Original Thoughts - Mrktng Communications

So you want to enter the world of Public Relations? Figuring out how to get there is the first step.

noreply@zionandzion.com (Ashley) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:26:00 -0400

In our backyard is one of the nation's top journalism schools, the Walter Cronkite School at Arizona State, filled with hungry students trying to get their feet in the door of this competitive industry. Nevertheless, a top notch educational background is not the only thing that marketing and public relations firms, when looking to hire, will demand from candidates–especially these days.
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Guest lecturing at the ASU Walter Cronkite School

noreply@zionandzion.com (Aric) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 10:01:17 -0400

This past Thursday I guest lectured to a public relations class at ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. I thought that I'd share an interesting question that came from one of the students who currently has an internship with one of the very large PR firms in town. Her question was about how to measure the results of Social Media and PR campaigns.
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Spreading the pain is no way to grow a business

noreply@zionandzion.com (Aric) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 05:42:06 -0400

Have you ever wondered why it seems harder, not easier, to get good service in the current down economy? It seems strange doesn't it? People are out of work, resources for hire are abundant, and revenue is scarcer for many companies. So, why isn't service better in general, instead of worse?
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Leveraging B2B PR for B2C purposes

noreply@zionandzion.com (Aric) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:46:00 -0500

When people think of PR, they often think of consumer media attention, however, we encourage broader thinking. It is often the case that trade (or B2B) media attention can be leveraged to advantage with our clients' consumers.
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Balancing online and traditional marketing in a down economy

noreply@zionandzion.com (Aric) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:15:00 -0500

We're often asked what the right balance of online and traditional marketing is. Not unexpectedly, the answer is it depends. It depends on the product. It depends on the time of year. And, of particular importance right now, it depends on the economy.
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Use of DVR and unsophisticated TV advertising don't mix

noreply@zionandzion.com (Aric) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 09:51:00 -0500

A recent study by Magna projects the use of DVRs will reach nearly 50% of US Households over the next few years. According to Zion & Zion's research, this presents particular problems for unsophisticated TV advertisers.
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Social Media -- Don't be fooled by agency hype

noreply@zionandzion.com (DuGue) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:16:00 -0500

Everyone's talking about social media, and many large companies are using is effectively, but many agencies try to pull a bait and switch when it comes to how social media can help a small or medium sized local business or a business that does not have an incredibly strong brand.
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Email marketing -- Beyond the hype

noreply@zionandzion.com (Aric) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:55:29 -0400

Email marketing seems cool, doesn't it? But when it comes right down to it, if you aren't an online retailer that can track sales back to an email campaign in a disciplined way, then how do you justify email marketing if you're not seeing the phone ring the moment you hit send?
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McDonald's -- Small oversight, big impact

noreply@zionandzion.com (Aric) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:47:57 -0400

Drive up to a McDonald's today and you're likely to be asked "What can I make for you?" Somewhere along the way, McDonald's marketing department and market researchers obviously told them that their food would seem fresher if their drive-through personnel said this, instead of "What can I get for you?".

Sounds reasonable right? But here's what we found to be the case...
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Annoying advertising and the consideration set

noreply@zionandzion.com (Aric) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 09:38:10 -0400

Does annoying advertising actually work? Well it depends upon what your definition of working is. We recently conducted a secondary market research project on the topic. The focal point of which was Vonage, the internet phone company.
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Social Media isn't for everyone, Or is it?

noreply@zionandzion.com (Tanner) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 09:10:00 -0400

The buzz around social media is understandable. Every time a new medium to reach the consumer makes its appearance on the scene, whether it be the introduction of the radio, the television, or the internet, marketers see an opportunity--as well they should. However, most companies just can't seem to figure out what to do with social media. So a pressing question arises--"Is social media for everyone"?

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Proactive vs. Reactive CRM

noreply@zionandzion.com (Aric) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 08:18:51 -0400

While all good Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems provide customer service, marketing, and sales personnel with customer relevant data, some companies use this data proactively and others reactively, leading to very different perceptions on the part of the customer.
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Emotions running wild

noreply@zionandzion.com (DuGue) — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 06:58:40 -0400

At Zion & Zion, far too often we find companies placing almost all of their focus on the "rational" side of their messaging as opposed to the "emotional" side of their messaging. However, it is the emotional side of messaging that is generally the most powerful and long lasting.
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Talk yourself into it

noreply@zionandzion.com (Aric) — Tue, 29 May 2007 11:28:00 -0400

When putting together advertising campaigns and marketing collaterals, many companies try to come up with the top value proposition or propositions and present those to potential customers with compelling statements.

At Zion & Zion though, we often go about things a bit differently...
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PART I: "Which of these two options do you like better?" --- Isn't Always the Right Question

noreply@zionandzion.com (Johnny) — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:35:00 -0400

Many companies are frequently faced with the question of what messaging to include on their product packaging, what to name their product, or whether or not the package should be of one style or another. The solution for many companies is a seemingly straightforward one--i.e. they ask a few employees and/or customers, "which do you like better, version A or version B." While this is sometimes a good approach in a focus group, as it stimulates people's thinking and generates feedback and ideas, it often not the best approach.
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