Patterson/Bach Communications, Inc.

Patterson/Bach’s public relations team believes in encouraging organizations to establish and maintain a comprehensive public relations program. Many times, our team receives only one request from an organization or business in regard to what it wants to achieve through a public relations campaign: proactive media relations.

While we understand the importance and value of media relations, it’s also our job to educate clients on other public relations disciplines, including, crisis communications, community relations, internal relations, and social media, among others.

As public relations counselors, we have a responsibility to inform clients of all available resources when we develop and implement a comprehensive public relations program tailored to help achieve an organization’s goals and objectives.

With so much emphasis on media relations, it’s easy to forget the positive impact of having (or the consequences of not having) a comprehensive public relations program in place, so we’ve decided to take this opportunity to remind you of a few key benefits:

• Research key publics’ (customers, members, employees, media, etc.) current perceptions using metric-based measurement tools to ensure overall objectives are met and strategies are supported
• Develop key messages and talking points to share with stakeholders to ensure consistent inbound/outbound communication touchpoints
• Engage and influence key publics to change misconceptions and build trust
• Position organization as a community and industry leader
• Provide ongoing environmental scanning for proactive issues management to uphold an organization’s reputation during a crisis

Now, more than ever, organizations should consider implementing a comprehensive public relations program that prioritizes key initiatives to consistently meet the needs of internal and external publics, ultimately strengthening the core business and producing long-lasting results.

Here at the agency, we’ve filled out a slew of RFPs and RFQs recently in connection with some business presentations. In many cases, these documents are a client’s first impression of a particular advertising agency—and you know what they say about first impressions. So we put lots of care and thought into answering them.

One thing you’ll find in most RFPs and RFQs is a section asking the responding agency about its previous experience in the client’s business category. Agencies with relevant experience pounce on this to demonstrate their expertise, and understanding of the client’s business. Meanwhile, agencies lacking experience brew a fresh pot of coffee and ponder, How are we gonna dance around this?

Common sense tells you an agency with previous experience in a business category has a leg up on one lacking such experience. But common sense also told us the sun revolves around the earth, and humans would never fly. Let’s look at both sides of the experience coin.

The case for experience

Obviously, there’s some comfort level knowing an ad agency has previous  experience in a client’s business category. If the agency has had notable success in a particular field, such as a spectacular and well-received ad campaign, so much the better. Of course, there are no guarantees that the people who created the great work of the past are the ones who will work on the present piece of business: that’s one thing an advertiser should verify.

There’s something else an advertiser should consider. Namely, for all its experience in a business category, will an agency bring fresh thinking and ideas to your business? It’s not uncommon for an ad person (or an entire agency) to get burned out working years and years on the same piece of business. Eventually the idea well runs dry, and it’s time for a change.

As they say in the investment world, past performance is no guarantee of future results. Nevertheless, previous business experience does provide a measure of comfort, along with a track record a client can use to evaluate a potential ad agency.

The case for a fresh slate

Can an ad agency that has never worked on a widget account jump in there and make them fly off the shelves (or wherever widgets fly from)? Absolutely. Success in the ad business demands that you be a fast learner, capable of getting up to speed quickly in a wide variety of business categories. This skill is simply part of a good ad person’s DNA. A little research into an agency’s account roster, along with a probing question or two, should give an idea of how quickly and effectively an agency can learn the ropes of a client’s business.

Also, don’t discount the benefits of bringing a new perspective to your advertising needs—a perspective unaffected by accumulated experience. Sometimes, it’s the agency that’s never had a widget account that finds fresh and interesting ways to advertise them.

Of course, inexperience can be a challenge in the case of a particularly esoteric business category—like for instance psychoneurobiochemical photospectroscopy machines (I’ve got one at home!). You may not feel comfortable having a Gen Y, Kings of Leon-worshipping creative team working on that one. Under normal circumstances however, lack of experience shouldn’t be an automatic disqualifier for a client seeking an agency.

So, how do you choose?

