Archive for the ‘Communication’ Category

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Celebrity Endorsement, Is It Worth It?

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

Do Celebrity Endorsements Still Push Product? That question was asked and answered by Advertising Age.

Using a celebrity to sell your product is riskier than ever. However, as long as the potential reward outweighs the potential risk, brands (and consumers) will continue to buy into the world of celebrity endorsement.

And why not. A lot of brands look at celebrity endorsement as a win win situation. Three benefits of using a celebrity to spruik your product include:

  • You don’t always require the best or most creative advertising to stand out (Ricky Ponting and Swiss Vitamins)
  • It doesn’t always matter if the endorsement makes sense, it still gets publicity (Libby Trickett and KFC)
  • If the celebrity misbehaves, the brand gets a get out of jail free card without losing its credibility (Stephanie Rice and Jaguar)

Of course, there are pitfalls to the celebrity game. If your ambassador does misbehave, this can disrupt a 2-3 marketing plan. When the sponsorship takes a hit, so does all the marketing and media plans around that endorsement. A lot of hard work down the drain and you’re back to square one.

Further to that, celebrities really do resonate with consumers, so once you’ve gone down that road, its hard to shake the association. Yep, some people still associate VB Beer with David Boon for example.

So like any business decision, brands need to weigh up the reward verse risk. But right now, the reward still trumps the risk.

Posted in Communication, Media, Sponsorship, Strategy | 2 Comments »

THICK SKINNED

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

It’s hard to ignore the slanging match going on between former Socceroo Robbie Slater and current Socceroo Harry Kewell.

Kewell has copped his fair share of media punishment over the years. And given the player’s frustration with Australia’s performance and his own subsequent non selection at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, I can understand him wanting to take on Slater.

But I would discourage athletes from going down the same path. Lashing out at journalists nearly always ends in tears. Here’s why:

1. Reacting (especially in public) only fuels the fire of a story you don’t want out there. Some fly away comments from Slater on PayTV are now backpage headlines because of Kewell’s response.

2. You’re only doing the journo a favour. Journalist’s love publicity because it raises their own profile and makes them more valuable within media circles.

3. Yes the media often get it wrong. But the public goes on the belief that where there is smoke, there is fire. Don’t let that smoke develop into fire (see point one).

4. Creating enemies in the media isn’t fun. They and the organisation they work for, will knock you at every opportunity. Who wants that?

Finally, if you fight a journalist on one front, where do you stop? Do you go on a personal vendetta against every journo that writes something bad about you? This is incredibly taxing and affects sporting performance.

It pays to have a thick skin, especially when it comes to the media.

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Posted in Communication, Media, Strategy | No Comments »

Spinning Your Own Web

Monday, March 29th, 2010

What an eventful weekend for the Australian Grand Prix.

It started on Friday night when pin up boy Lewis Hamilton had his sponsor car impounded by police for hoon driving.

And it finished yesterday with Australian Mark Webber criticising Melbourne’s tough anti-hoon laws, labelling Victoria a “nanny state.”

Let’s start with Hamilton. What he did was dumb. No doubt about it. But to his credit, he handled the fallout smoothly, showing great remorse for his actions by apologising and assisting police.

The authorities won’t like this but Lewis Hamilton fans got a kick out of the stunt and it may have even won the McLaren driver some new fans. A kinda  cool story to tell the grandkids one day.

Hamilton walks away embarrassed but not disgraced and certainly not with a target on his back.

Unfortunately I can’t say the same about a very own F1 star Mark Webber. Unlike Hamilton, Webber didn’t get caught hooning and he didn’t have his car impounded by police. Webber’s only lowpoint of the weekend was his result in the big race, a disappointing ninth.

So why then does Webber fly out of Melbourne under fire from angry authorities and a divided public? Cue his comments about Victoria’s road laws.

I’m not going to debate Victoria’s road laws. What I am going to debate is the need to speak out about the road laws. Maybe Webber wanted to take the focus off his disappointing result? Or maybe by defending Hamilton, Webber saw a chance to score some points with the McLaren driver who he crashed into? Or maybe Webber is just incredibly passionate about Victoria’s road laws?

Whatever the reason for Webber’s comments it sure has created some heated debate. Authorities agree that if everyone was as skilled behind a wheel as an F1 driver then maybe they could relax the current road laws. But unfortunately not everyone is an F1 driver as witnessed by Victoria’s road toll of 78 this year.

