At the Olympic Games it is not uncommon for the athletic triumphs to be overshadowed with political protests, unrests and even violence. From Jesse Owens shocking Adolf Hitler to the hostage killings at the Munich Games, political undertones accompany each new Olympic Games, every new host country.

As the media spotlight has intensified over the past few decades, the Olympics have become a “PR Olympics” of sorts. Countries, teams and athletes scramble to push their good name, triumphs and messages into the spotlight. When U.S. athletes arrived in Beijing wearing breathing masks (a jab at the controversy regarding poor air quality in China), U.S. Olympic Team spokespeople were quick to respond, apologize and put out the fire. China’s image was also damaged by two actions revealed by the media after the opening ceremonies. In an apparent attempt to leverage global media coverage at the Olympics, China allegedly arranged for the little girl singing “Ode to the Motherland” to lip-sync to another girl’s voice because the public performer was deemed more physically attractive than the girl behind the beautiful voice. China was also accused of digitally altering television coverage of the fireworks display at the opening.

In 2004, Greece was set to host the games in an anticipated return to origin city of Athens. The city was under heavy ridicule as the games quickly approached and Athens wasn’t ready. But the games rolled around and showcased the resolve of the Greek people, their rich historical culture and Greece reaped the awards in media praise and tourists’ money.

The Olympics offers a city and country some of the biggest PR opportunities and stages there are. The Olympic city and country get to stand-alone on the world stage and present their culture, people, achievements, abilities and tourist attractions.

This is why every year cities, through their robust PR and marketing agency teams, battle it out to be selected as the next Olympics host city. For the 2012 Summer Olympics, London beat out 4 other candidate cities, including New York, Paris and Moscow, to earn the coveted role.

The selection of Beijing for 2008 sparked a long run of controversy for the Olympic Committee. When the games close on August 24^th, we will see if China succeeded at turning around what has certainly started as a tarnished image for this year’s host city.

In the world of video on the Internet, broadband changed everything.

With dialup going the way of the triceratops, Web-based video is becoming ubiquitous. Video can be an effective way to communicate with succinct messages with an emotional hook that text or still graphics cannot supply. It can give a face to a message or reinforce brand attributes.

So what kind of video should you consider putting on your Web site? Maybe your TV commercials if they’re funny or compelling, and not too old. A how-to-do-it video if you sell do-it-yourself types of products. Client testimonials. A message to your employees from your CEO. Maybe a new product video. Or even, if you got the money for it, original entertainment programming that drives people to your Web site. BMW used original short films by major directors to drive traffic to their site (hopefully driven in a BMW).

If I may, I’d like to suggest some ways I think will help you put video successfully on your Web site.

Engage your audience. And do it fast. Visitors will click away quicker than you can say “Our company started in nineteen forty-seven with a dream…” Your video should be something people want to watch, and, if you should be so lucky, tell other people to watch. You should know your target audience well enough to present video they would like to watch. If you don’t know your audience well enough to do this, well, you should.

Exclusive Content. Some prominent successes in Internet marketing came from the idea of only being able to get certain content from your Web site. If the content is compelling enough, and drives word-of-mouse, then people will visit and watch. The Bud Light commercial documenting the fictitious cause of Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction is an example. It was pulled from broadcast but put up on an A-B Web site, where it gained new life and lots of, um, exposure.

Basic production rules apply. The quality of video on the Internet can be quite bad. That’s OK for a You Tube video of a guy in his basement channeling his inner Frodo while battling Sauron with his pull tab ring of power. But you may want to consider good lighting, good sound, and good editing as a viable alternative for your own video.

Promo it. If you want to drive viewers to your web site, you can’t do it by publicizing it only on your Website. If you have something really special, tell people about it in other media. Get some press on it. Take out an ad. Create an event.

If you go for funny, be funny. Really funny. Not kind of chuckle funny. Save kind of chuckle funny for blog posts.

How about a live video? I do like live Web cams pointed at interesting places. Sure the frame rate is ponderous and nothing much happens most of the time. But when the hyena walks by the camera or you see the sun set on one of your favorite beaches, it’s pretty cool.

Keep it current. Keeping a video up long past its viable shelf life is not a good idea. If it’s dated, it’s dated.

