The first time I got one of my clients on CNBC was a bittersweet experience.
We got this CEO on, had him tell his story, answer some questions and establish some leadership in the industry. For those of you PR folks that have accomplished this kinda thing, you know very well that even though he was on the air for about 3 minutes, the amount of work that went into it far exceeded just 3 minutes.
So to have something like that happen fairly early on in my career, I found myself on my own dreamy little cloud nine, high-fiving myself a few times – I felt like catching a movie afterwards and calling it a day, I was feeling so good.
But within 2 hours of the CNBC spot, the CEO called me, asking, “umm….so how is that writer with the Wall Street Journal moving along…?…when do you think we’ll be able to get that interview…?” As I fielded his questions, I grew more and more upset. After hearing about a minute of this conversation, it was all blah, blah, blah to me because I was thinking to myself, “ DUDE…!…Didn’t you just sit your keester on a chair in the CNBC studios and do your thing in front of millions of viewers…?…a few hours ago…?!”
At the time, I was pretty upset about him taking me out of my little PR Nirvana. But I can look at it all now and be grateful for that jolt back into reality.
Because you have to ask yourself: What happens after you knock it out of the park…? Where do I go from here…?
I can tell you what NOT to do:
Don’t take full credit for the hit – chances are, the lead/the idea/the contact came from some kind of help. Make no mistake about it, the more you share, the more likely you are to be part of a winning team.
Don’t’ think that you’ve found a catchall formula – just because it worked this time doesn’t mean that it will work again. Keep this win in perspective – did you get lucky because you caught the assignment desk in a pinch…?…did you ‘strike gold’ because it worked for your client seasonally…?
Don’t’ think that this media coverage can stand on its own – there are other important media outlets and influencers that can ‘move the needle’ in a positive direction for your client. There’s probably a decent amount of these folks that aren’t necessarily household names, but every bit as important to your efforts.
Don’t think that your performance (nor your client’s) can’t be improved – how could that interview have gone better…?…How many ‘uhh’ and ‘well’ pauses did your spokesperson have on the air…? The reason why people like Tiger Woods, Meryl Streep and Spike Jonze keep people enthralled is because they keep refining, re-tuning and re-discovering their craft.
Don’t think that once you’ve hit one outta the park at Fenway that you can’t go back to Fenway and do it again – there will always be other opportunities to explore. You just have to be smart about it and see if there are other perspectives, ways, etc. to tell the brand’s story.
Don’t just stop here – if you can and if it doesn’t interfere with your outreach, leverage this hit for other pitches. Consider providing a link to the interview as further background and validation for what your client does.
And be sure to use this excitement after you’ve landed this kind of ink to your advantage. Keep moving forward and keep rocking – there’s a good possibility that when a nice thing like this happens, there another one or two lurking around the corner.
Could be just another little slice of PR nirvana for you.
Yesterday, a film critic said something a little troubling about the ‘little boy’ character (Max) in Where the Wild Things Are – a film that “tells the story of a rambunctious & sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home and escapes to where the Wild Things are.” The critic (a fella that I greatly respect, by the way) said that “Max seems too old to behave in the tumultuous manner he does within the film.”
Hmm……while I can agree with him (to a point) in regards to how he may view it from a filmmaker’s standpoint……hmm……
One of the biggest reasons why I always loved the book is because the story celebrates the real freedom a child can have when he/she taps into his/her imagination.
Imagination is a powerful thing for a kid – you can be an astronaut, a bumble bee, a princess…or even a princess bumble bee that just became an astronaut. One’s imagination is expansive, wonderous, safe and fun. So when a grown up like a movie critic says that a kid is behaving too rambunctiously or causing too much of a ruckus when he/she goes to a ‘safe place’ where the Wild Things are, I have to take pause. Not only because it goes against what being ‘a kid’ is all about; but also because I believe it has ruined the fun of being an adult.
When you were a kid, you couldn’t wait to be a grown up – drive your own car, go down the big slide at the water park, stay up late (on a SCHOOL NIGHT)…you get my meaning. But when you grew up, something awful happened – you realized that you couldn’t be driving willy-nilly on sidewalks; you got impatient for having to wait in line for that big slide; and you turned in at a ‘respectable time’ because you had to be at work in the morning.
