Metzger Associates' Blog

Web Sites -- Ends or a Means?

“We designed our Web site, launched it, paid for it and we’re still waiting for the fully anticipated onslaught of new business. It has been two years and we have put our Web address on every piece of communications we have. Where are the results?”

While this maybe a little extreme and I would guess it has been the discussion in more than one board room. It just means Metzger Associates feel it is time, once again, to re-enforce the hard core reality that a Web site is not the be all and end all, it is simply just one more tool in your arsenal to tell and sell your story.

The foundation behind everything your company wants to accomplish in the "www" world is, “what do you really want that story to be?” Is your Web site just an institutional means to provide general information or is it designed to make the telephone ring. If so, what telephone? What do you want the call to ask? Even before you begin to design or re-design your  site, you have to have consensus on what it is supposed to accomplish. It will most certainly have some information for vendors, advisors, investors and the community -- and hopefully will tell a good story. But, what will it really do for your bottom line? How are the next generation Web 2.0 tools going to increase profitability? How will you connect the dots and tie it to all your other products, marketing and sales materials.

Are you ready for the Web site to provide two-way communication? Will it be interactive, attention getting and interesting? Will you allocate the needed resources to make your site a living changing organism? Is it user-friendly and does it promote your mission, vision, customer loyalty and/or appreciation?

Maybe it's time for that long over due re-evaluation -- especially now, with the emergence of results driven new media tools. It is very possible that a fresh new launch, new look and utilization of Web 2.0 tools could bring you those results your company anticipated long ago.
 

NFL Draft: Substance Trumps Style

This past weekend’s NFL draft was a case study in the fact that no PR campaign can have style triumph over substance. PR is an essential tool for telling a story, but it can't (and shouldn't try) to simply put lipstick on a pig, as they say.

Despite a media blitz by Notre Dame Quarterback Brady Quinn, 22, following the conclusion of his season, his hopes of going #1 in the draft were dashed by a four-hour wait and the loss of millions of dollars from his wallet.

Since the conclusion of the 2006 college football season, Quinn could be found on every major sports radio talk show and TV show on both the national and local level. Throughout his appearances and interviews he lobbied to be the number one pick in the 2007 draft. “It’s been my goal since I started playing quarterback,” was his constant refrain. It was not to be. Even though he was the most prolific passer in the history of arguably the most storied college football program in the country, his PR efforts to achieve his goal didn't pay off. You would think drafting the best quarterback, from the best school, with the best NFL offensive coach (three-time Super Bowl winning coach Charlie Weis) would have been a no brainer for pro scouts and a PR coupe for Team Quinn, especially with the full court media blitz Quinn and his representatives were applying to the media. He ended up getting drafted by his home town beloved Cleveland Browns with the 22nd pick. “PR Style Beaten by Physical Substance” should have been the morning’s sports headline.

Having seen the overexposure of Brady Quinn leading up to the draft, it was ironic watching 21 players go before him and each and every time the camera cutting to a obviously disgruntled and disheartened Quinn. You have to wonder if Quinn didn’t set himself up for failure with his overexposure by adding the extra pressure on any NFL staff that selected him. Take an overexposed pick #1, and he better pay off quickly -- perhaps more quickly than should be expected. 

When executing a PR campaign, understanding your audience is key.  Will a scout for an NFL franchise really be influenced by a  kid (let's face it, these are kids)  telling anyone and everyone he wants to be #1? Doubtful.

Too many in the PR profession think their efforts can make a bad product good or a guilty person innocent. It's simply not the case. Our industry should focus on telling stories that are real and meaningful, not spinning and simply collecting clips. Was the goal of Quinn's PR campaign a stack of clips? If so, call it a success. If it was to be the top pick, well, not so much.

In the end, no matter how much coverage you’re able to achieve, it's important for PR professionals to keep the ultimate goal in mind. Sometimes one story well placed beats 100 stories that are off-target.

 It will be interesting to watch Quinn's career. If he goes on to have a career like another Notre Dame QB, Hall of Famer Joe Montana, we'll see what kind of PR media blitz he executes as he lobbies to join Joe in the Hall of Fame.

 

Second Annual New Media Summit

Metzger Associates is pleased to host our Second Annual New Media Panel May 31 at 5:30 p.m. at the Denver Press Club. Moderated by Metzger's New Media Practice Director Doyle Albee, this year's panel is truly world class. Join us to hear thoughts on today's media status from:

Phil Weiser: Since arriving at the CU Law School and Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program (with which he has a joint appointment) in 1999, Philip Weiser has worked to fortify CU's strength in telecommunications and technology law, establishing the Journal on Telecommunications & High Technology Law and the Silicon Flatirons Telecommunications Program. Philip writes and teaches in the areas of telecommunications and information policy, recently co-authoring Digital Crossroads: American Telecommunications Policy in the Internet Age (MIT Press 2005). Prior to joining the CU faculty, Philip served as senior counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division at the United States Department of Justice, advising him primarily on telecommunications matters. Before his appointment at the Justice Department, Philip served as a law clerk to Justices Byron R. White and Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the United States Supreme Court and to Judge David Ebel at the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Veronica Belmont: An Associate Editor at CNET.com, Veronica develops audio and video content for CNET's array of shows. She produces and co-hosts CNET's flagship podcast   Buzz Out Loud, a daily technology show, as well as the weekly  MP3 Insider podcast and Crave video podcast. Veronica also writes and hosts videos for the Prizefight and Insider Secrets series. Through these videos, Veronica highlights technology in a way that consumers can easily incorporate into their lifestyles and enhance their already savvy skills such as adding video to their profile on their favorite social networking site or how to make their PC look like Mac.

Brad Feld: Brad is a managing director at Foundry Group and Mobius Venture Capital. Prior to Mobius, Brad founded Feld Technologies, which was sold to AmeriData Technologies in 1993, where he became Chief Technology Officer. Brad currently serves on the boards of a number of private companies, including ClickCaster, ePartners, FeedBurner, Gold Systems, Judy's Book, Lijit, Me.dium, NewsGator, Rally Software, and StillSecure. In addition, he is on the board of The National Center for Women & Information Technology, The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County and The Colorado Conservation Trust. Brad has previously been a member of the board of directors of the Young Entrepreneurs Organization and founded the Boston and Colorado chapters. He holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Management Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

J.B. Holston: Currently the CEO and president of Newsgator, J.B. has run a wide range of technology and media enterprises over the last two decades. As President of Ziff Davis International, Holston managed Ziff Davis' operations across more than 100 countries, and launched Yahoo! Europe. He was part of the senior management team that led the successful LBO of ZD by Forstmann, Little, and subsequent sale to Softbank. Since selling his last technology start-up, Holston has helped create a wide range of for-profit and not-for-profit entities, including Media-x at Stanford, among several others. After receiving a BA in creative writing from Stanford in 1979, he taught English at Phillips Academy, worked as a consultant for the Boston Consulting Group in Boston, studied and wrote in Paris, France, then worked in strategic planning for NBC and RCA. J.B. received his MBA from Stanford in 1986, then worked on Jack Welch's staff at GE before moving back to NBC, where for five years he was responsible for strategic planning and NBC's international operations.

If you're interesting in joining our audience, send an email to [email protected] for more information.