Harnessing the Swiftie Effect: Elevate Your Brand Storytelling

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As of December 2023, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is reported to be the highest-grossing tour ever and is the first to crack $1 billion, with an estimated $1.04 billion in total ticket gross. One of the myriad reasons Taylor Swift is so successful is her ability to touch people with story. Her writing is vulnerable, honest, and universal in its storytelling. Brands can learn from Taylor by learning how to weave storytelling into their marketing. Here are six communications lessons that businesses can learn from Taylor Swift’s songwriting and apply to their marketing strategies to enhance efficacy.

1. Authenticity Connects

Swift’s songwriting resonates because it comes from a place of genuine emotion and experience. Her willingness to share personal stories, whether they are of heartbreak, joy, or self-discovery, invites her audience to connect on a deeper level. Business Lesson: Brands should strive for authenticity in their communications. Share your brand’s journey, the challenges you’ve overcome, and what you stand for. Authentic storytelling can forge a stronger bond with your audience.

2. Know Your Audience

Swift has an uncanny ability to speak directly to the hearts of her listeners. Each song is a communications masterpiece. She understands her audience’s hopes, fears, and dreams. This deep understanding enables her to write songs that feel personal to millions. Business Lesson: Thoroughly understanding your target audience is crucial. Conduct market research to know their needs, wants, and pain points. Tailored messaging that resonates with your audience’s experiences will likely be more effective.

3. Evolve With Your Audience

Over the years, Swift has transitioned across several music genres, from country to pop to indie folk, demonstrating her versatility and willingness to grow with her audience. Business Lesson: The market is constantly changing, and so are your customers’ needs and preferences. Brands must be adaptable, willing to listen to their audience, and evolve their offerings and messaging to stay relevant.

4. Engage Through Multiple Channels

Swift uses a variety of platforms to engage with her fans, from social media to surprise album drops, and interactive music videos. She creates a multi-channel experience that keeps fans engaged and invested in her storytelling. Business Lesson: Utilize multiple platforms to engage with your audience. Whether it’s through social media, blogs, email newsletters, or events, diversifying your communication channels can help reach your audience wherever they are.

5. Create a Community

Swift has mastered the art of community building, creating a loyal fan base that feels connected not just to her, but to each other. Business Lesson: Creating a sense of community around your brand can turn customers into brand advocates. Encourage user-generated content, create online forums or groups, and engage in conversations that build a shared sense of identity and belonging.

6. Consistency Is Key

While Swift has evolved musically, her core narrative of storytelling through song has remained constant. This consistency helps fans know what to expect from her, even as she experiments with new sounds and genres. Business Lesson: Consistency in brand messaging and values reassures customers and builds trust over time. While it’s important to adapt and innovate, maintaining a consistent core message is crucial.

Final Thoughts for Brands

Taylor Swift’s unparalleled success as a songwriter and performer offers valuable communications lessons for businesses in any industry. By embracing authenticity, understanding and evolving with your audience, leveraging multiple communication channels, fostering community, and maintaining consistency, brands can create more meaningful, lasting connections with their customers. Mindfull Marketing + PR believes in the power of storytelling, and we see Swift’s approach as a beacon for brands aiming to engage their audience in a profound and impactful way. We take these lessons to heart and craft marketing strategies that resonate, inspire, and endure for our clients.

Where do B2B Marketing and PR Pros Stand with AI?

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Embracing AI in Marketing: A Mindfull Marketing + PR Perspective

As pioneers in the digital space, our agency has always been at the forefront of adopting and mastering new technologies, testing and vetting their efficacy for our clients. From our early days of steering social media for business (we had a lot of clients to convince!), we’ve recognized the power of innovative tools in transforming marketing and communications. The recent discussion by MarketingProfs on the conundrum of using AI in marketing and PR, especially regarding ChatGPT’s role in B2B communications, resonates deeply with our approach to continual technological advancement in our agency and our professional industry.

AI technology, like ChatGPT, while fast-growing and impressive in its capabilities, presents a new, slightly intimidating, frontier for B2B marketers and communicators. It raises essential questions about the future of our industry and how we can best leverage these tools to enhance our strategies without losing the authenticity that defines impactful marketing and communications.

