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Lesson 312 Cutting Through Media Clutter

March 2, 2016 by larrylauer

We live in a world where communication breakdown is rampant. Polarized ideologies and outrageous political campaign claims have created confusion and consumer frustration. Can legitimate institutions and individuals ever be understood in an environment such as this? It may seem complicated and time-consuming at first, but there is a set of communication initiatives that when used over time can cut through information clutter.

This set of communication power tools is called Integrated Marketing Communication, or IMC. “Integration” in strategic communication has two basic dimensions: The first is the simultaneous use of a variety of media platforms carefully selected for each target market to significantly ramp up the frequency and intensity of messages. The second is to use group dynamics techniques to bring opinion leaders together to clarify competitive advantage, get constituents on the same page with respect to brand identity, and to organize and facilitate aggressive and on-going media “buzz,” and word-of-mouth support.

Bringing basic “marketing” ideas into strategic communication establishes that to communicate them successfully, programs, products, prices, ways to connect, and on-location experiences, all need to meet real consumer needs. To make sure this happens the primary communicator  must be a major and active player in the entire strategic planning process.

When all of these pieces are in place, Integrated Marketing Communication will provide a powerful set of communication tools that can clarify authentic messages and cut through the bewildering information clutter of this new digital media world.

Posted in Higher Education, Integrated Marketing, Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Strategic Communication | Leave a Comment »

Lesson 311 We Value Most: Truth or Time?

February 23, 2016 by larrylauer

Last week I asked the question: How important is Truth? A long-established historian and recognized scholar sent me a very perceptive response. He preferred that I publish it without attribution, so here is a slightly trimmed version of what he said:

“Time, not truth, is (our) unit of value. The more information we are offered, the less we have. Information is conveyed through time, and (today) time is purchased with money. Hence truth must be ‘trimmed’ to fit the narrow confines of the time offered by the (news or other) medium.”

He went on to point out, “This is the reverse of the order of what prevailed for the last two centuries. Our ancestors had scads of time… stood in the open for hours listening to addresses and debates. They read tiny printed newspapers, transcripts, documents and public records. There never was a need for a commercial break…”

“My fear,” he concluded, “is that we do not live in the Information Age, rather (we live) in the Entertainment Age.”

I share this sage’s perceptive thoughts as our “entertainment-driven” political debates rage on day after day. Admittedly, my constant call for more media literacy education might not change this game. But at least it might produce some measure of public awareness of what is really going on.

Posted in Leadership, Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Public Affairs, Strategic Communication | Leave a Comment »

Lesson 310 How Important is Truth?

February 17, 2016 by larrylauer

The 24/7 cable news and social media revolution has changed political campaigning in many ways. One of the most troublesome developments is the acceptance of deliberate and  incessant lying.

How important is it to you that your candidate tells you the truth? And what can be done when everyone starts making outrageous claims just because everyone else is doing it?

In past years I remember hearing that kind of “group-think” from well-meaning fans about cheating in intercollegiate athletics. But when a game changes to rationalize lies and partial truths as acceptable what happens to the game, and the fans?

In today’s instant digital media environment there is a  growing acknowledgement that the more a lie is repeated the more it begins to sound true. One lie enables more lies, and  suddenly everyone is following with their own outrageous claims. Otherwise they fear the news media will ignore them.

How then should responsible journalists respond to such a situation? The accepted approach seems to be to ask one tough question and then leave the response unchallenged.  The thought is that challenging the truth is the other candidates’ responsibility… or at least someone else’s. After all, there are a number of “fact checker” websites that can be consulted. But truthfully, how many average voters are consulting them… or even know they exist?

Given the intensity of the situation, should we be expecting responsible journalists to be questioning outrageous  statements more aggressively? Should they be pushing newsmakers on the spot to substantiate suspicious claims? Or is reporting the drama of continuous political fighting, shouting, and poll fluctuations just too good for the business of media, i.e. just too good for tomorrow’s readership and ratings?