This business of being a grown up has also gotten in the way of real innovation and discovery. Can you imagine what crazy-cool things were to come about if we were not only encouraged, but rewarded for being creative at work…?…taking folks to where your wild things are…?…no, not everyone can be a Tom Waits, Dr. Maya Angelou or Blue Man Group. But you can have their energy and verve for pushing some boundaries, asking important questions and challenging the norm.
Be a Wild Thing. Try being the person that demands more from your communications peers; creates out-of-the-box ways to deliver a message to your client’s target audiences; plays nice & fair with competitors; and pushes clients to step outside of their comfort zone (ever-so-carefully).
You never know what you can accomplish when you observe the world through fresh-n-wild eyes.
Since Mondays mark the beginning of a new work-week, and since we’ll always need a little bit of a kick-start for the next 40+ hours, I’m going to begin using this space for some groovy/funky/rocking tune-sharing. Pretty much in the same line of thinking as last week’s ‘Kinder-Psyche’ post, the following tunes are meant to help trigger a little bit of your own imagery and insight, as well help you step outside of yourself to just enjoy the moment…which has, ultimately, given me a breather from life and some quality time with my own creativity.
So, without further ado, following is this week’s installment (starting with one cool video that I’m particularly fond of from Jane’s Addiction - both for the sonic sound of the tune as well as the straightforward PUNCH in the performance aspect of the vid):
I wasn’t even 11 years old when MTV went live…this was back when it actually played music videos 24/7. The fact that it launched on August 1, 1981 did me no good, as it was the latter part of Summer in San Antonio, TX – it gets HOT in San Antone in August, ya’ll. So I was glued to the TV set, watching (and in most cases, memorizing) videos from artists like Pat Benatar, Adam Ant, Talking Heads and Blondie.
And even though I had already grown to appreciate (what I consider) good music, this new music channel ‘amped up’ my fondness for a solid song and the players that made me tap my toes and, at times, bang my head. I mean, these were songs with the people who actually cut the records performing (sometimes ‘acting’) for the cameras…..24 hours a day.
How Cool Is Was That?!
But by the time the mid-80’s rolled around, I had come to realize, right about the time I was 15, that while some bands ‘evolve’ with their music, other’s SELL OUT.
Don’t get me wrong - some people really like this song and video. It’s a good song…and they seemed to have gained more fans because of it; but it’s certainly not what the band built its reputation on. Cause you can’t tell me that from where the Crüe began with this and this, that they weren’t just doing it to get more money and airplay. It was a harsh reality for me to face: people and their vision (if they’re open to this ‘idea’) can be bought, repackaged and made ‘more edible’ for consumers.
Street cred is something that cannot be denied – and the Crüe lost a bit of it when they went down that path. These days, brands like Motrin, Pepsi and KFC lose their street cred because they try to play ‘Smokin’ in the Boy’s Room’ when they should be jamming to ‘Live Wire.’ When trying to take a bigger share of the market with a new idea/product/look interferes with your judgment, you’re in for some trouble. It’s good to venture out and develop something that adheres to a company’s principles – heck, it’s advisable. Look at what Apple has done with just about all of its products – when you hold true to your brand’s foundation, you can build just about anything on it.
And as communications professionals / consultants / advisors, we need to be ready and willing to tell our clients when they start to experiment with a new idea that jeopardizes their brand’s character and esteem. When is the last time you’ve witnessed a client trying to ‘Smoke in the Boy’s Room’…? What can you say to a client if/when they begin to sell out for popularity or money?
Too many things in life distract us from tapping into what makes us happy. I’m not saying this as an excuse. I’m saying this because this is what I truly believe. For me, it began right around second or third grade when the idea of splattering some paint on a canvas or making a funky-fun noise turned into something that ‘had to wait’ – in kindergarten, I did stuff like that in a split-second…without any worries or fear of fingers pointing at me.
And why would I…?…come to think of it, why would anyone? We were discovering, learning, stumbling and enjoying life! In between then and now, we got schooled on being a ‘grown up’ – responsibilities, taxes, bills, etc. They all get in the way of that five-year old that would create something entirely unique or blurt out some random noise that *sounded* great.