Our Journey with AI

Just as we did with social media, Mindfull Marketing + PR has embraced AI in marketing, not as a replacement for human creativity but as a complement to it. We use AI to supplement design, content, and writing, improving efficiency and allowing our team to focus on delivering authentic, creative solutions that resonate with audiences. But we are still the strategists, the ones who understand what will resonate with key audiences and how to tug on emotion to create action. This approach aligns with our belief that while AI learns from humans, it cannot replace the need for original human creativity. If we stop creating, what will AI have to pull from? We shudder to imagine.

Analyzing the AI Conundrum

The MarketingProfs article highlights a divided landscape, with some communicators eager to integrate AI into their workflows, while others approach it with caution. This division is reminiscent of the early days of social media when businesses were trying to understand its impact and how best to utilize it. Our take? Experimentation is key to mastery. By diving into AI with an open mind and a willingness to learn, we can uncover new ways to enhance our marketing efforts while keeping our strategic focus sharp.

Embracing AI with a Human Touch

The danger, as highlighted by the article and echoed in our philosophy, lies in overreliance on AI. Faux marketers and communicators relying solely on AI to execute the job risk diluting the authenticity and quality of marketing, potentially setting a new, lower standard for what people expect from B2B communications. We don’t want to see this become a trend, so we will continue the irreplaceable value of the human touch in all our endeavors.

Looking Forward

As we look to the future, Mindfull Marketing + PR remains committed to exploring and integrating AI into our marketing toolkit, always with a critical eye toward maintaining the creativity, intentionality, and authenticity that define our work. Our advice to clients is clear: view AI as an augmentation to the experienced human team, not a replacement.

Just as we embraced social media early on, we’re now engaging with AI, recognizing its potential while advocating for a balanced, thoughtful approach. (And we are shocked by the MarketingProfs report that ChatGPGT has just 0.03% paid visitor traffic!) As an agency, we will continue to experiment, learn, and lead in this new era of digital marketing and communication, ensuring that even as we utilize AI in marketing, we keep the essence of genuine human connection at the heart of our strategies. How is your marketing or PR team working with this new, fast-growing tech?

How Small Businesses Can Stay Engaged When They’re Closed

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The Coronavirus pandemic is awful, no question. But if we look around, we can find a lot of positive, creative things happening as people continue to try and connect with and inspire others. Likewise, while many small businesses are unable to open or have lost clients, they still want to engage with their customers and stay top of mind for the future. But how?

We’ve seen a lot of really creative things happening in the art world, such as virtual museum tours, online Broadway shows, musicians offering free concerts, and more. But small businesses don’t always have the resources that these larger organizations or celebrities do. However, they can get creative with social content. As a Top 100 Champion in the Small Business Influencer Awards from Small Business Trends and Smallbiz Technology, we thought we’d share a few simple ideas to inspire small businesses to keep engaging their audiences.

Partner up with other SMBs to create unexpected, resourceful content. Ex: record a Zoom video call between you and another small business owner. Make it fun and memorable; be light-hearted and humorous. Imagine a candy shop owner and a wine shop owner together, and the candy shop owner holds up different types of candy while the wine shop owner recommends wine to pair with it. Not two things that generally go together, which makes it interesting and inventive. Besides, we all know we’re eating more candy and drinking more wine than normal right now.

Get creative with what you offer, even if you can’t sell it right now. A jeweler might offer a customer contest to virtually help design a ring, or vote to choose a “stone of the week” that the jeweler then uses to create a new piece and names it after the customer. Once the jeweler can open again, they can offer the piece at a special price to that customer. Or, a florist might invite followers to name 5-10 flowers on its Facebook page and then create a bouquet of those flowers and share images. When they can reopen, they can offer that bouquet at a special price.

Involve your fans. It’s been well-known for quite some time that fans love being involved and noticed. Provide them with new ways to do so. For example, an artist can have fans nominate what his or her next piece of art should be; a pizza shop can let fans pitch in on ideas for new toppings or a weekly special to encourage takeout orders. Here in Boston, the New England Aquarium is doing #virtualvisits videos so fans can watch along as they care for the animals. The Getty Museum in Los Angeles challenged art fans to post photos of themselves at home, recreating their favorite works of art.

