The New Investor Relations Buzz Word: Swirl

Hats off to Yahoo!'s Susan Decker for introducing a new phrase to the investor relations world...
In the first sentence of prepared remarks made on a recent investor conference call, Ms. Decker said "...Notwithstanding a more difficult economic environment, and substantial external swirl related to Microsoft.."

Ah...in this context, Swirl means "distracting jibber jabber"... and presumably, her speech writer can be credited with introducing a new synonym for "spin". Although 'swirl' also conjures up the image of a cyclone...and I don't know that Susan intended to suggest that Microsoft has created a powerful storm

My local Carvel has a great swirl, comprised of fat-free coffee and raspberry...its great with low-cal cookie crunchies and a perfect soother when encountering head winds.

But when it comes to investor relations phrases, I'm going to stick with "jibber jabber"..although this phrase might not be easily translated from English to other languages.

Marcomm 301: Loose Lips Sink Ships

Great insight on the new age of marketing communications courtesy of MarketingProfs.com:

If you're working on a deal that hadn't been made public, the last thing you'll do is announce it to your friends on Twitter. And yet, warns Rohit Bhargava in a post at the Influential Marketing Blog, savvy online observers could use a variety of tidbits to gather information you never meant to share. Here's his hypothetical scenario:

* You tweet about a business trip to the West Coast with a friend who is known to be a lawyer.
* She updates her Facebook profile, mentioning a client meeting in Redmond, Washington.
* Media outlets quote a Microsoft executive about being in discussions with companies in your field.
* A Microsoft engineer blogs about a new company in your town.

"In four small updates from unrelated people," says Bhargava, "a smart social media surfer could get a very direct sense of a deal about to happen and some inside information [you didn't intend to share]." To combat online "spying," he recommends the following:

* Educate employees on the potential ramifications of sharing information online.
* Teach selective friending.
* Monitor comments made from within your company to head off inadvertent "leaks" before they become major problems.

Says Bhargava, "It is only a matter of time before Social Media Espionage becomes a concern that some businesses will need to have a preemptive strategy to fight against." Your Marketing Inspiration is to be prepared.

Protecting The Corporate Brand: What To Do About Online Attacks

A bit dated, but this WSJ article can prove to be timeless in an age where aggravated customers can vent their frustrations to the world by simply pressing "submit comment"

Internet has drastically increased the potential damage to a brand or a company's reputation. Frustrations with a company's practices, products and service that once were confined to relatively small circles now reach complete strangers around the world. With a very low cost of entry, disgruntled customers, workers and former workers are free to post messages, create Web sites and blog about grievances. Advocacy and special-interest groups use their Web sites to stage attacks on companies and rally support for their positions. And all of it is often archived, searchable and printable.

The potential harm from such attacks should not be underestimated. They can damage a company's reputation, hurt sales and scare off potential -- and current -- employees. Investors may flee, and partnerships may be put at risk.

1.Companies need to monitor the Web for criticism and be able to move quickly on matters that could hurt their reputation or brands. Such monitoring should cover not only corporate, professional and industry Web sites, but also grass-roots sites, such as blogs and bulletin boards.

2.Companies should examine their current practices in dealing with grievances, gripes and concerns. Researchers have consistently found that the manner in which a company attempts to remedy a complaint and how the company interacts with dissatisfied stakeholders can either temper or exacerbate the conflict -- even when the company can't provide the outcome the stakeholder desires.

As a result, companies should limit heavy-handed responses such as threats of legal action to areas in which protective measures are more justifiable -- such as preventing financial disclosures, or discussions about strategic and proprietary information. They should also develop clear employee guidelines for when -- and when not -- to blog, post messages or generate other Web content.
3. At the most successful companies, dedication to fair processes percolated through all levels of the organization. Companies should train managers to understand the risks that attacks can pose to the brand -- and to appreciate the dangers that unfair treatment can pose.
4.Once a brand-damaging attack appears, companies should try to address it directly, and quickly, going directly to the site where the criticism originated. They should also drive the discussion in a way that displays the company's dedication to fairness and tries to restore a sense of justice for those involved.

Branding in Bad Times..and the Best of Times

With the nations consumers facing this generation's most challenging economic hurdles (although one or two of hedge fund friends believe this is a great buying opportunity) this is a good time to reflect on the importance of brand.

Brand isn't just a logo or a tagline. Duh. But way too many companies of all sizes neglect to appreciate that the brand image is what keeps the blood flowing. Brand value in the corporate financial sense is defined as a combination confidence, integrity, reliability, and satisfaction.

Confidence in doing business with you. This includes members of the senior management, vendors, distributors, employees, (for many, this also includes regulators), and of course customers, consumers and clients.

Integrity in the manner by which you conduct your business, including the manner by which you manufacture goods.

Reliability in good times and bad. You can be counted on to share the burden, and the wealth.

Satisfaction provided by the receiver in the delivery of your product/service.

Keeping the brand intact, regardless of which way the wind blows, comes from within.
Courtesy of Jay Berkman at The JLC Group

Corporate Sponsors Singing a New Tune

Courtesy of the NY Times reporter Robert Levine:

It’s American Brandstand: Marketers Underwrite Performers
By ROBERT LEVINE

The hip-hop and R&B producer Jermaine Dupri has discovered best-selling acts like Kris Kross and Da Brat, has produced hits for Mariah Carey and Jay-Z, and now runs the urban music division of the Island Def Jam Music Group. He’s also looking for fresh talent for a new label financed by a company new to the music industry.

The new player? Procter & Gamble.

The consumer goods giant is part of a wave of companies getting into the music business to promote their own products, essentially becoming record labels themselves.
At a time when online file-sharing is rampant, record stores are closing and consumers are buying singles instead of albums, getting into the music business might seem like running into a burning building. But as record labels struggle to adjust to a harsh new digital reality, other companies are stepping up their involvement in music, going far beyond standard endorsement contracts and the use of songs in commercials.

These companies — like Procter & Gamble, Red Bull and Nike — are stepping outside of their core businesses to promote, finance and even distribute music themselves.

A few months ago, Bacardi announced that it would help the English electronic music duo Groove Armada pay for and promote its next release. Caress, the body-care line owned by Unilever, commissioned the Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger to record a version of Duran Duran’s “Rio” that it gave away on its Web site to promote its “Brazilian body wash” product. The energy drink company Red Bull is starting a label that is expected to release music before the end of the year.

It’s not about money,” said Sarah Tinsley, a global marketing manager at Bacardi. “It’s a branding exercise.”
Although consumer brands are taking on roles once reserved for labels, they are investing so much money in music because the same digital technology that whipsawed the music business is also making it harder to reach consumers.