Copyrights apply. Violating a copyright may be a problem if your violation can be viewed by almost everyone on the planet. Talent, music, images – all may have rights associated with them. Viacom is suing Google for one billion dollars over copyright infringement on YouTube. How it’s settled will probably affect use of copyrighted material on the Web (at least in certain instances), but it hasn’t been settled yet.

How about HD? You can get decent HD on the Internet, movie trailers from the Apple site, for instance. But your viewer needs the broadband speed and the computer horsepower to make it work well - and it will take some time to download. So give standard def as an option to hi def and make everybody happy.

The handwriting is on the screen. Broadband video is with us … in our homes, at the office, on our cell phones. Yes, put video on your Web site. If you’re pretty sure someone will want to watch it.

As the 2008 Summer Olympics near, there are many Olympics-related news stories making headlines, most of which have nothing to do with sports. One recent hot topic is the video leak of the opening ceremony rehearsal. A Korean television journalist recorded and released footage of the opening ceremony rehearsal despite the strict security measures China took to protect the secrecy of the event. The video footage has since “gone viral” on YouTube and other Web sites.

This is yet another example of how in the last number of years social media has challenged the existing relationship with traditional media. The Internet provides the means to spread information instantaneously and the traditional media networks are left struggling to find new ways to respond quickly. Many of the large news media outlets picked up the video to show on their stations.

Technology has transformed the way that we access information and through sites such as YouTube, positive and negative news can spread quickly. It’s not just teenagers posting home videos anymore; journalists are joining in and turning to YouTube, Twitter, blogs and other sites to get their stories out uncensored and more quickly than ever before.

Even if a company tries its hardest to keep information or stories from reaching internal and external audiences, social media provide sometimes unrestrained opportunities for information to leak and reach curious parties around the world. It should be interesting to see how coverage of the Olympics unfolds over the next few weeks. In a country that is determined to control visiting journalists and online media, this leak is a first of what will probably be many examples of China’s increasing lack of control in a social media world.

Last week I participated in a webinar related to how to foster trust in the workplace. One of the key points conveyed during the presentation was that whenever a company is trying to direct its culture and values, giving employees a say throughout the process will help them feel more invested in the company.

TVG currently works with one of its clients to better understand the employee conversations taking place within their marketplace, and uses social media methods to capture feedback on relevant topics from these employee audiences. After identifying the “influencers” in the client’s employee population, TVG set up an online discussion group to bring employees together to discuss or “Jam”—transparently and openly–on the organization’s values, and existing company practices and policies. Each week employees can respond to the posted question, or the comments left by others, providing invaluable data useful in establishing the company’s employment branding built upon the company’s values.

Providing an open discussion forum such as the one detailed above, helps establish trust with employees because company leaders are seeking opinions and ideas from all members of the organization.

How are you encouraging dialogue between employees and your company about your values? Is it helping to foster trust with employees when company leaders seek to engage employees in strengthening company values?

This month one the most prominent American brands, Anheuser-Busch was acquired by Belgium-based brewer, InBev. The planned acquisition spurred weeks of protest from the St. Louis community, civic leaders and brand-loyal Americans across the country. The protests were so great, InBev ensured its offer included terms designed to reassure all stakeholders that it would take steps to preserve the A-B brand.

One of the reasons the Greater St. Louis community was so invested in the topic of the acquisition was the role that A-B has established in the community over the years. In addition to the advertising that A-B is famous for and the economic support A-B provides to worthwhile causes around the region and the nation, the brewer has a continuing relationship with the St. Louis community through support of local institutions, universities, sports programs and much more.

A-B’s place in the St. Louis community is an excellent example of how important community outreach is to a company’s communications plan and to the impact that loyalty resulting from that outreach can have on a company. At TVG, we work with a variety of companies to support their marketing, advertising and PR with targeted community outreach programs.

In order to maintain visibility and an identifiable and recognizable image in the cities in which you do business, it is important for company leaders and employees themselves to become active participants in community organizations and activities in the region.

When developing a community outreach plan you must determine the appropriate relationships for your company and line of business. Possible venues include education institutions, professional societies, and local civic or business organizations.

Targeted involvement and philanthropy helps build your external image, reinforce your brand, strengthen relationships with other business and civic leaders, boost your recruiting and support employee morale and professional development.