We’ve also seen some innovative ideas from local small businesses in our community. One popular sign company created a “Signs of Hope” campaign, which consists of various heart-themed designs of door signs, sold both online and at self-serve kiosks around multiple towns. They are selling on the honor system, something you don’t see much anymore, which is a vital part of establishing the feeling of a trusted community, support, and, well, hope. People remember how you made them feel and evoking positive emotion in your campaign can make a lasting impression.

Another great example we’ve seen is the Front Steps Project. Local photographers are offering families in their communities highly discounted or free (although you can donate an amount you think is fair and which you can afford), family portrait sessions on your front steps or in your yard. They’ll drive to your home, keep a safe distance, and take your photos. My family is having ours taken this weekend, and the photographer is offering us five pictures at an extremely reasonable price. We get to support another small business and do something unique together in this time of home isolation.

As a small business ourselves, we understand the anxiety and frustration taking place as a result of the economic fallout from the pandemic. But if you can, keep marketing and try some creative campaigns that you might not otherwise have explored when things were “normal.” Think about your expertise and what you can offer to others besides products and services. How can what you do tie into helping people through this unprecedented situation while keeping your business top of mind? As long as campaigns are respectful and socially-minded, most people will applaud your efforts and want to support you the best that they can in this uncertain time and as we all recover in the future.

If you need additional content ideas or social media training, give us a shout. We’re currently offering free one hour consulting sessions to hear about your business, your current challenges, and your long term goals – and to provide a few ideas for content and positioning.

Stay mindful, but more importantly, stay hopeful and stay home.

Marketing During A Crisis

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It’s a question on the minds of many Chief Marketing officers, marketing executives, and small business owners: “What should we do about marketing in the current COVID-19 crisis? Should we even be marketing?”

To Market Or Not To Market?

As has been said in the wake of past disasters, the answer is yes. The more important question is “How and what should we be marketing”? Marketing is often the first thing to go during a financial crisis – it’s an “easy cut” that doesn’t always have a stark, noticeable impact on the bottom line. (This is why measurement and analytics are so important!) But in difficult times, marketing may be more critical than ever. While it may not drive hot leads today, it will generate warm leads and loyalty for tomorrow when buyers begin to spend money again.

Moving To Socially-Minded Campaigns

Every organization now needs to refocus their marketing approach to be socially-minded. If your company’s previous marketing was all about your brand, it’s time to think differently. True, consumers and businesses may be slowing down buying today, but tomorrow will come and marketers need to be thinking about that in their strategy.

Socially-minded marketing during this crisis is focused on brands being a resource to customers and prospects today. Provide more information, share more insights, give more than you have previously. Consider pricing strategies, reductions, or payment plans that will allow your customers to stay with you during these tough times. Think about how your marketing actions today will build long term loyalty when we all begin to recover and spend again.

What Brands Are Doing It Right?

Take, for example, Planet Fitness. They swiftly conducted a series of smart marketing moves:

  • On March 10, they sent a member newsletter on health and wellness guidelines and best practices for staying clean and healthy during flu season and among “heightened awareness around COVID-19.” (Because none of us yet knew the full implications!)
  • They closed all clubs proactively (not waiting to be forced by government mandates) on Friday, March 20
  • They proactively froze all member accounts, not charging any fees “during this time.” Considering that no one seems to know how long “this time” will last, this is particularly impressive. As long as their clubs remain closed, they will not charge membership fees. Admittedly, this is a difficult decision that affects the bottom line. But they immediately recognized their role in helping to stop the spread of Coronavirus (closing all clubs) and the financial strain that consumers were going to be facing. While the $20 I spend on my monthly membership isn’t going to help pay my mortgage, it does make me loyal to a brand that puts its customers first, and I’ll remember that.
  • Thereafter, they did not send out any other newsletters or promotions until this Monday, March 23. They took their time to think carefully about what to market, how, and when.
  • They are now offering free fitness classes for everyone – branded “Home Work-Ins,” streaming live daily Monday – Friday at 7 p.m., hosted by their trainers and celebrity guests. They require no equipment and are just 20 minutes or less. What a brilliant way to keep current members engaged and appeal to prospective members who a) may have no other workout options and b) have never tried Planet Fitness before and can now get a feel for how they treat their members, how they train, etc. The classes are also available on Facebook and YouTube after each broadcast, allowing fitness buffs to do them on their own time.
  • They quickly updated their website to reflect the new campaign, “United We Move: We’re Bringing The Gym To You.”

