Focus on a Goal

Survey the Right Number of People

Craft Your Invitation

Order Questions Logically

Write Objective Questions

Shorten the Survey

Close the Feedback Loop

Focus on a Goal

Be precise about what information you need to gather and what you plan on doing with it. A narrow goal will help you to simplify the survey.

Survey the Right Number of People

Some might consider a “census approach” to surveying, attempting to gather feedback from 100% of the population. Others take a “sampling approach”. If you are thinking of taking a census approach with your survey, consider:

• The census approach works best for populations under 1,000 individuals
• It may require you to utilize incentives to boost response to the appropriate level
• Make sure you invite all respondents
• Use reminders and deadlines to ensure highest response rates among your population

A sampling approach may be more effective for populations over 1,000 individuals. This allows you to obtain information on particular subgroups. If you are going to take the sampling approach, be mindful of the number of responses required to get a solid indication of how the target population overall would respond to your questions. To ensure good sampling, make sure your selection of population is as random as possible.

Craft Your Invitation

It is critical that your invitation is designed to minimize the likelihood of being flagged as spam. Avoid spam-filter trigger words (“Free, “$”, “act now”). Use a compelling subject line, such as “Help us improve our products” and send from an individual person’s e-mail address as opposed to a general corporate e-mail address.

Once someone clicks on the invitation, you have less than eight seconds to make a good first impression. Tell recipients what you want them to do as soon as possible in the invitation. Let them know how long the survey will be.

Consider using a combination of incentives and deadlines to gain rapid response. For example, “The first 100 people to submit a completed survey by May 31 will receive….” You can limit your financial liability by putting a cap on the number of incentives offered. A deadline creates sense of urgency, and relevant incentives motivate invitees.

Order Questions Logically

Begin with screening questions. These questions will ensure you are surveying a good candidate. After your screening questions, open-ended questions are a good next step. Capture their views in their own words before biasing them with your later questions.

When you get to general questions, use them as the basis for branching off into specific questions dependent upon how they respond. This requires using skip patterns.

After specific questions, you can delve into demographics. Use demographic questions to profile respondents. This will enable you to cross-tabulate and compare subgroups. Place these near the end of the survey as they are tedious and intrusive.

Finally, ask for any final comments about any aspect of the survey or its topic. Ask for permission to follow-up with them about their answers, and prompt them if they have an issue they want to be contacted about.

Write Objective Questions

Poorly worded questions will lead to suspect results and erroneous conclusions. Respondents should not be able to determine where you stand on any topic, so use nonjudgmental wording and choose neutral terms. Don’t ask leading questions such as “What do you like about your service?” but instead ask, “What, if anything, do you like…?”

Shorten the Survey

The shorter the survey, the better the response rate. To simplify surveys, remove questions that don’t directly address the goal of the survey. And ask only the most important questions. A common research tactic is to have three similar questions on a similar topic; just use one.

Close the Feedback Loop

Your respondents contribute because they value their relationship with you and they want to see you improve. Explain what you’re using the data for and share your data with the relevant communities. Identify actions you’re taking as a result of survey. Consider using web seminars, video conferences and meetings to share data. Use this approach to stimulate additional participation and ongoing feedback. 

Recently, we spent several months creating a comprehensive advertising and public relations campaign for one of our clients. First we created a number of spec campaigns which we presented to the client. Of these, several were chosen for further refinement and presentation to focus groups (focus groups: a topic for a future blog article!). The focus groups in turn gravitated to one campaign, and the client gave us the OK to run with it.

Done deal. Or so we thought. However, in the middle of developing the campaign, a decision was made to shelve it in favor of another one that had actually been rejected by the focus groups. This meant starting over from scratch under a real time crunch—just the thing that normally causes ad creatives to do what we’re alleged to do best: scream and whine.

But no, we didn’t scream or whine. Instead, we got to work. And so, I’m sharing this story with you to:

A. Pat ourselves on the back for executing this switch with grace, good will and professionalism.

B. Present this as a small lesson in humility (as opposed to the other h-word in advertising, hubris).

Stuff happens

Scenarios such as the one I’ve described happen in our business. Changes, reversals, zig zags and all sorts of unexpected things can happen to a campaign as it goes from drawing board to final production. How an ad agency handles these twists and turns determines many things, not the least of which is how the final campaign turns out.