This community outreach element is often pushed aside for expensive advertising, but no brand can fully connect with its customers if it doesn’t get involved in their community and daily lives.

Contact us at tvg@vandivergroup.com or send comments to blog@vandivergroup.com.

As Andy mentioned in his post a few weeks ago, knowing how to communicate during a crisis is important for every business to have an understanding of. Based on the Nine Steps of Crisis Communication that the Center for Disease Control included in their Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication binder, we would like to provide a brief insight into how communicators can best respond during a crisis.

Communicators should first verify the situation. It’s important for you to get the facts, clarify information through subject matter experts and attempt to understand the scope of the situation.

Second, you need to conduct notifications. You should carefully consider who should be notified throughout your organization.

Third, conduct a crisis assessment. Determine what other agencies/ organizations should be involved in solving the crisis. Determine which of your stakeholders are being affected by the crisis.

Fourth, organize assignments. Determine who has various responsibilities, if they are fulfilling them and what resources are needed. Determine which partner organizations should be involved in solving the crisis.

Then, prepare information and obtain approvals. Develop messages, keeping in mind who your audiences are, letting them know what is being done about the crisis and what they need to do.

Next, release information to media, public and partners through arranged channels. Keep in mind which questions the media will likely ask. When talking with the media, ensure that you present the facts and explain how they can obtain more information about the situation.

Next, obtain feedback and conduct crisis evaluation. Compile and analyze media coverage, present results to leadership and determine what improvements should be made to the crisis plan for the future.

Then, conduct public education. Determine what changes to public information need to be made and how they could best be delivered.

Lastly, monitor events. Continue to monitor public opinions.

TVG prefers to add a tenth step to the crisis communication response process. We think it is imperative that after a crisis you reflect on the lessons learned. Consider the lessons you and those in your organization have learned and ensure that those lessons maintain their level of importance within the organization. For example, NASA learned from the 1986 Challenger explosion that Americans expect to be spoken to openly with sufficient information and for corporations and organizations to recognize when they make mistakes. NASA was better prepared with a crisis communications plan 17 years later during the Columbia disaster and was able to respond much more effectively.

In the communications world technologies, mediums and norms are constantly in flux, therefore it is essential for PR professionals to continuously be learning about their industry. Recently, staff members stepped away from their normal morning activities to attend TVG-U (University), a continuing professional development session that was led by Executive Vice President Kelly Ferrara and Vice President Larry Cox. The half-day session focused on branding and encouraged the staff to engage in dialogue and brainstorm about a variety of brands and how audiences perceive them. The session also included a look at some case histories of current and past TVG clients who have worked on developing a brand or re-branding.

The TVG-U program is an important part of the corporate culture at The Vandiver Group. It provides staff members with the opportunity to present topics on which they are experts to help increase the overall knowledge base of the entire staff. In addition to TVG-U presentations, team members are encouraged to build their knowledge by regularly reading a variety of blogs or online publications, attending professional organization meetings and conferences. They are encouraged to present what they have learned and experienced at organization meetings and conferences in a subsequent TVG-U. At communication firms, it is essential to be committed to staying on top of current trends and issues to bring the most value to your clients.

Some of the professional organizations that TVG staff members belong to include:
Public Relations Society of America
International Association of Business Communicators
St. Louis Press Club
Word of Mouth Marketing Association
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
Counselor’s Academy
Council of PR Firms
National Defense Industrial Association
Air Force Association

There are major national news stories playing out in St. Louis these days. InBev is attempting a hostile takeover of Anheuser-Busch, flood waters are overtopping and breaching levees all up and down the Mississippi River and American Airlines is announcing major cutbacks in light of skyrocketing fuel prices. Each can be considered a “crisis.” Then there are the crisis events that we don’t see coming: tornadoes, earthquakes and, well…you get the idea. There are so many risks in this business climate that it’s vital for you and your company to always remain ready to respond.

That is where crisis and emergency risk communications become a vital part of your PR arsenal. Knowing what to say, when to say it and how you should deliver a message are vital to your company’s success. Hiding information, or even the mere perception by the public or the media that you are hiding information can, and likely will, damage your credibility. The most recent example: last fall when FEMA decided to hold a “press” conference where FEMA’s own staffers asked the questions and there were no press in sight. Still reeling from the outcry about FEMA’s handling of the Hurricane Katrina response, the fake “press” conference was another major chink in the agency’s already-thinning armor.