Other brands did not move as swiftly or as carefully. They may not have considered just how vital intelligent, socially-minded marketing is in a crisis like this. They continued to think only with a promotional viewpoint and not a research-based, customer-first mindset. Sending your regular newsletter with a side note on COVID19 was not enough. Here’s a different tale from Vineyard Vines:

  • On March 13 Vineyard Vines sent a newsletter out encouraging customers to continue shopping in their stores because “they remained open.” A note that the company had stepped up their “already rigorous store cleaning protocols,” was included and that they wanted to be a place of “respite and positivity” during this time. I was surprised that they didn’t instead promote online shopping and encourage people to stay home – both for their employees’ and their customers’ sake.
  • Over the next two days, on March 14 and 15, they continued to send newsletters with regular promotions such as “Spring Print Spotlight,” and “Sale’s on Sale.” They lacked any new thoughts/positioning on why consumers should even think about shopping for Spring weather or vacation clothing during this time of uncertainty and social distancing.
  • Later on March 15, they sent a second newsletter of the day stating their stores would be closed through March 27. They did announce that they would be paying employees for any previously scheduled shifts and that their website would remain open. Still, there was no real positioning on what they were doing to help employees for the long term, why customers should consider continuing to spend money with them, or to connect their tagline, “Every Day Should Feel This Good” to what customers could do to stay positive and “feel good” during such a time. I consider that a lost opportunity. They could have shared ideas for staying positive, being resilient, keeping entertained, etc. that tied to “feeling good.”

The next day, they were back to their regularly scheduled “40 percent off” newsletters.

Finally, Monday of this week, they started to tie it in, offering “the most comfortable work from home styles,” and a new hashtag, “whaleathome,” accompanied by a website featuring “Tales of the Good Life from our friends, activities and inspiration for whale-you’re-at-home, and more to give you a brief escape from these uncertain times.” They began promoting images of people wearing and using their products at home and they tied in “We hope this reminds you that Every Day Should Feel This Good.”

Two Different Approaches

Of course, I acknowledge that every brand is different, and not all have something to offer that can tie into the social distancing and isolation we are all currently faced with today. However, this shows the difference between the two marketing strategies and approaches:

  1. A fast-moving, research-based, customer-first vs. sales first, resourceful and socially-minded campaign that will build long term customer loyalty
  2. A sales-first, slightly oblivious, self-absorbed campaign that barely acknowledged a new reality for the entire globe for over a week

In times of crisis, marketing is essential, but it changes. Swift moves backed by critical thinking, and research are vital. Crisis experts should be consulted, and it’s better to halt promotions until you have a clear strategy in place. Keep this in mind as you continue to navigate the murky waters we are all swimming in today, with no definitive end in sight. How will you connect with and help your customers during this time? Stop thinking sales-first for now, and start building loyalty-based campaigns that will help both you and your customers when we reach the recovery phase.

What brands have you seen doing a good job marketing during this crisis?

What’s Wrong With My Marketing?

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In the day and age of social media and digital communications, nearly everyone fancies themselves a marketer. And I suppose that in some ways, everyone is – we’re marketing our personal brands: our roles as parents, leaders, authorities and whatever else is hot at the moment. We share our company’s marketing content across social networks. We chime in with something cool we saw on YouTube and suggest our company do something similar.

But not all marketing is created equal. While something may work for an Instagram influencer, it likely won’t have the same success for a B2B company, for example. Yet, here are five things to check in your marketing that can apply to just about any brand:

