You’re so money!

Best scene from “Swingers,” one of my all-time favorite movies.  Enjoy!

The Fantasy Football Effect

Disclaimer: For the sake of this post, “Fantasy Football” is a FREE activity that anyone can participate in.  The Buzz! does not support illegal gambling.  Legal gambling, like the blackjack tables at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City at 6:45am, is A-OK!

I started playing Fantasy Football in the late 1990s.  I vividly remember drafting Daunte Culpepper in the first round and being openly and sharply mocked by my so-called “friends.”

(Quick note: I won the league outright that year and Culpepper amassed the

My Fantasy Workshorses: Randy Moss (now) and Daunte Culpepper (a decade ago)

most points of any player.  Mock away, but this guy is all about championships!)

 

Here is what it boils down to.

The NFL has a primary product: games.  You consume the NFL by watching games.

Generations of fans sat down every Sunday to watch their local team’s contest.  They paid attention to what was going on in the league, and ESPECIALLY their division.  But if you were a fan of an East Coast AFC team, a West Coast NFC squad was probably not on your radar screen.

After the advent of fantasy football, fans were more apt to pay attention to the entirety of league play, not just the games directly impacting their favorite team.

How is this a PR topic, you may, correctly, ask?

By adding a new level to NFL fandom, the league became increasingly NATIONAL.  It is followed on a national level in ways no other sport really is.  (We discussed the consumption of sports here.)

More impressive that the nationalization of the league is the fact that fans now have a vested interest in every single game.

Sure, you may hate the Patriots, but if you have Randy Moss on your team, you’ll follow the game, either by watching it on TV or keeping tabs online.  Fantasy football players are involved in a dozen games a week!

Think about it this way.  A clothing store’s primary product is, obviously, clothing.  No shopper is ever interested in every department that store has, because they have different options for different needs, based on gender, age or style.

What the NFL has achieved is monumental in that EVERY game is important to fans.  That means there will be more attention paid to each game by a national audience, with an incredible ripple effect.

- More national sponsor dollars (either via additional sponsors, or more expensive packages)

- More league-wide media coverage in each local market

- An increase in TV rights fees

- Creation of a national NFL TV channel

It’s not ONLY because of Fantasy Football that all of these changes are in the works, but I think we can definitely agree that it played a significant role.

 

 

V: Controlling the Message

Last night, “V” premiered on ABC.  It is a remake of an early-1980s sci-fi thriller, where Lizard Aliens infiltrate our society, in order to eradicate all life!  Fun~! (Sorry for the spoiler there…but if they admit it in the pilot, it’s fair game)

To get you in the mood for this post, here is the song used in the promo videos: “Uprising” by Muse:

OK, that will be in your head for roughly the next 13 months.

But the key moment of the show was when news anchor Scott Wolf (you know him from “Party of Five!”) is sitting down for an exclusive one-on-one interview with Anna, the leader of the alien “Visitors.”

Less than two minutes before the global broadcast, Anna sternly asks the interviewer NOT to ask her any questions that would paint her in a negative light.

The anchor wanted to be more than just a news-reader.  He saw a future in which he was a respected global newsman, not unlike a Walter Cronkite or a Wolf Blitzer.   And he was backed into a corner.  Get the story of the lifetime, or stand-up for your morals.  Yeesh.

The Visitors were able to perfectly control their message, as the intrepid reporter played along.

So my question to you is this: What would you have done?  Are there any situations in which you would trade in your morals for professional gain?

 

PR Buzz – Be A Hero

This morning, while walking Balki (you couldn’t miss me…I was the guy wearing jeans, Ithaca College hoodie and flip flops, walking through our nation’s capital), I had my beloved iPod throw me for a loop.

It was set to a mix I like to work out to, hoping to get the blood pumping a little bit.

It gave me, honestly, these two songs back-to-back:

1) The Theme to “Greatest American Hero”

(Sound somewhat familiar, you might be more familiar with it from it’s stint on Seinfeld, which may be the single most awesome moment in TV history.)

2) Green Day’s cover of John Lennon’s “Working Class Hero”

Now, I was first stunned that in my 300 song playlist set to play randomly, I had two “hero” songs in a row.

Ready to be a Superhero?

But maybe my brain works a little funny, but I always figure out how to apply real-life instances to PR.  (OK, my brain DOES work a little funny!)