I’ve got to question Webber’s comments for one reason and that is, apart from dividing people, exactly what are the comments going to achieve?

It’s fair to say Lewis Hamilton feels the same way about Victoria’s road laws but unlike Webber, Hamilton is smart enough to stay out of the debate.

I really feel for Webber, he has enough targets on his back (especially with the Australian media who don’t understand the politics of his sport) without giving them extra ammunition.

It’s true that Webber’s core motorhead fans welcome these comments. Just like Hamilton, Webber probably even won some new fans for speaking out about the road laws. But at what cost?

Webber jets out this week, unable to stick around and doing anything positive to change the road laws. So again I’ve gotta ask, what does this all achieve?

I often begrudge the negative press Australian athletes receive by their own countryman but sometimes its hard to defend. Let’s hope Webber can focus on the season ahead, I’ll still be cheering him on the track.

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Posted in Communication, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Highway To The Publicity Zone

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Did anyone see Red Bull Air Racer Matt Hall flying over Sydney Harbour yesterday?

The fighter pilot turned sportsman was hard to miss, and not just from the air. Hall’s fly over attracted coverage from Channel Seven’s Sunrise and The Today Show, not to mention countless other news services.

This was a PR exercise executed by my good friend David Lyall who runs Sports Communication Australia

Lyall is the best when it comes to sport PR.

Not only does he know everyone in the media world, but he has the experience and street smarts to attract fantastic publicity for the clients he works with.

You may have noticed a heavy media presence of Torah Bright in the lead up to the Winter Olympics. Newspapers, magazines and TV. Bright was everywhere. This was another David Lyall execution, planned and organised 12 months prior to the Olympics.

If you are a sporting property, be it a brand, association or individual, and you are seeking publicity, then I highly recommend Sports Communication Australia.

It’s not hard to give someone a plug when they are the best at what they do.

Posted in Communication | No Comments »

Risky Business

Friday, March 5th, 2010

It’s hard to ignore the Brendan Fevola / Lara Bingle saga. It’s been dominating the headlines this week. And with little wonder. News editors go to bed at night dreaming for stories like this one.

Some people are curious about the timing of this story, given celebrity publicist Max Markson only signed Lara Bingle a week ago. It’s ridiculous to think Markson had anything to do with this story. But the whole thing does tick a few boxes from his perspective.

Firstly it gets Bingle in the news, increasing her public profile and reinforcing her celebrity status (not that she does anything, but it doesn’t matter in this day in age, plenty of people earn a buck from simply being famous). Markson knows out of sight = out of mind.

Secondly, the story rightly portrays Bingle as the victim. The victim card is incredible powerful with the Australian public. Most people don’t have a lot of empathy for Bingle. Rightly or wrongly she is regarded as a home wrecker and a spoilt princess. This story rightly allows her the victim card and that can go a long way to repairing her image.

Thirdly, it opens up a bidding war for Bingle to tell her story, cha ching.

These are all good results for Bingle’s manager. If earning a buck is a manager’s sole goal (which often it can be) then Markson is winning, winning ugly.

Chasing the quick buck is easy. However, turning a client’s brand around to attract quality sponsors is a totally different ball game. It will be interesting to see which game manager and client decide to play moving forward.

Posted in Client Relationship, Communication, Media | 3 Comments »

Listen First, Speak Second

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
Listen First, Speak Second
It’s amazing how many sales people rush into their sales pitch expecting to deliver what they think the other person wants to hear. When in reality, simply sitting back and listening first gives you the ultimate upper hand.
I see this all the time in business. Because sales meetings can be nerve racking, most salespeople will jump straight into talking about their product or service because it makes them feel comfortable. Problem is, you’ve assumed what the other person wants hear and you’re probably way off the mark.
It’s a bit like the telephone sales rep that calls you with a long sales pitch and THEN asks you about your personal needs. You lost me at hello.
I know this advice sounds so obvious but you would be surprised at how many people make this mistake, particularly in athlete management.
If I meet with a client who wants representation, I can assume they want me to get them endorsements. Alternatively I can simply ask them want they want from me. Sometimes the answer back is not so obvious. I then tailor my discussion to their feedback. Suddenly I’m different to every other manager they have met with.
The only way to get someone to understand you is to understand them first.It’s amazing how many sales people rush into their sales pitch expecting to deliver what they think the other person wants to hear. When in reality, simply sitting back and listening first gives you the ultimate upper hand.

