Big thinkers, big brands and big entities embrace big ideas. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings has committed to one of the biggest for a major American city: to take a visible and passionate stand against domestic violence. He stopped by ‘The Texas Daily’ studio for an interview today – promoting an event he’s leading Saturday morning at City Hall Plaza: the Dallas Men Against Abuse Rally.

  His staff expects 10-thousand of the Mayor’s best buddies to show up and endorse the concept that Dallas men will not tolerate a culture of abuse against women. Two who’ve already pledged to attend are Roger Staubach and Emmitt Smith. This is important for many reasons. First among them – our city and our nation have a real problem with men abusing women.

•  According to DomesticViolenceStatistics.org, every 9 seconds in the US a woman is assaulted or beaten.

•  Around the world, at least one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime. Most often, the abuser is a member of her own family.

•  Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women—more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined.

•  Studies suggest that up to 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually.

•  Everyday in the US, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends.

In fact, it was just such an event that startled the Mayor into action. In January, Karen Cox Smith’s estranged husband shot and killed her in a parking garage at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, where she worked as an executive assistant. It happened the day before Dallas police were planning to arrest him on a family violence warrant.

It was the same hospital where Rawlings’ mother had recently received cancer treatment – and it startled him into action.

Soon after, Rawlings called a news conference to address the men of Dallas. “You can call a guy who abuses women a lot of things,” he says, “but you can’t call him a man.”

He wants three big changes in our city: quicker and more comprehensive police response, legislation and a cultural shift. The rally this weekend will ‘plant the flag,’ start a movement and – he hopes – urge Dallas men to join him in the cause.

His efforts have drawn national recognition. After he spoke about domestic violence at a March 8 event in New York City, New York magazine called Rawlings ” the movement’s most refreshing new spokesman.”  And he’s not the only high-profile guy who’s taken a stand.

At the same March 8th event in New York, Star Trek icon Sir Patrick Stewart (a frequent and outspoken advocate for domestic violence awareness) called domestic violence “the single greatest human rights violation of our generation.” He served as host for the launch of “Ring the Bell,” a global campaign calling on 1 million men to make 1 million “concrete, actionable promises” to end violence against women.

A Captain of the Starship Enterprise does not need to adopt a cause – even one this noble – to gain attention or grow a brand. Neither does the Mayor of Dallas. But here’s the point: regardless of the motivation, Mayor Rawlings’ campaign has given Dallas a fresh new image. Altruistic. Passionate. Good. Selfless. A city with a cause. And a cause worth recognizing.

Important Note: I am in no way suggesting that Mayor Rawlings Domestic Violence reduction campaign is a PR stunt. It is instead a substantive, selfless effort that he wants men of Dallas to join. But in taking a stand, he has undoubtedly elevated the stature of the city he represents and given himself a platform by which to tell the nation that Dallas is (a) aware, (b) compassionate and (c) committed.

Civic leaders, CEOs, Politicians and Brand Stewards large and small must take note. The culture of cause is the newest, and most worthy, means of earning attention. Or votes, or donations, or sales. Be good or be ignored. Already a sub-culture has formed. This year’s Cause Marketing Forum will be held in Chicago May 29-31st.

Owning a purpose beyond profit matters. It matters a lot.

A recent Forbes article references Edelman’s annual goodpurpose study with this summary: “when quality and price of a product are deemed equal, social purpose has consistently been the leading purchase trigger for global consumers since 2008, design and innovation and brand loyalty aside. Over those years, the relevance of Purpose as a purchase factor has risen 26 percent globally. 47% of consumers have bought a brand at least monthly that supports a cause.”

Five (5) Major Steps to Embrace the Culture of Cause

All of us with messages to deliver, brands to grow and business to conduct should pay attention: it’s not enough to be good at what you do anymore. This generation demands more. This generation expects brands (or cities) to be good. Period. Good for the community. Good for the environment. Good for endangered species. Good for women. Or just good.

1. Adopt a Sense of Purpose

“Do  you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?” That was Steve Jobs’ well-documented pitch to John Sculley (then CEO of Pepsi-Cola) who took over as Apple’s top executive.  Successful brands do more than make money. That’s not enough anymore. They must adopt a sense of purpose. How is your brand making a difference in your community? Industry? Neighborhood? Successful brands don’t have to change the world, but they should adopt a sense of purpose to make a difference. For Chik Filet – parenting and Christian principles. For Kenneth Cole – AIDS research. Pick a cause that resonates with your audience and to which you can really commit.