My two cents: choose the agency you feel most comfortable with, regardless of their experience in your business category. If they have tons of experience in your category, that’s great. And if not, don’t sweat it. The real question you should be asking throughout the selection process isn’t how much or little category experience the agency possesses, but:

How good is the agency at the business of advertising?

After all, that’s what you’re really hiring them for, isn’t it?

For examples of this, visit—you guessed it—pat-bach.com. Some of the work you’ll see stems from our considerable experience in various business categories, while other campaigns demonstrate our ability to bring fresh perspectives to new fields of business.

The common denominator in both cases? Quality. That says all you need to know about the “experience vs. novice” debate. And about Patterson/Bach, too.

So, you think the economy is making times tough…  Have you considered what a crisis would do to your organization?  In better times, we’re so busy keeping up with in-your-face daily demands that we rarely think proactively about planning for the unexpected.  I relate crisis communications planning to insurance; you may not need it, and let’s hope that you don’t, but when you do, it’s invaluable.  Many organizations are experiencing a slow-down in daily operations during this challenging economic climate.  Why not use the small amount of extra time you now have to commit to a complete communications audit and development of a crisis plan?  Some of you may be thinking, “I already pay enough to our attorneys, let them handle it.”  Allow me to suggest to you now that he or she will only be valuable behind the scenes of a crisis.  Do not make the mistake others have made of having your attorney be your spokesperson or even the words behind the face of your organization.  This is an area where an experienced public relations counselor really shines.  We’re able to step away from the “business side” of the situation, see the entire picture, and determine how the crisis may affect every one of your publics, then create channels of communication that speak to each of them.  Different audiences have specific concerns during a crisis, and they need to be heard and responded to appropriately.  Public relations can provide 1) a thorough review of what processes you already have in place, 2) recommendations for what should be modified or newly created, 3) ongoing environmental scanning to identify pain points early, and 4) proactive issues management, so that a problem doesn’t become a crisis.  Don’t take this quiet time for granted, engage a public relations professional today to get you prepared for the worst, while helping your organization strive to be the best.

Try this experiment. One night, before going to sleep, turn to your significant other and say, “I love you.” Then the next night, try something like, “Of the three billion (men/women) on this planet, not a single one has your seductive charm, sublime grace and ravishing beauty.”

Okay—which of these Goodnights guarantees you’ll be doing something besides sleeping when the lights are out?

Finding new ways to say the same old thing can make a dramatic difference—in the boudoir, and in advertising too. Heck, especially in advertising, where clichés, stock phrases and stock situations (ah, the good old Slice Of Life!) have been reused, repeated and recycled until consumers react with indifference. That first “I love you” that swept them off their feet has been uttered so many times by so many advertisers that it’s now stale, blasé, yawn-inducing. You’ve gotta find new ways to court them.

Fortunately, as our experiment confirms, it’s entirely possible to find new ways of expressing oft-repeated messages, keeping them fresh, engaging and persuasive. In advertising it takes verbal and visual skill along with imagination—but most of all, it takes the simple determination not to say the same old thing the same old way.

One classic example is the Where’s the Beef? commercial Wendy’s ran (more than 20 years ago!) to tout its beefier burgers. The message—“our burgers are better”—was hardly a new one in the burger marketing wars. But the fresh, unique twist on this message, the “Where’s the beef?” line delivered in the froggy voice of the immortal Clara Pell, single handedly catapulted Wendy’s from a relatively obscure burger chain to one of the big three in the business. Twenty-five years after the commercial launched, it’s still remembered and loved, and “Where’s the beef?” is still a punch line heard in offices, TV shows and even presidential campaigns.

Think for a moment of the awesome return Wendy’s got for simply finding a fresh way to say Our burgers are better. And think too about finding fresh ways to tout your own products and services in your advertising. The fact is, unless you have a completely new and unheard of gizmo (A Revolutionary Device!), your messages are likely to fall into one of several categories:

• Your product saves time

• Your product saves money

• Your product makes life easier for users

• Your product is superior to your competitor’s

There’s nothing wrong with this: these messages are entirely legitimate ones, and they’re meaningful to your customers. But you’ve got to come up with fresh, compelling ways to express these messages or your customers will eventually tune them out—because they’ve heard them before, over and over.

