Israel has been found wanting in the court of PR and has only itself to blame.
This is my firm opinion and the opinion of leading PR, advertising and marketing communication experts in Israel and abroad who feel frustrated – and often angered – by the Israel’s appalling PR performance.
This is especially true after the Goldstone Report, in which Israel – despite the "efforts" of its diplomatic team and the fact that the report contained so many inaccuracies - came out looking like a whining child, falling over itself to respond with anger and self-righteousness, rather than taking a smart, creative and businesslike approach. This would have entailed some strategic planning BEFORE the release of the report - not once it was a fait accompli.
Personally, I just don’t understand it. Israel has the most amazing story to tell, it’s positioning is one of democratic values, freedom, progress and human rights, and yet we get clobbered in the world media every time.
Is it because the powers that be just don’t see the need – or the potential – for being proactive, for presenting an open, ‘warts and all’ approach? Or because they just refuse point blank to listen to the myriad of English-speaking communication, advertising, PR, branding and promotional experts living and working in Israel, adopting a typically "I know better" attitude?
There are dozens - perhaps even hundreds – of sophisticated professionals who would bend over backwards to contribute their formidable internationally-honed skills and experience to helping this country fight the negativity and vilification that is poured on it day after day.
With the will and determination - and possibly a small budget to grease the wheels – the Foreign Ministry, Israel’s main “PR” arm, could recruit a powerful multi-lingual task force of communication strategists, writers, web designers and developers, social networking experts, advertising visualizers, television and radio directors, producers and presenters.
Such a team, led by creative, energetic people with the required expertise, would be a formidable force which would turn the tide of Israeli PR from its present abysmal situation, into something positive, proactive and helpful.
More on this subject shortly...
Discussion, some advice, lots of questions and a few answers regarding the art of Marketing Communication - everything from branding to writing flyers - what it means, how to do it (or NOT do it), examples and trends.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Drops of Blood on the Forehead
"Writing is easy: all you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead..." Gene Fowler.
As one who has shed copious gallons of blood writing for clients (and for other purposes) I can attest to the truth of this phrase. So why do we do it? Because after the blood-letting, the words glowing on the page (or screen) are so magical, so beautifully crafted, so amazingly evocative, that clients (and other interested parties) are clamoring to part with vast amount of green stuff for the right to use them. Ha!
That's the theory...now for the practice. There is no easy way to create good copy. It is only after years of experience, accumulating knowledge and technique, learning the ropes under the lash of monstrous editors and even more demonic clients, that you learn how to string together a series of letters that will leap off the page and make the chosen reader jump up and shout "Oh my God!" (apologies to Mark Twain).
THIS is the reaction you aim for, whether you are writing copy to sell a pencil set or a new fangled incredibly complicated high-tech software system. But this reaction can only be achieved if you remember that at the heart of ANY promotional campaign - product, service, political platform - there lies a basic truth that, to have any hope of being effective, must be conveyed to the target audience:
"Buy this product, get this benefit!"
This is the fundamental Rock of Ages for ANY PR, advertising or marketing effort. Forget this basic tenet at your peril. And I don't really care what medium you use: print, TV, or the Internet; web pages, exhibitions or billboards, Facebook or Shmaisbook. Your target audience is going to need an irresistibly compelling reason to part with its money, or change its attitudes, or adopt a particular social or political standpoint.
You can dress up communication (no "s" please), in any way you like. Call it Social Networking or New Media or traditional media, old PR or Digital PR, advertising or advertorial, the final objective is the same...
And this, my dear readers is where those of us dragged up in the old school of newspaper journalism, advertising copywriting and hard core PR, fighting for every inch of column space, having sacrificed our lifeblood on the alter of creative writing, are better equipped to make the most of the new media - to make that leap across the digital divide (see my earlier blog: http://b2bcom.blogspot.com/2009/05/taking-quantum-leap-across-digital-pr_25.html) and create REAL value for our clients; through creating attention-grabbing, informative, desirable information that results in action - i. e. sales!
As one who has shed copious gallons of blood writing for clients (and for other purposes) I can attest to the truth of this phrase. So why do we do it? Because after the blood-letting, the words glowing on the page (or screen) are so magical, so beautifully crafted, so amazingly evocative, that clients (and other interested parties) are clamoring to part with vast amount of green stuff for the right to use them. Ha!
That's the theory...now for the practice. There is no easy way to create good copy. It is only after years of experience, accumulating knowledge and technique, learning the ropes under the lash of monstrous editors and even more demonic clients, that you learn how to string together a series of letters that will leap off the page and make the chosen reader jump up and shout "Oh my God!" (apologies to Mark Twain).