I’m proud to say in this case that we at Patterson/Bach handled things beautifully. There was no grumping or griping about the sudden turn of events. No whining or temper tantrums. None of the arrogance that’s often associated with creative people and their childish ways. Instead, there was an immediate and total commitment to making the new campaign work even better than the original. We regrouped, retrenched, rethought—and lo and behold, we created a campaign that exceeded the original in its creativity and effectiveness.

By handling the situation professionally, with zero arrogance and 100% commitment to the job, we moved from a rough spot to a very smooth and satisfactory finish.

The moral of the story

Conventional wisdom says many ad people—especially creatives—are temperamental and arrogant, disdainful of criticism and unwilling to compromise their grand creative visions. There’s some truth to this, although it’s not always a bad thing to stick to your guns and fight for what you believe is right.

The takeaway from my little story is … well, a little flexibility and humility never hurt anyone. Sometimes all the pieces fall into place and sometimes they don’t. But regardless, the important thing, the thing that really matters, is doing the job to the best of your ability under any and all circumstances. That’s really what you get paid for, and if you’ve done this, you’ve earned every penny you’re entitled to—and you’re worth it.

The most common mistake organizations make when deciding how to spend their communications budgets is overlooking the power of research. Either the thrill of a new campaign or assumptions about what target audiences think leads to what I call “gear goggles,” whereby the organization shifts into high gear before grounding itself in a solid foundation. A campaign in “gear goggles” risks exhausting resources, sacrificing effectiveness, and spinning out of control.

PepsiCo experienced a major “gear goggle” moment in 2009 with the Tropicana brand when a new carton design met such hostility from Tropicana’s publics that the change was reversed. Assuming the opinions of its publics, PepsiCo created a false confidence that resulted in not only angry consumers but also wasted time and money. No matter how well an organization thinks it understands its publics, research will either validate or correct those assumptions, ensuring the most successful communications investment possible.

Some organizations do not comprehend the benefits of public relations research because they do not recognize communication as a science. Communications must be tested and established with research, just as any product or service the organization provides. With organizations demanding quantifiable results to illustrate public relations’ effect on the bottom line, pre- and post-campaign research must be conducted in order to calculate the true impact. Only those public relations campaigns and strategies with thorough research of the publics’ opinions, the industry climate, and the message’s effectiveness will provide the greatest results.

All public relations processes demand research as the first step. Research delivers the insight necessary to develop the most valuable strategy. Conducting public relations without research is like taking a road trip without a map. You may know where you’d like to end up, but without the fundamental groundwork, you have no idea where the campaign will go or how much it may cost you.

Don’t cut corners and let “gear goggles” steer your organization in the wrong direction. Call Patterson/Bach Communications today at 407-645-1880 and let us build your communications plan with the solid foundation your organization deserves.

When is the last time you wrote a letter to a friend, a service provider or a prospective customer? Chances are it’s been a while. And of course, in today’s world of instant communications, why bother with the time, expense (and icky stamp-glue-on-the -tongue) of snail mail?

Here at the agency, though, we’re seeing the value of a good, old-fashioned letter in a new business initiative we recently launched. That’s right, we’re sending out personalized letters along with other materials to prospective clients—and so far, the results are encouraging. We’ve actually lined up a few meetings along with some “keep in touch” invitations, and in most cases the prospects have called us, a sign that our message is getting through. We’re also dusting off another old-school sales tool a.k.a. the White Paper. We’re starting to send these out via e-blasts, as part of an industry-specific new business initiative. I’m eager to see the results, and I’m betting we’ll get some.

I’m sharing this as a reminder that, as we embrace all the new media out there, we shouldn’t entirely junk the old. Sure, it generally costs more to  send a letter, direct mail, etc. However, used judiciously, these mediums can garner attention and pull results. It may be—irony of ironies—that Dinosaur Age communications appear all the more novel and attention-getting in today’s jungle of electronic media. I don’t know. But I do believe that old-school communications has a place in our new media world—and used properly, the old can be worth gold to smart marketers.

I often hear people refer to public relations (PR) professionals as “spin doctors,” meaning they ‘spin’ or manipulate information to persuade public opinion for or against something or someone. It’s also a common misconception that PR pros always have an agenda and are rarely truthful. Therefore, journalists, and the public in general, are weary of trusting PR practitioners.