Whatever you think, I think now more than ever media literacy education is needed in schools, colleges, PTA’s, professional associations, community organizations, and everywhere possible. Citizens need to become their own editors and fact checkers. Even news organizations could be doing more to explain how they see their role and what consumers can do to find the truth.

In fact, I believe that leaders at all levels in all organizations should be analyzing all this and noting how media and technology revolutions change everything… inside and out!

Posted in Leadership, Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Public Affairs, Strategic Communication | Leave a Comment »

Lesson 309 The Role of Corporate Culture

February 11, 2016 by larrylauer

Last week I discussed the danger of rigid marketing models and evolving executive groupthink when the market outside is changing. However, this should not be confused with a strong corporate culture that monitors and embraces ongoing change.

Some organizations build their corporate cultures gradually over time. Other organizations are created at the outset with values and cultural characteristics intended to differentiate them from the others.

For example, some silicon valley companies are building team cultures by offering free food, child care, attractive health and other benefits, parking, recreation facilities, mid-day rest time, paternity and maternity leave, etc. These perks serve as hiring advantages, team building tools, and high productivity incentives.

On the other hand, Amazon was recently criticized for a no-nonsense culture with high expectations for fast work and long work hours. But the company responded that employees there were energized by a culture based on exciting new challenges and being a part of a cutting-edge organization on the move.

Even though universities are more like small cities they too have corporate cultures that help define their competitive advantage. Some use benefits and a sense of family in place of salary to attract top quality faculty and staff. Others count more on a culture of rigorous scholarship, academic prestige, and competitive salary to motivate achievement and define competitive advantage.

No matter how corporate culture is established it becomes a major  part of an institution’s brand identity. A clear understanding of “how we do things around here” can be a positive force so long as those things can evolve with outside market changes. The challenge is to let those things evolve without damaging  the features which have established the institution’s competitive advantage.

The interesting thing about corporate culture is that it both defines the nature of the workplace inside and much of the appeal the institution has with most of its external constituents.

Experience suggests that cultural features can be so strong in many organizations that even in hard times every effort should be made to hold on to as many as possible. Some may go so far as to prefer cutting staff positions before damaging the external “brand promise” and the internal work experience for those who remain.

In the final analysis, groupthink and marketing models that insulate executive teams from the forces of change are certainly harmful. But organization-wide task forces and internal think tanks that monitor market changes and carefully manage the evolution of strong and creative corporate cultures are really powerful and essential strategic communication tools.

 

Posted in Higher Education, Integrated Marketing, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Planning, Strategic Communication | Leave a Comment »

Lesson 308 The Danger of Marketing Models

February 3, 2016 by larrylauer

Back in the day, I was among several others seeking to find and articulate the perfect planning model for communicating institutions. The “buzz term” at the time in management was MBO, Management by Objectives. I wanted to find the communication equivalent.

But over time I came see that “groupthink” of any kind can be a trap. “This is the way we do things,” has caused many executive teams to plateau just when reinventing themselves and revitalizing their organizations became necessary.

In fact, entire consulting firms have based their work on a formula for success they have developed.  In higher education many fundraising consultancies and marketing and communication firms have based their work on formulas. And so when the core business is disrupted the initial response is to do more of what has always been done.

But when overall conditions change, competition deepens, and markets broaden, the game is changing. Now is when marketing thinking, integrated processes, strong team building, fresh thinking, and new strategic initiatives might be necessary.

An article in the Chronicle of Higher Education recently  described Georgetown University’s “Red House, a house near center campus, as a kind of  “skunkworks.” Students and faculty are engaged together in developing creative cutting-edge projects in search of a more innovative and cost-effective education.

In order to avoid falling back on past models, maybe all organizations could benefit from forming their own version of a “skunkworks.” Such internal think-tanks can objectively use integrated group processes to clarify founding mission, fine-tune brand authenticity, update message points and overall  “look,” revitalize the vision, and inspire a strong sense of renewal.

Posted in Branding, Higher Education, Integrated Marketing, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Strategic Communication | Leave a Comment »

Lesson 307 A Responsibility to Educate?