THIS is the reaction you aim for, whether you are writing copy to sell a pencil set or a new fangled incredibly complicated high-tech software system. But this reaction can only be achieved if you remember that at the heart of ANY promotional campaign - product, service, political platform - there lies a basic truth that, to have any hope of being effective, must be conveyed to the target audience:
"Buy this product, get this benefit!"
This is the fundamental Rock of Ages for ANY PR, advertising or marketing effort. Forget this basic tenet at your peril. And I don't really care what medium you use: print, TV, or the Internet; web pages, exhibitions or billboards, Facebook or Shmaisbook. Your target audience is going to need an irresistibly compelling reason to part with its money, or change its attitudes, or adopt a particular social or political standpoint.
You can dress up communication (no "s" please), in any way you like. Call it Social Networking or New Media or traditional media, old PR or Digital PR, advertising or advertorial, the final objective is the same...
And this, my dear readers is where those of us dragged up in the old school of newspaper journalism, advertising copywriting and hard core PR, fighting for every inch of column space, having sacrificed our lifeblood on the alter of creative writing, are better equipped to make the most of the new media - to make that leap across the digital divide (see my earlier blog: http://b2bcom.blogspot.com/2009/05/taking-quantum-leap-across-digital-pr_25.html) and create REAL value for our clients; through creating attention-grabbing, informative, desirable information that results in action - i. e. sales!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Taking a Quantum Leap across the Digital PR Divide
Experience, knowledge, understanding and enthusiasm are the keys for clients to get the best results from Digital PR
By Larry Butchins
(c) May 2009
“We will not be participating in the current recession, thank you – we’re far too busy....”
This is the sort of response you can expect from a growing group of Internet marketing an PR agencies who have embraced the Internet – and are convincing their clients that the intelligent use of Web 2.0 technology (social networking), is the way to get your message out there.
Years ago, when PR was mainly focused on getting print media coverage of your client’s face, name and business, having a mass medium at your fingertips would have seemed like a PR man’s fantasy.
As TV news and business coverage grew, that became the Brass Ring to grab for – getting TV coverage was the BIG prize. But now that Web 2.0 is ubiquitous and everybody can connect with anybody, ensuring wide-spread coverage for your message is that much simpler...as long as you know what you’re doing.
The rapid growth of Digital PR and marketing is testimony to the myriad uses and applications we have available: Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, LinkedIn, on and on. But a word of warning: at the heart of every successful PR campaign lies a single entity – a good story. So while it is tempting to run your fingers over your computer keys and send out information on your company, product, service or whatever, be sure that you are doing it right.
There is still a need to target your audience – know who you are talking to; you still have to have a sound message, a “reason-why”, to know what you are saying to them; and you still have to know what you want your audience to do when they read the posting in question. But, above all, you still have to know where and how to place your PR piece – and all of the above become the job of the PR professional... who knows his way around the web.
Another word of warning: while using the web is very tempting, because of its sheer size and coverage, therein lies the trap. Your message is useless if it’s not read: you have to be sure that it is going to reach the target concerned. And amidst such a welter of material, if it comes up 950,000th in a list of more than 3,000,000 results, all your efforts will be in vain .
So SEO – Search Engine Optimization – becomes a key strategy in any Web PR campaign. Savvy web PR people know how to prepare material which will attract the attention of search engines, and which will increase its hits, which increases its place on the lists, which delivers more readers, and increases its chances of being seen, read, understood and acted upon.
Again, at the heart of it – a damned good story: something well-prepared, attention grabbing, interesting, something which creates a desire to learn more and prompts action. Very often that action results in a sale. And that’s what it’s all about.
Digital communications and new media have opened up new distribution channels for PR and require a new set of skills from smart PR people. Clients are beginning to realize the powerful ROI possible through creative online communication programs which are redefining the PR industry. Traditionalists, bigger agencies still umbilically tied to old methods and operations, will suffer greater during a recession. Fast-moving, Internet PR people, particularly those with many years experience in the more traditional media who have successfully made the quantum leap across the digital divide, will be the ones to control the industry as it grows and grows and grows....
Experience, knowledge, understanding and enthusiasm are the keys for clients to get the best results from Digital PR
By Larry Butchins
(c) May 2009
“We will not be participating in the current recession, thank you – we’re far too busy....”
This is the sort of response you can expect from a growing group of Internet marketing an PR agencies who have embraced the Internet – and are convincing their clients that the intelligent use of Web 2.0 technology (social networking), is the way to get your message out there.
