Tom Garrity

Archive for the ‘Messaging’ Category

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Verizon meet Epictetus

In Crisis Communication, Messaging, Reputation on December 28, 2018 at 2:31 pm

Screen Shot 2018-12-28 at 6.28.00 AMMost of us have never heard of the stoic Greek philosopher Epictetus.  His “Epic” proverb is cited by many public relation practitioners: “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”

At the time of this writing (7am, December 28, 2018), Verizon Wireless is in the midst of a nationwide outage.  Verizon is the largest mobile phone/data services provider in the country.  There has been plenty of news coverage documenting this problem which started to surface two days ago.

Verizon meet Epictetus.

I get it, Verizon is not able to communicate with its customers using its proprietary system because Verizon’s service is down. But it can still communicate with its customers.

For some reason, perhaps in an effort to protect the “brand”, Verizon is not leveraging its “owned media” to update customers.  Their website and four verified twitter accounts are all silent on blackout. Here are their verified IDs (Screen captures below, you can’t make this stuff up):
https://twitter.com/VerizonSupport
https://twitter.com/verizon
https://twitter.com/VZWSupport
https://twitter.com/VerizonNews
https://www.verizonwireless.com

It is hard to believe that they don’t have a crisis communications protocol on how to update customers in the event of a service outage.  My power provider PNM is pretty good about providing updates via its website and twitter (and yes text message).

Verizon’s silence is deafening.

As a customer this is concerning.

As a father whose daughters use Verizon Wireless for emergency situations (like a rare blizzard warning today in Albuquerque) this silence insane!

“…how you react to it that matters.”

Verizon, I am not seeing it.

Resetting the customer experience

In Messaging, Reputation on January 30, 2018 at 5:12 pm

IMG_8027A client of mine tells his staff “everyone is going to make mistakes, its how you respond to those times that matter.”

In essence, it is a primer for crisis communications 101.

Putting a twist on my client’s words, when things go wrong, and they will, every organization has a chance to reset the customer experience.

The airline industry is a place where you see customer expectations fall short on a regular basis.  It just happens.  We’ve all seen how airlines have, and have not, done a good job resetting the customer experience.

When twitter was in its infancy, I groused about the Delta Airlines boarding process and how their many different “zones” reminded me of Dante’s Inferno.  The person who handled the airline social media account reached out and said my tweet was making the rounds.  That’s nice. But, for the most part, nothing has changed.

United Airlines flight attendants just looked at me with puppy dog eyes when someone who really needed two seats was doing what he could to fit into one seat.  I raised the arm rest and commented “come on in the water is fine.” I then sat through the next two and a half hours contorted in my seat trying to do my best to give my seat mate “space”.

On another United flight, I gave up my window seat so a family could sit together.  The attendants rewarded me with an emergency exit row to myself.  That was nice.

American Airlines… don’t get me started.

But Southwest Airlines, in the spirit of full disclosure I was an A-List member, has found a way to master resetting customer expectations. My flight yesterday (documented on Instagram Stories) was scheduled to be five and a half hours.  Because of mechanical issues with the airplane, it ended up being closer to a ten hour trip.

It was just one of those days that the word “delay” was in play… all day!

The apologies from the pilot and flight attendants were nice.  Lord knows they also wanted to have the never-ending flight end.

But, this morning, at the top of my email was a message from “Allison” with the Proactive Customer Communications team.  Her message went like this… I’m so sorry for the delay you experienced in Phoenix yesterday due to an unexpected maintenance issue.  [yada yada yada] We would like to invite you back for a more pleasant travel experience.  In this spirit I’m sending you a LUV Voucher that can be applied as a form of payment toward a new Southwest reservation.  We look forward to welcoming you onboard another flight in the near future.

In the words of Emeril John Lagasse III “BAM!”

That is how you reset the customer experience.  It wasn’t the voucher, don’t get me wrong, that’s nice.  It was the follow through.

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Dancing on the Graves of NM Small Business?

