AuthenticMatters

Misspellings in headlines. (C’mon Inc.)

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:27:49 -0500

Misspellings in headlines. (C’mon Inc.)

Tone and Time Diffuse All

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:45:52 -0500

By now, everyone knows about Google’s impending privacy policy changes. Regardless of what you think of them (and you’re still going to use their products as you always did), Google did an incredible job of making these changes known. Yes, they took a PR hit when the announcement became public - that always happens. But what was smart on Google’s behalf is that they made the announcement incredibly early. Policy changes that are to go in to effect on March 1 were announced in mid-January, right? End result: most consumers will have long forgotten. They’ll get tired of seeing the notification on every Google product, finally click “Dismiss” (or not do anything at all) and their use will not change. I caveat that with “most consumers.” Webworkers already operate with terms of service and privacy policies in mind, for the most part. The general public, not so much.

And that brings up another “smart move by Google.” In communicating this entire change, they’ve done so in a tone that is casual, yet mildly stern. It’s not your dad yelling at you. “This stuff matters,” says, “We care about you. We’re doing this for you!” It’s a, “Hey bud - just take a few seconds to check out what we’re changing… we want to be as up front as possible with you.”

But you have to wonder if that lulls the general consumer in to thinking, “If Google’s casual about it, I probably don’t need to think or care about it.” It’d be fascinating to see the analytics comparing “Learn More” and “Dismiss” once this announcement period is over. Better yet, inaction would be great to see too.

So Google took the initial hit (see: “What Happened to ‘Don’t Be Evil?’” headlines back in January). Then things quieted down a bit. They’ve been totally up front and transparent about the changes since then, providing users with access to all the relevant information. And the tone embraced says, “Yeah, this stuff absolutely is important - but don’t worry… we’re doing this for you. It’ll all be cool.”

The last part’s a slippery slope. Interpret as you wish. But taking a human tone approach - and doing it early - is a great way to push out news like this.

Kashoo PaymentEvolution Partnership Coverage: TechVibes

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:07:00 -0500

Kashoo PaymentEvolution Partnership Coverage: TechVibes

"Another invisible threat to Facebook and its new investors, say tech pros: boredom. People tire of..."

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:10:41 -0500

“Another invisible threat to Facebook and its new investors, say tech pros: boredom. People tire of reading status updates about what others had for breakfast, says social psychologist Matt Wallaert. There could be greater user control over the newsfeed to allow people to select limit updates along subject matter like births, weddings or their friends’ sporting activities, he says. “At the moment, a lot of users are just browsing, keeping general tabs on friends and checking out the occasional funny thing on YouTube,” he says.”

- AuthenticMatters advisor, Matt Wallaert, in SmartMoney.

Do You Take The Business?

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:06:11 -0500

Most people - especially those in a consulting role - will agree that not all business is good business. The challenge, though, is being able to accurately gauge what’s good business and what’s not. Then it’s about taking on the new work… or passing. And while no two situations are the same, below are a few criteria that can help us determine whether or not a piece of business is worth it…

