It seems somewhat fitting that I came across the below video on the heels of Valentine’s Day and the “annual celebration of love.” While many have snarked that yesterday was a “Hallmark Holiday” I would contend it’s a great opportunity to stop and reflect about the ones who do and have meant a lot to you – especially those who may no longer be with us. This may be why the Smilow Cancer Hospital’s flash mob video struck a certain chord (pun intended) with me.
One way or another, we’ve all been touched by cancer. And while media coverage and attention keeps us all aware of the disease, the frequency and context with which it is covered can sometimes dampen the message. That’s why it was so refreshing to see this creative video (below) from Smilow, spotlighting their unofficial theme song “Closer to Free” (originally made famous by the band BoDeans). As communicators, I think we can all agree that it's a great use of video and digital media solutions to express the great work they're doing for their patients.
As we head toward the weekend, check out the below video and take a moment to think about / call a loved one who has been touched by cancer. Here’s hoping we can move toward a world that is “closer to free” of this terrible disease – and kudos to Smilow on a job well done.
UPDATE: NBC has announced, officially, that Savanna Guthrie will succeed Ann Curry as co-host of Today. In a statement Today Executive Producer Jim Bell noted:
“As soon as Savannah joined NBC News she was a standout, reporting for every franchise in the news division and rising through the ranks. She has a one-of-a-kind combination of sharp wit and approachability, and our viewers value her journalistic skills and legal background just as much as her humor and charm. She can effortlessly go from interviewing the Secretary of State to jumping Olympic-sized hurdles on the plaza. I’m thrilled to welcome Savannah as our newest co-anchor..."
ORIGINAL: In recent weeks NBC’s shining star, Today, has more closely resembled its afternoon soap opera, Days of Our Lives.
As most are familiar, Today has waged an increasingly tight ratings battle against ABC’s Good Morning America. Matt Lauer and team have seemingly stumbled a bit amid the morning show rat race. Who’s to blame? Maybe the competition is finding new ways to poach viewers (CBS has a new format, GMA brought on Katie Couric for a week-long guest hosting gig) or maybe NBC shot itself in the foot a little over a year ago when it gave Meredith Vieira’s seat on the couch to Ann Curry. Regardless, the fact remains that after 15 years at the top, Today is no longer the clear leader of the pack and NBC brass has pegged Curry as the reason.
Yesterday morning, Curry sorrowfully bid adieu to her Today audience. After 14 years with the program, Curry was shown the door and made the scapegoat for the program’s recent ratings slip. Fair or not, her dream job was ripped from her hands only to be passed on to another (with all signs pointing to third hour host, Savanna Guthrie).
Now don’t get me wrong, as I’ve written before, I have not been, nor would I likely ever be, Curry’s biggest fan. I have found her to be patronizing, difficult to connect with and uncomfortably awkward to watch. But all that being said, a piece of me feels for Curry who, in all fairness, was not given a fair shake.
Last year, as Vieira said goodbye on Today, she recounted what Matt Lauer said to her on her first day at the desk, “Remember this is not a sprint, this is long distance run.” I can’t help but think that Curry wasn’t given a chance to find her pacer and lock in a stride. Maybe she never would have found her step, or perhaps, she would have brought something new to morning show TV – which has become soft in its reporting as it seeks to capture more eyes and dollars.
The fact of the matter is that the broadcast and cable news isn’t just the news anymore. It’s all too often a play for ad spend and viewership. As the audience, we can pick and choose the network, tenor and depth of the reporting we seek and as a result networks pander to Nielsen ratings and whether they can capture the demo. It’s a frustrating reality and one that Aaron Sorkin is seeking to spotlight in his new HBO show The Newsroom (clip below). But that’s a story for another post.
As we turn back to Today, we bid farewell to Curry (who isn’t going all that far with a cushy title of “Today show anchor-at-large and NBC News national/international correspondent”). And in so doing, NBC will be left hoping that its next morning co-host can more quickly catch their stride as they run toward ratings gold.
You’ll have to forgive me as I share some Kool-Aid. Recently, CJP began representing an integrated marketing and technology firm. One of the things their CEO Stacey Haefele regularly talks about is the concept of front-line branding or “below the line branding.” This is the idea that every enterprise, whether large or small, must take steps to enable its employees and sales force to represent the brand in an open, honest and trustworthy way (an idea quite akin to that of our own CEO, Jen Prosek, who believes that each member of the “CJP army” must be a brand ambassador at all times). And in a recent conversation, Ms. Haefele took this idea a bit further, outlining that trust must be developed on the front line through personalization and empathy.