In Messaging on August 17, 2017 at 1:48 pm

FullSizeRender 7

The sticker on the morning newspaper (yes, I still get home delivery of two newspapers) caught my attention, but not the way advertisers intended.

Despite economic revivals in surrounding states, New Mexico continues to be mired in a multi-year recession. Some franchise stores have struggled, some have succeeded and others have even opened in New Mexico during that time.  Small businesses have been hit the hardest during this time.

Back to the sticker.

“we hear a store closed in your neighborhood. We’ve got you covered. KOHL’S® the best brands. The best savings. The best place to shop.”

The sticker left me with the impression that KOHL’S® is dancing on the graves of New Mexico small business.

However, the misworded ad provided a chance to do a quick dive into the 2017 Garrity Perception Survey (#GPS17) to see what kind of impact National Franchise stores have in New Mexico.

Overall, New Mexicans generally prefer to purchase products and services from locally owned stores over national franchise stores (41% to 8%).

Before small business starts doing high fives, nearly half of all residents (47%) say it doesn’t matter.  And, when we asked residents in 2013 what their favorite local store was the number one response was Walmart.

And, it doesn’t get much better.

The #GPS17 also surveyed New Mexico residents on how often they make purchases in national and local stores.

When making purchases in-store at local stores, 44% of New Mexicans do so at least once a week with 21% saying they do so several times a week. When it comes to making in-store purchases at national retail stores, 38% of New Mexicans say they do so at least once a week, and another 30% do so a few times a month.

While residents are preferring to shop local, they are shopping at national franchises more often each month.

In the coming months, The Garrity Group will be taking a closer look at how residents shop through online and mobile devices in addition to other buying patterns.  This misstep by KOHL’S® caught my attention and presented an opportunity for context.

The Garrity Group commissioned Albuquerque-based Research & Polling to conduct the Garrity Perception Survey from February 8-14, 2017. A total of 403 adult New Mexico residents were interviewed by telephone (both landlines and cell phones), providing a 95 percent level of confidence. For more information and analysis – or to request a copy of the Garrity Perception Survey 2017 – visit http://www.garrityperceptionsurvey.com.

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Some #PR insight for my second cousin, James Comey

In Crisis Communication, Life, Messaging, Reputation, Uncategorized on May 19, 2017 at 6:26 pm

 

The second most polarizing figure in America today is the former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation James Comey.  Yes, at one point, he was number one, no doubt.

Mr. Comey’s grandmother on his mom’s side and my grandmother on my dad’s side are sisters.  I always knew his grandmother as Aunt Irene.  Mary and Irene Broderick grew up in New York and got along tremendously well. Ensuring that future generations were connected was not on their watch, just a casualty of the nuclear family.

Despite the distance, I am proud of the bloodline that connects our lineage. Yes, I had thought about giving him a call at the office; the potential thought of discussing public relation approaches with my second cousin sounded kind of cool. But in lieu of the awkward telephone handoffs of explaining the family relation for a dozen or so times with federal agents, only to leave a message with a very capable civilian, I opted to put a few of my thoughts on this blog.

As a public relations practitioner for the past 24 years, what insight could I possibly someone who has “been there and done that” in the gauntlet of public opinion?

First, I’d give former FBI Director three quick recaps:

  • The New Yorker story and 60 minutes interview resulted in solid media coverage to share who you are as a person. This is key to creating credibility and likeability.
  • The multiple news announcements about the Clinton e-mail server could have been handled better. While I am convinced that in your mind you were doing the right thing, it came across as disjointed and politically motivated.
  • Conducting an overview briefing to discuss the process for the respective Flynn and Trump/Russia investigations would have helped to shape future media coverage and conversations without giving away any of the investigative findings.

Then I’d ask, “ok, what’s next for you?”  And follow some of these questions (which would surely spur other questions):

  1. What does a win look like? Why?
  2. Where do you want to be professionally three years from now?
  3. How do you want the news headlines to read six months from now, or a year (if you care)?
  4. Are there any pressing issues or public activities taking place within the next 48-72 hours? List them and explain how they might impact the responses to any of the first three questions.