  1. You’re too self-centered. Social media has brought out the narcissist in a lot of us, but that doesn’t mean focusing on just your company and products will engage an audience. Sure, it may work for Kim Kardashian, but it’s not likely to work for your security product in the same way unless you intersperse other helpful and informative information in between your company and product updates. Your content needs to be about your audience and their needs and wants, not just about you. In addition, you can no longer expect your audience to come to your properties – you have to reach out where they are, across multiple networks.
  2. You lack visuals. Even a B2B brand can and should be using imagery in their social media. Tools like Canva make it very easy to create unique, branded images.
  3. You haven’t jumped on the video bandwagon. Hubspot reports that 72% of customers would rather learn about a product or service by way of video and that 88% of video marketers report that video gives them a positive ROI. Video can be simple and inexpensive – anything from your CEO speaking to a smartphone camera, to product or program overviews, man-on-the-street videos interviewing people at a conference, or more complex pieces like explainer videos. People tend to engage with and share videos more than text-only content, so it’s a crucial component to smart marketing.
  4. You’re not involving your customers. I’m sure what you have to say is very interesting, but third parties are always more credible, especially if they’re your customers. People want to hear from people like themselves, which is why social media influencers are so popular now. I like how Ted Rubin recently described influencers as possessing “the unique skills necessary to create a community and a willingness to serve the community they build.” (Read: not necessary celebs.) And, brand trust is a fickle thing. However, people tend to trust friends and even a friend’s network who they don’t personally know or, heck, other reviewers (even strangers) on Yelp or Trip Advisor – more than they trust brands. Get your fans talking and sharing for you!
  5. You’re not analyzing. It still surprises me when I speak to prospects who are not measuring their marketing or PR in any form. Marketing well is not inexpensive, so don’t you want to know your ROI? We worked with three new clients this last year that didn’t have anything set up – not even Google Analytics. Reviewing your analytics on Facebook or Linkedin isn’t enough – you must track ROI around what matters most to the brand, such as purchase intent and sales – not likes and follows.  And, the numbers don’t mean much if you’re not analyzing what is happening behind them. Where are your fans and followers finding you? How long are they staying? Where do they prefer to engage and in what way? What’s their buyer journey look like? What content is really driving prospects to the top of the funnel? What content is working with which audience? These are all elements that will supercharge your marketing and differentiate you as a true marketer.

Following these five basic guidelines can help you stand out as a marketer and continually get better. Just like the phone, social media channels don’t make everyone a good communicator just because they have access. It takes strategy, thoughtful presence, and consistency to do marketing right.


Say No To FOMO Marketing

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Often, when a new client comes to us for marketing help, they are overwhelmed by the scope of possibilities and in particular, the social media landscape. Of course, we help them to understand that not every idea is applicable to their business. “But what about x social channel? We see everyone doing it now,” they’ll often retort.

The scope of marketing software and social media channels is indeed vast and overwhelming. But in reality, not everything is right for your business needs. Just because you see GoPro doing some very cool thing on a social media channel does not mean it will yield the same results for you or even that the social channel is applicable to your audience… especially if you’re a B2B company. Marketing strategy built from the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is naive at best, and irresponsible at worst.

Instead of looking around at what everyone else is doing and thinking “We need to be there, too,” step back. Ask yourself these four things before you kick off your marketing brainstorm, and ensure that your strategy makes sense for your needs and isn’t born out of FOMO:

  1. Start with your business goals – marketing is not an island unto itself. It’s there to support the business and help roll out the red carpet for sales. What are the overarching business goals that marketing is supporting?
  2. Analyze the competition – ok, so we said don’t fret over what everyone is doing, but definitely check out what your competition is doing and more importantly, if it seems to be working. Learn from their mistakes so you can avoid making your own.
  3. Understand your customers – in fact, ask them where they hang out online. Where do they prefer to consume content? The answers for a B2C company are likely much different than a B2B company. THIS IS ALL THAT MATTERS – that you’re reaching the right audience, not every audience.
  4. Analyze your resources – what is the size of your marketing team? How many minds do you have to brainstorm great ideas with? How many bodies do you have to execute the work? What is your budget? These questions alone should demonstrate how not all marketing is created equal. Ensure that your strategy and social media efforts are of reasonable proportion to your resources. It’s much worse to start a marketing campaign and fail to execute well because you tried to do too much, vs. taking on smaller efforts that are executed flawlessly.

Starting with these four simple questions can help your marketing team to keep the eye on the prize and not get fearful that they aren’t doing the latest cool thing. Marketing trends come and go. Trust your expertise in knowing your customers and prospects and communicating with them where, when and how they want to communicate and consume content. If they start to demonstrate a change in social channels, you can begin to explore.

Building a “We” vs “Me” Culture

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We all know there’s no “I” in team and yet, we often see executives making basic mistakes in communications that would indicate otherwise. Particularly in the client service business, it’s crucial to think carefully about how you and your team are presenting information.

 

For example, in the agency world, clients are serviced by account teams comprised of individuals who are often responsible for different pieces of work. However, each piece of work is important to the overall success of the account. Without content, media and advertising don’t work. Without the right messaging, nothing works, and so on. Clients need to know that the team, although working on different pieces, is a comprehensive unit.