2. Find the Right Non-Profit

Find a partner. It’s easy. Once you have identified a worthy, substantive cause that matches the interests of your ideal demo, research local charities to find the best fit. Use Charity Navigator or another objective online resource to evaluate non-profits with a footprint in your zip code. Genesis Womens Shelter in Dallas has commended Mayor Rawlings for his stance and echoed his summons.

3. Don’t Just Write a Check; Go to Work

Don’t think is just about donating the right dollar amount. Think creatively. What can your organization do – on a recurring basis – to support this cause? Organize a weekend fund-raiser? Raise awareness in an email blast? Write a regular blog post? Hold a rally? Commit to a substantive number of volunteer hours?

4. Extreme Marketing

Now – how could you go the extra mile? Consider something extraordinary. Anyone can hold a bake-sale / car-wash / silent auction. Instead, what is something that has the potential to altar the course of this cause in a profound way? The classic recent example is the Red Bull Stratos project in October, when Felix Baumgartner became the first person to break the sound barrier, with a free-fall 128,000 feet above the Earth that quickly zoomed to more than 800 miles per hour AND attracted more than 8 million people on a live simulcast on Youtube. Red Bull will forever be identified with Extreme Sports, the “Space Freefall” and the first chapter of commercial, non-governmental access to the outer atmosphere. Not bad for an energy drink. OK so space jumps are not in the budget? Fine. What else could you do ‘plant the flag’ in your chosen field?

5. Commit to the Long Haul

A one-month campaign will not do the trick. Consider at least a year. Three years would be better. Own it.

In short, Mayor Rawlings wants the city of Dallas – and its men – to own the cause of reducing domestic violence. He’s identified an important purpose, found partners, scheduled an extreme event, and committed to a long-term effort.

Good job, Mayor.

Dallas Men, let’s go to work.

Regardless of the size of the company or brand, webinars are becoming an effective and therefore important part of the marketing mix. It’s an excellent vehicle for using content marketing or storytelling to inform and ultimately sell. However, because it’s a relatively new medium, many otherwise confident marketers shy away from webinars because they seem to have a lot of moving parts.

Maybe it’s my professional background in broadcasting or perhaps it’s because I have always had a special fondness for Mary Richards, Lou and Ted, but I believe the best way to approach planning and executing a webinar is to think of it as a nightly newscast. Many of the same steps go into both and they both require the producer to be adept at presenting a compelling story on a small screen.

The objective of both “shows” is to inform the viewers about something that is important to them. In the case of webinars, this might be a new product, a new service or an innovation that is on the immediate horizon. Here are several tips on planning, presenting and following-up on a webinar.

Get a Plan

In writing for “Content Marketing Institute” business author Regina Antonio notes that the first objective of any webinar is to “define the webinar objectives, target audience, desired outcomes and identify success factors. She also feels that in order to attract the right audience, the webinar topic must promise “must have” information as opposed to merely “nice to have.” This is a critical difference between webinars that draw a large audience and one with few participants.

The best practices for the planning phase of a webinar presentation include:

• Establish a schedule for the event
• Get all resources that are necessary for the webinar together
• Have a kickoff meeting that includes everyone who will be involved

While time frames might vary, it usually takes about 6 to 8 weeks to get everything lined up. Once this timetable is set up and the webinar platform is chosen, the fun begins!

Start the Commotion with Promotion

It’s a given that everyone you might want to attend your webinar is overextended. No one has time to waste anymore. Therefore, it is critical to develop a powerful invitation, which explains why the presentation is important to the potential attendees, and then promote the heck out of the webinar weeks before it occurs.

Experts in webinars advise that this invitation should emphasize an immediate value to the potential attendees. It should be presented as a solution to a specific problem. After the webinar invitation is created, these actions should take place:

• A registration landing page which captures information about the potential attendees, should be created and posted. One important question of this page should be what the attendees expect to learn from the webinar.
• Out-bound solicitation of potential attendees should begin by focusing on in-house lists, social media and other sources of interested people.

Antonio suggests that the invitation be sent 4 weeks before the “go live” date. She also recommends that webinar producers track the daily registration metrics in order to learn what work and what doesn’t in the solicitation process. This will be valuable information for future webinars.

