Author Archive for Tracy Weise

02
Apr
13

Brand Your Company Socially and Ethically Responsible (Or Lose Consumers)

By Tracy Weise Leave a Comment
Categories: Brand Loyalty, Business Strategies, Millenials and Millennials
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In the past few years, numerous studies have shown a significant increase in consumers that care about responsible corporate practices. A recent survey stated that over 62 percent of consumers say they genuinely care about companies’ policies more so today than 10 years ago, and four in 10 consumers say they have decided against a product or service because they didn’t agree with the company’s practices.Screen shot 2013-03-28 at 12.17.43 PM

Because of the recent added pressure on organizations, a majority of Fortune 500 companies issue a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or Sustainability Report available to the public. This increased importance on corporate responsibility has also encouraged more than 8,000 businesses to sign the UN Global Compact Pledge to commit to good citizenship with regards to human rights, labor standards, environmental protection, etc.

One brand that is proactively addressing social responsibility is Visa. The organization recently created new markets in developing countries by aligning social causes with corporate strategies. Wal-Mart is also pledging to be more corporately responsible by committing to sustainability in order to save money and tighten their supply chains.

The motivation for companies to adopt a CSR can be significant. Consumers, vendors and partners are likely to avoid firms that develop unethical reputations. Additionally, companies that disregard ethical responsibilities are at a higher risk of stumbling into legal issues.

Do you think companies are responding to consumers’ demands concerning human rights, labor standards and environmental protection? Will the continued persistence of consumers forever change corporate practices? Does your company have a corporate responsibility plan? Let us know!

01
Apr
13

BREAKING NEWS: Politics Force Social Media to Merge

By Tracy Weise 6 Comments
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: ,

Move over Michael Bloomberg…there is a new man in town.  This November Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey will be running for New York City Mayor, using his social media presence and management as a platform for his political endeavors.

“Based on my experience at Twitter, I plan to invest in programs that will feature New York City job openings and stimulate the job market,” says Dorsey.  “However, running for mayor against [Michael] Bloomberg will be expensive, so I am working with a team to merge YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook into one social media site and using excess funds to subsidize the expense of my campaign.”

Media Facebook Founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is partnering with Dorsey to merge social media and help raise funds for the upcoming New York City mayor election. “I was never a fan of Twitter on its own, but when merged with the other platforms, its makes a lot of sense.  Most social media users are college students who are mainly concerned convenience and cheap entertainment…combining YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook will allow the college crowd to film their adventures while instantly sharing their video with Twitter followers and their family and friends all for free on one convenient site.”

Zuckerberg says he supports the idea of “Mayor Dorsey” and will volunteer time for the campaign efforts. Pundits believe Zuckerberg has is own political aspirations.

Social media users should be on the lookout next month for the closing of their original YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook accounts.  Dorsey and Zuckerberg plan for the new social media site to be user-friendly and to have high quality features for producing high definition videos.  Be sure to save a new profile picture for the new account, which will be called YouTwitFace.

Nothing above is accurate or true. Offense should not be taken by anyone as it was all written in the spirit of April Fools Day. Happy April 1, 2013 from the team at Weise Communications. Find out more about the fun we have at our agency by visiting www.weiseideas.comImage

           

28
Mar
13

Public Relations Working Well: Evolving The Press Release Into The Information Release

By Tracy Weise 3 Comments
Categories: Public Relations, Publicity, SEO and Social Media
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canstockphoto9493898Discussions continue regarding validity of traditional press releases. Press releases were the traditional go-to channel used by public relations practitioners to share information with the media. Some consider press releases irrelevant in today’s society, where social media citizen journalists are breaking news first. This begs the question, with the evolution of the Internet and social media platforms, are press releases being phased out? Spoiler alert: No.

The popularity and use of social media sites has forced PR professionals to change how we communicate. Emails, cold calls and tweets have become more of the norm when sharing information with the press versus a conventional format-specific press release. Because social media has changed the way we do public relations, it’s becoming more common for journalists to overlook press releases, as they often search for news stories directly avoiding any possible bias.

Yet at the same time, good practitioners know how to tie effective public relations with good SEO. Using the distributed press release to increased links and keyword searches back to the corporate site increases organic search ratings. Additionally, press releases are used as a great form of “back-up” information when the original pitch piques a reporter’s interest.