Based on his answers, we’d develop message and a strategy. As a result of that conversation, some exclusive one on one media interviews would be proposed unique to print (New York Times), radio (Michael Smerconish) and television (60 minutes).

Last question that I would ask: tell me about Aunt Irene!

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Navigating the Conservative Divide

In Messaging, Uncategorized on March 27, 2017 at 4:39 pm

Foothills

The congressional stalemate over repeal of the Affordable Care Act and the inauguration of the American Health Care Act should not have come as a surprise if perspectives of New Mexico conservatives were taken into consideration.

The increasing split among traditional “republican” institutions like the oil and gas industry or the church and religious organizations are testament to the changing tide of conservatives, akin to Moses’ parting of the Red Sea.

This split, identified in the 2016 Garrity Perception Survey, served not only as a precursor of the national presidential election but also as a guide for what is playing out during the first 100 days of the Trump administration.

While I touched on some of these splits in this May 2016 blog post “A Political Divide as Scenic as the Taos Gorge” , it is important to revisit some of the key items that have surfaced and will surface in some form or fashion.

Medical System – Conservatives are more favorable than those who identify themselves as “somewhat conservative” (SW/C).  Interestingly, according to this quantitative study, liberals and conservatives are aligned in one group just as moderates and somewhat conservatives are aligned.  Insight: National healthcare policy should play to the middle if politicians want to win popular opinion.

Solar/Wind – Conservatives are not favorable toward renewable energy; only 37 percent of residents are favorable toward the industry.  This is in stark contrast to those who identify themselves as SW/C, 55 percent of whom are favorable toward the solar and wind industry. That 18 point divide is significant.  Also, the SW/C and moderates are more aligned than those right of center. Insight: The Trump Administration’s unraveling of the Obama Administration’s Clean Energy Plan should focus on the political middle ground of those favorable toward the solar and wind industry if there is desire of winning public approval.

Church/Religious Institutions – The 19 percentage point split between conservatives (82 percent) and SW/C (63 percent) should be a red flare for how some social issues and belief systems are perceived by New Mexico residents.  Recently, the Catholic Church, under its new papal leadership, has been reaching more towards the middle ground on some hot button language; even if it has just been in its message and tone.  In contrast, some other belief groups have been pushing more to the fringe.  Insight: Public opinion over current and future Republican Supreme Court Nominees, and their ability to successfully navigate the confirmation process, will need to find a way to mimic the tone being exhibited by the Catholic Church when trying to reach the middle ground.

These are interesting times, indeed.  While research provides only a snapshot in time, the glimpse can help elected and appointed officials navigate difficult terrain.

Duran’s Sentence Provides #PR Opportunity

In Messaging, Reputation on December 14, 2015 at 6:43 pm

The sentencing phase of ex-New Mexico Secretary of State Dianna Duran over campaign finance violations captured the attention of media, elected officials and key opinion leaders around our state.   It also captured the attention of The Garrity Group Public Relations team.

The sentence includes the things that often go with finance related crimes: restitution, fines and certain prohibitions. But this sentence, because the person is a statewide elected official, also includes a mandated submission of letters to the editor, public speeches and outreach to acknowledge her wrongdoing and to help others from going down the same path.

While the crime she is potentially guilty of committing (as of this writing there are some legal maneuvers that could vacate the sentence) pales in comparison to other elected officials, the District Court Judge handed down a sentence that is ripe with public relation opportunities to restore her reputation.