Practice, Practice, Practice

The men and women who present the nightly news spend quite a bit of time rehearsing their presentation. Webinars are no different.

Since a webinar is typically an hour long, allocating a few minutes at the beginning for introductions of presenters and 15-20 minutes at the end of the presentation for questions leaves about 35-40 minutes for actual presentation of the materials. This is not long and judicious use of this time is critical. Therefore, it is very important that each comment, fact and slide is relevant and impactful. It is also important that a proper sound checks made each time rehearsals occur in order to ensure that quality of the presentation is as perfect as it can be.

One of the worse things to occur would be to spend the time and resources to create the demand, get a large audience and then run out of time before critical details are given. This may still happen, but this is less likely if several rehearsals have occurred before the event.

We’re Live!

Getting all of the participants on hand, slides and other resources ready and sound checked about an hour before the webinar is a very good idea. Speakers should always have a printout of their slides in “notes view” to ensure that the show goes on in spite of technical glitches.

When it’s “show time” the moderator of the webinar should cover housekeeping information and introduce the speakers. Experts in webinars suggest that its best to keep the control of the slides in the hands of the organizer.

Once the webinar has been successfully presented, it’s a good idea to conduct a 5-minute debriefing with all presenters. It is common practice for the organizer of the webinar to share any audience metrics that are available with the presenters.

After the Webinar is Over

A company’s search engine indexing can be enhanced by archiving such presentations as its webinars. Having this archive will also allow the company to have a reason to follow up via email with all participants and those who were not able to join the webinar. The format of the archived webinar should eliminate any irrelevant aspects such as the housekeeping information or dead-air related to mistakes or technical glitches.

Finally, after the webinar has occurred is a good time to review results and which of the original objectives were met. For example, one might ask if the webinar increased the company’s sales pipeline? Were new geographical areas reached? Were any prospects converted to customers?

As is hopefully evident from this discussion, a webinar can be a powerful force for using the content or information that a company “owns” to build new prospects and convert them into customers. While most people use slides and audio in their webinars, it’s not unheard of to employ live video feeds that are possible from internet services such as Skype.

Technology, in the form of webinars, can be the best friend of content marketers, sales teams, public relations teams and others who want to reach new prospects with a company message.  With a little planning, this marketing tool does not have to be intimidating and it can yield substantial ROI.

If you need some help in planning and executing your webinar give us a shout. Our team is good at telling a compelling story on a small screen.

It was a tough decision: To remove the film clip that has offended Muslims in the Middle East, or not? To stand up for freedom of speech, or err on the side of calm during an incendiary season in the Muslim World?

Ultimately, I think Google took the high road by offering a seasoned, diplomatic gesture to help stem further violence, without eroding the principles on which the company was founded or bowing to the White House plea for censorship.

The search engine giant did NOT take down a 14-minute excerpt from “The Innocence of Muslims” but blocked access to it in Egypt, Libya, India, Indonesia and Afghanistan — where almost a quarter of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims live. Incidentally, it’s not the first time Youtube has regulated or screened offensive content. The online video kingpin already blocks pornography, hate speech and what it deems to be images of gratuitous violence. In Germany, no one can see Nazi propaganda.

The point here is that Youtube is now the global village that Marshall McLuhan described in 1962. His book The Gutenberg Galaxy: The Making of Typographic Man described how the world (even 50 years ago) had evolved into a virtual village “by electric technology^[2] and the instantaneous movement of information from every quarter to every point at the same time.^[3] In bringing all social and political functions together in a sudden implosion, electric speed heightened human awareness of responsibility to an intense degree.^[4]” [Wikipedia]

Wow.

So Social Video has made us all neighbors. Really. The reach is astonishing. The complex linkage built by TV networks to connect the world via satellite, microwave and TV signals is now equaled with a cell-phone camera and a single upload. In addition, the TV signal only plays once for the aggregate audience. Miss it and it’s gone (although most Americans have DVRs). Accessible video, however, reigns supreme. It can be viewed on-demand by a global audience. Youtube now trumps every other form of communication in immediacy, impact and implication. Not just the internet, but the online video. Consider the random sacrilegious writings about Mohammed and Islam – already online – that failed to elicit outrage. Even photos and drawings posted online are easily ignored. But when a video – even an amateurish rant more akin to a junior high skit than a film – arrives on Youtube, the results can be explosive.

Viral video can sell hundreds of blenders, vacuums or bikes. Or give angry mobs a trigger to riot.