January 28, 2016 by larrylauer

This week my head is swirling with questions: Did the founding followers think that the future of our republic depends on voters who are educated about the issues? Does the news media have a responsibility to help deliver that education? If not, who does?

In a 24/7 cable news world does endless sound bites of  Trump, Trump, Trump, create a sense of inevitability about the outcome? Is it OK to allow one candidate to dominate news coverage thereby requiring the other candidates to compete for coverage by creating their own outrageous moments?

Some communication academics argue that news organizations determine the social issues agenda by what they chooses to cover. Then individual peer groups determine what people think. Are today’s news media outlets setting an agenda that would please the founding fathers?

Wolf Blitzer on CNN this week said that this week’s debate is now about who will not appear. But is there any news media responsibility here to respond by focusing on an agenda of issues that need to be addressed substantively?

So the issue really is: What is the definition of “news” in a commercially competitive, fast-paced, 24/7 news media world?  Is it mostly the excitement of the race itself, i.e. the drama of intense conflict, name-calling and polarization?

In the final analysis, I can only conclude that in today’s new media world citizens are on their own to educate themselves about the substance of candidates… and understanding the dynamics of this digital-driven information implosion environment is critically important to their ability to do so.

So where in society should this public policy knowledge be strengthened, and media literacy education take place? The public schools? Universities? Community groups? How do we make it happen? And should news media organizations at least do a better job of educating their audiences about themselves?

Posted in Higher Education, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Public Affairs, Strategic Communication | 1 Comment »

Lesson 306 The Dark Side of Social Media

January 21, 2016 by larrylauer

On his weekly CNN program, Global Public Square, Fareed Zakaria described a vicious social media assault that aimed to destroy his reputation and harm his family. He labeled these assaults “trolling,” and they can have devastating consequences.

In past posts I have discussed how half-truths and even outright lies can seem true in this fast-paced digital media world… especially when they are repeated over and over.

It is important to note that in day-to-day communication it is natural for most people to simply hear what they want to hear. And when they repeat what they heard they innocently embed it with more of their own views. These “rumors” usually are just a natural part of the communication process. While they can cause problems, they generally are not intended to do harm.

But in a highly charged communication environment of nonstop polarization and extreme opinions this otherwise natural process can turn quite vicious just by adding the conscious intent to discredit and bring harm to a cause, individual, or even an institution.

And in this 24/7 news world, the news media can unwittingly make matters worse by reporting such assaults each time they are made. In this way the information environment becomes cluttered and confusing, leaving everyone completely on their own to sort it all out.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to pay attention to the consequences of social media “trolling” during this extremely polarized political season. Every citizen simply must approach each and every campaign or PAC statement with a huge degree of skepticism. Defensive listening must become the order of the day.

We are in an age of ongoing media revolutions. And there is no end in sight. Therefore, teaching and learning about media literacy in schools, churches, community organizations, and even on street corners, might be our only long-term salvation.

Posted in Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Strategic Communication | Leave a Comment »

Lesson 305 Are State of the Union Speeches Useful

January 14, 2016 by larrylauer

In the past I have found state of the union addresses to be too cluttered with wish lists and endless recommendations, and therefore pretty much useless as calls to action. In short, from a communication point of view most of them were fairly weak speeches.

I must say I think Obama chose a better framework this time… a format with four basic ideas embedded in four questions: (1) How can we give every American a chance at some measure of success? (2) How can we use new technology to ensure U.S. leadership in the world? (3) How can we make the U.S. safe from terrorism? (4) How can we make our politics reflect what’s best about America, not what’s worse?

The cleverly embedded ideas were obvious: We need to focus more on closing the income gap. We need to lead the world in climate and new energy innovation. We need to invest more in homeland security. And we need to end mean-spirited  polarization.

This framework allowed Obama to point out a few of his successes. But more importantly it enabled him to lay out a challenging (but doable) agenda for future leaders, no matter their political ideology. This made for a much better speech.

However, good speeches usually have a natural concluding moment, and I think Obama missed his. That moment occurred about 15 minutes before he sat down! His audience was in the palm of his hands when he explained what it means to be a free American. But then he went on with too many little examples allowing partisans to return to their polarized thinking.

