Here is a latest reel. Please contact me for more information. Cheers, Evan
Category Archives: Media and PR
Evan T Howell Productions 2013 reel
Posted in Media and PR
Tagged branding, carolina, Duke, durham, Evan Howell, Evan T Howell, integrated marketing, NCSTATE, Raleigh, Research Triangle Park, rtp, science & technology, STEM, UNC-CH
It’s still about the website, stupid.
courtesy: wellplannedweb.com
Just read a useful blog post from Vinci Designs which reminds small business, among others, about some good fundamentals on social marketing. Fundamentals – something that from time to time is forgotten the more we fall in love within the vagaries of the ‘social media tools’ at our disposal. At the end of the day, any visitor to a mobile platform, a Facebook page or Twitter post needs a ‘call to action.’ Yes, many understand the need to interweave these, but the number of ‘likes’ or retweets does not a business presence make. The fundamentals remain that a web site should be the destination where visitors learn who you are, what you sell and and the core reasons why you exist. It is your office. This is particularly important for small businesses. Your social media ring, I submit, still needs to serve your prime business objective: to engage customers. “If you build it, they will come.” But, they will only come if there is somewhere to go – a place that wholly represents how you are a responsible steward of your product or service. After your chat at the proverbial “cocktail party” on the social platforms, your prospective clients will always want to drop by your home ‘office’ the next morning.
Avoid “boiler room” marketing campaigns at all costs. Brand and sales ROI failure imminent
Scene from "Boiler Room" (2000)
I wanted to share a letter I wrote this morning to a marketing director at a major cruise line. I’ll cite this as a lesson on what not to do in a promotions campaign.
Dear (marketing director):
I recently called [credit card company] customer service at [redacted] on a general inquiry about my credit card. But rather than reaching the system, I heard a recording congratulating me on being winner of a 2-night cruise aboard [cruise line ] to the Bahamas. I decided to press “1” to hear more, as I had a few minutes.
I then was put in touch with a sales representative who read his prepared script, explaining it was merely a promotional campaign by [**] and that I would only be liable for $59.00 “port fee” per person. The trip could be redeemed within 18 months. I agreed and provided the individual with my credit card information. He provided me with his Corporate ID #. He then transferred me to an “authorization representative” who proceeded to up-sell me on hotels, cars, a six-night extended stay, etc. I told him I wasn’t interested and just wanted my reservation number. He told me he was still waiting for it. I pressed him and he put me on hold. This was the first of three different times I was put on hold. Each time I told the individual all I wanted was the reservation number and that was it. Finally, I hung up. I was on the phone for nearly 30 minutes. I have since called my credit card company to flag this incoming transaction to be blocked. That took a grand total of four.
These types of “boiler room” marketing tactics do little to enhance the brand of [**]. Rather, I submit, they strike confusion and paranoia among those who have a minimum understanding of how promotion campaigns are supposed to be executed.
Of course, no one can be sure which company has the controlling administrative function of said-promotional campaign. But I strongly advise each marketing department to examine the long term ROI of such aggressive sales strategies.
I, also, am an integrated communications and marketing professional. We both work in the business of perception. At the very least, your people and/or partners are giving our profession a bad name.
Regards,
Evan Howell
Does your Association have an online strategy to help grow membership?
(Original text published on the AENC blog)
A word on Associations – Nurses, Accountants, Bankers, Florists…Whoever. You may think your Association needs a stronger online presence, but are confused as to what that exactly means. And you see its potential.
The number of ways you can communicate with your audience can be overwhelming. And there are a few fundamentals to understand before moving forward.
“Liking” you is not enough
“If you build it, they will come” only worked in the movie. Just setting up a Twitter account or Facebook group page as standalone presences is a regressive strategy. If your association isn’t communicating its key messages, you won’t generate a following. Worse, owning these profiles with no activity or followers just looks bad and delivers the wrong message as well.
Actively communicate your messages
The first mistake in messaging is trying to tell everything, to everyone, all the time. As an association, you know who your members are, and you know how your work benefits people on a broad scale. But like any marketing strategy, it’s critical to identify specific audiences, but also deliver specific messages on how your work is directly relevant to their needs.
Identify your target goals and encourage participation
Establish a timeline around key dates and planned announcements. This may also include locally planned events. By using your online platforms to deliver your messages, you can encourage participation through “retweets” and other forms of sharing. By inviting members to be part of the process, your are both now the stewards of your organization’s brand and mission.
Any successful online strategy is about building a presence that doesn’t just give you your “15 minutes.” Crafted carefully, it will help you earn a deep, living leadership role in today’s marketplace.
Posted in Media and PR
Tagged Associations, branding, content development, Evan Howell, Evan T Howell, membership, social media, strategy, twitter
The question of integration
Shifting your entire promotional budget into on-site event marketing or press release distribution is a bit like having your financial portfolio manager tell you to pour all your money into a single fund. It’s rarely a good choice in the long run. In investing parlance, the best approach is called “diversification.” In my line of work, we call it “integration.”
What if Edward R. Murrow had "Tweeted"?
Sending a press release to an editor, securing an exhibit slot at an industry conference, or hosting an event are all important traditional elements or “tactics” in most campaigns. But they cannot stand alone. As you’ve likely noticed over the past decade, the power of the Internet has ballooned and “others” are using it. However, you may still see it as a “tool” or some minor obligatory clause in your business plan.
PR is a living animal, constantly adapting to new environments and getting stronger as it forms and maintains relationships with people in real time. This is thanks to the ever-growing opportunities in open communication sources: Web, social pages, apps, Internet TV, and sharing services. The list goes on. But online marketing shouldn’t be treated as the first and only course of action when you want to build your brand. The fact is that traditional channels still need to be utilized simultaneously in any campaign. They must converge.
An effective PR executive will know how your brand should dwell in the online community, and he or she won’t fall back on the occasional announcement or blog post. Living in this neighborhood puts you face-to-face with both believers and detractors. Both are critical in giving you the opportunity to deliver your message and enhance your credibility with customers and potential partners. The same can be said for standing in front of your booth at the annual conference or chatting with a reporter over a coffee.
Never forget the fundamentals. Time-tested methods of traditional “peoples’ relations” and online strategies must be woven together in order to create not just name recognition of your product or brand, but an integrated and living presence in the marketplace.
Posted in Media and PR
Tagged Evan Howell, integration, market communications, media relations, online marketing, social media