So what’s a company to do? The short answer is to get trained in media and crisis communications. I’m not talking about how to dress and comb your hair, although that is important—I’m talking about the prep work that companies need to weather a crisis. In a crisis it is all about communicating with your target audience(s) in a manner that is simple, timely, credible and effective.

At TVG, crisis communications is one of our core services under our practice area of reputation and image management. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has relied on TVG for the past six years to train their first responders to any type of crisis within our state on the process of response and how to quickly get correct and useful information to the public. TVG also helps clients who are already squarely in a crisis. Research shows that even companies who have a crisis plan, don’t have a crisis communications plan. Think about it. What do most company leaders spend the majority of their time doing when a crisis hits? Yes. They must communicate. Knowing what to say and when to say it can be the difference between positive and negative public perception.

We can help you anticipate your risks, develop appropriate communications plans, practice those plans and protect your image and reputation. Contact us at 314-991-4641 for more information, or click on this link for more of our thinking on managing a crisis and the core communications strategies you should put in place now.

As a follow-up to an earlier post about healthy communications, we would like to highlight an exciting event for Missourians and for the health care field.

On May 16, 2008, in the closing hours of the Missouri State legislative session, lawmakers came together to pass House Bill 1790. The ground-breaking legislation creates a statewide “Time Critical Diagnosis System” for stroke and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a particularly fatal type of heart attack. Missouri is the first state in the nation to legislatively create a STEMI and a stroke statewide system of care. The passage of HB 1790 represents the culmination of more than five years of work from hundreds of dedicated professionals, under the passionate and motivating leadership of Dr. J. William “Bill” Jermyn.

Dr. Bill Jermyn passed away on May 15, 2008, the day before his unwavering dedication came to fruition in the passage of House Bill 1790. Dr. Jermyn was a teacher, an inspiration and a friend to many. His legacy is the Time Critical Diagnosis System, and Missouri will benefit from his passion and conviction. His leadership and vision will continue to guide this process.

TVG is proud to have worked with Dr. Jermyn and to be a part of the move toward quicker treatment of loved ones having severe strokes or heart attacks.

It’s a given – we all communicate visually. We’ve moved from a text-based society to one where we take direction, find meaning and get information from pictures. The visual part of a brand is the key element in presenting the personality and value of your organization.

It all starts with your logo – a simple shape or form that captures the essence of who you want to be. It is the heart and soul of an organization in a small, powerful package. The best logo designs begin with the target market, including what this all-important group of people finds most compelling about you. How can you tell them about yourself – visually – in a way that will appeal?

A succinct understanding of your place in the market is key. What are the things that make you different? The more clarity you have about the needs of your audience and how you deliver, the better the brand and logo will be. The information gleaned from the branding process is a guide for the logo design process. A designer uses the information when forming the shape or image, which will become the first layer of the logo that the audience notices.

Next, your audience will take in the color scheme. The scheme of three or four colors should reflect the personality information clarified in the branding process. Colors communicate emotions and can be a powerful tool in tapping into the motivations of consumers. It creates a place in the mind. Strong and powerful. Soft and gentle. Fresh and vibrant. Or traditional and secure. All have a myriad of color schemes that will communicate these descriptors for you without using a single word.

Next, the human eye takes in the details of the logo including the name and/or tagline. This is where typography comes into play. Fonts, just like colors, can be communicators of personality. Serifs, proportion, weight and style of a letterform can cause your audience to feel a connection with your brand and assist in making you part of their decision-making set.

Visual branding doesn’t stop with a logo. Visual branding is about creating consistency in all communications. The same elements that came together to make a logo will also come into play as the visual design style takes shape. Imagery, color, type and graphic shapes build upon each other in every layout, in every medium. The key is to find that balance between creativity and consistency. The result is a look that is solidly consistent and continually intriguing – a visual brand that can shape opinions about your company in a single glance.

If your company needs help developing a branded personality as an essential part of your strategic communications, please contact us for a consultation at tvg@vandivergroup.com.