WHAT IS "GUERRILLA P.R." ANYWAY?Written by Michael Levine
If you're going to apply principles of Guerrilla P.R. to age of Internet, you have to know something about Guerrilla P.R. itself. in case you have not worn out a copy of Guerrilla P.R. or have forgotten some of finer points since that book was published in 1993, let's take a fresh look at concept. After all, world has changed.Public relations is art, as one of my colleagues put it, of "offering people reasons to persuade themselves." In other words, we are not Madison Avenue; we don't tell people what we want them to think. Rather, we give them evidence, facts, and opinions that help them reach a conclusion. If we're good at what we do, they will reach conclusion we've been hired to promote. The differences between traditional public relations and Guerrilla P.R. are relatively simple. First of all, public relations firms like mine are available to people with a lot of money, because we charge what we consider to be reasonable fees, which are out of reach of many small or one-person businesses. So entrepreneurs and small business owners need to learn and apply same skills I use every day in service of their larger, more well-heeled rivals. But these skills can't be used same way, since they require more money than most small businesses can afford. Not everyone can buy a minute of time on network TV to get message across. That's where Guerrilla P.R. comes in. This down-and-dirty offspring of traditional method is based on an idea I developed called Tiffany Theory. The Tiffany Theory is an idea that sounds simple but, like most such theories, is so basic it contains numerous truths. My Tiffany Theory states that a gift delivered in a box from Tiffany's will have a higher perceived value than one in no box or a plain box. That's not because recipient is a fool; it's because in our society, we gift-wrap everything: our politicians, our corporate heads, our movie and TV stars, and even our toilet paper. Tiffany paper places a higher perceived value on things. In effect, what I do each day is gift-wrapping. I take a message and wrap it in finest paper from Tiffany's. No matter what message may be, I try to make it sound more appealing, more interesting, and more useful. If I do my job correctly, consumer (who gets message through television, newspapers, radio, or Inter net) will get message. But first, that message has to go through editors, producers, reporters, and website managers. The Tiffany paper adds perceived value and cachet. Notice, now, I said, perceived value. In public relations and publicity, perception is truth. It isn't what happened that counts, it's what people think happened. This is absolute day-to-day currency of politics, entertainment, and most other industries. In our case, we're looking at how public-that is, segment of public you believe is your customer base-perceives your company. Not what your company actually might be.
| | 10 Tips For Bringing Your Event To LifeWritten by Susan Friedmann, CSP
How did Hotmail gain over 12 million subscribers in 18 months? How did very low budget movie “The Blair Witch Project” become such an incredibly successful phenomenon? The answer lies in power of “buzz.” Buzz or word-of-mouth marketing influences more people to buy, or not to buy products and services, than most other forms of marketing. Why is it so powerful? Basically, we have a need to share information as a means of communication and also as a way of understanding world around us. Often, we base many of our purchasing decisions on information gleaned from friends and well-respected associates. We tend to listen to them more readily then most mass-media messages. In his book “The Anatomy of Buzz,” Emanuel Rosen states, “most marketing today ignores power of buzz and tries to influence each customer individually.” He believes that “buzz travels through invisible networks that link people together. Noise, skepticism and connectivity all influence today’s buzz.” As exhibitors you need go no further than tradeshow floor to find a network that creates a real buzz. It starts prior to show, gathers momentum at show, and then slowly dissipates after show ends. Every exhibitor has power to influence buzz. It all depends on product/service quality, marketing savvy and decisions made. I recall visiting a telecommunications show a couple of years ago when buzz on show floor concerned a Fortune 100 company and major player in industry, (who shall remain nameless). The talk centered around image of their booth which wasn’t quite up to expectations. The buzz went like this: “The ABC Company has gone cheap. They must be having financial problems.” It’s gossip like this that starts wheels of “rumor mill” turning and can even create havoc on Stock Market. Remarks like this often have very little bearing on reality, but people make assumptions and decisions based on what they see and hear. Obviously, originating source of buzz plays a key role in its basis for truth. I’m sure that you would much prefer any tradeshow buzz to be positive. Since talking about products/services makes economic sense, how can you use buzz to add to your existing marketing efforts? I’ve put together ten guidelines for you to consider: 1. Brainstorm all possible groups of people who might be interested in your products/services. Consider including media, opinion leaders, influencers, lead users, politicians, analysts, etc. Don’t forget chat rooms and newsgroups although buzz still spreads primarily by personal interaction. 2. Research how information spreads among your customers. Ask them how they usually learn about new products/services. Who are their major information sources? Who’s information do they value? You’re primarily looking for groups of people rather than individuals. However, don’t discount individuals, as they may well be a powerful opinion leader. 3. Develop a clear and concise message highlighting product/service benefits you want to filter through these different groups. Zero in on your product’s uniqueness and what it can do, for example, to help save time and money – two basic elements most people seek.
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