Years ago, when PR was mainly focused on getting print media coverage of your client’s face, name and business, having a mass medium at your fingertips would have seemed like a PR man’s fantasy.
As TV news and business coverage grew, that became the Brass Ring to grab for – getting TV coverage was the BIG prize. But now that Web 2.0 is ubiquitous and everybody can connect with anybody, ensuring wide-spread coverage for your message is that much simpler...as long as you know what you’re doing.
The rapid growth of Digital PR and marketing is testimony to the myriad uses and applications we have available: Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, LinkedIn, on and on. But a word of warning: at the heart of every successful PR campaign lies a single entity – a good story. So while it is tempting to run your fingers over your computer keys and send out information on your company, product, service or whatever, be sure that you are doing it right.
There is still a need to target your audience – know who you are talking to; you still have to have a sound message, a “reason-why”, to know what you are saying to them; and you still have to know what you want your audience to do when they read the posting in question. But, above all, you still have to know where and how to place your PR piece – and all of the above become the job of the PR professional... who knows his way around the web.
Another word of warning: while using the web is very tempting, because of its sheer size and coverage, therein lies the trap. Your message is useless if it’s not read: you have to be sure that it is going to reach the target concerned. And amidst such a welter of material, if it comes up 950,000th in a list of more than 3,000,000 results, all your efforts will be in vain .
So SEO – Search Engine Optimization – becomes a key strategy in any Web PR campaign. Savvy web PR people know how to prepare material which will attract the attention of search engines, and which will increase its hits, which increases its place on the lists, which delivers more readers, and increases its chances of being seen, read, understood and acted upon.
Again, at the heart of it – a damned good story: something well-prepared, attention grabbing, interesting, something which creates a desire to learn more and prompts action. Very often that action results in a sale. And that’s what it’s all about.
Digital communications and new media have opened up new distribution channels for PR and require a new set of skills from smart PR people. Clients are beginning to realize the powerful ROI possible through creative online communication programs which are redefining the PR industry. Traditionalists, bigger agencies still umbilically tied to old methods and operations, will suffer greater during a recession. Fast-moving, Internet PR people, particularly those with many years experience in the more traditional media who have successfully made the quantum leap across the digital divide, will be the ones to control the industry as it grows and grows and grows....
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Yigal Amir and the Media
There is a media feeding frenzy going about Yigal Amir's telephone interview with two TV channels. And now two leading (left-leaning) journalists have published conflicting views about whether the channels were right about pulling the interviews from their broadcast schedule after having widely publicized that they were going to be aired. Did the channels just cave in to public opinion and the dictates of higher authority, discarding journalistic integrity?
Right or Wrong: - IMHO - both. BUT...and it's a ginormous "BUT"...
Let's look at the interviews from a purely journalistic point of view first:
in my days as a reporter, would I have given my eye teeth to have an interview with a murderer - especially such a high profile murderer as this one? You betcha!!!!
But back in those days, we had what we used to call journalistic ethics (!!!???- what?) The first question that my editors would have asked - and which I would have had to ask myself - was: "Is it in the public interest?" If the potential story failed this acid test, then it was canned right at the outset - BEFORE the interview even took place.
Then there are other questions that would have supported the final decision: Why was the individual in question granting the interview - or seeking the interview - in the first place? For self-aggrandisement? For publicity for his spurious cause? A positive answer to any of these questions would have caused it to be spiked there and then.
And then, is it legal to interview this person? Should there not be a complete embargo over everything that spews from his potty-mouth? And let's be clear here people, we are not talking about "freedom of the press" but about "freedom to incite". The right to know is entrenched in every modern democracy - and Israel prides itself on out democratizing any other known democracy. But the right to incite is tantamount to sedition, plotting against the state and thereby, plotting against the citizens of the state. THIS is how the interview should have been judged at the outset.
Let's be honest - why would anybody want to know anything about the thoughts and dreams of this vile individual? He is first of all, a convicted - and self-confessed - murderer. More importantly, he murdered a Prime Minister and with it, the hopes and dreams of a peaceful solution to our tragic situation - setting back the peace process by decades. He destroyed reputations, he brought about national mourning and a national schism between right and left, he branded the moderate right wing as fanatics and he pushed the fanatics beyond the pale (where they should have been anyway). He created a national trauma...and for this our "liberal" media (hmmm - can we call the TV channels "liberal"?) wants to give him a platform?
OK - so you can see where my sentiments are: the final analysis - NO, do not publish the interviews; they should not have been held in the first place; consign this man to anonymity for the rest of his life - ignore his rantings, ignore the idiotic sproutings of his imbecilic wife; he is not worthy of our attention or our energy (too much of which has already been spent on this post).