This idea was driven home to me over the last few days. This past weekend, I was fortunate to have been invited to participate in Quinnipiac University’s first annual “QU Media Mashup” – a conference hosted by the School of Communication for graduating seniors to learn about various media industries and what to expect as they begin their careers. Throughout the weekend, I met dozens of students, all eager to learn and eager to network.
citing a recent networking event where her peers’ heads were more frequently fixed on their smartphone than the face of the people they were meeting. She was struck by the fact that among attendees, the interaction in the room seemed to be more focused on speaking with one another on Twitter than in real-life dialog. What has happened to our ability to interact?
Last night I guest lectured to a Communication class at a local university. While not necessarily a “networking” event by definition, my role was to talk about PR and introduce the class – made up of comm and marketing majors – to our agency. I even lead with the fact that we are currently accepting both intern and entry level applications. Despite this, there was very little dialog or interaction. Stopping frequently to ask if there were any questions or specific facets of the field/job they were interested in learning more about, I was met with faces checking laptops (Facebook/Twitter undoubtedly) and smartphones. Again, this wasn’t a networking event, but I would have expected that the students would take the opportunity to ask a few questions and try to learn a bit more about the “real world” of PR before beginning internships or their career. Again, I realize this wasn’t networking per say, but I was struck by the influence of technology and its ability to remove human interaction.
Certainly technology is not all bad. It grants access to people and companies we once could not reach. LinkedIn has transformed recruiting. It is not uncommon to lead a conversation with “do we have any mutual Facebook friends?” But despite all of this, I am left with the same question Saira broached last week…is the art of networking dead?
So we turn to you UBT readers. Vote in today’s Weekly Poll (at right) to tell how whether technology has helped or hurt networking. We also invite you to join today’s #TopicTuesday conversation about #networking over on Twitter. Happy voting.
T-minus six days until the big day! That’s right. The countdown is well under way for this Patriots fan who cannot wait for one final chance at redemption as Brady and Belichick take on Eli, Coughlin and the rest of the New York Football Giants in Super Bowl XLVI . Oh it’s going to be exciting. The storylines, press conferences and trash talk will be plentiful this week as the NFL prepares for its biggest night of the year.
Then & Now: Matthew Broderick reprises his role as Ferris Bueller in a Super Bowl ad for Honda
But it’s not all just about the game. After all, the Super Bowl has come to be known for the commercials, almost as much as it has for the game. From cars to beer to chips and website domain services, companies will be clamoring for the opportunity to get their brand in front of millions – and this year it will cost them an estimated $3 to $4 million per advertising package!
But as commercials take center stage, so do the PR strategies behind their release. It’s all about the pre- and post-game reactions . Who can dominate the headlines and drive traffic to their YouTube page (remember last year’s Volkswagen gem)? In an effort to add longevity to their investment (and to win additional views and impressions) many companies have begun releasing their big ads the Monday before the Super Bowl, while others opt for a big post game blitz (pun intended).
So what’s all buzz about this year? Three words… Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? That’s right. In a commercial that’s getting tremendous, pre-game hype (both good and bad), Honda released an ad featuring Matthew Broderick reprising (sort of) his role from the 1986 hit Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. In the spot, Broderick can be seen calling in sick to avoid a movie shoot (as opposed to calling out of high school). Throughout the commercial he enjoys a day of roller coasters, baseball games, parades and more – all reminiscent of the iconic scenes of the mid-eighties film. Also, for movie buffs, Honda has hidden a few "Easter Eggs" (thank you J.J. Abrams) throughout the commercial.
So what do you think of the spot (see below)? What other commercials are you looking forward to? Share your thoughts in the comments and as always don’t forget to vote in today’s Weekly Poll (at right) to let us know who’s going to come out on top in Sunday’s big game!
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Our comms pro, @TRozycki on how the Bloomberg terminal admission has spooked the financial community via @PRWeekhttp://t.co/jEOnjsTYx8 - posted on 4 days ago
Last week, my colleague Saira Kahn wrote a post, posing the question “