While the terms are often interchanged, I consider a “news release” to include critical information of wide ranging impacts. When the release represents an official statement from an organization, speaks on behalf of a company when critical announcements need to be made, specific issues need to be addressed or stock prices may be impacted, “news releases” are still important.

Maybe the traditional press release isn’t really an alert to media outlets anymore. Maybe it’s better if we consider it an “information release”. We don’t use them much in pitching, but there is still a role for press releases in the practice of public relations.

Another morphing of the role of press releases is from a recent study stating that 66 percent of public relations consultants say the press release plays a very vital role in branding efforts on behalf of a company. In your opinion, will the typical press release continue to be effective or how much longer until its usefulness is eliminated in our social media-driven society? Share your thoughts with us!

06
Feb
13

“2013 Health Care Advertising: Looking for Answers”

By Tracy Weise 2 Comments
Categories: Advertising, Business growth, Business Strategies, business to consumer, Communications, health, Health and Wellness, Health care marketing, healthcare, healthcare marketing, internet marketing, lead generation, Marketing Trends, Mobile advertising, Predictions and Social Media
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Here is a preview of my featured article,”2013 Health Care Advertising: Looking for Answers,“ seen in the February issue of The Review.

To read the entire article, click here.

With the future of health care evolving, consumer behavior and attitudes must be examined. Weise Communications Co-founder and President Tracy Weise offers her top five suggestions for health care advertising and consumer engagement for 2013.

1.            Create Medical Communities through Social Media

Hospitals and health care systems can optimize outreach to educate consumers by moving beyond corporate websites and creating a strong social media presence via social media sites, blogs, referrals and webinars.

2.             Increase Engagement with Mobile Media

As more consumers utilize their smart phones and tablets for Web browsing, medical apps will allow consumers to order medication, set appointments, learn about health initiatives and obtain the contact information of health care institutions.

3.            Take a Broad Approach to Community Wellness

Online and offline advertising communication messages featuring, “well care” not just “sick care” will motivate consumers to take control of their own health in order to decrease hospital readmissions.

4.            Be Keenly Aware of the Competition

In order to prevent patients from traveling far and wide seeking optimal doctors and ideal medical costs, health care advertising can lesson competition for the health care consumer by creating specific and consistent messages to target audiences.

5.            Show Sensitivity for Consumer Anxiety Through Proactive, Targeted Communications

Health care institutions can ease consumer fears of the changing health marketplace by emphasizing positive messages about health care changes, providing dedication to community health, and advocating for the most profitable health care institutional services.

 

12
Dec
12

Healthcare Advertising: E-Cigarettes; Messaging Targets Many Audiences

By Tracy Weise 8 Comments
Categories: Advertising, Branding, cigarettes, Health and Wellness, Health care marketing, Marketing, Marketing Trends, Reputation and Uncategorized
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The marketing of Electronic Cigarettes, the “cigarette alternative,” is becoming more aggressive and reaching larger audiences. While these devices have been available for several years, the advertising is now reaching new venues. Advertising can be seen on cable TV and is pervasive with online videos. Websites clad with sexy women in sultry positions and superhero men puffing on electronic cigs are easy to find. Adding in fun and young flavors such as bubblegum, strawberry, chocolate and peach and you have a whole fun new and sexy category of safe smoking. This ultimately creates a market for e-cigs that include non-smokers.

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An article by Anthony Nagy from Business Insider discusses the advertising messages presented by manufacturers of e-cigs. I agree with Nagy’s overall assessment that the marketers are missing an opportunity to message the health benefits of the devices. If, as proponents state, it is true that this is a great alternative for those addicted to the unhealthy habit of smoking, then shouldn’t the messages tailored for smokers include this health message?

We did find one such an example:

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The New York Times suggests that many of the current campaigns are reminiscent of iconic cigarette ads. Clearly those campaigns were successful and with the prevalence of online ordering, it is a strong possibility that a youth market will be intrigued and motivated by the campaigns. After all, what teenager does not want to be sexy and strong? Without the prevalence of the aforementioned health messaging, however, I wonder if the campaigns will be the first step in developing young smokers? Is it possible that e-cigarettes could the gateway to smoking real cigarettes rather than (or in addition to) the bridge to quit?

What do you think about the marketing for e-cigs? Are they reaching audiences in the right way? Will the marketing of these devices lead to a healthier society with less smoking or create a new era of people who jump from electronic cigarettes to real ones?

