This week Schmidt Design Studio celebrates 10 years of amazing design and successful business. Congratulations to our friends, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Author: Wellons team
Things that make us cringe
The power of social media paired with today’s instantaneous news cycle can really shine a spotlight on company mishaps. Here are two of our favorites from last week and how they could have been avoided.
Camera-shy receptionist
A dangerous tree proved to be quite damaging to a St. Louis firm’s public image after a local station picked up the story.
While reporting on a story about a resident who had repeatedly tried to contact Roberts Brothers Properties about the tree, KSDK reporter Mike Rush paid their office a visit.
Rather than buzzing the reporter in and alerting a company representative, the receptionist hid under her desk for half an hour. Not only does this response imply guilt, but it also gives the reporter a much more interesting story. See the video here.
PR Lesson: There are two things business owners can take away from Roberts Brothers Properties mistake. The first is the importance of basic media training for all employees. Receptionists and lower-level employees are usually the first ones contacted by reporter because they tend to know more and say more. Employees should be briefed on media procedures for a variety of situations – good and bad.
Carnival’s PR nightmare
Carnival is no stranger to PR problems with the latest coming from last week’s Triumph fiasco.
The media handling of the nightmare vacation has been widely criticized, but thing that struck us most was the way Carnival CEO Micky Arison handled the incident. Arison, who also owns the Miami Heat, was spotted taking in a game while passengers and crew dealt with less-than-optimal conditions.
PR Lesson: Public Relations is all about perception and marketing experts know the public is more likely to judge an organization on how it handles a problem than how the problem came about.
Business owners should consider how their actions look to customers, especially disgruntled ones. Few will ever experience something as massive as the Triumph, but, in the age of social media, something as simple as blatantly ignoring a line of frustrated customers can damage a brand’s reputation.
(Source: Poynter.org, Bostonglobe.com)
Mobile Movement
Ask Americans for the one thing they can’t leave home without, and we’ll bet most of them name a smartphone or tablet.
The popularity of mobile devices isn’t anything new, but a surprising number of entrepreneurs don’t consider how it affects their business. Smartphones and tablets have changed communication in ways that dramatically affect the business world.
With that in mind, it’s vital that business owners consider the mobile implications of any marketing initiative – the most important being a mobile version of your current website.
Let’s look at the facts:
- Average smartphone usage grew 81 percent worldwide in 2012.
- In 2012, the number of mobile-connected tablets increased 2.5-fold to 36 million, and each tablet generated 2.4 times more traffic than the average smartphone
- Last year’s mobile data traffic was nearly twelve times the size of the entire global Internet in 2000
- Mobile network connection speeds more than doubled in 2012, opening the door for easier and more frequent surfing
So, take a critical look at your company website. View it on multiple devices and consider the ease of navigation. For a real perspective, ask someone who has never viewed the site to take a look and share their impressions. You may not like what you hear, but it’s a window into the potential revenue losses that come from a less-than-stellar web presence.
Data from Cisco Visual Networking Index Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast
Photo courtesy of Microsoft
When social media goes horribly wrong
Although this story comes from a source called Gossip Cop, the facts are unfortunately and horrifyingly true. Yesterday, some folks with too much time on their hands and deranged humor started a fake Twitter campaign by posing as Justin Bieber fans and then trending #cut4bieber. The premise of the prank involved circulating photos of self-mutilation with supposed fans urging the Biebs to stop his drug use after a photo leaked last week of the celebrity smoking marijuana.
Overnight, the hashtag started trending worldwide, and tweets flooded in showcasing gruesome and graphic images of bloodied arms and wrists, though it can be hard to tell what is real and what is not.
Although this started as a hoax, the campaign has now taken a life of its own. Encouraging the young and impressionable Belieber followers to self-harm is a disturbing trend that we hope will vanquish as fast as it appeared. Luckily some have spoken out against the Twitter campaign, including the high-profile Miley Cyrus, who stated that “Cutting is NOT something to joke about.”
We wonder if Justin Bieber himself will make a public statement about this horrible chain of events in the Twittersphere.
Social media + politics= loss of friends
Most of us are aware to shy away from political discussions at family gatherings or cocktail parties. However, one of the latest trends in the social media world is to discuss politics. This can lead to bruised feelings, loss of business, and in some cases, quickly being 
removed from social media fan bases if you take a different view than your friends.
USA Today pointed that Facebook is becoming the new battleground state for politics. Entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to serve the entire political spectrum should proceed with caution before putting their views online even in personal social media postings.
Don’t be a dope: drug scandal leads to sponsor fall out
Lance Armstrong. American professional road racing cyclist. Seven-time winner of the Tour de France. World champion of the sport. And a bona fide dope.
In light of strong evidence of the use of performing-enhancing drugs, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has banned Lance Armstrong from competing and will strip away all his titles earned throughout his career.
For years Armstrong has craved the spotlight, but now he’s making front-page coverage in leading media across the country for all the wrong reasons. And sponsors are taking notice. Endorsers – such as RadioShack, Anheuser-Busch, and longtime friend Nike – are bailing on the popular former cyclist in light of these allegations.
This controversy surrounding Lance Armstrong shows how a reputation built over time can be destroyed in mere seconds. Especially in today’s digital world where headlines jump from your computer screen to your daily morning paper in less than a day, it can be hard to hide from the truth.
Organizations fight fake reviews
The value of a good review for a business is priceless. How many of us browse Yelp when choosing where to grab a bite to eat, scout TripAdvisor to plan a vacation, or check out reviews of the local auto mechanic down the street just to see what others are saying? People rely on the opinions of others (instead of just advertisements) to decide on where to spend their money, which is why online reviews are so important.
