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Vaginas: the center of civilization? Summer's Eve sure thinks so.

"What you're about to see, you cannot un-see," was the intro to Stephen Colbert's hilarious reaction to the Summer's Eve "Hail to the V" commericals - thanks for sharing that, Jenny! If you don't know the commercials to which I'm referring, you're either (A) a dude, (B) someone with a TV fast-foward button, or (C) someone who was so horrified that they've blocked them out as a psychological defence mechinism.

For whatever reason, if you haven't seen these borderline racist vaginal cleansing ads (which have since been removed from YouTube), you may want to check them out before reading on.

These ads were the subject of a discussion we had in my Strategic PR course last week. Luckily, the class is comprised of about 8 women, so we were able to open up about the subject of feminine hygeine more freely. But even with our college-educated, forward-thinking XX chromosomes, we were still cringing while watching these ads.

One student noted that they designed these ads to be purposely controversial in order to stir up product recognition. But just because people were (and still are) talking about these ads, are women actually going out and buying the products?  And how did the audacious Summer's Eve ads differ from other ladybit-related ads, like the U by Kotex ad that mocked the ridiculousness of past tampon ads?

In my opinion, in order to run a successful campaign centered on controversy, you have to:

1. Know your product.

I get where they were coming from. Angela Bryant, marketing director for Summer's Eve, defended the ads by saying:

The whole category has been talking to women the same way since feminine hygiene products have been in the marketplace, and ironically, many media outlets won’t even allow the use of the word 'vagina' in advertising. We are way past-due for a change.

They were trying to make a point. Pave a path. Habituate the word "vagina" in the American advertising vernacular. I get it. But the problem remains that vaginal cleansing products are still a bit taboo. And by using a simulated vagina puppet - as Colbert called it - in your advertsing, in conjunction with racial stereotypes, you're pretty much betting on the fact that you're going to offend people. I consider myself a modern woman, and I was offended by these ads.

2. Know your audience.

I think our class unanimously agreed that had these commercials been targeted at the opposite sex for a hygenic product for men, the reaction would have been much different. Someone brought up the Axe "Wash Your Balls" commercial that received a much different audience reaction. And while this may upset the feminists of the world, I have to admit that America may not be quite ready for in-your-face vagina commercials just yet. One of my female professors was actually in the room at The Richards Group when these ads were pitched to Stan, so I'll have to get her take on the matter. That will be the subject for a later post.

3. Know that controversy tends to work better for cause awareness, rather than selling products.

In my opinion, controversy tends to work better in advertising when it's tied to a cause. You may remember the "This is Your Brain on Drugs" commercial from Partership for a Drug Free America in the 1990s or any of the Truth anti-smoking ads. I believe these are examples of when controversy is essential for making a point, changing attitutes, and promoting action. Feminine hygeine, on the other hand, is already an uncomfortable and private subject for most women. I'm not sure this tactic was appropriate for such a subject.

That's just my two little cents on the issue, but I'd like to know what you think.What other controversial ads have you found to be most successful? Do you think there's a double standard when it comes to personal hygeine advertisements? Is that okay? And finally, do you think America is ready for vagina hand-puppets?

Happy Blogging,

Katy Hartwick
@katyhartwick

Strategy: why your business stinks without it

Strategic planning in public relations has been a big discussion topic this past week. Yes, developing a strategic plan for your business is essential, but it will only be successful if all levels of the organization are privy to the information. This week in my Strategic PR class, Jim Haynes, adjunct professor at UNT and general PR wizard, told us that the types of companies you don’t want to work for are the ones that keep secrets. Sure, the big boys (and girls) upstairs could write a mind-blowing strategic plan, but what good is it if Bob from Accounting or Marsha from Creative don’t know and understand it?

Ironically, one of the most common reasons why a strategic communications plan fails is, well, poor communication. Just as any marriage counselor would tell you, communication is key. This is just as true for your business as it is for your relationship. You have to be able to share your company goals and vision with employees in a way that makes sense to them. And you need to perform company audits after the plan is implemented to make sure people are understanding and practicing that vision.

Which leads to another reason why strategic plans fail - bad/no evaluation. It does your company no good to say “ready, set, go!” and then bury your head in the sand before you can see the results. Haynes shared with our class that “a company without a good strategic plan is like running a race without a finish line.” If that race represents your company’s success, wouldn’t you want to watch and cheer for your players until they cross the finish line? With evaluation comes adjustment and improvement. If you don’t win the race, you’re obviously going to re-think your training and execution so you can improve before the next race. Okay, I’ll end my racing metaphor there, but you get the point.

Bottom line: not only should your company have a strategic communications plan, it also needs to share that plan with everyone involved, audit the understanding and execution of the plan, and evaluate the plan’s success and if/how it can be improved.

With all of that said, do you know your company’s umbrella statement off the top of your head? I don’t know about you, but I have some Google-ing to do.

Katy Hartwick

@katyhartwick

LinkedIn: the most underappreciated web tool you aren't using

Last week's installment of WebBeatTV was a three-for-one series discussing how you should be using LinkedIn. The show's host, Pelpina Trip sat down with Mike D. Merrill, president of the Social Media Club of Dallas, to discuss the ways in which a great LinkedIn profile can set you apart from the crowd.