Share your thoughts here or on Facebook at Weise Communications and follow us on Twitter at @Weise Ideas.

18
Sep
12

Managing Crisis Communications in the World of 24/7 Citizen Reporters

By Tracy Weise Leave a Comment
Categories: Advertising, Communications, Crisis Communications, Social Media and Social Networking
Tags: , , ,

Old school public relations is no longer effective in the world of 24/7 social media information, so there should be no expectations that traditional media management will be effective in a crisis. However, until you are in the throws of a crisis, you never really know what or how much exposure you will be managing. Take this opportunity to learn from those of us who have been there. Our sleepless nights can be your handbook for future success.

Through managing recent crisis communication situations, we have compiled valued lessons to share with our fellow communication professionals.

1. The media cycles with the moon

The news may not sleep, but fortunately, reporters do. Unfortunately, however, when the sun is down in one country, it is up in another. Be prepared for the cycles of the media. Within the first four hours of a recent international crisis we could predict the media cycles and when the influx of calls would come. Europe was first to call, followed by the east coast and Canada. Not far behind were the Central, Mountain & Pacific time zones. Many of the national outlets had LA offices covering the shooting, so we knew what time frame they were working on. We also knew our deadlines for follow-up and how to juggle interviews based on the time of their news broadcasts.

2. Social media will kill a good plan every time

There is nothing like a media black out to be exposed by Twitter. In a recent case, it was celebrity visits that were leaked. The visits were uplifting and incredibly appreciated, however keeping these visits “quiet” was all but impossible thanks to our world of social media. Expect tweets and Facebook photo posts to trigger an onslaught of media inquiries and induce the media to show up for their own photo opportunities. Arguments with reporters suck, so be prepared with how to answer questions you “can’t answer.” It’s a terrible position for a PR person to be placed in, but it is guaranteed to happen.

3. There will be audiences you have not yet thought of

The best laid communication plans will include all potential audiences. What I have learned is there will always be others you have yet to anticipate. Audiences on the periphery of your circle will have different motivations, and can innocently and inadvertently derail your primary messaging. They exist because they have access to communication vehicles that were not part of the news cycle a decade ago. Once they begin their own campaigns, you need to have a communication plan that deals directly with their needs and determines how to appropriately manage these additional audiences.

A crisis is a crisis because it is difficult to manage. Communication professionals train to deal with the challenges and are invaluable during a crisis, but even the best of us will all be tested and tired until the worst has passed. Expect the challenges, the long days and a lack of sleep. Bring an extra phone charger, plenty of coffee and call in assistance when you need it.

If you are interested in hearing more about crisis management, Tracy Weise will be speaking at the Colorado Health Care Communicators event on September 26, 2012 and again at the PRSA Colorado Springs Chapter on October 11, 2012. Or feel free to reach out to us at www.weiseideas.com or email Tracy at tracy@weiseideas.com.

13
Sep
12

Health Care and Franchising – A Growing Business Model

By Tracy Weise 1 Comment
Categories: Business growth, Business Strategies, Businesses, chick-fil-a, Dunkin' Donuts, Expanding, Faegre Baker Daniels, Fantasic Sams, Franchise, Franchising, Franchising in Health Care Conference, healthcare, Managment 2000, McDonald's, senior citizens, Uncategorized and UPS Store
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ImageHealth care in the United States continues to evolve. With changes forthcoming, and past obstacles still being overcome, health providers are looking for ways to provide better patient outcomes and manage a sustainable business model. However, these are irrelevant if there is no access to care. Coupled with one of the largest issues to come out of the 2011 Healthcare Franchising Conference is the fact that more doctors are retiring than ever before, leading to increased opportunities to deliver a number of health care services through the franchised business model.

In my opinion, franchising give us the access to care, provides quality assurance and creates a sustainable business model for the business owners and providers.

Franchising is at the cross roads of health care and business.

Franchising has successfully evolved thousands of from thriving local businesses into iconic household names. Think: McDonald’s, Chick-Fil-A, Dunkin’ Donuts. The food industry possessed the beginning of the franchise era however, over the years franchising has branched out to include product distribution and services:  The UPS Store, Fantastic Sam’s, Curves. Today we are continuing this evolution. Everything we know about quality assurance, billing, marketing, and program development for franchising is being transferred into health care. It is time to put a greater focus on this transference of knowledge.