You and I have the tools to reach the world, for better or worse.

Just like Paul Simon said – These are the Days of Miracles and Wonder.

No matter how hard your day has been, it is unlikely that it has reached the misery index level of an airport security screener. This is because these men and women must deal with both obnoxious and terrified travelers who are usually late for their flight

While no science can be quoted on this subject, I have reams of anecdotal research that strongly suggests that a traveler’s I.Q. is inversely proportional to the proximity of any commercial airport. If his I.Q. 100 at home, it is reduced by 30 % when he reaches the airport parking lot. While the tickets are being purchased, it goes down another 10% and when the traveler arrives at security, it plummets another 20%. Thus, all of the signs about having a ticket and ID ready to present and information on what items can and cannot now be taken on the plane, have no effect on this ticket-toting zombie because by the time he arrives at security he is a blithering idiot!

So the anxious traveler with an intelligence level of a paramecium arrives at the chaos of the airport security gate. What could possibly go wrong here?

Nothing much, except for the fact that these security folks have the responsibility of ferreting out guns, knives, bombs and other weapons of mass destruction. In the midst of this challenging work environment, they must carefully observe millions of bags, suitcases, purses, briefcases and every other container that is being carried by the traveler – some of whom are crazier than others – as they pass through the scanner and show up on the monitors.

Fortunately, science has come to the rescue of these valiant soldiers on the front line of international terrorism. Research at Duke University has applied a little-known biological theory – known as the “foraging theory” – to help professionals such as airport security screeners and radiologists who screen for cancer do a better job.

In information published by the research group in “Psychological Science,” it was noted that in nature, a foraging creature decides at some point that the patch of potential food it is currently scouring is no richer than the surrounding environment and he or she moves on to find something better.  This apparently applies to humans and even airport security personnel. We tend to search for something until our experience tells us that the payoffs are declining.

These researchers have found that for crucial searching jobs such as airport security and even radiologists who are screening for cancerous cells, the effectiveness of screeners can be improved by making them think that there are targets to be found. In fact, the article on this research notes that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA.) is using a program known as “threat image projection” where phantom images of contraband are digitally inserted on the baggage screening monitors. It is thought that this will increase the hit rate and improve attention.

This foraging theory can also apply to customers too. Are you making it interesting enough for customers to interact with and ultimately BUY from you? Or, has your story gotten lost in the shuffle of the chaos of too much information, presented in the same tired old fashion?

Maybe your marketing, promotion or media message needs the equivalent of a “threat image projection”- a little surprise that makes those potential customers sit up and take notice. Perhaps this involves a social media campaign that is so compelling that your potential customers – your audience – has no choice but to interact with you. Maybe it involves an articulate expert giving “free information” to media representatives and consumers who fit your target demographic. Perhaps it’s as simple as finding that magical story that your customers can identify with and getting it told by media that they respect.

Businesses, like the TSA, can learn a lot from the biological theory of foraging. Customers are constantly looking for something of value, something special or something that makes them feel good about themselves. Companies that fail to recognize this, do so at their own peril. Find your story and tell it well and those foraging customers will find you!

They tweeted, posted, snapped and uploaded content of the monster storm as it swept across Louisiana.

Instant and Automatic News Coverage. Citizen Journalism in a Big Event.

This photo, from Fox News U-Report, shows a Louisiana State Trooper rescuing a fawn from high water near Madisonville, La. Submitted by jlewislspon as the storm blew in Wednesday. The government urged people to upload their experiences on a FEMA Facebook page. The Red Cross rolled out a Hurricane Isaac iPhone app and Mashable asked eyeitnesses to Send Us Your Hurricane Isaac Photos!

Equally active, government and emergency response agencies dispersed news, warnings and maps using social media. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landreau kept the city up to date on Twitter using his @MayorLandrieu handle. The Governor’s office used its Twitter feed to notify low-lying areas of evacuations and emergency food distributions. NOAA promoted its sprawling social media footprint including Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, podcasts and an RSS feed to keep people informed.

Even the FBI reminded citizens “to beware of fraudulent e-mails and websites claiming to conduct charitable relief efforts,” and suggested reading “Tips on Avoiding Fraudulent Charitable Contribution Schemes” to avoid online fraud.

