difficult, if not impossible, to repair. No company wants to be tied into a PR nightmare like animal cruelty or have its product or service associated with someone who committed such heinous acts.

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to small- and medium-sized advertising agencies and businesses.

HARO Helps Ad Agencies Get Media Coverage for Clients

HARO, which stands for Help A Reporter Out, is a free newsletter that is e-mailed up to three times a day to subscribers, containing an average of 15-30 leads from reporters seeking sources for stories.

The leads are organized into categories (Business & Finance, Health/Fitness, Lifestyle, Technology, etc.) with specifics about each story, what information the reporter is seeking and contact information.

It’s a must read for ad agencies wanting to make sure their clients don’t miss important opportunities for coverage. To learn more or to subscribe, visit: http://www.helpareporter.com

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to small- and medium-sized advertising agencies and businesses.

How Ad Agencies Can Get the Most Out of Twitter

In a Financial Times article, marketers shared tips on getting the most out of Twitter while still staying on the good side of its users. Among their recommended do’s and don’ts for brands:

• Claim your name. Listen before you leap. Have a purpose…

• Don’t “broadcast” but instead approach tweets like a conversation where you might be challenged.

• Don’t be lured by sites that promise tons of followers for FREE, aim to grow organically. A few quality followers are worth more than tons.

• Talk the same language as your audience. Brands that generate the most clicks, follows, replies are the ones that engage.

• Remember that Twitter is about people so you have to let the personality of whoever is tweeting come through.

• Don’t be too salesy. It’s really, really boring and will just make you (and thus your brand) look like a tiresome jerk.

Read the article and other recommendations at: http://tinyurl.com/mlaxv5

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to small- and medium-sized advertising agencies and businesses.

Free News Release Distribution Services for Ad Agencies and Their Clients

While paid news release distribution services are a great way to generate publicity, ad agencies should not overlook the many free distribution services that have popped up in recent years.

Many of these services require users to fill out forms, but the few minutes it takes to complete them are well worth the effort. Most of the information can be copied and pasted from the news release itself. Typically there are paid options to upgrade services if desired.

Here are some free news release distribution services I’ve used:

ClickPress
http://www.clickpress.com/releases

E-Boom Websolutions
http://news.eboomwebsolutions.com/addnews.php

Free Press Release
http://www.free-press-release.com/submit/free-press-release.php

I-NewsWire
http://www.i-newswire.com/submit_free.php

Pressmethod
http://www.pressmethod.com

The Open Press
http://www.theopenpress.com

PR Log
http://www.prlog.org

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to small- and medium-sized advertising agencies and businesses.

Ad Agency Discounts May Hurt Long-term Image

A July 13 article in Advertising Age discusses how some ad agencies are getting creative to land new business. According to the article, which is titled “Shops Give Away the Shop as Recession Buster,” a number of agencies are offering big discounts on their rates or even free work.

One promotion that particularly caught my eye was the Brainstorm Group in Toronto, which ran a full-page ad of a coupon offering new clients a discount of $40,000 on a $250,000 retainer.

The agency had a spike of 1,600 Web site hits the day it ran the coupon and was invited to participate in five new business pitches. No takers, however, on the coupon.

I’m all for creative ideas, but I can’t help but wonder what the long-term effect will be for agencies that use such tactics. Whatever happened to emphasizing value rather than positioning oneself as the Wal-Mart of adverting agencies?

Besides, there are some things that just don’t seem appropriate for discounts. For example, in recent years I’ve seen ads from LASIK eye surgeons offering reduced fees for a limited time. I don’t know about other people, but if someone is going to be doing surgery on my eyes, I’m far more interested in getting the most competent doctor than in getting the cheapest one.

While ad agencies that offer discounts for new business may have some short-term gain, the damage to their image will, I believe, be hard to shake. Of course, if an agency needs business now to survive, the long-term isn’t the most pressing concern. But for those agencies that intend to grow rather than just survive, discounting services now may end up having a higher price tag later.

If a retainer was worth $250,000 a year ago, it ought to be worth that today.

For clients who can’t afford to pay as much as in the past, the better approach is to reduce value (i.e. agency time spent on the account) commensurate with the reduced fee.

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to small- and medium-sized advertising agencies and businesses.

PRWeb is Excellent Tool for Ad Agency Publicity

I’ve used PRWeb (www.prweb.com) for several clients and have found it to be an effective and economical way of distributing news not only to journalists, but also to bloggers, customers and prospects.