When we follow best practices in franchising, we can deliver quality assurance to patients. We can provide practitioners – physicians, nurses, medical assistants and licensed practitioners in many fields, with the ability to focus on service delivery rather than business operations. We decrease costs for service delivery and expand access.

The senior care industry jumped into franchising with great force, and the opportunity can be traced to the aging population. According to A Profile of Older Americans: 2011 developed by the Administration on Aging (AoA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; By the year 2030, one in five Americans will be a “senior citizen.” From 2010 to 2030, the number of baby boomers age 65-84 will grow by an estimated 80 percent while the population age 85 and older will grow by 48 percent. In addition, between 1994 and 2020 the nation’s population of 85 years and older is projected to double to 7 million, and then is projected to increase to 19 – 27 million by 2050. With the number of prospective clients growing exponentially, the franchise home health care/senior care industry is booming and will likely continue to grow.

Other health industries such as emergency care, dental services, chiropractic care, primary care, mental health companies, drug testing business and surgical centers are all growing in prominence in franchising. In essence, any effective healthcare business can replicate its model and begin franchising.

I do not believe we can or should solely rely on the federal government to provide us access to affordable health care. We are a country full of the entrepreneurial spirit and we house some of the best health care providers in the world. When you combine these traits, we have the opportunity to develop great health care franchises that will solve many of our cost and access issues. These solutions are right at our fingertips.

Weise Communications, along with Faegre Baker Daniels and Management 2000 will sponsor the second annual Franchising in Health Care Conference, October 24 – 25, 2012, in Denver Colorado. At this conference, we will cover challenges unique to this industry, including compliance and regulatory issues when across state lines. If you are interested in attending this conference visit our conference site for more information. http://www.franchisinghealthcare.com/ Hurry, the Early Bird pricing ends September 15, 2012.

For more information about how Weise Communications can help your health care company franchise, contact me at tracy@weiseideas.com.

15
Aug
12

MOLOSO: Rewarding your loyal customers through mobile and social media

By Tracy Weise Leave a Comment
Categories: Advertising, Arby's, B2C, Brand Loyalty, Business Strategies, business to consumer, chick-fil-a, Dunkin' Donuts, Facebook, Followers, Foursquare, Location Based Social Media, Marketing, Mobile advertising, Mortons, Peter Shankman, promotions, Social Media, Social Networking, Subway, text messaging, Twitter and Uncategorized
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We’ve heard it over and over again: social media is a great, cost effective way to drive traffic into your business and create better brand awareness.

But what about the people who already know and love your brand? It is time that you show your loyalty customers some love.

First, ask yourself what makes your loyalty customers special and what do you want to accomplish? Do you want them to buy more or buy more often? Knowing your goals and the personality of your target audience is key is determining how likely they will respond to your attempts to reward their loyalty.

Second, do not forget about your social-loyal (SOLO) customers. For example, I am a huge SOLO customer of Dunkin Donuts. I follow them online and as soon as the Denver franchises open I will be a loyal buying customer. Here are a few ways to make your loyalty customers feel special:

Texting: Life revolves around our mobile devices. It has been shown that 73% of Americans send and receive text messages. This is a personal way to reach your loyal customers to offer them exclusive time-sensitive offers, notify them of their membership status and bring them in during your slower hours. Check out these examples:

  • Nail Salon: Monday & Tuesday special: free member only upgrade!
  • Frozen Yogurt: You only need 3 more purchases to qualify for a free 10 oz yogurt!

Facebook, also known as the face of social media, visually advertises your business, and allows you to interact with your followers. Loyal customers want to feel special, and through Facebook you can have conversations with them, give away specialty membership contests and reward loyal customers from their Facebook Check Ins.

Also, do not assume your loyal customers know all of the services you provide. Use Facebook to further advertise add-ons, special events, catering, monthly specials and new offers. If they are following your page, they are interested. They will be excited to know they can get more products and services than they may have thought.

  • Chick-fil-A: they offer their catering information (seemingly less known to the public) and (to date) have 2.4 million people talking about their page, and 6.2 million likes

Foursquare: Nearly half (46%) of American adults are smartphone owners as of February 2012. Foursquare is an app that lets you ‘check in’ at the businesses you frequent. If you go to one place more often than your friends do, you become the “Mayor.” The race to become the Mayor gives customers incentive to go, and to go repeatedly. You can further emphasize this incentive by offering the Mayor free products, upgrades, discounts and invites to exclusive events.

