Do you Brand your PR?

Do You Brand Your PR?

How influential are the words and images we use in our communications? According to Professors Gavan Fitzsimons and Tanya Chartrand of Duke Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, and Grainne Fitzsimons of Canada's University of Waterloo, most influential.

"Apple's logo can make people think more creatively than IBM's logo."

"What we found is that people who were subliminally primed to the Apple logo were more creative than people who had been subliminally primed to the IBM logo."

Seems that flashing the Apple logo for just 30-milliseconds was enough to send a group of 341 students into a more "creative" state than sharing IBM's logo according to a recent Science Daily report.

What message is your press release sending?

We all know the power of branding, but few may appreciate the hidden powers that accompany strong brands like Apple®, Coca-Cola and Nike. Or household names like Kleenex® or Tide®. What does all this suggest for your next release? Paint a picture! Tell a story as Dan and Chip Heath suggest in Made to Stick. Why produce "dry, boring" material that most people (other than family and friends) would rather simply avoid? Suggestions? I thought you would never ask!

• Does your company/brand/product augment another company's offerings?

How powerful is the imagery of Urbanspoon's app? Notice the mention of the word "iPhone" in the short and pointed headline? As well as the URL? Not one or two high-gloss photos of the iPhone, but three!

• Does your message lend itself to Social Media exploitation?

Notice the YouTube® video promoting the app? Is your message viral? Can those in love with your brand quickly share the love?

• Does your "news worthiness" leverage the seasons of the year?

Once again, Urbanspoon has tied this brief message to America's most popular (or seemly the most advertised) high tech Christmas gift item 2008: GPS. In other words, more than enough branding to make a splash.

Now, take a look at your web site.

How do you measure up?

-ski ---- Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah Strategy, Tactics & Execution Dover, OH | Hilton Head Island, SC | Las Vegas, NV ©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.