It makes sense. Thousands in the path of Isaac had smartphones. They were able to both send and receive information. An army of amateur journalists equipped with cameras and the capacity to share their media instantly. It’s a News Director’s dream come true. Capturing a natural disaster as it happens – from an almost endless stream of stringers who provide free content.

News organizations have always converged on natural disasters and covered them well. Louisiana has been no exception. The difference, however, is that now YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram allow us to document the storm parish-by-parish in amazing detail.

This is the future of journalism. An incredible resource of original content. All of it flowing into the public domain and available for consumption. The challenge will be (a) aggregating the best and (2) screening out the inauthentic, inaccurate, inappropriate and redundant, and most importantly (3) re-inventing the news model.

So what are the lessons learned? What is the future of Journalism in a natural disaster?

1) Collaboration. Newsrooms – even the biggest – will no longer be able to do it alone. Coverage of major events will be have to be a hybrid enterprise, as described in this blogpost by the Nieman Journalism Lab. Professional and amateur. Old media and new. Established newsrooms will need to solicit citizen journalists. Recruit them and reward the best content providers.

2) Interactivity. The once-a-day news product is over. In order to be relevant, news organizations will have to provide ongoing, on-demand dialogues that elicit the response and reaction of viewers and readers. “Let us hear from you” is no longer just a marketing motto. It has to be real. And newsrooms will have to reply.

3) Screening. Yes, some of the content will be bogus. Some will be grossly inaccurate or even libelous. Newsrooms will need to be on-guard to protect the trustworthiness of the brand name and only disseminate the content that can be confirmed.

But for those that evolve quickly and include the newest tools and voices, the future of journalism is brighter than ever.

The traditional understanding of public relations involves an agency such as Brady Media Group learning about a client’s unique services or goods, researching journalists who have a history or assignment of writing or producing stories about this subject matter and then pitching them on their consideration of a story on this worthwhile company. In a perfect world, the resulting story is a glowing editorial feature about the client’s goods and, on cue, cash registers ring. It was a simple process. Not easy, but simple.

That’s the way PR worked in the past, but things change. This traditional approach worked well until the number of journalist dwindled due to sagging revenue in every media property. Now, those few writers and producers who are left in the newsrooms are forced to do the work of 5 or 10 of their long gone colleagues.

They don’t have a spare minute to hear pitches on the latest and greatest products or services and even if they did, the decreased page counts of every newspaper, magazine and even websites, coupled with less time devoted to broadcast news means that there is very little room for anything but the usual front page mayhem.

This is forcing public relations and corporate communications agencies to rethink how they spread the word about their clients. This current state of affairs is encouraging those of us who still enjoy helping clients sell their products by means of earned media to learn some new storytelling skills and some new media strategies.

Storytelling as a Part of the Selling Process

One of my favorite blogs is “PsyBlog” and it was founded by researcher Jeremy Dean. He has some interesting insights about the effectiveness of telling “stories” in the selling process.

He notes, “Once inside the story, we are less likely to notice things which don’t match up with our everyday experience. For example, an inspirational Hollywood movie with a “can-do” spirit might convince us that we can tackle any problem, despite what we know about how the real world works. Also, when concentrating on a story, people are less aware that they are subject to a persuasion attempt: The (selling) message gets in under the radar.”

Dean continued, “Our brains have a tendency to be mostly concerned with enjoying the story and absorbing the message. Stories can be incorporated effectively in this way by utilizing them in your content marketing efforts, especially if you use case studies and interviews to tell your tales and do your selling for you.”

Using the Client’s Owned Media for the Stories

The other part of the new strategy for public relations involves finding a place where potential customers can hear/see/read these captivating stories. This involves using a combination of the old tactic of pitching the working media on the merits of the story. It also involves helping the client to either build new or take advantage of their existing “owned media” – their website, their regularly scheduled outbound newsletters, their company blogs, their social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter and Pinterest, podcasts, even their web-based television channels.

Given the huge shift in media consumption habits, where YouTube has a higher viewership than network television, this client-owned media is extremely valuable real estate. Using it appropriately and effectively requires that the PR agency, which is now more of a content development agency, find people (usually ex-journalists and advertising folks) who understand the media and can spin a compelling story which takes advantage of specific strengths of this new media.

What’s the Best Media Strategy?

Brady Media Group was founded by former journalists, writers, videographers, photographers and media specialists who are at their core great storytellers. While the traditional approach of pitching journalists on the merits of our clients’ stories is still very much a part of the arsenal of the company, content marketing and all that this entails is becoming more and more important in helping these companies effectively communicate their selling message to potential customers.