It’s amazing how many sales people rush into their sales pitch expecting to deliver what they think the other person wants to hear. When in reality, simply sitting back and listening first gives you the ultimate upper hand.

I see this all the time in business.

Because sales meetings can be nerve racking, most salespeople will jump straight into talking about their product or service because it makes them feel comfortable. Problem is, they’ve assumed what the other person wants hear and they’re probably way off the mark.

It’s a bit like the telephone sales rep that calls you with a long sales pitch and THEN asks you about your personal needs. They lost you at hello, right?

I know this advice sounds so obvious but you would be surprised at how many people make this mistake, particularly in athlete management.

If I meet with a client who wants representation, I can assume they want me to get them endorsements. Alternatively I can simply ask them want they want from me. Sometimes the answer back is not so obvious. I then tailor my discussion to their feedback. Suddenly I’m different to every other manager they have met with.

The only way to get someone to understand you is to understand them first.


Posted in Communication, Personal Development, Strategy | No Comments »

Crossroads

Monday, February 15th, 2010
“A lot of people think I’m cocky, and I think cocky can be cute. Being arrogant is totally different. I’ve learned that now. If cocky is when, before someone throws you a pitch, you think you’re gonna hit it, then yeah, I’m cocky. Arrogance is talking about it in the dugout all day.” – John Mayer

Mayer should heed his own advice. Because “talking about it in the dugout” is exactly what has caused the singer his latest media crisis; an explosive tell all interview courtesy of Playboy magazine. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/1011527/myer-apologises-breaks-down-on-stage
Mayer’s interview is filled with explosive quotes for the tabloids but the real question is why on earth was Mayer in talks with Playboy in the first place?
Everyone knows Mayer has a history of kiss and tell. Sitting down with Playboy magazine was always going to lead to trouble.
Ok I get it. Mayer has an album to promote. His record agency appoint a PR firm (external or internal) to put the bait out – John is available to talk about his new album, who’s interested? Playboy put their hand up. The rest is history.
When a PR company go all out in the pursuit of publicity they go for quantity not necessarily quality. You see, PR agencies are judged by how many times a logo appears or a word is mentioned. It’s hard to knock back media requests when publicity alone is the goal.
This can lead to some dangerous traps for celebrities. It gives certain media access to your client, media you otherwise would never consider.
It’s difficult to avoid such PR plans by sponsors, so you’ve got to rely on solid media training for your client.
If was preparing John Mayer for an interview with Playboy I would have said “Now John, the magazine is likely to bring up A, B, C. Ideally they want you to talk about X, Y, Z. What I want you to do is stick with 1, 2, 3. If you can’t do that, then I’ll kick your ass. Got it?”
You can’t always hide from sections of the media, one day you’ll come face to face so it’s best to be prepared.

“A lot of people think I’m cocky, and I think cocky can be cute. Being arrogant is totally different. I’ve learned that now. If cocky is when, before someone throws you a pitch, you think you’re gonna hit it, then yeah, I’m cocky. Arrogance is talking about it in the dugout all day.” – John Mayer

Mayer should heed his own advice. Because “talking about it in the dugout” is exactly what has caused the singer his latest media crisis; an explosive tell all interview courtesy of Playboy magazine.

Mayer’s interview is filled with explosive quotes for the tabloids but the real question is why on earth was Mayer in talks with Playboy in the first place?

Everyone knows Mayer has a history of kiss and tell. Sitting down with Playboy magazine was always going to lead to trouble.

Ok I get it. Mayer has an album to promote. His record agency appoint a PR firm (external or internal) to put the bait out – John is available to talk about his new album, who’s interested? Playboy put their hand up. The rest is history.

When a PR company go all out in the pursuit of publicity they go for quantity not necessarily quality. You see, PR agencies are judged by how many times a logo appears or a word is mentioned. It’s hard to knock back media requests when publicity alone is the goal.

As a manager, this can lead to some dangerous traps for your celebrity clients. It gives certain people or publications access to your client, media you would otherwise never consider.

It’s difficult to avoid these situations, so you’ve got to rely on solid media training for your client.

If was preparing John Mayer for an interview with Playboy I would have said “Now John, the magazine is likely to bring up A, B, C. I don’t want you talking about A, B, C. I want you to stick with X, Y, Z. If you can’t do that, then I’ll kick your ass. Got it?”

You can’t always hide from sections of the media, one day you’ll come face to face so it’s best to be prepared.

