Hello, Last time we discussed positioning statements. This month, we're going to look at how to go about developing one and gaining consensus on it among top managers. Also, we'll highlight some media relations opportunities, not to mention the ever-popular Ink Briefs section.

Let's get started.

Cordially,

Harry Hoover
harry@hoover-ink.com
Ink Briefs
Want to be a know-it-all? You can be with this website I've just discovered. Knowledgehound can show you how to read an electric meter, or teach you how to improve your gas mileage. It claims to be the largest directory of free how-to information on the net.

Here's another tool that keeps you in the informational loop. StumbleUpon is a browser add-on that automates the word-of-mouth process. It helps you find cool sites that are rated by a community of nearly 100,000 members. So, visit the StumbleUpon website, download the toolbar and start stumbling. If you want to help Hoover ink, visit my site after downloading the toolbar and give my site a thumbs up rating. Thanks in advance.


I want you to establish yourself as an expert, So, begin by visiting Zinos, where you can search out ezines in your area of expertise. The site also allows you to publish your own articles and include a link to your site. Here are a couple of other similar sites you'll want to visit if you are really serious about positioning yourself as an expert. EzineUniverse, Suite 101, and Low Bandwidth.



An interesting site for the writer and reader is ClassicReader. Here you can read, search and annotate the works of great authors such as Dickens, Shakespeare and Tolstoy. If you like this site, you'll also want to visit Booksonline, a directory of books available online for free downloading. Buying books? Visit the Hoover ink bookstore, please.



Here's a tip for finding journalists who specialize in a topic: search out their professional associations. For instance, got a story on tourism? Go to the North American Travel Journalists Association.

Here is another good resource for finding writers' associations, Internet Resources.




About Hoover ink PR

Hoover ink PR helps position businesses that are serious about their success. Then, we craft and deliver bottom line messages that ensure it.

Who are we? We're a marketing communications firm with more than 25 years experience in providing services to financial, high tech, real estate, tourism and consumer products companies.

From employee relations and media relations to collateral material and e-newsletters, we develop the programs and communication tools that will differentiate you from your competitors. And that's the bottom line.
 
  Corporate Positioning Blues

 A positioning statement's purpose is to create clarity, consistency and continuity in the way the organization speaks to the market. This makes communications less complex and easier to manage.

Gaining consensus among top management and selling the positioning in across the corporation may be the hardest part of the positioning process. However, I have the prescription for corporate positioning blues:

  • Get On The Same Page
  • Recruit The Influential
  • Involve Everyone
  • Record and Playback

Positioning forces you to decide three things: your market, your competitive offering, and what differentiates you from your competition. However, sometimes PR and marcomm people are the last to see research, business and marketing plans that can help make these decisions. Gather this first and review it so that you will be on the same page as other managers. If your company does not have a business plan, you have some work to do. Also, get copies of the Trout and Ries primer on positioning, Positioning - The Battle For The Mind. It's still the best and will ensure that participants have the right mindset going into the process.

Next, make sure the right people - the highly influential ones - are on board for your planning sessions. It's tough to make the process work without acceptance from the top. Before the session begins, explain to them in business terms what the benefits of the process are:

  • a common communications platform saves time and money
  • more efficiently builds company/product awareness
  • helps the company achieve its position and thwart competitive threats

In the first session, you need to work ruthlessly to uncover differences of opinion. You may want to engage an outside PR firm or ad agency to facilitate, playing bad cop to your good cop.

Capture everyone's point of view on paper, showing that all viewpoints receive equal hearing. Develop a summary of all that was said. Use the summary to develop at least two positioning statements and some supporting messages.

Play all of this back to participants in advance of your next session. You may need several more sessions in order to reach consensus. Distribute the consensus positioning statement to participants as quickly as possible to avoid revision purgatory. Then sell it in across the company, and begin using it to develop all new communications.
  More Media Opportunities

Below are a few names with contact information for those of you ready to take your media relations effort to the next level:

At CBS' "The Early Show," a former ABC News staffer, Victor Neufeld, is now producer. You can reach him at 212-975-2824.

Do you have a personal service item to pitch that fits into the money, health, family, technology, design, real estate or travel category? Kathleen Deveny of Newsweek handles a section called "The Tip Sheet" that just might be the place for your product. Email her at kathy.deveny@newsweek.com with a concise pitch. Do NOT include attachments. She'll get back to you if she is interested.

Radio awaits you. Each day, it is estimated that upwards of 10,000 guests appear on more than 4,000 local radio shows. A good portion of these are authors hawking their latest books. But, if you are not an author, there still is room for you. Develop a short pitch about how your product, service or book can help the audience, or how it is linked to a current story in the news. Start with your local radio stations. For instance, here in Charlotte, NC there is NPR station, WFAE. Mike Collins does an excellent show every weekday morning from 9:00 - 10:00. His producer is Tim Ross. You can reach Tim at (704) 549-9323 x312, or via email at tross@wfae.org.

The Wall Street Journal Online has launched an online version of its popular Personal Journal. It features all the content from the "Your Money" section, plus some unique editorial. Check it out to see if your product or service has a place there.