Whether this communications effort involves social networks, blogs, websites or network television news directors will depend on the objectives and the message of companies that ask our help. As with many other aspects of our daily lives, the media landscape has been fractionalized and companies that fail to take advantage of this do so at their own peril.

Getting ready to shoot an onboard video. (L to R) Phillip Slaughter of the Texas Back Institute, Pro Bass fisherman Ryan Lovelace and Jeff Brady of Brady Media Group

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

As Jeff Brady and I sped north from Dallas at 5 a.m. last Saturday morning, on our way to Lake Texoma, about 2 hours up the road, this Chinese Proverb about teaching a man to fish fired through the still groggy synapses of my brain. Why? Well, we were on our way to conduct an on-site interview with an athlete on his boat and our trip would culminate in a little fishing with our colleagues and clients from the Texas Back Institute .

The athlete was Ryan Lovelace , a professional bass fisherman  whose back and therefore his chosen career was saved by the  surgeons at Texas Back Institute. He was gracious enough to act as our guide, coach and boat captain for the day. It was an impressive tour; he’s been on Texoma since he was four, so he knows every nook and cranny.

Where Are We?

By about 7 a.m., we had arrived at the shore and promptly got lost. You can probably picture the scene. Two sleepy, city boys driving around the back roads of the Texas/Oklahoma border, fervently looking for a marina that had moved from where it was supposed to be! It wasn’t pretty.

There were no convenience stores or service stations open  to provide directions, no address to vector into a GPS device and precious little signage to direct us. It doesn’t take long for all concerned to fall back on the most reliable fishing equipment ever invented: the smartphone.

We used it and learned that the meet-up had been moved to another location (about 30 miles from where we sat at the time) and somehow we missed the email to this effect. “No big deal,” offered our host. “We’ll pack up the boat and head your way.”

Thirty minutes later, a boat load of people cruised into the area where we were parked and a few minutes thereafter, Jeff and I were onboard, working with TBI cinematographer Phillip Slaughter to set up the interview with Ryan. With the morning sun just rising over the lake, the light was perfect for shooting the video.

A Cautionary Tale

Ryan’s back problem is a cautionary tale for anyone older than 40. He’s only 36 and first noticed his lower back pain after his participation in several fishing tournaments. In order to win or place in the money of these professional bass fishing tournaments, the angler must catch as many bass as possible with the idea being that the final fish weight of his top 5 fish are compared to the other participants.

The fishing tournament typically lasts for two days and the more fish that are caught, the higher probability of getting 5 huge ones. This requires lots of casts. How many? “I typically cast 3,000 to 3,500 casts each day of a tournament,” Lovelace said.

“Are you kidding me,” we said. At this point, there was a group head shake in disbelief.

Not only that, but this big ‘ol boy doesn’t just toss a little cast that goes out a few yards. We watched Lovelace chunk a topwater lure about 40 yards later in the day. That’s about half a football field for you sports fans out there.

Heaving that type of powerful cast – even if I had the arm to do this – 3,000 times a day would probably kill me. In Ryan’s case, over time, it wore down his L5 vertebra and Dr. Richard Guyer  at TBI recommended Laminectomy surgery.

After this procedure was completed, Ryan, who’s day job is being a biology teacher for the Lindsey, Oklahoma school district started his rehab and if his ability to cast while we were with him is any indication, he’s going to be back in fine form very soon.

What Did We Learn About Fishing?

After some editing, the interview with Ryan Lovelace will be posted on the Texas Back Institute digital media (website, newsletters and others) and we will let you know when it is available for your viewing.  However, let’s get back to the proverb. What did we learn about fishing this glorious day on Lake Texoma?

• Bass are predators and love to station themselves around underwater debris (tree trunks, old tires, former journalists, etc.) and wait to ambush some unsuspecting smaller fish. Ergo (as we fishermen like to say), the best place to find bass is in areas where this stuff is likely to be.
• If you see a turtle’s head out in the middle of water, it means he’s probably standing on a tree stump and bass are likely hanging around below. Look for turtles.
• If you see lots of birds flying around an area, they are probably dive-bombing a school of bait fish and bass are likely nearby. Look for birds.
• Ryan Lovelace is a charming, polite young man whose knowledge of fishing is encyclopedic and any time you can hang around him or watch him explain fishing techniques and natural phenomenon is time well spent!