Discussions with our team, after the live television coverage ended, included the following observations for how ex-Secretary of State Dianna Duran could use the sentence to her benefit:

  • Use the letters to the editor to show remorse for the victims who donated to her campaign and to raise awareness about the issue of gaming addictions.
  • Use the public appearances to acknowledge her crime as a way to introduce solutions on how to keep this from happening to others by proposing changes to the laws she was charged to uphold (she is also a former State Senator).
  • After her rehabilitation, aligning with anti-gaming groups as a spokesperson
  • Start an affinity group to address the issues of rebuilding trust in government

The ingredients of rebuilding trust include clear, consistent and transparent information. Trust is an issue that has plagued State Government Officials.; according to the annual 2015 Garrity Perception Survey, only 20 percent of New Mexico residents trust State Government Officials. But the elephant in the room (and donkey, to be fair) is that nearly half of New Mexico residents distrust state government officials.

The proposed sentence handed down by District Court Judge Glenn Ellington to the ex-Secretary of State should be a rally cry for all elected officials to rebuild trust with the electorate by leveraging the same tactics to promote (and enact) meaningful change to win back trust of the residents and electorate.

GPS Trust of State Government Officials 2011 2015.001

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Understanding the East (ern Part of New Mexico)

In Messaging, Reputation on April 14, 2013 at 1:46 pm

Roswell2Eastern New Mexico has a complex.

It is misunderstood and stereotyped by people who live along the Rio Grande corridor of central New Mexico.

Politically diverse, the 2012 Presidential election provided a significant wakeup call for Republicans.  Their votes, for Republican Mitt Romney, in the seven counties that border Texas were off-set in Santa Fe County, by Democrats who were voting for President Barak Obama.

Tourism in Eastern New Mexico is defined by Carlsbad Caverns and the UFO phenomenon.  But it is accented by the Norman & Vi Petty Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum and roadside attractions like the windmill farm in Portales.

Economically, the region relies upon agriculture, fossil fuels and renewable energy for jobs.  As a result, the region sees significant domestic and foreign immigrant traffic.  The area also has a strong federal and state government presence.

When we look at the 2012 Garrity Perception Survey, we learn a little bit about who residents trust, which industries are viewed as favorable as well as how Eastern New Mexico residents access news and information.

Residents living on the Eastern plains have a very favorable impression of the farm and ranch industry, organized religion and the oil and gas industry.  They favor local banks over national banks by a 2:1 margin, and have the same level of favorability in K-12, higher education and the solar/wind industry.

Blood is thicker than water as Eastern New Mexico residents trust family members twice as much as doctors, teachers or police officers. While Eastern residents access news and information in similar ways to those around New Mexico, they have a very low level of trust in journalists.

When it comes to New Mexico’s signature events, residents in Eastern New Mexico like the Balloon Fiesta at a rate that is three times higher than the annual UFO Festival that takes place in their own back yard.

The late and great Buddy Holly once said “I’m not trying to stump anybody… it’s the beauty of the language that I’m interested in.”  Perhaps, in a way, he was referring to Eastern New Mexico, where he recorded many of his “pop” hits.  Eastern New Mexico isn’t trying to stump anyone, it is just a unique place that can’t be easily placed in the New Mexico “box.”

Image from one of the original UFO themed marketing campaigns for the City of Roswell (circa 1997)

The 365 News Cycle

In Messaging on January 7, 2013 at 6:19 pm

Media via ZimbioIn 2013, there will be a minimum of 365 news cycles, each of those composed of respective micro-news cycles.

In each 30-minute television news cycle, an average of eight minutes is set aside for news (the rest is composed of weather, sports or national fluff, teases and advertising).

Once you get past the spot news and other local news cycles there is really only about two minutes (on a good day) that is available for business news, announcements, ribbon cuttings and non-crime community happenings.

Who is fighting for that two-minute window?  In New Mexico, on any given day, there are about 40-50 organizations and communication firms that are trying to be relevant to one person, the assignment editor.

Assuming your idea makes it past the first gatekeeper, there is a hierarchy of approvals that need to be bestowed in order get on the schedule. Even then, making the schedule doesn’t guarantee coverage, your story/event could (and probably will) be preempted by the crime de jour, which will occur about 20 minutes before the media is set to show up.

Madness.

For organizations to be successful in connecting with their target audience over the next 365 news cycles, they will have to be better at being relevant to their target audiences… absent of traditional media coverage.