So what did I get from this?

These songs give the absolute ends of the spectrum on what a hero is.  One is all about super powers and doo-goodiness, while the other is about rebelling against the system.

In PR, we need to utilize BOTH portraits of heroism.  We need to both follow the rules and break them, when necessary.  We need to be both upfront and less-than-upfront.  We need to be a superstar and we also need to fade into the background.

Some may say we need to be Superman and Batman, or Captain America and Wolverine, depending on your comic book brand loyalty.

But above all, it’s critical to know both sides of the coin…and know which one to play at which time.

What do you think?  What type of hero are you?

Balki: So sad, and so Bolt

My beloved puppy Balki may or may not be from another planet (think ALF).

We know this because every time he hears fire engine sirens, well…just watch…

The next evening, Balki got all dressed up for Halloween!

PR Buzz – The Washington Football Mess

True fact – while I am a die-hard Baltimore Ravens fan, it wasn’t always this way.

Growing up between Baltimore and Washington in the early 1980s, there was only one option for football, one I inherited from my family, the Washington Redskins.  The Colts Mayflowered their way out of Baltimore when I was an infant and the Redskins were a machine!

With Coach Joe Gibbs, owner Jack Kent Cooke and a stable roster of players, they were a premier organization in the NFL.

When the Ravens came to Charm City in 1996, I took them as my AFC team.  Slowly, I shed the pretense of having two favorite teams.

Check the Twitter icon – it’s got the Ravens tattooed on it!

Fast forward a dozen years and the Redskins are a team in turmoil.

Hall of Famer John Riggins has made his anger known!

Let’s bullet-point the big points this year:

• Record: 2-5
• Coach Jim Zorn was publicly stripped of his offensive playcalling duties
• Those playcalling duties are in the hands of a man who, just 4 weeks ago, was a bingo caller at a retirement home
• The top two offensive linemen are injured.  Randy Thomas AGAIN and Chris Samuels might be forced to retire
• The man in charge of player acquisitions didn’t prepare for this, even though he said he anticipated both injuries
• “Stud” running back Clinton Portis isn’t producing
• The team sued an elderly grandmother who had trouble paying her season ticket bill because of the recession (they later dropped the charges, but the PR damage was done)
• The media is no longer allowed to interview FANS anywhere on stadium ground, including pregame tailgate parties
• Signs are all banned – even the one from a woman trying to send a message to her husband who is serving in Afghanistan
• T-shirts critical of ownership are banned
• When a radio station tried to organize a “fans-only” rally in a parking lot by the stadium, the team BOUGHT that parking lot and cancelled the event
• In the off-season, they publicly attempted to trade their starting quarterback…and failed…leaving the man they obviously didn’t want taking snaps
• Their new defensive stud has a reputation for not giving 100% most of the time…and he is criticizing the team’s effort
• A preseason player posted on Twitter that all Redskin fans work at McDonald’s flippin’ burgers
• None of their 2008 draft picks have had any meaningful impact in 18 games
• Hall of Fame RB John Riggins posted a mega negative rant on YouTube

Basically, this all adds up to a huge disaster of epic PR proportions!

How do you go about fixing it??

Help! I’ve Tweeted and I Can’t Get Up!

One of my all-time favorite commercials is this classic from LifeCall:

When a medical emergency happens, like falling, the service would dispatch help to come rescue the victim if they use their nifty device.

Perfect deal, right?

Well what is the LifeCall equivalent for social media snafus?

A few recent, notable examples:

- Kansas City Chiefs star Larry Johnson uses very offensive language while responding too Tweeters.

- Musician John Mayer reportedly spent more time on Twitter than talking to girlfriend Jennifer Aniston, so she dumped him.

- Minnesota Timberwolves player Kevin Love posted a message about his coach being fired—before the team announce it.

- Megan McCain posted a…ahem…chesty photograph of herself, stunning some followers.

So, as a publicist, when your client crosses a line on Twitter, how do you respond?  How do you get your clients from off of the Twitter floor?

PR Buzz – The Right Man For The Job

Rumors have been swirling lately that Mark McGwire, one of the most prolific sluggers in baseball history, and one of the forefathers of the “Steroid

Right man for the Cards?

Era,” will join his old club, the St. Louis Cardinals, as the hitting coach in 2010.