It’s hard to tap into that kindergarten psyche. Some people get those moments of inspiration from nature, paintings, cities, actions and yes……music. It is with this in mind that I’d like to share with you some songs that have helped me recently get to that little kid that made sure to wear his favorite green Kawasaki t-shirt on his inaugural day of first grade – just because of the way it made him feel:
Some inspiration came from the songs themselves… some came from the videos…some came from both. But music has often worked in helping me step outside of myself to just enjoy the moment…which has, ultimately, given me a breather from life and some quality time with my creativity. Doing this has helped me for years.
I kid you not.
It has helped me with things like finding a solution to client issues much quicker, drafting up a much stronger press release and whipping up a pitch letter with alot more ‘umph.’ It works. I have found that when you just push away from your work for some time (be it five minutes or even five days), it gives you a chance to soak in some outside perspective – it could be a conversation with your favorite aunt, a quick game of Donkey Kong, a jam session on Wii Rock Band, whatever. You will inadvertently use this outside influence in your work…for the better.
Before I graduated, the School of Music at Baylor asked that I take on a small role for an operatic production of The Elixir of Love – a sweet story that, in a nutshell, has Nemorino (the main male character) convinced that a love potion will help him win him the heart of Adina (the main female character). Nemorino was sold this ‘magical elixir’ from Dulcamara – a carpetbagger of sorts that (for this particular show) needed a lowly peon to help cart around his wares, hand out the goods, etc.
No singing required – just some guy that could pass off as a deadpan, overworked, been-there-done-that kind of assistant to push the merchandise. Liking the idea of doing something a little different, I decided to take the role on and had some fun with it. My intention was to find a simple idea of what this dude was about and tweak it just enough to make him interesting. Doing his gave me the freedom to have a GREAT TIME – I didn’t overcomplicate it…just stuck to my task, scowled a little bit, waved a small flag and kept a straight face.
And it worked.
Strangers would come up to me around campus and start talking about what I did as the assistant, laughing their heads off, telling me how I ever did that without cracking a smile……!……this was about as much attention as I got when I did a ‘real’ role at the time……!……after hours of deliberation, personal work, thought, analysis and more gobbledy gook that I care to mention.
I was onstage for no more than 5 minutes…in a 2 ½ hour production with an intermission…and I did something so right that it struck a nerve. At first, I was angry about it; but, then, after a few moments of thinking about it, I began to really get the fact that there is no such thing as a ‘bit part’…not really.
Which brings me to Ken Leung – an entertaining kind of guy that had a ‘bit part’ in Ed Norton’s directorial movie debut called Keeping the Faith.
About halfway into the film, Ken does his bit for a 3-minute scene (the latter two minutes of the scene) where he created something very memorable with Jesse’s Girl. It was
Engaging – Ken made his ‘Don’ character pop out with energy, enthusiasm and silliness. You really want to know this guy…he has no real semblance (so we think) of how ‘off’ he may sound and doesn’t care – he just rocks it out on the microphone!
Fresh – Ken had a unique perspective on this ‘Don’ character…maybe it was fashioned after someone he knew or a combination of folks he knew. Regardless, Ken delivered what he knew about ‘Don’ (real or imagined) to make him interesting and presented a fella that could sell a thousand dollar karaoke systems…easily.
Thoughtful – Ken brought out a person that could’ve been a caricature; but instead (perhaps with the help of Ed Norton) punched out something in an altogether fleshed-out guy that you want to trip the lights fantastic at a karaoke bar.
CONSIDER THIS: Whether you are just starting out with a new gig after graduation, embarking on a new career path or trying to familiarize yourself with a new group, technology or idea….there is an INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF VALUE that you could bring to the table. You’ve just got to own what you have and know. Use what you’ve got and work it – you’ll find something so unique (even if it’s something as ‘minor’ as creating a media list) that it could very well be engaging, fresh and/or thoughtful.
There are various schools of thought that categorize leadership styles from one end of the spectrum to the other. Some like to look at ‘leadership theories’ that have focused on what qualities have been distinguished between leaders and their followers. For the sake of keeping things simple, I’m going to throw all that out of the window to explain why I believe Craig Ferguson – late-night TV host and self-described “vulgar lounge entertainer” – is carving out an interesting and funny path on how to influence people.