Now don’t get me wrong, mass media is the quickest and most credible way to share your story.  Communicators need to be sure there is a healthy mix of traditional media relations built into tactical outreach plans.  Just don’t bet the farm on a media event when determining overall success.

If Peter Drucker is correct then “the aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.”

Shaping public perception and motivating public action is complemented by the 365 news cycle but it is rooted through enabling your loyal customers/messengers to share your story.

Image shared via (May 30, 2012 – Source: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America) http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/7FcF72MVLpP/George+W+Bush+Laura+Bush+Attend+White+House/X__MWbKhipF

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NM Trust in Media

In Messaging, Reputation on September 24, 2012 at 11:09 pm

The Gallup Corporation recently issued results of a national survey gauging the level of trust people have toward mass media.

In the 2012 survey, Democrats are much more trustworthy of mass media (58 percent) than those identifying themselves as Independent (31 percent) and Republican (26 percent).

If 2011 is an indicator, New Mexico residents have a higher trust in mass media than the typical American.

Research and Polling asked a similar question as a part of the 2011 Garrity Perception Survey (GPS) commissioned by The Garrity Group.  The 2011 GPS and 2011 Gallup surveys had a similar (not identical) process, asking respondents to rate their trust worthiness of media sources on a scale of 1-5.

Participants in the 2011 Gallup’s survey had more trust in mass media if they were a Democrat (56 percent) than either Republicans or Independents (both rating their trust at 38 percent).

Here is the 2011 GPS breakdown of how New Mexico residents trust mass media (Independent voters are identified as those who “decline to state” a political affiliation):

Local Newspapers:  53 percent of Democrats trust newspaper, compared to 49 percent of Republicans and 42 percent of all Independents.

Local Television News: 65 percent of all democrats trust what they see on the local newscasts compared to 59% of republicans and 55% of Independents.

National Broadcast News: 68 percent of Democrats trust the national news sources compared to 54 percent of Republicans and 40% of those who are Independent voters.

Radio News Coverage: 46 percent of Democrats trust what they hear, compared to 44 percent of Republicans and 42 percent of Independent voters.

When New Mexico residents were asked to gauge the trustworthiness of their “conversations with friends” Republicans had a higher level of trust (44 percent) than Democrats (37 percent) and Independent voters (31 percent).

Advertising had only single digit level trust among all of those identifying a political party affiliation.

So now New Mexico residents know why all they see on television are political ads and why your friends are shy to ask about your political opinions.

A tourist in your own backyard

In Messaging on May 2, 2012 at 4:36 pm

Since the last recession, tourism organizations and destinations have been talking about the value of instate tourism.  And why not?  It makes sense.

The best customers are your existing customers or are those who already believe in the product.  Living in New Mexico means we like it here.  Frederick Weller (who played the character Marshall Mann on the USA Network program In Plain Sight, filmed in Albuquerque) told the ABQ Journal that Albuquerque is “like a little decoder ring or spy ring of funkiness. Once you decode it, there’s a lot offered.”

As a part of the 2012 Garrity Perception Survey we “decoded” the perceptions of New Mexico residents about events, festivals, SpacePort America and where they like traveling in New Mexico.

The results will be introduced first to the New Mexico Tourism Commission as a part of its meeting on May 14th in Taos.  Additional, new information, will be presented to the Governors Conference on Tourism as a part of a luncheon presentation later in the week.

When preliminary information was presented to representatives from the State Department of Tourism and Spaceport America it was nice to see that some of the data surprised them.  Be sure to keep an eye on our newsletter to see how you can get a copy of our findings.

But research is just that, research.  What is important is what you do with the information.  We are in the process of developing outreach programs that cater to the income levels and geographic areas of New Mexico residents planning to take more than three leisure trips over the next twelve months.

Finally, on the event and festival front, we were really surprised to see how one “staple” New Mexico event is perceived by New Mexico residents.  Stay turned.  Information is fast approaching… just in time for the summer travel season!