That said, his idea number 4 is very much worth noting. Communication analysis suggests that polarization can win a debate, but not the day. Extreme solutions almost always are temporary. Real problem-solving actually takes place in the grey areas of most issues.

Communication dynamics therefore provides a strong argument for bipartisan compromise. Effective leaders must be allowed to establish an environment of authentic listening.  And once heard, constituents must follow with good-spirited, bipartisan and collaborative problem-solving.

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Lesson 304 The Appeal of Outrageous Messages

January 7, 2016 by larrylauer

Why and to whom does Donald Trump appeal? Here is one communicator’s analysis:

Trump begins with a message that targets unconventional and deep emotional thoughts that are held by some people but heretofore have not been widely articulated. He then expresses those thoughts with simple messages presented as dramatically as he can, insuring widespread attention and thereby giving them a measure of “endorsed legitimacy.” These people now feel they are not alone with their feelings, and so they can now “suspend” any fleeting thought they may have about the impracticability of their opinions.

The fact is they are actually having a virtual experience that is much the same as attending a play. A theater audience “suspends its disbelief” in order to believe the dramatic experience they are having is real and possible, and they share that experience as a group until after the play is over!

In today’s digital world the situation is further complicated by the fact that “people always tend to hear what they want to hear,” and by the more recent realization that partial truths (and even lies) begin to take on a ring of credibility when repeated over and over… especially when they are inadequately challenged.

But challenging outrageous claims, partial truths, and lies is complicated in this digital media world. Challenging requires finding a way to target a different and genuine set of emotional concerns that are shared by a good number of important audiences, and then repeating  carefully crafted simple messages over and over again until reality wins the day.

I must add that the more people we have in the world with a fundamental understanding of the psychic and social consequences of 24/7 media revolutions, the more intelligent challenges of outrageous  claims we will also have in the world. And when all is said and done, a media savvy global education will be the best way to broaden that universe of understanding.

Posted in Higher Education, Integrated Marketing, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Public Affairs, Strategic Communication | Leave a Comment »

Lesson 303 Is Campaign Fact-Checking Enough?

December 30, 2015 by larrylauer

What should be the communication objective of a political campaign? (1) Attract media attention with increasingly outrageous pronouncements hoping for some kind of temporary celebrity status? (2) Win a debate outright merely by repeating talking points which may or may not be true?  Or (3) informing citizens about the critical issues facing the country and giving them a chance to witness and evaluate various leadership styles? The best objective seems obvious to most of us. So what’s the problem?

What we have today is nothing more than a horserace with news media coverage based solely on popularity polls. And those polls are strongly influenced by how effective a candidate is at generating next-day news coverage.

Much of the news media will explain that they just report what the candidates say and do. And when pressed, many campaign staffers  will admit they have concluded that being outrageous is necessary in order to stay visible and keep the attention of the news media.

One broadcaster explained the situation as a tension today between the business and journalism sides of news. In other words, the business side just can’t resist responding to the natural audience appeal of aggressive conflict. And when a candidate like Trump exploits this situation over and over again we have a campaign system out of control and a real mess on our hands.

Even periodic fact-checking hasn’t changed the situation.  Eventually even the public gives up. Some drop out of the process altogether while others just pick a horse and hope the winner is smarter that he or she appears now.

The real loser, however, is the American citizen. Constant political attacks and name calling clearly make our country look silly. But what’s more, everyone at home and abroad is denied the opportunity to hear about thoughtful solutions and to evaluate each candidate as a potential national and world leader.

So who’s responsible for fixing the situation… the candidates or the news media? I believe they both need to take long look at themselves. They both need to make the obvious changes  appropriate for a nation that still wants to think of itself as a worthy democratic leader in a world that is becoming more hostile and insecure every day. This is not just child’s play or competition for ratings. This is serious business!

Posted in Leadership, Lessons Learned, Public Affairs, Strategic Communication | Leave a Comment »

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