At Patterson/Bach, we preach the gospel of fresh messaging, and we practice it too. Go to pat-bach.com for examples. Maybe there’s not much new under the sun, but there are always new and exciting ways of describing what is—and that’s what we do best.

Greetings, friends,

During this time, we always try to reflect upon our previous accomplishments throughout the year. It’s amazing to look back at everything we have completed, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to help our clients achieve their business goals through traditional and new media campaigns. Below, you will find what some members of our team are most proud of, and what they look forward to accomplishing next year.

• Tim, president: I’m most thankful for having a great list of clients who are moving forward in this difficult economy with a sense of boldness and are not letting the economic downturn dictate their businesses’ future. I’m proud of my team members, who have made significant changes and adjustments in their work to meet our clients’ expectations! This too shall pass.

• Linda, chief financial officer: It has been a pleasure and an honor to work with a very capable, talented and determined team at Patterson/Bach in a very challenging year.  This year I have successfully incorporated more efficient methods to increase productivity by providing upgraded computer applications, technical computer troubleshooting and summary analyses on client accounts.  I would like to continue in 2010 to ensure that the interface with our team, clients and vendors is a personable and effective experience.

• Brian, marketing director: With every challenge comes an opportunity. My hat goes off to our clients who saw the opportunity to market themselves during these difficult times. I look forward to more “challenges” in the New Year.

• Greg, senior art director: I am constantly learning from the people I work with. Creatively, there is nothing better. And there’s always more to learn!

• Dan, creative director: I’m proud of some of the successes we’ve been able to help our clients achieve in a particularly rough year for businesses. Two specific examples come to mind: helping the Craft & Hobby Association exceed their attendance goals for their first-ever consumer show, and re-crafting Montverde Academy’s marketing vehicles to communicate with its all-important international market. In 2010, I look forward to new opportunities to help our clients achieve the results they hire us to deliver. Providing measurable results to our clients’ success is why we’re in business. It is also deeply gratifying on a personal level to know that one’s efforts are making a difference to the businesses we serve.

• Erin, director of public relations: I am appreciative of the diverse group of clients with whom I have had the pleasure to work in 2009, and I look forward to an upcoming year of opportunities to partner with and help organizations realize the many benefits of public relations beyond media publicity.  I hope the new year will bring a fresh perspective to organizations to make employee communications and community relations top priorities.

• Ashley, public relations account executive: I’m thankful for having the opportunity to work with great clients and team members this past year. I’ve been able to assist with the development and implementation of social media campaigns, as well as help clients achieve their traditional campaign goals. I’m looking forward to expanding our social media program in 2010.

We hope that you will take time from your busy schedule to recognize your own accomplishments.

Best Wishes from the team at Patterson/Bach Communications.

If you’re not in the commercial art business, the words “white space” may conjure images of the Siberian tundra in January. Not so. White space is actually a graphic design concept that, while little known outside art circles, can have a big impact on the appearance and effectiveness of an advertisement.

Essentially, white space is any portion of an ad that contains no text or graphic. Take a sheet of copier paper and color a small square in the middle. What lies outside of the square: that’s white space.

So what’s the importance or value of white space? Loosely explained, the theory is that clean layouts and graphic designs attract attention because of what’s not there—the visual clutter of dense text, charts, graphs, etc. The human eye, so the thinking goes, is attracted to simplicity—hence the incorporation of white space (or negative space as it’s sometimes called) in a layout.

Of course, this doesn’t mean an ad should be nothing more than a blank page with a logo. In fact, there are times when all available space in an ad should be filled up—say, for instance, an ad announcing a sale on 99 different auto parts at an auto parts store. Used sensibly and judiciously however, white space can create a visually arresting, attention-getting ad.

So, how do you determine the appropriate use of white space in your ads? As with most artistic techniques, there are no fast and firm rules, but here are a few suggestions:

• Commit from the beginning to creating an ad that delivers a focused message. Ads that cram in too many messages—“Here are 73 things you should know about our products!”—often communicate none.

• Create several layout options and eyeball them. Which one stands out from a visual viewpoint? Which one does the best job attracting your attention?