However, don’t let the urge to get more buzz around your business sway you to the dark side. Fake reviews can tarnish your brand, and organizations have been cracking down to weed out fraudulent posts.
All the sites I mentioned already have algorithms and human moderators in place to fight fake reviews. Yelp in particular is very aggressive, with 20% of their reviews never making it to public display. In fact, Yelp is planning to punish repeat fraudsters by exposing them and shaming the businesses that employ these deceitful tactics. It is also against Federal Trade Commission guidelines, which states that you must disclose if you have been paid to endorse a product or service. Not doing so entitles you to steep fines, like a $250,000 one the FTC slapped Legacy Learning Systems in 2011.
But an even greater damage that outweighs any monetary concerns is the damage to your reputation. Years of building your business as a credible organization would instantly evaporate and instead be replaced with public scrutiny. Make sure to only employ reviews from credible sources and not engage in deceptive practices to ensure that the next business exposed online and shamed for fake reviews is not yours.
“There is a permanent record today and it is called the Internet”
Privacy is a commodity. In today’s world dominated by the Internet, anything and everything can be posted instantaneously and shared with millions in mere seconds. David from “David After Dentist” would agree. However, privacy concerns are no laughing matter. Vigilance should be taken to ensure that the next breaking news scandal that hits the front page of Yahoo does not revolve around you, which is why we’re shaking our heads at Mitt Romney this week.
After secretly recorded comments from a private Boca Raton fundraiser leaked of Mitt Romney saying that 47% of Americans are victims dependent on the government, we can’t help but wonder why the aspiring President would vocally disparage almost half of his country. Here’s a tip for you Mitt Romney: if you are running for President, everything you say and do WILL be held against you in the court of public opinion, thanks to the Internet. The video was leaked to the press, and now everyone from Jon Stewart to Diane Sawyer is spreading the remarks to their audiences; meanwhile the Mitt Romney campaign has spun its gears to full-on damage control.
Another unfortunate recent example of the royal lack of privacy today comes from an Italian magazine publishing topless photos of Kate Middleton. The Duchess of Cambridge was simply enjoying a sunbathing session on a secluded French chateau getaway when a paparazzi photographer captured the scene. Now, the British royal family is taking the matter to court with hopes to stop further publications from printing the photos, but you can’t take back what has already been done. Amazing what a zoom lens and internet connection can do to the public image of a Princess.
Even the common person is not immune to the repercussions of online activity. Everything that you post, from Facebook cover photos to the latest Tweet about what you had for dinner, becomes fair game when you click “publish.” Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard law professor and lawyer for high-profile defendants, says that young people nowadays don’t seem to value privacy. “They put stuff on Facebook that 15 years from now will prevent them from getting the jobs they want,” he said. “They don’t understand that they are mortgaging their future for a quick laugh from a friend.”
And that’s nothing to laugh about.
Thanks Ma – for the worldwide publicity!
We had the pleasure of providing publicity and media relations support for the listing of the renowned Ma Barker house.
The story was launched with an online exclusive in the Wall Street Journal, followed by a front page story in the Orlando Sentinel, followed by a story from Reuters news service. The ensuing media coverage led to the story appearing all over the world, in all types of publications. Media hits included CNN, the front page of Yahoo, CNBC, real estate trades and even overseas media like the Daily Mail.
The number of people who read the Ma Barker House story is well into the millions and growing.
When you have a great story to tell, it’s worth knowing seasoned public relations people who have worked in the media. Our firm carefully crafted the message and pitched the story to key national and local media that would give us the best chance for widespread pickup.
Cynics might say that anybody handling PR for a renowned gangster hideout house will get coverage. However, people who’ve worked in the media and are experienced in public relations understand that proper placement can make the difference between a few hits and global coverage.
Not everyone has a Ma Barker story to tell. The truth is, you don’t have to be Ma Barker to make public relations work effectively for you. Our agency uses the same research-based approach for each project. Whether announcing a new business, a promotion, a restaurant opening, a community event or a new product, we spend time finding the right person to pitch the story to and craft the story in the right manner. At the end of the day, that messaging becomes the cornerstone for much of your media coverage. We use the same approach whether working with media in Central Florida or media across North America.
We can never dictate what members of the media will cover – but we can strive to serve up news of all kinds in the most appropriate manner for the audience we are trying to reach. The Ma Barker house is our latest shining example of the success we can achieve with a single press release followed by experienced media pitching and follow up.
Tell us your story – we can likely find a home for it too. To learn more about project assignments with Wellons Communications, please feel free to contact us at mystory@wellonscommunications.com or call 407.339.0879.
Mac users steer to more expensive hotels on Orbitz
Many Mac users are fanatical about their computer and are willing to pay extra to own the brand. 
Those same Mac users apparently also like to spend a little more on hotel rooms. The online travel agency Orbitz says Mac users spend as much as 30 percent more than PC users on the average hotel booking. The Wall Street Journal reports that the online travel service is showing Mac users more expensive properties.
Orbitz is experimenting with showing different hotel offers to Mac and PC visitors. The move is raising eyebrows and attracting front-page attention. The online travel agency is following a growing trend using predictive analytics to target potential buyers. Orbitz is quick to point out that both Mac and PC users can still rank hotels by price if they wish.
Companies used to just track what websites were being looked at, now they are tracking what computing system are being use.
Budget conscious Mac users should be cautious. Orbitz is likely to begin using the same algorithms to show rental cars and airline flights.
For PC users – especially those with broken hinges on their three-year-old laptop – expect to see more budget-friendly options on the front page of your online travel agency.