How else could you explain how hand puppets, fake moustaches and wigs work while jiving around to Duran Duran’s ‘White Lines’…?
Now, I’m not going to go on about how remarkable Mr. Ferguson’s leadership style is, nor am I about to attempt to explain how he manages his people. Because…quite frankly, I’m not entirely sure. The fact that Mr. Ferguson can compel his staff to wear costumes and lip-synch their way through Britney Spears or They Might Be Giants songs not only makes me giddy with glee, it astounds me.
How does Mr. Ferguson do this?
he leads by example – in the Hey, I Love You skit (much like just about every other intro to each Late Late Show), Mr. Ferguson is the first one to come out to get things started. He sets the tone, inviting the audience to take part in his brand of goofiness.
he’s authentic – never shying away from sharing anecdotes (and sometimes embarrassing stories) about his battles with alcohol and drug abuse, Mr. Ferguson creates an open space where it’s perfectly fine to share some vulnerability…even influencing an appearance from someone like Betty White to share her experiences as a ‘girl scout.’
he doesn’t take himself too seriously – from the time Mr. Ferguson was ‘campaigning’ for honorary citizenships from various states across the U.S. to curmudgeonly announcing himself as the new king of late night TV, he encourages his team to be irreverent and fun.
Other late night TV hosts do similar things, sure…but none of em’ really revel in their silliness in such a way that it keeps the same crew coming back as often…to be nonsensical. Not so much to be ‘funny’…but dippy, trippy and dizzy. The fact of the matter is: it doesn’t have to make sense to be right.
As a manger or co-worker, what have you done to inspire real innovation from your team? When was the last time a ‘crazy idea’ fueled something genuinely memorable for your clients? What could you do today to tap into your inner ‘Craig Ferguson’…?
Getting a degree in acting takes a fair amount of guts and craziness – especially given the fact that I went to Baylor with the intent on getting a degree to get me ready for medical school. It’s one thing to act like a buffoon in a high school – it’s another thing to think you can give an Al Pacino or Toni Collette level performance or yuck it up like Steve Carrell or Christina Applegate and get paid for it. Who goes through years of training to put themselves in the midst of people judging you based on your ‘look,’ personality, marketability, ethnicity and talent? The ‘certifiable’ kind of person.
Crazy or not, once I made the decision to fully commit to getting a degree in acting, I dove in head first with my studies. Getting to know more about ‘how to act’ was (and still is) exhilarating. Like walking a tightrope, there’s something a little dangerous, exciting and surprising with each gig. Surprisingly enough, being able to relay that kind of thrill to an audience can be particularly difficult; but it’s something you ALWAYS want to accomplish. So, when you see someone execute this kind of thing on a Black Belt/Sensei level, it is truly amazing. This is why I am overwhelmed with awe whenever I see Denzel Washington’s performance on Training Day.
The first time I saw Training Day, I was (I kid you not) giddy with a flurry of emotions – jumping up and down like I got my first bike on Christmas morning. Not like this is news to anyone, but Denzel’s take on Detective Alonso Harris in this film is picture perfect. From the moment you see Alonso, you are immediately taken in with his strength, power and wolf-like charm, while, at the same time, completely afraid of what he can and will do.
And even though we may never achieve the Sensei-like status as Denzel Washington, this is the kind of energy and adventure that we want to achieve with all of our clients. We want each effort to have a sense of
Danger – Even if you have a ‘slow build’ to a particular campaign, why not swing for the bleachers? You want your team to feel as if they’re on a mission – and you can’t really have a mission without establishing some sort of ‘unachievable’ goal. Additionally, the more ‘dangerous’ the task, the tighter your group gets cause it’s all hands on deck.
Excitement – People get taken in when they see something that excites them. Think about the time when the Simpsons movie came out when they partnered up with 7-11 or when the newest iPhone was released. These efforts worked well partly because they were personal, immediate and engaging. When you tap into something like that, it creates conversations and makes fast friends.
Surprise – I recall seeing Perry Ferrell of Jane’s Addiction one time say that one of the biggest things that they strive for in their music is to achieve some sort of surprise. In a communications effort, you can do this by really stretching your team to mine the ways your audience can make these flashes of discovery. It makes sense because those little moments when the rug is pulled out from under you create memories. Memories that are altogether intimate.
