Corporate Communications and Disintermediation

Disintermediation has been a hot topic in several industries over the years. Often the discussion is tied to the emergence of a new technology that makes a job function obsolete. Will blogging disintermediate corporate affairs representatives?

In January, I blogged about Naked Conversations, a book which I generally enjoyed. For someone that is new to the power of the Internet and Web 2.0, I felt like it was a good guide to the future.

But, Chapter 7, survival of the publicists, struck me as a bit harsh. Here is a basic premise: corporate public affairs representatives are awful people who hide information from external audiences seeking the truth. These people use bad language – that doesn’t make sense – they highlight information that no on cares about – they prevent the outside world from getting in contact with the real experts. Pretty tough stuff.

I think Public Relations people deserve a break. We are talking about a group of people that got into the business because they believe that it is important to provide information to stakeholders in a clear and concise fashion, not to hide the dirty corporate secrets from the world. And, many corporate affairs people have done a good job, one that the scientist or accountant or engineer might not do because he or she is not particularly concerned with the expression of an idea.

We all have or skills sets and our talents. And while I know that corporate structures have been criticized for their layers and isolated functions, some of them do exist for good reasons without sinister intent.

I have been working in corporate America for 15 years. My boss was responsible for public affairs, internal communications, government relations and corporate philanthropy. He has been in this job for over 25 years. Before that, he was a professor of English and history. He writes beautifully, finding the perfect word for every occasion. He was also a gifted storyteller, which I believe is consistent with all of his other strengths. He made an enormous contribution to the company, his colleagues, our department and our customers in both the consumer and business environments and I hate the idea that the nature of his contribution would be completely discounted as a result of new technology and the perception that he is nothing more than a corporate cock-blocker.

 

Who Marketed to Me Today: Pepsi Max

In the US, many of us are watching the Superbowl. As always, the advertisers are going for it. Pepsi Max got everyone’s attention with an ad they aired which used a host of celebraties and a 1980s song: “What is Love?” by the group Hadaway. No one had heard of Hadaway until the song became part of a Saturday Night Live skit featuring three (and then two) playboy wantabees. I could never do it justice with words. (See above)

I thinks Pepsi’s approach was perfect. That song and the skit reminds us of the best – and worse night – we have evr had out. It has universal appeal…

Will I buy Pepsi Max? In truth, I’ll probably try it, which is a big deal because I swear by Coke. But the ad was so fun, it made me feel like it is worth a try. Why not? If the taste is not unique AND better than Coke, I can always go back.

 

Who Marketed to Me Today: Borders

Last fall, I shopped in a local bookstore and the clerk was an amazing cross-marketer. Checking out took forever and when I left, I was an exhausted new member of the bookstore’s frequent shopper club. The next day, I was actually angry about it. And sure enough, about a week later, my email box was full of coupons and announcements. More remorse. Then Christmas rolled around and I was invited to special shopping days to get first pick of hot DVD sets, etc. I was psyched. In January, I ignored the post-Christmas sales, which were only mildly annoying.

Today, there was a big payoff. I ran into the same store to pick up a gift for a friend’s birthday. When I got to the checkout counter, the clerk asked me if I was a member. I said “yes” and she told me the book was 40% off – and so was anything else I bought today. I bought four more books and felt really good about the deal.

In general, I like being a consumer. I don’t feel overwhelmed by the amount of marketing forces we face today. In some ways, I enjoy advertising and marketing as art: I’m always interested to see someone’s interpretation and extrapolation of a product or service. And, when if feel good about a purchase, I try to figure out what went right and tuck it away in my own professional tool box.

Today, the stars aligned perfectly for me. I went to a store I like, to get something I needed and saved money! So, did the marketing communications people at Boarders get lucky? In some ways, yes. The coupons I received before were all consistent with my other buys. But, I didn’t receive the 40% off coupon I used today and my point of sale purchase would not have tripled without it. So, why didn’t I make the cut???? I feel like something is a bit off in the Boarder’s measure for frequent shoppers. Had I received the coupon this morning, knowing I had the gift to buy, Boarders would have been my first stop rather than a lucky stop.