• Ask yourself: does the layout you’ve selected do the best job of communicating the message you want to convey? This may seem like a no-brainer, but the extra scrutiny you give to text and visuals is worth the effort.

For examples of how to use white space in advertising, go to www.pat-bach.com. As you’ll see, sometimes “less can be more” in creating an ad that looks great—and works beautifully.

Our public relations team frequently meets with clients to discuss social media initiatives and opportunities. We ask a variety of questions, including why clients want their organization to be on an online network, what they could achieve through an online presence, and how much of their resources are they willing to dedicate to this effort.

Clients’ answers to these questions are often surprising: from “…because our competition is,” to “…because we want to have a lot of followers and fans.” Many responses demonstrate a lack of understanding how social networking sites operate and the types of online communities that are available for their specific organizations. Clients also usually fail to incorporate their brand platform, mission, goals and core values into their answers; whereas, they rarely make this mistake with traditional media methods.

How would you measure success on a social networking site? The number one response we receive is that success should be measured by the amount of fans and followers an organization has. While it is possible to create programs that increase the number of followers/fans on FaceBook or Twitter and other networking sites, it’s not a solid, long-term strategy for the following reasons:

• When focusing on quantity, quality is lost. Concentrating on quality over quantity is critical to maintaining two-way dialogue. It’s difficult to maintain ongoing conversations when there are a multitude of different conversations occurring, all aimed at you.
• Inability to effectively listen to your audience. A key element of social media is sharing and listening. Proactively listening to feedback to hear what people say about your brand will allow your organization to create immediate resolutions to problems or criticisms. If your utilizing any social network, you should hear, read, listen, and respond to individuals; as well as implement change and organizational operating strategies when necessary.
• Short-term promotions should be incorporated into a long-term strategy. When the promotion ends, these fans often disappear too. Your social media activities should not be solely focused on short-term promotions. The focus should be on building long-term relationships that lead to loyal brand followers. Promotions can help build this concept, but should not be your only strategy. When you focus on your relationships, you will receive a greater response when you create a short-term promotion and call to action.
• Talk with me, not at me. If your followers/fans just wanted to hear you talk, they would visit your Web site, which is an online portal for your organization to do just that—talk only about itself for a never-ending period of time. Your web site doesn’t allow for real time, two-way dialogue. If customers didn’t want to provide you feedback, your Web site would be the most popular online presence.

Long-term social media plans should be well-developed strategies and tactics that support your organization’s goals. A goal on a social networking site shouldn’t be to have numerous supporters, because your organization will have a weak relationship with each individual. Build a great foundation so that it will grow, and when it does grow, people are having a really positive experience. If you implement social media correctly for fans 1 through 100, then you will have set a great precedent for the rest of your fans/followers.

Our clients’ social media programs focus on the strength of their relationships within online communities. When an organization is new to social media, our goal is to provide a good foundation that enables a business to commit to a long-term plan. If you need a partner to start or grow your social media efforts, contact me at Ashley (at) pat-bach (dot) com.

Central Florida Applebee’s franchisees have found a way to make excellent service—well, even more excellent. It’s a high-tech system that allows customers to buzz servers from electronic boxes at their tables. Servers receive these electronic messages via wrist watches they wear on their shifts. Response time is within 60 seconds.

Providing guests with constant contact with their servers is a convenience that works for both parties. Customers enjoy the utmost in responsive service, along with the flexibility of having a server appear only as needed (a plus if you like to take your time before ordering). For servers, the new system helps them provide the best possible guest experience while managing their time more efficiently.

Central Florida Applebee’s franchisees is believed to be the only major chain using this advanced customer service system. At Patterson/Bach, we salute Applebee’s for an innovation that serves both its guests and its employees quite well.

Central Florida businesses are as innovative and forward thinking as any in the nation. We’re proud to salute local companies that are moving ahead and making a difference to their customers and the community through new thinking, new ideas and better ways of doing business.

We used Howard’s strong historical connections with customers as a springboard to introduce their new line of nutritional products.

This artistically designed advertisement helped make the connection.

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