One of our biggest determining factors? Risk/Reward. Are we exposing ourselves to increased risk (i.e., losses, impracticality of scope, instability, reputation impact, etc.) by taking on a deal? On the flip side, what are the expected/potential rewards in a deal whether it appears risky or not? Could a so-so deal lead to new work with other companies? Might a deal that sounds great actually be logistically challenging? Could a low paying deal have a higher long tail value? Ultimately, determining the risk/reward balance of a piece of new business is the determining factor. (Guess that’s why it came first.)
Next we look at historical experience. Have we done something like this before? Were we successful? Do we know what to avoid? Hindsight is 20-20, especially once you’ve found your niche channel. So use it.
Another important evaluator: capacity. We all tend to have the “get more” mentality when it comes to work. While that’s all well and good, that appetite has to be matched with a capacity. If you and your team are at 100 percent, then taking a new piece of business requires a reactive action (i.e., hire, contract out, shed existing business, etc.). Does the piece of business (and it’s risk/reward analysis) warrant more team? Short- or long-term? Do you have prospective candidates in mind? Would these be temp hires? Are existing contracts coming to a close, allowing for open capacity amongst current team members? Capacity is a huge piece of the puzzle because, if you think about it, an overworked team leads to lesser quality output. And the domino effect from there is not so awesome.
In a more qualitative way, look at passion. Sure, you sometimes have to take work because you need the actual work, but if you’re not interested in it or passionate about it, what you turn back isn’t going to be top quality. It just isn’t. It’s certainly not a B-school principle, but if a piece of new business isn’t going to be, for the most part, enjoyable, you need to really think about it. If you know you’re going to dread dedicating time to it, it’s probably not the right fit. If your team indirectly communicates that this project is awful, the work will suffer. So whenever possible, win business that’s fun. Easier said than done, we know… but when at all possible…
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly is the bottom line. (Yes, we said risk/reward was the most important, but you know what? They’re all important.) The bottom line comes down to planning and forecasting. (Little nod to the guys at Profitably, a great tool for small business planning and analysis. Also a client. Transparency, FTW!) If you’re maintaining real-time financial planning and analysis and you’re staying on track, it makes it that much easier to say yes or no to a piece of new business. If it’s a project that you’re not super-keen on and your bottom line is on track, then you pass. If things are falling short, maybe you take that work.

So. Do you take the business?

Pay and We'll Remove Our "Powered By" Logo!

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:18:38 -0500

We’ve all seen freemium models that encourage users to convert to paid by the “if you convert to paid, our branding goes away!” promoting pressure. Sometimes that might be a decent enough incentive. Sometimes a userbase will say, “Meh… I don’t mind your branding.”

And this brings up an interesting decision point: if you’re going to take this approach, you need to play out a couple scenarios before making the call…

If I’m using a product’s free version and the paid selling point is to have a “powered by [LOGO]” removed, the logo needs to be juuuuuust glaring enough that I’d at least consider my user experience without it. I need to be able to say, “Yeah, you know what? If the company’s logo wasn’t slapped on here, I’d be happier. They can have their $9.99.”

However, if the freemium branding skews too much towards cool (aka, not glaring at all), the majority of users won’t care - and worse yet… they’ll like it. If the “powered by [LOGO]” becomes a badge of cool, you’re sunk.

Another “however” scenario… What if the “powered by [LOGO]” is so God-awful that it’s halting potential users from even signing up for the freemium version? (Needless to say, a branding exercise is on the horizon.)

So it’s certainly a gray area. One solution? Avoid the “pay and we’ll remove our logo” model. It’s much more effective to convert free users to paid (aka: high-value) on additional functionality that they really want than it is to sell on brand removal.

Imagine There's No Excel

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:14:00 -0500

Imagine There's No Excel:

Profitably featured on CFO.com

Pre-Meeting Prep

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:14:00 -0500

Let’s talk about meetings! (Control your excitement.) Everyone’s done ‘em. No one loves them. One aspect of meetings that often goes overlooked is the pre-meeting prep. We’re not talking final touches on the deck or talking points or secret head nods that are supposed to indicate input moments.

We’re talking basics…

Don’t have a ton of crap in your hands. Walking into an office or a meeting juggling coffee, a laptop, a jacket, a scarf while trying to remove your gloves not only gives off a less-than-stellar first impression, but it also causes physical repercussions. You’re going to get flustered. And that’ll all have a direct impact on how you operate in the meeting. Minimize your accoutrements.
If you’ve got some distance to walk from, say, the subway station to the meeting, mind your pace. If you speed-walk, your body temperature is going to catch up with you right about when you’re sitting down. And you’ll get hot. Getting hot equals that lovable body response: sweating. Sweating implies nervousness. You get the idea. Pace yourself. Better yet, get where you’re going early. (Or, when you have to make that walk, take off your jacket. You’d rather be cold in transit, than sweaty in the meeting.)
Be charged. It sort of goes without saying, but if you’re meeting involves some tech (i.e., a laptop, iPad, etc.) be fully powered. Having to crawl under a conference table to find an outlet or stringing it across where people walk is lame. Bottom line: get powered up well in advance.
Eat something clean. Just this morning, I was hanging out at a McDonald’s before a meeting (Not my choice.) While I was hungry, I knew slugging down an egg McMuffin wasn’t the right call. Not only are they bad for you, but they hang around long after you’ve consumed them. It’s not what you’re thinking. Let me explain. Egg McMuffin-ness just seems to stay with you. It’s a hand food, so there’s a good chance your hands will “feel” like egg McMuffin. And for those of us who have awesome auburn beards, you’ll “taste” it. However, every meeting requires fuel. So do it the right way: oatmeal, yogurt, fruit… clean foods! (Did I really just refer to my beard as “auburn?” Woah.)
Know something. Not about the meeting or the company (although that’s pretty important), but the person/people you’re meeting with. It feels sort of Michael Scott-ish, but having something to talk about besides work goes a long way. I just talked about BASE jumping in south central West Virginia with a guy who loves skydiving. Next thing you know, we’re watching videos of his dives. And information like that is EVERYWHERE. AND IT’S SELF-VOLUNTEERED.

Just a few basics. What else goes on the list?

Pakora Butty: Back to Business

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:06:55 -0500

Pakora Butty: Back to Business:

For all of us who’ve had that “dad” conversation…

(Thanks to JP Toto for the share)

pakorabutty:

It’s business time.

I’ve been embarking on various entrepreneurial adventures since the age of 21 when I got my first ‘professional’ job. As a new graduate I knew that the 9 - 5 (or midnight as it was in my case) life was not for me. After learning the industry standards and the company…

Opposing Forces Theory

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:02:21 -0500

From product development to biz dev to consumer marketing to every decision we make as human beings, there are reasons to do a thing and there are reason not to do a thing. Known as opposing forces (or dual process) theory, it’s a concept near and dear to AuthenticMatters advisor and behavioral psychologist Matt Wallaert.

The following excerpt is re-posted from Matt’s blog, An N of 1. For the full article, go here.

Opposing forces (or dual process) theory is my psych shorthand for a powerful but relatively simple way of understanding human behavior. Speaking in sweeping generalizations, all decisions and behaviors are the the product of two fundamentally opposing sets of forces: reasons to do something (promoting pressures) and reasons not to do something (inhibiting pressures). These can be internally or externally generated, and how receptive you are to internal vs external cues can itself be acted upon.

The reason this is such an important concept in behavioral change is that if you want to inspire a particular behavior that is not already occurring (or make an existing behavior occur more or less frequently), you start by understanding the balance of forces behind the current state of the world. Once you know why people are doing what they are doing, you can figure out whether you need to remove obstacles or place more in the way, or make something more or less rewarding.

Generally speaking, I see companies (and non-profits and the government) leap towards promoting explanations much too quickly. Want people to eat healthy? Most programs are about telling people why it is important (promoting pressure). But the answer most likely to yield results? Make healthy food cheaper and easier to get (inhibiting pressures). Most people love strawberries (they already have plenty of promoting pressure) but not when they cost three times as much as a bag of pretzels and are in terrible shape at your corner bodega.

In short, we love this. In that much of our time is spent trying to encourage someone - be it a journalist, user, potential partner or anyone in between - to do a thing, understanding why people do what they currently do helps us understand what we need to do (i.e., remove or place obstacles) in order to create the behavior or action we seek.

It doesn’t sound like rocket science but as Matt mentions, people don’t always take the time to really understand what’s happening.

Strong Opinions @marksbirch: Patience in Startup Land

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:51:38 -0500

Strong Opinions @marksbirch: Patience in Startup Land:

bijan:

One of the hardest things about life in startups, whether you are an employee, founder or investor) is patience…It’s easy to get caught up in all of the new startups that are created and funded each week. There is always a shiny new thing, scary new competitor or a shiny new person…

“Firewall” (Don’t Let Our Government Ruin The...

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:59:54 -0500

“Firewall” (Don’t Let Our Government Ruin The Internets)

Music and Lyrics by Leah Kauffman

Brought to A/M attention by the awesome @MikeyIl.

Prefacing happy hour with: “Sorry, I need to keep my phone on the table. I have to be connected to email and phone just in case," equals "No you don't, but I'm psyched to know how important you are."

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:53:00 -0500

Prefacing happy hour with: “Sorry, I need to keep my phone on the table. I have to be connected to email and phone just in case," equals "No you don't, but I'm psyched to know how important you are." :

It’s silliness like this that gives PR a bad rap.

Case Study: BroodrClaus!

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Overview

Broodr is Etsy for geeks. It’s an marketplace that brings together buyers and sellers of funky gadgets and products that are pretty awesome.

PR Element

For the holiday season, we dreamt up BroodrClaus. Basically, the idea went like this…

Broodr’s primary customer is geeky: designers, engineers, techies, web types. In that Broodr is based in New York City, we decided to put on BroodrClaus Day, where Dave and Jason (Broodr’s founder) toured the city (in geek Santa gear via MTA, of course) and stopped by a handful of tech communities including Thrillist, GeneralAssembly, WeWorkLabs, Hive@55 and more. After all, geeky characteristics have been known to populate these places.

So we pitched and coordinated with all of these tech communities, encouraged them to socialize #BroodrClaus and made sure that each visit had plenty of people. Best part? We dropped a bag full of free Broodr goodies and special QR coupons at each spot. You can read more about it (and see some sweet pics) on the Broodr blog. All in all, it was a hit: high in-real-life engagement… strong Twitter engagement (we even had some tech communities asking if BroodrClaus could come visit them)… customers converted.. and media interaction with outlets like TheNextWeb (again, it’s all about hitting the right audience).

End result: BroodrClaus contributed Brood’s highest sales season to-date.

You, The Holidays, and Internet Martyrdom!

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:39:30 -0500

The holidays. Chaotic, annoying, busy, hassled, too quick, too sudden, crazy, too much, fun-filled, regrettable… the adjectival list goes on. And on.

A related trend? People using the holidays and the web to be a martyr (even if they don’t know they’re doing it).

Let me explain. We’ve all seen Facebook status updates or tweets from people where they bemoan how “busy they are!” or how they “can’t believe how anyone can take time off!” While they are most likely venting to a specific frustration (i.e., a client out of the office or a backlog of email to wade through), they’re also doing themselves a disservice. They’re positioning themselves as a woe-is-me martyr. Subconsciously they want to broadcast to their peers how busy they are. Their rant about how overwhelming their inbox (“So much email! I’ll never get to relax this holiday!”)… perhaps there’s a tinge of boastfulness there? I mean, if you actually want to relax, turn off your phone. I know that’s easier said than done, but it’s sort of the simplest solution to your epic problem of having to read every Groupon, LivingSocial, Gilt, Facebook, and Twitter email - that you subscribe to.

But no. Instead of dedicating just a few more minutes to un-busying themselves, a status update about how they “just WISH they could ignore their inbox!” takes priority. And I just sort of wonder whether or not there’s a bit of pride there. And it makes me think… the people who actually do have an insane inbox/schedule/amount of work this holiday… they’re not the ones sharing it with the world. No, they’re most likely getting done what’s reasonably expected during the holidays (if not more so) and then they’re taking some time for themselves and their families. It’s about prioritizing. And telling the world how much you “can’t believe that all your friends took a half day the Friday before Christmas!” is not a priority to the doers of the world. (Neither is writing a blog post about this subject. It’s somewhat paradoxical. I understand that. But whatever. It at least remotely fits into the vein of what I do.)

Happy holidays, peoples.

Brands are Human - They Need to Communicate as Such

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:02:50 -0500

Thanks to the socialization of the web, brands have taken on very human characteristics. They’re conversational. They’re sometimes awkward. They’re nerdy. They’re intelligent. They’re jerks (sometimes). They’re cute. They’re welcoming. They’re darling. They’re ignorant. They’re self-righteous. They’re self-important. They’re helpful. They’re all sorts of things that, frankly, our friends are.

Point is, brand managers need to understand that their brand has the opportunity to create, embody and promote a human side, via social channels. I mean, deep down, we all sort of think of the brands we love as qualitative pieces of our identity. (Actually, we probably don’t consciously think about this.) Example. I love Ipath shoes. And to me, I associate Ipath shoes with certain characteristics based not only on the product itself, but also on the way the brand communicates on, say, Twitter. There’s a sense of camaraderie. I hear a couple of buddies hanging out. They tweet about things I might dig. Essentially the brand communicates socially as if it were the ringleader of a group of super-passionate customers without a whole lot of corporate-speak. It communicates like a human being to other like-minded human beings who are likely to resonate with the messaging… and purchase.

Now none of this matters if the product isn’t up to snuff. So before you go focusing on humanizing your brand, build a quality product. There’s a reason why I’m at the stage where I’m an Ipath zealot - it’s because I’ve bought probably five pairs over 10 years… including these bad boys which I’ve had since 2008, are still in great shape and currently on my feet at the moment…

Making Branding Fashionable

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:54:58 -0500

**This post reblogged from my personal blog, daveclarke.co**

See these sunglasses? They’re a knock-off of the “legendary” (quotes used heavily) RayBans. Everyone and their mother has a pair. And they come in a kaleidoscope of colors as opposed to the traditional black of the originals. Whatever. They’re popular. That’s fine.

I’m pointing them out today because I recently got a pair. They were giveaways at an event. The company giving them away must’ve thought along the lines of “these multi-colored glasses are cool right now… and cheap! Let’s slap our URL on one arm and our company name on the other and hand ‘em out!” Totally makes sense. In fact, it’s refreshing compared to the standard stress ball or magnet or keychain we all get. And frankly, I like the style so I would wear them.

Emphasis on the “would.”

The product in itself is cool. It’s relatively universal. Most people would hang on to a cheap pair of sunglasses, right? (Always handy in the glove compartment.) They’re not terrible.

But. As mentioned, the pair that I got at this event… they had the company’s URL on one arm and their company name on the other. My “I’d totally wear these” excitement plummeted upon seeing that. It just feels lame to wear a pair of sunglasses that are so blatantly commercial. So I probably won’t.

And that’s too bad. The company that gave out these glasses could’ve done something. They could’ve made their branding fashionable. If instead of a URL and a company name, they put JUST the logo on the arm, that might’ve been a little bit more digestible - and they still would’ve retained some branding. Here’s an example…

Say you’re Comcast. Actually wait. Bad branding example. Say you’re Netflix… DAMN! OK, let’s take a company near and dear to my heart, Thrive (for those that don’t know Thrive was a free personal finance management site… launched in 08, acquired by LendingTree in 09.).

Our URL was justthrive.com. Our slogan was “Watch your money grow”

Here’s the logo:

So which pair of sunglasses would you actually wear:

1. Orange frame, black arms. Spiraling leaf on one arm. Just the word “Thrive” on the other arm.

OR…

2. Orange frame, black arms. The URL (justthrive.com) on one arm. “Watch Your Money Grow” on the other arm.

My guess is most people would pick option 1. No, you’re not “getting your URL” out there, but at least the glasses are being worn and not discarded! If you want people to actually wear your branded swag, you have to make it fashionable. And that means sacrificing some of the core branding requirements. Figure out which elements of your brand can actually fashionable. Not all logos will work. Not all company names will work. (I admit, “Thrive” works… so would something like “Moorings” or “Android.” “Wells Fargo Investments” might not… but “WF” would.)

That all said, envision the scenario when someone’s wearing the Option 1 sunglasses and their buddy asks, “Where’d you get those?” “Oh, the guys from this personal finance website, Thrive, were giving them away.”

That’s a brand moment.

So. Stop forcing people to be a walking billboard for your call to action (i.e., your URL). Give them something that looks good and that they’d actually rock without feeling like a tool.

Broodr Claus Invades NYC!

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:32:15 -0500

Last week, Broodr Claus invaded New York.