  • Arby’s Mayor special: they get to sit in the “4Square Mayor Booth” and get to taste test new sandwich offerings. They also get the special badge on their Foursquare profile.

Twitter: Tweeting may have less impact on purchasing behavior, but is a great outlet to educate your loyalty crowd. Customer service via Twitter is also useful because it will reach a vast number of customers and show them that you are concerned with their happiness. Exclusive offers for free products can also be advertised through a link to sign up with your membership or by registering to join your clientele base.

  • Morton’s: Peter Shankman tweeted to his 150,000 followers, “Hey @Mortons – can you meet me at Newark airport with a porterhouse when I land in two hours? K, Thanks :) ” – and they did!
  • Subway: incredible customer service through conversations with their followers regarding what they like and dislike.

With 12 million Americans using social media daily, you have a high probability that your loyal customers will be reached and appreciative that you have taken the initiative to thank them for being loyal. A little appreciation will keep them coming back, and more importantly, spreading a positive word about your business.

What advice do you have for businesses that are trying to reach their loyal customers? Give us your thoughts from the loyal customer point of view on Facebook at Weise Communications or on Twitter @Weise_Ideas.

16
Jul
12

Advertising: Seventeen Magazine Photoshop Revealed – More on Real Women in Advertising

By Tracy Weise Leave a Comment
Categories: Advertising, Health and Wellness, Seventeen Magazine, Social Media and Twitter
Tags: , ,

 

85,000 signatures, a demonstration outside of Seventeen New York offices and a Twitter campaign later 14 year-old Julia Bluhm finally got her point across.

Bluhm started the protest because she was outraged that the models in Seventeen Magazine seemed too perfect to be real. She found herself and her classmates comparing themselves to unrealistic standards that were lowering their self-esteem and dominating their day-to-day thoughts. She decided something needed to be done.

Because of the protest she conceived, Seventeen launched the Body Peace Treaty. They promise to show real girls, never altering their face or body, and to be up front about what goes on at photo shoots. Backing up their promise, they include one spread in each issue with a before and after photo, showing what was retouched. Seventeen has also been quoted saying they use only healthy models and feature non-models and readers every year as well. In addition, they do not retouch these girls’ body sizes.

Kudos to Seventeen for not only pledging to use healthy models and not alter their faces or bodies, but also to physically show the picture before and after any retouching is done. This is a big step in the advertising world, and it is going in the right direction. Using real and relatable models will help these teens grow up with acceptance and appreciation for their bodies. As a mother of a young girl, I am especially appreciative of this move.

One can only hope that this movement will make its way into other major publications that target the older but equally vulnerable crowd. Seeing stick thin models with unobtainable figures and complexions in Vogue, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Elle and Glamour still has its adverse effects on women, while publications such as Playboy, GQ and Esquire put those unrealistic standards in the minds of men.

This vicious circle often ends in depression and eating disorders.

What do you think, should other publications follow suit? Would you support a petition to initiate a similar Body Peace Treaty with other magazines? Share your thoughts here or on Facebook at Weise Communications and follow us on Twitter at @Weise Ideas.

03
Jul
12

Advertising: Celebrate the Fourth of July with this Clever Ad

By Tracy Weise Leave a Comment
Categories: Uncategorized

ImageEvery now and then, you come across advertising that really captures your attention. I’m talking put your phone down, drop your fork and ignore your baby crying type of attention.

It doesn’t take much, just a good concept and the right execution, however more times than not it just isn’t enough to take our breath away.

Throw in a patriotic message, a pep talk about coming out of the recession, a great American automotive brand and, oh yeah, Clint Eastwood and you have just struck red, white and blue.

Chrysler deserves applause for their “It’s Halftime in America” commercial that beautifully utilizes the mesmerizing voice of Clint Eastwood to instill confidence that America ingenuity will prevail despite the economic downturn. He gives a sense of security that America is going to unify and triumph.

The ad not only brands Chrysler, but also promotes America. This is an excellent example of stirring peoples’ emotions to create a stronger connection with the brand.

In the spirit of America’s birthday watch Chrysler’s commercial and tell us what you think. Did it inspire you to celebrate America?

Want more? Watch the Saturday Night Live spoof here.

Happy July Fourth from the Weise Team!

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