It’s very much like an alien invasion of graceful, iridescent beings – frozen in a timeless garden.  The Dallas Arboretum has attracted new accolades, audiences and media attention by doing something new. Distinct. And amazing. They’ve mixed blown glass with gladiolas and magnolias. Wow.

Directors of the garden partnered with world-class sculptor and entrepreneur Dale Chihuly to blend his unique glass artistry with the greenery of city’s best-known garden. And it works. Suddenly the arboretum has something exciting and new and even bizarre. The Cirque du Soleil of Modern Art.  The twisty designs unfurl long tentacles and spikes and blades, nestled among manicured greenery and gentle pools. It’s an amazing blend of artistry and agriculture.  Man-made sculpture and natural scenery. It makes the Dallas Arboretum unique, fascinating and newsworthy. The media coverage has been overwhelmingly positive, whether here in Dallas or in Midland.

So – what could you do to attract a new audience? How could  you interest new clients and customers with something different that your competitors would never consider? How could you update your offer? Reinvent  your storefront? How could you modernize your brand with something startling, bold and counterintuitive?

The Arboretum took a risk. Traditional gardeners might not like the idea of giant spikey alien objects in their classic landscape. The Dallas Museum of Art might not want to tell people that the most interesting art exhibit in town is ‘over there’. Others might not like the foreign shapes and twisted tentacles. But who cares? Art is always in the eye of you know who.

Last night my wife and I took the kids to explore the exhibit at sunset. The Arboretum’s open on Wednesday and Thursday nights, when Chihuly’s swirly glass is illuminated for an even more dramatic look. Sure,  was a little muggy. Heck, it’s August! But we were all amazed at the exhibit. The artists’s team of glass blowers and mechanics installed the works in May and they will be on display through November 5th. Chihuly has his extravagant candy-colored creations in hundreds of museums, hotel lobbies and institutes around the world. Here in Dallas, you can see his work at the DMA or in a lobby at UT Southwestern. But at the Arboretum, it’s different. It seems organic and earthy. An explosion of color at 15 different sites around the giant manicured gardens.

The Arboretum has scored a big win by doing something outlandish, extreme, and – some might say gaudy.  But why not? It’s undoubtedly a win for ticket sales. For attracting modern art lovers. For entertaining kids (although my five-year-old daughter spent half the time chasing after rabbits and fireflies!) For soliciting media – both standard media and social media. Last night, there were hundreds of people snapping cell phone pictures in front of the giant glass chandeliers and cornucopias. Most of those photos were likely headed to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or an Instagram.

Yes, the Arboretum paid a big BIG fee to get Mr Chihuly to bring his colorful creations in. There were logistical and planning problems to navigate. In June, a Dallas hailstorm damaged some of the sculptures. And yet – it’s a big win for the Arboretum.

Consider how you could do something surprising to garner a similar big win for you brand. If not gigantic blown glass, then what?

It’s come to this. Chowing down on a chicken sandwich has become a political action, if that sandwich happens to come from Atlanta-based Chick fil A.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012, was “National Chick fil A Appreciation Day” and preliminary reports suggest that the merchandise at these restaurants, made famous by a bunch of cows on billboards extolling the benefits of “Eating Mor Chikn,” was moving briskly. This means that hundreds of thousands of people voted with their appetites and wallets. There was an equal and also highly vocal group who voted on the issue by staying away from Chick fil A on Wednesday and, one must assume, forever after.

So what the cluck is going on here? Hint: It’s not about the chicken How did a chicken sandwich become the focal point for a raging current of Facebook posts, dueling press conferences and more name calling and sabre rattling than will be heard the Democratic and Republican conventions combined?

It all started, as it usually does, with an innocuous comment made by the CEO of the company. A report in the August 1, 2012 LA Times  succinctly explained the brouhaha. “Chick-fil-A Chief Executive Dan Cathy said in a recent interview with the Baptist Press that although he doesn’t consider Chick-fil-A a ‘Christian business,’ he does operate on ‘biblical principles.’ Cathy said, “We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.”

Cathy also stated that gay marriage invites “God’s judgment on our nation.” This statement put Mr. Cathy and his company squarely on the side of those who favor the traditional definition of a family – a husband (male) and a wife (female) – a fact not lost on the other side of this controversy who feel a family can be defined by two males or two females living together in wedded bliss.