There is nothing that he can say which would be of the remotest interest to me - and as I am a member of the public, it is therefor NOT in the public interest.
The channels were right to have pulled the interview, but wrong to have even considered it - and publicised it - in the first place.
And may Yigal Amir be thrown into a pit of vipers where he will be in good company...
Right or Wrong: - IMHO - both. BUT...and it's a ginormous "BUT"...
Let's look at the interviews from a purely journalistic point of view first:
in my days as a reporter, would I have given my eye teeth to have an interview with a murderer - especially such a high profile murderer as this one? You betcha!!!!
But back in those days, we had what we used to call journalistic ethics (!!!???- what?) The first question that my editors would have asked - and which I would have had to ask myself - was: "Is it in the public interest?" If the potential story failed this acid test, then it was canned right at the outset - BEFORE the interview even took place.
Then there are other questions that would have supported the final decision: Why was the individual in question granting the interview - or seeking the interview - in the first place? For self-aggrandisement? For publicity for his spurious cause? A positive answer to any of these questions would have caused it to be spiked there and then.
And then, is it legal to interview this person? Should there not be a complete embargo over everything that spews from his potty-mouth? And let's be clear here people, we are not talking about "freedom of the press" but about "freedom to incite". The right to know is entrenched in every modern democracy - and Israel prides itself on out democratizing any other known democracy. But the right to incite is tantamount to sedition, plotting against the state and thereby, plotting against the citizens of the state. THIS is how the interview should have been judged at the outset.
Let's be honest - why would anybody want to know anything about the thoughts and dreams of this vile individual? He is first of all, a convicted - and self-confessed - murderer. More importantly, he murdered a Prime Minister and with it, the hopes and dreams of a peaceful solution to our tragic situation - setting back the peace process by decades. He destroyed reputations, he brought about national mourning and a national schism between right and left, he branded the moderate right wing as fanatics and he pushed the fanatics beyond the pale (where they should have been anyway). He created a national trauma...and for this our "liberal" media (hmmm - can we call the TV channels "liberal"?) wants to give him a platform?
OK - so you can see where my sentiments are: the final analysis - NO, do not publish the interviews; they should not have been held in the first place; consign this man to anonymity for the rest of his life - ignore his rantings, ignore the idiotic sproutings of his imbecilic wife; he is not worthy of our attention or our energy (too much of which has already been spent on this post).
There is nothing that he can say which would be of the remotest interest to me - and as I am a member of the public, it is therefor NOT in the public interest.
The channels were right to have pulled the interview, but wrong to have even considered it - and publicised it - in the first place.
And may Yigal Amir be thrown into a pit of vipers where he will be in good company...
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
How (NOT) to Act in a Recession
“The North wind doth blow and we shall have snow and what will poor robin do then, poor thing...?
“She’ll hide in the barn and keep herself warm, with her head tucked under her wing...”
This children’s poem reflects the global winter (no matter which hemisphere you live in...) which has us all apparently reacting like lemmings hurtling towards the cliffs of financial disaster.But what is the message of the poem in the current crisis? My belief - and I’ve weathered a few “recessions” in my time - is that there’s a marketing parable in it with some good messages.
1. Neither you nor your business are birds...although perhaps you were flying high once a upon a time – but seasons change, in life and in business
2. Do NOT panic – don’t hide your cash under the floorboards. Mice live there and they will eat it.
3. Do NOT hide in the barn – don’t stop marketing and promoting: if you do that, you will surely fade into oblivion and no one will remember you when spring comes around again as it surely will)
4. Do NOT tuck your head under your wing – withdrawing from the world, canning your marketing and advertising campaigns, sending your Marketing team home, pulling budgets from PR and promotion, spells death – because when the sun shines again you want to be the first robin out of the barn and into the bright blue sky once more.
With the dollar rising in value again, NOW is the time for Israeli marketers to get out and EXPORT EXPORT EXPORT. But do it properly: have all your Corporate and Marketing communication ducks in a row. Use professional Communication experts who know the international scene and know HOW TO COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH. A major client of ours recently won a large US contract on the strength of its (and I quote from the US company): “...professional and extremely high level of communication which gave us confidence in the abilities of the company to deliver...”Praise indeed.
Larry Butchins is a Strategic, Corporate and Marketing Communication specialist with more than 30 years experience in Public Relations, Corporate Identity and Branding both in Israel and internationally. He runs a B-2-B consultancy, littlebig specializing in high-end Strategic communication programs for Israeli companies marketing abroad.
“She’ll hide in the barn and keep herself warm, with her head tucked under her wing...”