In reality, the role and responsibility of PR professionals is to guide an organization or individual to make ethical decisions and attempt two-way communication to develop and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with each key public. PR pros are actually accountable for all of our actions and decisions made for our organization(s) and ourselves. PR pros strive to practice public relations in an ethical manner, following the Public Relations Society of America’s Code of Ethics. PRSA, the industry’s overseeing association, can revoke practitioners’ memberships if a professional does not adhere to its Code of Ethics. Although a PR pro may practice PR without being a PRSA member, membership is important and one of a list of credentials people should look for when choosing a PR counselor.

PR professionals have specific education and experience to strategically manage many communications challenges. Most PR pros have studied and graduated with a degree in public relations from communication colleges across the U.S. It’s important to remember that these professionals have been taught the appropriate way to communicate a message to a diverse list of target audiences, as well as how and when the message should be delivered.

As professionals, we endeavor to educate the public about PRSA’s fundamental values, including, “…advocacy, honesty, loyalty, professional development, and objectivity…”  Helping people understand the many disciplines within public relations (i.e., charitable giving, community relations, and employee communications, to name a few), and see us as communication facilitators, not barriers, contributes to increased trust and respect for our industry.

In advertising, we bat around the word creative like Forrest Gump swatted ping pong balls. We use the word to describe our profession, our work and ourselves, but rarely do we pause to consider just what creativity is and what it means to be creative. So let’s take a moment to reflect on the nature of creativity as it is and has been perceived by some of history’s most—well, creative—minds:

BUCKMINSTER FULLER:

There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.

PABLO PICASSO:

All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.

ALBERT CAMUS:

All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning.

JOHN CAGE:

I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.

NIELS BOHR:

Your theory is crazy, but it’s not crazy enough to be true.

MICHELANGELO:

I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.

DR. SEUSS:

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!

MARK TWAIN:

You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.

G.K. CHESTERTON:

There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds.

LEWIS CARROLL:

Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

MILES DAVIS:

Don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there.

VINCENT VAN GOUGH:

If you hear a voice within you say “You cannot paint,” then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.

ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER:

The wastebasket is a writer’s best friend.

MARCEL PROUST:

The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.

JOHN UPDIKE:

Creativity is merely a plus name for regular activity. Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or better.

And finally …

VICTOR HUGO:

An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come.

Ahh, so that’s why I can’t get “oo-la-oo-ga-ga” out of my head.

Internet, cable, and phone. Flight, hotel, and car rental. Whopper, fries, and a drink. What do these products and services have in common? They are all among the most recognized examples of product bundling.

What is Product Bundling?

In marketing, bundling is commonly defined as a selling strategy where two or more products are sold at one price, often at a discount to the customer.

For example, a communications company may choose to offer a cable TV bundle that allows the subscriber to enjoy cable television, local telephone service, and Internet access as a single product offering, rather than having to purchase three different services at a cumulative higher rate.

Benefits of Bundling

Product bundling can save your customers time and money. Rather than having to deal with multiple vendors in order to have access to multiple products, the customer has one central vendor for all his or her needs. This concept of one-stop shopping means the client spends less time keeping up with various vendors, and has one central pipeline when there is a need for customer support.

Companies also benefit from providing various types of bundled packages to their clients. In many cases, the cost and convenience created by product bundling go a long way toward promoting customer loyalty. This makes the client less likely to switch to another company for any of the products or services, especially if the price for the bundle is competitive. Product bundling also gives you more latitude when it comes to pricing. Anytime you eliminate pricing by line item, people can’t shop your price as easily.

How to Bundle

What are some of the considerations that go into developing a product bundling strategy? First, look at unique ways to bundle complementary products. Then, identify customers that would be good candidates, determine product configurations and set a pricing strategy. Also, think about how to advertise the bundling program. Get your sales staff involved and consult your advertising agency early on.

After developing a pricing strategy, you should test it on a sample group to determine whether it has appeal for a wide range of customers.

A company that can provide its customers with hard-to-resist ‘package deals’ will move more product, bring in more money, and attract loyal customers. Contact us today to build your own bundling strategy.

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.