The reputation management agency Bell Pottinger issues an apology that isn’t a real apology. And I hate every word of it.
Hi. I’m Jerry Silver.
I’m a professional PR advisor based in Stockholm, Sweden.
I write advice on PR, online psychology, persuasion techniques, and
media logic. Insights and tactics that you can use to communicate better.
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 | by Jerry “Doctor Spin” Silver // Twitter, Facebook, LinkedInSenior Digital Strategist // Spin Factory |
Here’s the backstory:
Oakbay Capital in South Africa hires a reputation management agency, Bell Pottinger. According to Bell Pottinger’s Wikipedia-entry, the agency seems to have had some problems with managing their reputation themselves.
Less than a year later, both Oakbay Capital and Bell Pottinger are being accused of purposely stirring up racial divisions.
Following a perfect storm of criticism in social media, Bell Pottinger decided to issue a public apology.
Here’s Bell Pottinger’s letter:
Datadriven PR- and marketing is the future. But the time to invest in a data warehouse is now, not tomorrow.
| by Jerry “Doctor Spin” Silver // Twitter, Facebook, LinkedInSenior Digital Strategist // Spin Factory |
“But we’re not Excel-people!”
In an email conversation with a blog subscriber, we discussed the challenges of pushing your team to adapt to a ‘digital first’ world:
The subscriber told me about how challenging it was to get colleagues who love letters to also love numbers. And, in my experience of working with many different types of organizations, this challenge is not uncommon.
Now, I love the power of the written word, too. But here’s the thing:
Technology, code, math — they’re all languages as well. In fact, they’re the Esperanto of our time; a unifying set of global languages that know no borders and defy slow-to-adapt politicians. The language of information technology is defining for our generation.
Thus, the time has come for communication professionals to step up and embrace the power of datadriven PR and marketing.
But where to start?
I suggest investing in a data warehouse.
Here’s why: [click to continue…]
How do you persuade anyone of anything? It requires careful preparations, active listening — and good ethics.
| by Jerry “Doctor Spin” Silver // Twitter, Facebook, LinkedInSenior Digital Strategist // Spin Factory |
We must all persuade someone every now and then.
And — there are thousands of techniques on how to do this in various situations:
Some techniques are about power and authority, others about psychology and behavior. Some techniques are scripts, others a matter of being persistent and not giving up.
If you’re selling fast-moving consumer goods, it’s all about placement — where is your product when your prospect happens to be susceptible to suggestion.
If you’re selling more expensive products, especially to other companies, a proven track-record might instill enough trust in your “target.”
Or, if you’re trying to win someone over romantically, body language, mannerisms, and pheromones might just get you laid.
Still — how do you persuade anyone of anything?
Here goes:
A manifesto on what it takes to be a ‘digital first’ politician in today’s wired world.
| by Jerry “Doctor Spin” Silver // Twitter, Facebook, LinkedInSenior Digital Strategist // Spin Factory |
In public relations, political communication is ‘public affairs.’
And as with every dimension of business and society, your local politicians must adapt to a ‘digital first’ world, too. The internet is where most of our opinions are being molded and spread throughout the population.
However, the question is:
Are your local politicians keeping up with the times?
Let’s take a closer look:
When it comes to inbound marketing, most marketers think about landing pages, conversion rates, and marcom softwares. But it’s more than that — it’s a new paradigm for marketing.
| by Jerry “Doctor Spin” Silver // Twitter, Facebook, LinkedInSenior Digital Strategist // Spin Factory |
Inbound marketing is a fundamental shift.
Yes, nowadays we focus more on list building, call-to-actions, lead magnets, viral loops, conversion rates, landing page optimization, a/b-testing, marketing automation, and all of that fancy stuff often associated with online marketing in general, and inbound marketing in particular.
But inbound marketing is so much more than just using various types of software to capture online leads.
Here’s why: