Real‐time Marketing and PR (2nd edition)

Citation

Hazlett, K. (2013), "Real‐time Marketing and PR (2nd edition)", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 30 No. 5, pp. 464-465. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-05-2013-0560

David Meerman Scott is an unabashed social media evangelist, both in his own writing and in his presentations around the world, on the new realities of marketing and public relations in today's web‐centric communications environment. His revised and updated Real‐time Marketing and PR is an up‐to‐the‐minute look at the demands of “real‐time” and a guide to how today's marketing leaders can effectively leverage their online presence, and he wastes no time making his point in Chapter 1, “Grow Your Business Now.”

Scott cites the now‐familiar saga of Canadian singer‐songwriter Dave Carroll, who wrote United Breaks Guitars, a protest song chronicling his ordeal when his guitar was broken during a trip on United Airlines in 2008, and the subsequent lack reaction from the airline. Posted on YouTube and iTunes in 2009, the song became an immediate hit for Carroll and a public relations embarrassment for the airline.

As this incident clearly shows, fast and meaningful reaction by different organizations (not including United) can lead to positive opportunities for building public awareness and support while those slow to move are left behind. “Sadly, the nonreaction in public – the instinct to ignore a huge online uprising – is still way too common in the corporate world […] including undue influence by legal departments who fear saying something that admits responsibility, sheer panic among frontline staff, bad advice from PR agencies, and executives steeped in a business culture of ‘no comment’” (p. 15).

Chapter 2, “Speed versus sloth: dispatches from the front,” continues the conversation about the need for quick reaction, emphasizing that organizations, whether tiny start‐ups or mammoth corporations, have no choice but to adapt to the demands of today's publics for information. Traditional response cycles are no longer viable nor are they acceptable to consumers. “Breaking news on company sites and blogs is an important real‐time technique because it gives your greatest supporters first access to the information. This also allows for comments and clarifications to be made in real‐time as questions come in” (p. 22).

Business leaders need to understand, says the author, that real‐time communication is driven by a defined sequence of activities … the “power law” … and that, if they hope to stay ahead of the onslaught of public reaction, they must act quickly and decisively. If they fail to do so, they will have missed out on the opportunity to have their voice heard at the time that is most crucial to their credibility. Chapter 3, “Laying down some real‐time law,” addresses this mandate. “Understanding and heeding [the real‐time power law] is critical. If you don't, when something important happens in your backyard, it will be over before you even react. You've got to react quickly to the news; if not first, then early not late” (p. 31).

The next chapter, “Real‐time attitude,” takes a close look at the one key ingredient in real‐time communication that can make or break the concept…the corporate mindset. Support has to come from the top and has to be evident at all levels within the organization. “Companies that do have a real‐time mindset push decision‐making as far down the ladder as possible. Frontline service reps decide how best to deal with customer issues. Marketers are free to blog about their work and comment on other people's blogs as appropriate. Public relations staffers are empowered to respond immediately, without asking management or the lawyers” (p. 40).

As companies grow and hierarchical levels become more complicated, the challenge becomes one of continuing on the path to success. As the familiar question goes, “Are some companies too big to fail?” Chapter 5, “Too big to succeed?,” addresses the reverse of that concept by asking is it possible for an organization to become too large to respond to the fast‐moving, real‐time environment in which it exists. The author presents one very strong argument for evolving and adapting … “Companies that engage in real‐time communications have a 5 percent better stock performance on average than those that do not” (p. 55).

Chapter 6, “Live from the revolution,” offers examples ranging from the now‐famous “Arab Spring” to the blogging campaign of former General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz to emphasize the criticality of real‐time communication if an organization hopes to have any chance of having its voice heard. “What was once a predictable 24‐hour newscycle driven by the evening TV news and newspaper print deadlines is now an always‐on, real‐time, constantly evolving flow of news from thousands of mainstream sources backed by feeds from millions of citizen journalists via blogs, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and the like” (p. 58).

And then the inevitable occurs … the organizational crisis, and a heightened awareness of the need to respond quickly and decisively. Chapter 7, “Crisis communications and the media,” takes a close look at the steps organizations should take in advance in order to be positioned for effective response. In addition to the givens of developing and nurturing relationships with key media outlets, the author makes it clear that seizing the lead and telling your story early is good business sense in terms of credibility and authority. “The worst thing is to look like you are hiding something. When you hide, people assume there is even more negative news coming. Hello BP!” (p. 87).

The speed with which information can be disseminated today makes it imperative that you be on top of the news and developments relating to your organization. Chapter 8, “What are people saying about you this instant?,” addresses this reality and emphasizes the advantage of being up to date and prepared. No longer is there the luxury of waiting to see what the fall‐out will be from a situation … today's communication dynamic demands instant, factual, credible response. “Today's online tools offer instant knowledge of what's being said about you and your activities. This awareness allows you to engage as discussion unfolds rather than be caught offside weeks later when a clip book lands on the boss's desk” (p. 101).

A crucial word appears in the previous paragraph: “engage.” Online social networks make it possible today to “poll” your stakeholders to gauge their reaction to an event and to determine their expectations of your response. By engaging and allowing the “crowd” to provide input, you develop “a sense of ownership. Participation turns spectators into supporters” (p. 113). This, in turn, frequently serves to defuse the situation and lessen its impact.

The second portion of Real‐time Marketing and PR speaks to the critical need for companies to actually reach out and connect with their current and potential customers. “As smart companies are learning, social media and mobile devices are creating huge opportunities for real‐time response and proactive contact with customers” (p. 121).

Chapter 10, “Real‐time customer connection,” makes it clear, however, that communication is, indeed, a two‐way street. Engaging with and responding to stakeholders' wants and needs and empowering all levels of the organization to do so is mandatory; “[…] the goal is to connect with your customers…let your customers guide you. Find out what services they're using, and why, to maximize your chances of meeting their needs” (p. 148).

Not only knowing what customers want, but also knowing where they are is another factor in the online marketing mix, says Scott. Chapter 11, “Going mobile, real time is all the time,” addresses the advantages brought to the marketer by mobile communication. “The ability [using GPS information] to contact customers at the precise moment they're near you and ready to buy exactly what you sell is like some new, god‐given power” (p. 152). The take‐away for the marketer is that “”the power to reach buyers at the time and place they're looking for what you offer is the next natural step in online marketing” (p. 158).

But there is a “flip‐side” to this connectivity, says the author, and, as the title of Chapter 12 says so clearly, “They want it immediately.” Organizations must anticipate customers' wants, needs, and purchase motivations and be prepared to respond… “you can often create a new market niche, and a competitive edge, by delivering faster than everybody else, by doing in real time something that normally takes much longer” (p. 159).

Having laid the groundwork for real‐time marketing and public relations initiatives, Scott urges organizations to waste no time in allowing their employees at all levels to interact with, respond to, and meet the needs of customers and potential customers… “Let Then Communicate…Now” (Ch. 13)… “To engage your marketplace right now, free your people to communicate in real time” (p. 174).

Chapters 14, “how your website becomes a real‐time business,” and 15, “Make the sale,” speak to the importance of the organization's website in real‐time interaction with customers. The author emphasizes that websites are no longer just a repository for facts and figures; they are the “face” of the organization and, like a bricks‐and‐mortar physical presence, are expected to meet and satisfy needs. “Consumers' online expectations are ratcheting up. Just as no one tolerates hours‐long waits or robotic answers in a physical shop, they're not going to stand for it online” (p. 194).

In concluding with Chapter 15, “Business at the speed of now,” the author puts the entire discussion of “real‐time marketing and PR” into perspective, observing that “what people respond to, and the way they make purchase decisions, really hasn't changed at all. The difference today is that word of mouth has regained its historic power. The web is just like a huge town square, with blogs, forums, and social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook serving as the pubs, private clubs, and community gathering places” (p. 215).

Real‐time Marketing & PR should be required reading for anyone hoping to succeed in the hyper‐wired online business reality of today. Those who choose to ignore … or delay … will be left in the “cyber‐dust” of their more proactive competitors.