 

If your employees are updating clients during a meeting and talking in terms of “Me” vs “We,” the team will come across not as a comprehensive unit working together towards a common goal, but rather as a group of individuals more worried about getting credit for their piece. This is not conducive to building client confidence.

 

So as a manager, what can you do?

  1. Lead by example – lead with a team-oriented mindset. Make it clear that wins and losses are universal and not exclusive.
  2. Use the right language – pay attention to the language that you use when presenting teamwork to the client. Don’t separate out your part vs other team members. Teach them to do the same. This is especially important to ensure that the client knows the team unit is strong and working together to produce the best results. “We researched the market and suggest these three key messages,” vs. “I researched the market and Tom wrote up these three key messages,” for example.
  3. Provide recognition in the right ways – Instead of calling out an individual’s contributions directly to the client, always emphasize the team effort. Internally, provide rewards and recognition for each contributor that can incentivize other team members as well. Companies such as Corporate Rewards Worldwide can help.
  4. Have your team’s back – Over the years, our managers have had clients call to discuss individuals on their team – both good and bad. One thing we always emphasize is how the team works together to make things happen. While one person might have a greater strength in a certain area than another person, they are all important to the winning equation. If a client feels someone isn’t performing as well on a task as someone else, we’ll offer to move things around or, depending on the situation, ensure them that they aren’t seeing the entire picture – emphasizing how the individual is a team contributor  and that perhaps their job is less client facing than another but just as important to the process. You can address these issues directly with your team later, and make changes or corrections as needed.

 

It isn’t a complicated proposition to build a team-oriented culture, but it has to be a consistent effort, and definitely takes some training. People are naturally driven to point out their contributions – which is understandable and welcomed. But in a business where they’re servicing a client, they need to understand that the best time and place to do so is with their boss, not to the client. Of course, it’s important to ensure recognition – both good and bad – happens regularly but it must be done in a way that doesn’t jeopardize the client relationship. Remind employees of the greater good that comes from not only working as a team, but thinking and presenting as one.  

Tips For Working Through The Holiday Blahs

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Thanksgiving week not only commemorates the pilgrims’ grateful celebration with their Native American neighbors, it also marks the unofficial start of the winter holiday season in the U.S. (including Hanukkah this year).

In most cases, this is the week when U.S. businesses begin rewarding employees with early release days and extra time off to enjoy the festivities.

Not surprisingly, it’s expected that productivity will suffer a bit over the next 35 or so days. But, we do still have jobs to do and work that must get done. The challenge is finding the energy and drive to work when all you want to do is hit the holiday eggnog and cozy up by a crackling fire.

ToDoAs virtual workers and PR pros to boot, we know a thing or two about working smart, so we’ve compiled a few tips to help you stay productive through the holidays:

  • Just say no to big projects – contrary to popular belief, this is not the best time to start in on a big project, especially one that requires collaboration with your colleagues who may be less present than usual. If you really feel the need to get started, though, focus on getting organized. Identify the people, tools and time you’ll need to deliver the best result. Communicate your needs and deadlines to collaborators as soon as possible and build in extra time to account for the holiday schedule.
  •  Plan for time off – whether it’s your own holiday vacation or your colleagues’, it’s important to communicate and plan for coverage and contingencies (weather delays, sickness, etc.). If you need help with an assignment, give your coworkers plenty of notice and information to accomplish the task in your absence.
  • Focus on work – with retailers’ propensity to pre-announce Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals well in advance of the actual sale dates, it’s easy to get sidetracked at work. But limit holiday shopping to personal time and focus your work hours on work. The days will fly by, and you’ll be showrooming before you know it.
  • Stack small tasks – rather than tackling that big project, now’s a great time to attend to smaller, less time-consuming (yet still important) tasks, such as updating your databases or writing a blog post. Get after that stack of small tasks, and you’ll soon be feeling much more merry and productive.
  • Get organized – As the end of the year approaches, spend some time organizing your workspace for success. Clean out your inbox, organize your files, archive old emails, toss old magazines and unsubscribe from unread or irrelevant newsletters.