PRWeb sends news releases to online news services, such as Google and Yahoo!, as well as to thousands of bloggers and journalists. The ability to include key words and tags for Technorati makes it easier for interested parties throughout the world to find the release.

Its “News Release Best Practices” page (http://www.prweb.com/pr/press-release-tip/best-practices.html) has helpful suggestions for maximizing Search Engine Optimization value and generating buzz.

While PRWeb offers several distribution options, I’ve believe the $140 option provides the best overall value. At that price, ad agencies can afford to do more releases about everything ranging from winning new business and earning awards, to new hires and involvement in pro bono and mentoring projects.

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to small- and medium-sized advertising agencies and businesses.

Careless Newspaper Burns Ad Agency

Earlier today I received a phone call from David Jacobs, senior vice president and director of interactive at The Tombras Group. He called in response to my recent post about a spacing error and typo in a full-page ad announcing the agency had earned top honors at the national 2009 ADDY Awards Show. What he shared was interesting and disturbing.

The ad, which only ran in The Tennessean, was initiated by the paper to congratulate The Tombras Group on its award. According to David, The Tennessean sent the agency a suggested ad that contained typos. The Tombras Group corrected the typos, including the spacing error and misspelling of “mountain,” and sent the revised copy back to the paper.

David and his colleagues were expecting The Tennessean to send a copy of the corrected version back for approval, but the next thing they knew the ad was in the paper’s Sunday edition.

These errors not only reflect poorly on the agency, but also unfairly diminish its achievement. This is a real injustice to The Tombras Group, and I hope The Tennessean will do the right thing by publicly acknowledging its errors.

Of course, if someone from The Tennessean has additional information to share about this or another perspective, I invite that person to either comment on this post or get in touch with me. If someone from the paper does contact me, I’ll report the results here.

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to small- and medium-sized advertising agencies and businesses.

Social Media Expertise Propels Agency’s Growth

Client needs forced PR agency Porter Novelli to develop expertise in social media marketing. Just 2 ½ years later, social media work represents about 25 percent of the business in its Austin office.

According to the Austin Business Journal, the agency’s work now includes developing and managing blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube videos, Webcasts, Web sites and search engine optimization.

Significantly, the company grew 35 percent year-over-year in 2008.

As the article points out, social media is one reason the agency is getting new clients at a time when many businesses are cutting PR budgets.

Small- and medium-sized advertising agencies likewise have an opportunity to grow through social media expertise at a time when many clients are cutting advertising budgets. Social media is going to continue to drive demand, and ad agencies will either lead the way for their clients or be left in the dust.

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to small- and medium-sized advertising agencies and businesses.

Ad Agencies Beware of Smoldering Crisis Situations

Rob Phillips, a friend and client, is director of communications for LifeWay Christian Resources. In the summer 2009 issue of Facts & Trends magazine, he has an article about why churches need a crisis communications plan. His observations and advice are helpful for ad agencies and other organizations as well.

Rob cites a statistic from the Institute for Crisis Management that should make every leader sit up and take notice: 77 percent of crises are of the “smoldering” type, meaning that a potentially damaging condition is known to one or more people. Only 23 percent are events that occur suddenly with little warning, such as natural disasters and accidents.

If something is smoldering at your agency or with one of your clients, deal with it now because chances are it won’t go away and may even get much worse if neglected.

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to small- and medium-sized advertising agencies and businesses.

Spell Check Works Wonders for Ad Agency Ads

Yesterday when I opened the main section of our newspaper, The Tennessean, I saw a full-page ad for The Tombras Group touting its national 2009 ADDY Award. I’m guessing this same ad ran in markets other than Nashville as the agency has several locations.

A national ADDY Award certainly is an honor worthy of tooting one’s own horn. However, although there was little copy, the agency managed to run two words together without a space (theSmoky) and misspell Mountain as “Mountian.”

I’ve certainly made my share of typos over the years, but how does it affect your confidence in an agency’s competence when you see something like this in an expensive ad?

There should have been a small army of proof readers going over the copy before the ad was ever released to the paper, and speaking of the paper, how come no one there caught these errors, either?!

Just running spell check would have caught these mistakes, but apparently no one took the time to bother. So, an expensive ad buy is tarnished, as is the reputation of an agency that should have been basking in the limelight for its accomplishment rather than facing embarrassment over careless mistakes that undermine the confidence it is trying to establish.

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to small- and medium-sized advertising agencies and businesses.