Both sides had their feathers ruffled. Liberals had a field day on the news channels noting what a Neanderthal CEO Cathy is and how they thought his establishments should be open on Sunday so that they could buy more of his delicious chicken sandwiches. Not to be outdone in this Family (Values) Feud, conservatives took to the airwaves and said what a great American Mr. Cathy is and how the closing of the Chick Fil A’s on Sunday is practically the Eleventh Commandment.

While it is not news that there are several issues that will ALWAYS polarize the American public – homosexuality, gun control, taxes, religion and government bailouts to name a few – having a controversy focused on one company or product is pretty rare. If you happen to run or own stock in such a company, this could be a good thing or a bad thing. It remains to be seen if Chick fil A gets more sales or fewer as a result of the controversy.

Whichever side you happen to find yourself on in this controversy du jour, there are several things that Brady Media Group  would advise our clients to consider when taking controversial stands on issues of the day:

• Think about the ramifications of anything that’s said to any media – no matter the size of the medium.  If the leadership of the company feels strongly about an issue and determines that the opinion is integral to the company, it should be prepared for a tidal wave of negative and positive attention that will inundate the company as a result.
• Make sure that everyone on the team – from senior executives to store managers – is trained in how they should handle any media requests for comments. In most cases, ANY media request around a controversial topic should be handled by a designated person at the corporate level.
• The designated company spokesman should ALWAYS attempt to answer questions in a truthful and timely fashion. Saying “no comment” in this time of 24-hour news cycles is no longer acceptable.
• If an answer to a media query is not available at the time it’s asked, the reporter should be given a specific time when the answer will be forthcoming.
• Company spokesmen should never respond with anger or sarcasm, no matter how the question is posed.

Everyone, from CEO’s of fast food restaurants to the crazy guy on the corner yelling about Armageddon, has the right to state their opinion. Unless there’s a crowded theatre involved and somebody is yelling “fire,” the U.S. Supreme Court has made this decision. Next case.

However, the right to free speech comes with responsibilities (see crowded theatre above) and there are practical ramifications from this that can affect a company’s success and failure. Before jumping into the fire of public controversy, make sure your company is prepared to deal with the heat.

It’s a big step for Public Relations. It’s a seismic shift. It’s the new face of media relations, influence and brand awareness: Getting Engaged.

Public relations (PR) today is all about inspiring a conversation. A dialogue. A chat. Marketing copy directed AT the audience is over. Now we want customers IN the message.

It’s not longer enough to generate impressions. Views. Eyeballs. Now, the Brand Epistle must trigger a response.

How? Be clever, yes. But another option is to look around your community and find some work to be done. Ask a key question. Take a survey. Take a stand. Adopt a position that matters. Review a book on that subject. Interview an expert. Support a worthy cause and ask for others to join.

Worthy brands represent something worthy – beyond the bottom line. Conventionally, it falls under the category of Cause Marketing. (There’s even a podcast – Cause Talk Radio.)

If you’re not involved, consider it.

Great companies earn positive cash flow – yes. They employ smart people and attract clients again and again. But that process – alone – is not enough to be considered great.

Ask Jim Collins, author of Good to Great. In a recent Inc Magazine article, he says great companies have a “distinctive impact” in the market. “If your company disappeared,” he asks, “would it leave a gaping hole that could not easily be filled by another enterprise on the planet?”

Wow. Pretty heavy, Jim. But it’s a great question. Public relations today is about engaging customers, clients and in fact, the company’s entire CULTURE in a message that matters. So that there is a distinctive impact in the media impressions and the messaging the company originates. What issues make a difference in your industry? What cause is powerful and relevant and universal enough for your company to adopt it? How about hunger? Breast cancer research? Wounded vets? The world needs a lotta help these days. The opportunities are everywhere. And it makes for a great conversation with your clients. Or prospective clients.

Examples:

Patagonia – Vote the Environment (political support for environmental causes)

Ford – Feeding America

Famous Amos Cookies – Literacy Volunteers of America

Dell, Apple, Hallmark & Starbucks – Project Red (Fighting AIDS)

American Express – Statue of Liberty Restoration Project

So – look around. How can  you ENGAGE your team, your company, your culture and your customers in a cause that means something more than profit? Then make THAT issue a focus of your out-bound messaging?

What cause are you supporting today? What cause needs some support?