Broodr is basically Etsy for geeks. As such, we put on a guerrilla tactic where we donned some geek-Santa attire, hopped on MTA and brought some holiday cheer (plus a ton of free Broodr gear and coupons) to a handful of New York’s coolest tech spots including GeneralAssembly, Hive@55, Thrillist, BitMapNYC, WeWorkLabs and more. And while we’ll let the pics do the talking, Broodr Claus not only whipped up a ton of buzz on Twitter (we had other companies and tech spaces asking us to swing by!) but it also drove traffic and sales to Broodr.com. Win win.

Case Study: GetRaised

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:45:00 -0500

Overview

GetRaised came out of the ChurnlessLabs. While we were at Thrive, we saw that, as a percentage of income, women were great savers compared to men. But in terms or raw dollars, there was a sizable gap. So our product team developed GetRaised, a recommendation engine that shows users whether or not they are underpaid - and gives them the tools to do something about it.

How It Works

A user tells GetRaised what they do, where they do it and how long they’ve been doing it. The system compares that data against a mashup of Bureau Labor Statistics data, other anonymized GetRaised user data, and more. Then, on a bell graph, GetRaised shows the user whether or not they are underpaid. If they are, GetRaised will help them build a custom raise request for $20. Think of that custom raise request as a mad lib; it’s an actual letter mapping out the users market value, recent accomplishments and short- and long-term goals that the user will download and deliver to their boss. The system then coaches the user through the process: negotiation tips, prep recommendations and more. And if GetRaised doesn’t help the user get a raise in six months, the $20 are refunded.

PR Element

Dave planned, executed and measured all GetRaised PR, content and social efforts. He earned key coverage in outlets ranging from Forbes to Thrillist to Mashable to the New York Times and more. He also engaged bloggers focused on workplaces issues and career topics. Socially, he established Facebook and Twitter communities, measuring engagement and driving awareness. Dave also led the way in terms of generating guest content for GetRaised on other media outlets and blogs.

Tactical Moment - In addition to traditional media, we pursued GetRaised coverage in daily emails like Thrillist, DailyWorth and LearnVest. Why? The subscribers to these products have signaled that they care about certain topics, specifically lifestyle, personal finance, career growth, etc. The result: quality coverage in front of an already interested audience. Thrillist coverage, by itself, drove about 3,000 visits. In one day.

Product Snapshot

(Note the sweet media coverage!)

Case Study: Thrive

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:42:00 -0500

Overview

Thrive is a free personal finance management site that helps people save more, spend less, and improve their overall financial health.

How It Works

A user signs up for Thrive, for free, and syncs up their various financial accounts: checking, savings, credit cards, loans, etc. The system uses algorithmic advice to offer personalized guidance, based on transactions pulled form the user’s accounts.

PR Element

Assigned to work on Thrive while at his last agency stop, Dave ran PR efforts for Thrive from launch at a high-profile industry conference, through scale, into acquisition by LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE), and through transition. He earned valuable coverage facing both ideal users and the business community in outlets ranging from FastCompany (a two-page spread with photo shoot) to TechCrunch to CNN to The TODAY Show. Specifically, Dave positioned to media Thrive’s behavioral psychologist as the company’s differentiator: no other competing product had a behavioral psychologist specializing in choice, judgment and decision-making in its arsenal. And the media loved it. PR efforts were able to spread into unconventional outlets and stories via “Thrive’s behavioral psychologist.” The team wasn’t limited to stories that were tied to just the product or personal finance. Instead, Thrive became a fixture in stories ranging from consumerism to human behavior - all the while reaching a larger, yet still on target, audience.

Tactical Moment - It’s a great thing when media relationships are developed to the point where the reporter simply calls the expert (in this case, our behavioral psychologist) direct on his cell. Most PR types would get all huffy that they were being squeezed out. But in actuality, there couldn’t be a nicer compliment. It means you’re doing your job the right way. Dave made (and still makes) a concerted effort to develop genuinely authentic relationships with reporters and bloggers so that when they’re pressed for time, they know where to turn.

Product Snapshot