While his numbers are staggering and his legendary 1998 home run war with Sammy Sosa was huge for the sport, Hall of Fame voters have shut him out from the pantheon of the greats of the game.  Some may say that “he wasn’t good enough long enough,” but any knowledgeable observer knows thats code for “might have done steroids, don’t touch with a 10-foot pole!”

So, why then, would the Cardinals be interested in hiring a pariah as a hitting coach?  Someone who will be in front of fans, players, media and management/ownership on a daily basis.  Someone who is in charge of teaching players how to hit better?

Is it possible that someone virtually banished from the game could be the best person for the job?  Aren’t there hundreds of retired players with glistening hitting resumes that could work with players?  Is the stink of performance enhancing drugs something you want surrounding active players?

If a mediocre hitter somehow becomes better under McGwire’s tutelage, will they be linked to PEDs?

From a PR sense, how do you defend the Cardinals here?

PR Buzz – Validated Tweets?

This morning, I followed Valerie Simon’s advice and followed everyone who participated at #PRstudChat on Twitter this week.  It’s a great way to connect with more people in and around my industry, no?

Well, I got auto-DMs (another rant) from several folks saying that I had to click on a link and fill out a form to “validate” my desire to follow them.

Doesn’t that go somewhat against the point of Twitter?  Isn’t the beauty of the site that you tap your mouse and can follow people?  If there is something you want to say on Twitter that you don’t want the world to know, should you really be saying it on Twitter?

On the flip side, it seems like an easy way to, with limited hassle, control who is in your network.  You definitely can cut down on SPAM followers (like Britney…I don’t need any more of her following me around!).

Is it worth it to make people who want to follow you take those extra steps?

The floor is open to discussion!

Four PR Lessons From My Dog

I love my dog.  I know all dog owners say that, but really, I love Balki!

Hi, I'm Balki! Will you be my friend?

Have you met Balki yet?

(Since I know you want to ask: Yes, we did, in fact, name our dog after Bronson Pinchot’s character from “Perfect Strangers.”  We’re those people.)

My dog is my running buddy, my foot warmer, my biggest fan.  And what he doesn’t know is that he is an excellent PR teacher.  In fact, there are 4 keys to effective PR that little Balki has mastered, even though he is only 13 months old.

1) Approach every day enthusiastically – For Balki, everyday is a new adventure!  When he wakes up in the morning, all he needs is a front yard and some stretching until he is a smily guy, ready to rule the block.

Shouldn’t we, as PR and marketing pros, approach the morning as the start of fresh opportunities for our clients?  We tend to need a lot of time to get up and rolling (guilty!), but how much more effective would we be if we were ready to rock and roll earlier in the day?

2) Say “Hello!” – Whether it’s a new dog at the corner or a 4 year old girl walking down the street with her parents, Balki lets them all know he sees them.  Whether a wag of the tail, a friendly yelp or even a lick to the face, he makes his presence known.

I'm so happy! You should be, too!

We are a social breed.  If we are to be “people people,” that starts with a simple “howdy!”  You never know who you are sitting next to.  A few days ago, my wife and I were out to dinner and started talking to the couple sitting next to us.  We ended up going out to a wine bar with them after dinner and have new “couple friends” and perhaps a few business leads for all of us, just because we said “Hello!”

3) Protect your owner client at all times - Was that a bump in the night?  A strange sound outside the front door?  Are those sirens wailing down the pike?  When he hears or sees a potential threat, the normally docile Balki springs to action, doing a perimeter check of our home.  Much like an Under Armour commercial, Balki will protect this house!

In much the same way, publicists should always have an eye and an ear towards any potential threats to our clients.  If a competitor releases a new product or a strategic partner loses assets, we should not only be aware of the problem, but be ready to propose strategies to overcome the obstacles.

4) Show appreciation – If you do something nice for my dog, like give him a treat, a belly rub or an ear scratch, he will let you know.  He’ll lick you, he snuggle you, he’ll smile…he will show his appreciation.

That’s something we should do, if we aren’t already.  We are networking folks, so when someone does something nice for us, it’s critical that we show our appreciation.  A quick phone call, e-mail or a hand-written, old-fashioned thank you note goes a long way.  Obviously, none of those methods are a lick in the face, but I think you’ll get the message across just the same.

So there you have it…PR really is for the dogs!

QUESTION: What other good PR lessons have you learned from animals?