Don’t let the glow of the holiday lights lure you to the dark side. Stay focused, and make the most of the season to catch up (and perhaps even get ahead) amidst all the holiday cheer. Then in January, when your colleagues are complaining about how far behind they are, you can relax a bit, knowing you rang in 2014 with a fresh start, a clean slate and a great attitude!

Happy Dictionary Day!

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Ok, so there may not be presents, fireworks or candy to mark the occasion, but we can assure you that lexicographers across the country are certainly celebrating today. (Don’t know what a “lexicographer” is? There’s no better way to partake in this unofficial holiday than to break out your dictionary!)

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Why? Noah Webster, otherwise known as the “father of the American dictionary,” was born today in 1758. Fun fact: It took him 27 years to complete his first dictionary in the English language!

But rather than break out our dusty books in honor of the event, we thought we’d pay homage by talking about what’s inside them, as that’s the true impetus behind this annual observance.

See, as PR professionals, we rely on the word (both written and spoken) daily. Just as Edward Bulwer-Lytton said in 1839, “The pen is mightier than the sword,” we, too, know the power of words and their ability to inform, inspire and even incite action.

Whether we’re writing a pitch, press release or bylined article, we’re constantly aware of the words we choose – and how their tone and meaning will be interpreted. In fact, as we’re creating and circulating information on behalf of our clients, we strive to stay adept at striking a balance between keeping the messaging consistent and the language fresh.

So take a few moments today to open or click onto a dictionary, and peruse a few new words to add to your vocabulary. If you’re in need of some inspiration, go to www.worldwidewords.org, or check out our infographic above, which highlights a few of our personal favorites. We’d also be remiss if we didn’t include a few words from Mark Twain, a man who had a definite way with them:

“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

The lesson here for us PR folks? Words are the building blocks for success, as they can help you communicate more clearly, yield better results and separate yourself and your clients from the competition. Use them wisely!

Today’s Best PR and Marketing Executives Employ “Creatalitics”

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“How do fevers in the human brain produce the dreams and visions that become transformed into blazes of insight?” The Creative Brain

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When I was in college, I was proud to be studying at a University that had its PR program in the School of Business, resulting in a Bachelor of Science in Business degree. This was – and stills seems to be – a rarity in the field. Most PR and Marketing degrees are housed in the School of Communications and/or result in a Bachelor of Arts. In the past, this seemed to make sense for PR – it reflected the creative arts side of the field – writing, event planning, branding, messaging, etc. But today, with the explosion of analytics and data in the field, PR and Marketing executives have to think differently. They need to use both sides of their brain – the right, creative side and the left, analytical side. (Luckily, my degree prepared me for both before the market turned that direction.)

The creative side of the brain is still crucial to coming up with marketing strategies, branding and messages that appeal to people. We have to understand how to entice strong emotions that lead to action. Once that action is taken, we now have to use the right side of our brain to determine if that action resulted in value to our organization (or our clients’ organizations). Our creativity is crucial when it comes to content – we are in fact content creators and publishers in the day and age of social media. It takes fun, whimsy and innovative risk taking to create content that’s really going to stand out. But in order to truly create the best content, we need to use the right side of our brain to analyze how that content – if that content is working.

It’s not enough anymore to say “That was a really catchy headline” or “The logo is awesome” – or even to just write a creative pitch that gets a reporter’s attention. We now need to drill down and, after the reporter writes his or her article, analyze if the messages within drove the right interest. Was the article placed in the right outlet? Did the messages appeal to the right audience? What did they do as a result? Did they click through to our site? Did they buy? Why or why not?

This movement is also reflected in the banter about CIOs and CMOs battling for budget and suddenly sharing some tech responsibilities. CMOs are responsible for more data-driven decisions than in the past, and that includes managing the website’s content (which CIOs also need to make sure doesn’t then result in slower performance or other issues), and purchasing analytical software. As Dell chief information officer Andi Karaboutis recently told ZDNet, “Things for which I work together with Karen [the CMO]? Analytics, big data.”

And thus, today’s best PR and Marketing executives are what I’ve dubbed “Creatalitics” thinkers. They combine really creative and innovative ideas – those “dreams and visions” with data and analysis – the “blazes of insight” that tells them if their creations go beyond initial appeal and into the world of actionable value to the company’s bottom line. How are you using “creatalitics” in your PR or marketing position? If we can help you better undersatnd and merge this new way of thinking into your organization, let me know.