Like Denzel’s performance in Training Day, what are you doing these days to create a sense of danger in your communications efforts? When was the last time you were truly excited about your marketing campaign? When was the last time you felt like King Kong in your gig?
“Noo!!! You’ve got to feel the way those words make you…It’s like when you bite into your favorite piece of cake that you haven’t had in years! You’ve GOT TO have that energy SEEPING THROUGH you, that FIRE! It just makes you so giddy, you just…just…aahhhg!! It’s WONDERFUL!…You know what I’m saying…?”
We had an idea of what she was talking about – even though it was Shakespeare we were working on. But, in truth, there was NO WAY we could get to that level of understanding…not yet.
But there stood this powerful woman with the strength, passion and animation of an 18 year old – urging us to take the text to a deeper level. She was fearless and commanded an incredible amount of respect. And even though she was in her 60s and stood just over five feet, she towered over every one of her students with love, ardor and anxiety.
We spent many an hour dissecting scenes, working the iambic pentameter and trying to make sense of what ‘Billy Shakes’ was trying to say. But more than anything else, we were trying to humanize characters like Iago, Bottom, Petruchio or Katherine. HOW could we make their lines relevant to our audiences? What would make them care? How can we make them ‘get it’ and not feel restless after the first few minutes of a play? Keeping an audience happy (or from getting bored) with a contemporary play is hard enough.
But our professor was tireless in her pursuit to help us make it important for the audience – they have to care about what you’re saying and who you are. We had to work with what we had – nothing more. We couldn’t dress up the passages with some slang. We weren’t allowed to throw in some nonsense from our own particular bag o’ tricks. We would try. But she would thump us quickly, screaming from the back of the auditorium, “No-No-Noooo!! That’s not gonna work here, buddy!” We had to keep simple. We were building a foundation and framing for a home she would tell us – “Once that’s firmly set, then we could see about painting the walls with our own colors and patterns.”
Yes, it was a little nutty, but it worked. And here’s how it works for me today:
Dissecting the Text – As we found the rhythms and meter (the iambic pentameter) in Shakespeare’s plays, we’d find some incredible nuggets in the words he wrote for his actors. Much like this dissection of our characters, I make sure that everyone in our team takes the time to pore over whatever documentation our clients give us when we begin a new relationship. By doing this, we often find some aspects of their business that, quite frankly, has been overlooked – especially if it’s a more tech-oriented company.
My Bag O’ Tricks – By getting my hand slapped (most of the time vocally with a ‘Nooo!’) whenever I would try to bring in a familiar look, voice, etc., it helped me to understand that there really are a variety of ways to do a scene. This has translated so well in PR and Social Media, since our whole goal (as an industry) is (or at least it should be) to deliver a message in a unique and meaningful way. No BS. No Tricks. A good strong message will carry you through. And it will most certainly support a myriad of ideas and tactics…easily.
Keep the Audience Awake – Shakespeare done well (truly) is a lot more difficult than you may think. So when you see it done right, it’s a ROCKIN show. One of the things that supports this occurrence is when you keep an unbiased eye on as to what your play is telling an audience and how. In PR and Social Media, your overall approach is so very important. In fact, the infamous and insightful Richard Laermer said yesterday on Twitter that “Tone…is everything.” How you say something to your audience (be it your current customers, potential customers, business leaders, in a social network, etc.) can damage/propel a company’s reputation faster than you may think. Consider the messes made when you think about Motrin or David Letterman.
What tactics are you using today that you learned from an odd job growing up? Who is your nutty n’ loving inspiration that keeps you digging in deeper for something better today?
Towards the end of my freshman year at Baylor, one of the professors in the theatre program was granted the ‘ok’ to give an experimental performance to all of the students. This professor has a tremendous work ethic and demands that you put as much of yourself (mentally and physically) in each performance – his presentation was a prime example of this. It was called ‘Birth Chair’ – a cirque du soleil type piece where he spent 15 minutes s-l-o-w-l-y delivering himself from this chair.