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Posted in Client Relationship, Communication, Media, Sponsorship, Strategy | No Comments »

Wiki-fied

Thursday, February 4th, 2010
I’m surprised with this week’s attack on celebrity agent Max Markson over his attempt to edit a client’s profile on Wikipedia.
“I changed and deleted a lot of things that I didn’t like, being the good spin doctor and manager that I am,” Markson said.
The attacks have come from people who don’t have wiki profiles, who don’t understand what it’s like to have an online profile edited and maintained by strangers. Imagine that for a second. I’m betting these people would be on wiki editing their profiles quicker than you can type QWERTY.
It’s easy to criticise Markson, but I’m pretty sure you’d want him to do the same if he was your manager.
I’ve long monitored the wiki profiles of my clients. As a manager, I can’t always control what the newspapers or magazines say, but I can control wiki so of course I’m going to use that to my client’s advantage.
C’mon you do the same.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/the-internets-in-a-spin-over-naomi-robson/story-e6frewz0-1225826502872

I’m surprised with this week’s attack on celebrity agent Max Markson over his attempt to edit a client’s profile on Wikipedia.

“I changed and deleted a lot of things that I didn’t like, being the good spin doctor and manager that I am,” Markson said.

The attacks have come from people who don’t have wiki profiles, who don’t understand what it’s like to have an online profile edited and maintained by strangers. Imagine that for a second. I’m betting these people would be on wiki editing their profiles quicker than you can type QWERTY.

It’s easy to criticise Markson, but I’m pretty sure you’d want him to do the same if he was your manager.

I’ve long monitored the wiki profiles of my clients. As a manager, I can’t always control what the newspapers or magazines say, but I can control Wiki so of course I’m going to use that to my client’s advantage.

That aside, Markson is laughing right now. All this free PR for his clients online web-based program, The Naomi Show – LoveLife, before it launches. Brilliant.

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Posted in Client Relationship, Communication, Media, Strategy | 3 Comments »

How to Tame a Troublemaker

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

The Daily Telegraph has revealed that senior Sydney Roosters players confronted troublemaker and new recruit Todd Carney in highly emotional meeting over the Christmas break.

Is this the first time Todd Carney has seriously been held accountable by his teammates? It looks that way on the outside.

Now I’m not suggesting Carney’s former club the Canberra Raiders didn’t try to reign in their star prodigy, they did, but there is a big difference between being suspended and losing the respect and trust of your peers.

Look around at any football club with a troublemaker. You’ll often find that the troublemaker is the leader of the pack or someone that has the natural ability to influence others. These troublemakers are nearly always top blokes and they befriend teammates easily with a larrikin personality. It’s incredible tough for anyone within the team to stand up to this person and tell them to seriously pull their socks up.

Sometimes the coach or the captain will put their foot down, but often it’s without the support of the rest of the team who don’t want to lose the friendship of the troublemaker. As you can imagine this creates a siege mentality and only disrupts the harmony of the team.

To tame a troublemaker you need all your senior players to unite and put that person on notice. It’s the only way.

It seems the Sydney Roosters understand this and have rolled the dice. The ball is now in Carney’s court, and only time will tell if he truly respects those around him.

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Posted in Communication, Rugby League, Strategy | No Comments »

Tiger Woods’ Big Lesson

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Does everyone have a right to their own privacy? Absolutely but the game changes when you’re in the spotlight.

I’m not going to excuse the behaviour of Tiger Woods. His transgressions are morally and ethically wrong. But is it really our business?

The public have this week reconfirmed their insatiable appetite for drama and scandal involving high profile people.

The wake up call for Tiger and every high profile athlete around the world is obvious. The lines between athlete and celebrity are blurred and have been for a while now. These days people are not only interested in how you perform your talent, but they are interested in how you live your life.

Sometimes this sucks, but its reality.

One prominent Australian who can probably relate to what Tiger Woods is going through is former NRL player and media personality Matthew Johns. Earlier this year, Johns was hammered in the Australian media for an incident that happened years ago. By the time the public put their swords away, the common feeling towards Johns was one of remorse. Looking back, the majority of people thought he was hard done by. Yes the same people who at the time poured petrol on the media’s fire.

The media know the public are gagging for these kind of scandals. So from now on, they’re not going to sit around and wait for someone to kiss and tell. They’re going to chase it. And chase it hard.

Athletes beware. Your private life is someone else’s gateway to a big pay day. Michael Phelps learnt that last year and now its Tiger’s turn.

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Posted in Communication, Media, Uncategorized, golf | 2 Comments »

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