This children’s poem reflects the global winter (no matter which hemisphere you live in...) which has us all apparently reacting like lemmings hurtling towards the cliffs of financial disaster.But what is the message of the poem in the current crisis? My belief - and I’ve weathered a few “recessions” in my time - is that there’s a marketing parable in it with some good messages.
1. Neither you nor your business are birds...although perhaps you were flying high once a upon a time – but seasons change, in life and in business
2. Do NOT panic – don’t hide your cash under the floorboards. Mice live there and they will eat it.
3. Do NOT hide in the barn – don’t stop marketing and promoting: if you do that, you will surely fade into oblivion and no one will remember you when spring comes around again as it surely will)
4. Do NOT tuck your head under your wing – withdrawing from the world, canning your marketing and advertising campaigns, sending your Marketing team home, pulling budgets from PR and promotion, spells death – because when the sun shines again you want to be the first robin out of the barn and into the bright blue sky once more.
With the dollar rising in value again, NOW is the time for Israeli marketers to get out and EXPORT EXPORT EXPORT. But do it properly: have all your Corporate and Marketing communication ducks in a row. Use professional Communication experts who know the international scene and know HOW TO COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH. A major client of ours recently won a large US contract on the strength of its (and I quote from the US company): “...professional and extremely high level of communication which gave us confidence in the abilities of the company to deliver...”Praise indeed.
Larry Butchins is a Strategic, Corporate and Marketing Communication specialist with more than 30 years experience in Public Relations, Corporate Identity and Branding both in Israel and internationally. He runs a B-2-B consultancy, littlebig specializing in high-end Strategic communication programs for Israeli companies marketing abroad.
Corporate & Visual Communication, Branding and Collateral Support
Got a business plan to prepare for a Road Show; need a PowerPoint to go along with it; looking for a knock-out display for your next exhibition and some really punchy messaging to drive home your point? Or maybe you need a new look-and-feel, a new website, or a beautiful brochure to showcase your company?littlebig is a small, but highly creative Corporate and Visual Communication firm, specializing in high-level Business-2-Business communication - branding, corporate communication strategy, visual design, collateral support (web sites, brochures, presentations, documentation, exhibition design, development and management).We promise personal service, on-time delivery and highly effective, international quality communication - making it easier for you to sell your ideas, products and services.
For more information, give me a call:
Larry ButchinsManaging Partner
054-542-9893
larry@ltlbg.com
For more information, give me a call:
Larry ButchinsManaging Partner
054-542-9893
larry@ltlbg.com
Some Musings on Communication
with or without the “s”?
Communication - that’s WITHOUT the “s” please - is the art of passing information from one individual, group or organization to another individual, group or organization. In other words, communication between humans.
Communications, WITH the “s” this time, describes electronic information flow, bits and bytes flashing between machines; telephony, internet, television - so, having got that out of the way…let’s move on:
Communication is the art of passing information from one individual, group or organization to another individual, group or organization. There is nothing new in this. Man has been communicating since he first learnt to mouth “Ugh!” and daub some muddy colors on his cave wall.
It’s only the tools he uses that have changed - and even then, despite the fact that modern communication is digital and instant, when you boil it down to the basics, it’s still the conveyance of ideas and messages in words and pictures, sometimes spoken, sometimes moving; but still…words and pictures.
The objective in modern communication, is to immediately gain the attention of the target audience - individual, group or organization, in such a way that said audience sits up and takes notice…and then ACTS on what he, she or they have been told.
THIS is what effective business communication is all about - attracting attention, and getting a positive reaction: a reaction that directly benefits the source of the message - our client.
Communication - that’s WITHOUT the “s” please - is the art of passing information from one individual, group or organization to another individual, group or organization. In other words, communication between humans.
Communications, WITH the “s” this time, describes electronic information flow, bits and bytes flashing between machines; telephony, internet, television - so, having got that out of the way…let’s move on:
Communication is the art of passing information from one individual, group or organization to another individual, group or organization. There is nothing new in this. Man has been communicating since he first learnt to mouth “Ugh!” and daub some muddy colors on his cave wall.
It’s only the tools he uses that have changed - and even then, despite the fact that modern communication is digital and instant, when you boil it down to the basics, it’s still the conveyance of ideas and messages in words and pictures, sometimes spoken, sometimes moving; but still…words and pictures.
The objective in modern communication, is to immediately gain the attention of the target audience - individual, group or organization, in such a way that said audience sits up and takes notice…and then ACTS on what he, she or they have been told.
THIS is what effective business communication is all about - attracting attention, and getting a positive reaction: a reaction that directly benefits the source of the message - our client.
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