It was odd, uncomfortable and so far out of left field that I both dreaded and looked forward to my sophomore class with him on Mask Characterization – a class that aimed to help participants take some vocal, physical and mental risks as actors, while developing some very strong tools for ‘unmasked’ character development. The class was a trip – not only because we all had to wear tights (male & female) and go though some strenuous physical activity; but also because it encouraged us to really find that ‘mischievous sprite’ within ourselves
Now, while this whole process may sound a bit bizarre or weird, that experience gave me a lot to tap into in my work in public relations and social media:
Process for Discovery – the process of marinating a piece of meat was a lot like the process we took in class. Some days, it felt like we spent WAY TOO LONG to handle one task; but there was a method to our instructor’s madness. Had we rushed this process, we would’ve come out of the gate with something half baked. It’s the same with our clients – unless I give the team (on both sides) the freedom to discover what make the other side exceptional and valuable, we are doomed to fail. When we give ourselves some proper getting-to-know-you time, oftentimes we uncover some opportunities that may have otherwise been overlooked.
Push Some Boundaries – Why does a PR or Social Media program have to follow the same paths that everyone else is taking? Yes, there are some things that work well, but that doesn’t mean that they work EVERY TIME, nor does it mean that any one tactic may work as well for this client over that one. If it rings true to a message and its audience, then there’s no reason to stretch the limits of fresh look on external communications.
Does It Have to Make Sense? – One of my classmates (20 years old at the time) developed a character that ended up being a cantankerous old man that loved chocolate cake and hated flat-footed women. Much to this old man’s dismay, the best chocolate cake in town was made by a flat-footed neighbor that was sweet on him (pun intended). Even though this geezer was a bit rough on the edges, there was something very sweet, affectionate and endearing about him. This 20-year old kid had NO BUSINESS trying to do this; but by marinating in this process, it just made sense. So, if you take the time to brainstorm on different ways to communicate your message and come upon something completely unique that works on some level (without compromising your client’s reputation), WHY NOT give it a go?
What ‘birth chairs’ in your life have you run into that have helped you push some boundaries? What is your process of discovery when you begin a working relationship with a new client?
The first time I got one of my clients on CNBC was a bittersweet experience. 
Yesterday, a film critic said something a little troubling about the ‘little boy’ character (Max) in 
I wasn’t even 11 years old when MTV went live…this was back when it actually played music videos 24/7. The fact that it 
And as communications professionals / consultants / advisors, we need to be ready and willing to tell our clients when they start to experiment with a new idea that jeopardizes their brand’s character and esteem. When is the last time you’ve witnessed a client trying to ‘Smoke in the Boy’s Room’…? What can you say to a client if/when they begin to sell out for popularity or money?
Too many things in life distract us from tapping into what makes us happy. I’m not saying this as an excuse. I’m saying this because this is what I truly believe. For me, it began right around second or third grade when the idea of splattering some paint on a canvas or making a funky-fun noise turned into something that ‘had to wait’ – in kindergarten, I did stuff like that in a split-second…without any worries or fear of fingers pointing at me.
There are various schools of thought that categorize leadership styles from one end of the spectrum to the other. Some like to look at ‘leadership theories’ that have focused on what qualities have been distinguished between leaders and their followers. For the sake of keeping things simple, I’m going to throw all that out of the window to explain why I believe 
Getting a degree in acting takes a fair amount of guts and craziness – especially given the fact that I went to Baylor with the intent on getting a degree to get me ready for medical school. It’s one thing to act like a buffoon in a high school – it’s another thing to think you can give an 
“Noo!!! You’ve got to feel the way those words make you…It’s like when you bite into your favorite piece of cake that you haven’t had in years! You’ve GOT TO have that energy SEEPING THROUGH you, that FIRE! It just makes you so giddy, you just…just…aahhhg!! It’s WONDERFUL!…You know what I’m saying…?”
Towards the end of my freshman year at Baylor, one of the professors in the theatre program was granted the ‘ok’ to give an experimental performance to all of the students. This professor has a tremendous work ethic and demands that you put as much of yourself (mentally and physically) in each performance – his presentation was a prime example of this. It was called ‘Birth Chair’ – a cirque du soleil type piece where he spent 15 minutes s-l-o-w-l-y delivering himself from this chair.