I have to admit, I set up my LinkedIn account as a class requirement, and think of it as more of an afterthought when it comes to maintaining my web presence. But after watching Merrill discuss the site's capabilities, I have a newfound respect for the professional social networking site. And because 86% of recruiters use LinkedIn today, it's more important than ever to have a professional web presence.





Host Pelpina discusses LinkedIn with Mike D. Merrill



Merrill stressed that LinkedIn "isn't just for finding a job. It's also about credibility." He believes the two most under-used, yet most valuable, tools of the site are (1) status updates and (2) search capabilities.

Updating your status frequently, and with relevant and professionl information, keeps you at the top of your connections' lists. And whereas Twitter and Facebook archive all your previous posts and updates, LinkedIn only shows your most recent message. Therefore, it's important to make sure you're LinkedIn updates are professional, interesting, and can potentially remain on your page for an extended period of time.

Merrill suggests posting at least once or twice per day, and to post about a business event you're attending or to share pertinent media links. Also, make sure your updates relate to what you're trying to accomplish on the site (find a job, gain credibility, strengthen business relationships, etc.).

And if you're cringing over the idea of having to log on to multiple sites everyday to update your statuses, fear not! Once you add Twitter to your LinkedIn profile, you can just use the #li  or #in hastags when you tweet, and it will automatically cross-post to LinkedIn. Behold the power of technology!

The search capabilities of LinkedIn can also be a powerful tool for whatever your professional goals may be. Most people opt for the basic, free account, but there are many useful benefits to the monthly paid accounts. For one, whereas with the free account you may only see 100 or so results, the paid accounts get you a much wider access to accounts. Whether or not you should purchase the premium package depends on how you're trying to use the site. If you're recruiting or trying to really expand your brand, the paid account may be the way to go.

With that said, I urge you to do the following things to improve your LinkedIn page:

1. Set up your Twitter account in LinkedIn so you can cross-post your status updates
2. Fill that sucker up! Because your printed resume is often a single-page representation of your abilities, you can use your LinkedIn page to really lay it all out on the table, in detail.
3. Join at least 25 groups to which you relate. Clubs, schools, societies - you name it, it's out there!
4. Connect with at least 20 people. Research says people with 20 or more connections are more than 30% more likely to be sought after for a job than those who have five or fewer connections.

Do these things, and voila! You've just become more desirable. Read LinkedIn's blog on how to improve your LinkedIn page, and go here to see the full, 3-part series of Pelpina and Mike's LinkedIn interview.

Happy Blogging,

Katy Hartwick
@katyhartwick



QR-coding on a Friday night? Yes, please!

Sick at home on a Friday night, I found myself perusing the internet for thought babies to inspire me for my freelance project designing business cards for a client. I always like to browse the interweb for inspiration, and, whilst surfing, I came across this fun site with really neat examples of how to incorporate QR codes in your business card design. To me, this is the future. Or maybe it's the now and I'm just catching up. Who knows?

One gentleman designed his card with a QR code that, when scanned by a QR code app for the iPhone, immediately pulls up his contact information in your iPhone for easy contact saving. What a revelation! If you have an iPhone, give it a try. If you have another type of smartphone, try it out and let me what kind of magical things it does for you.



I got a bit obsessive about when/where/how I could use QR codes in my daily life. Could I paste one on my pet? My car keys? My favorite coffee mug? Wouldn't QR-coding be a nerdtastically romantic way to propose marriage to someone? No? Just me?

Well, after geeking out for a while, I figured out how potentially helpful QR codes might be in the unforseen chance I misplaced my phone. I decided to use a QR code generator to whip up this little gem for my lock screen:

 Cool, no? I realize I might be relying on the kindness of strangers in this instance, but in the chance that they're as giddy for gadgets as I am, this may actually work.

Some FREE apps for scanning QR codes on the iPhone are:

- RedLaser

- Scan

- QR Reader for iPhone

- i-nigma

- Qrafter

Give it a try! It's fun, free, and the possibilities are endless. Show me a mindblowingly awesome way you use QR codes in your daily life, and you'll have my utmost respect. Seriously. Do it.

I hope you're all having a much more thrilling Friday than I! But if you're at home QR-coding things, that's okay too.

Happy blogging,

Why you’d be stupid not to use PR to reach your business goals

In my PR graduate seminar class this past week, we discussed the strategic planning aspect of public relations. Using ConAgra's food fake out as an example of how poor PR planning can produce less-than-desirable results, we discussed how strategic planning is arguably the most important element of PR.

People tend to think of PR as only media relations (I've been guilty of such PR blasphemy myself), but it's important to understand that PR can be an invaluable tool for reaching your business goals.

Earlier this week, I tweeted about this video about PR planning and how PR practitioners are more like "strategic counselors" than press release-writing zombies.

Heather Whaling, president of Geben Communication, discusses how her boutique agency steps in to tell clients, "Here's where you are, here's where you want to be…and here's how you can use communication for those business goals."

Developing a proper strategic plan for your business' communications leads to successful programs that are preventative and proactive, rather than simply reactive.

One of the key ingredients missing from ConAgra's plan for their bait-and-switch marketing ploy was to know your audience. If you want to convince people to buy preservative-laden frozen foods, maybe – just maybe – you shouldn't invite health-conscious food and lifestyle bloggers to be your guinea pigs and, ultimately, your product endorsers.

Those angry bloggers took to their sites to scold ConAgra for their blatant attempts to trick them into liking their products. What ConAgra failed to understand was that most of these bloggers viewed "healthy" and "natural" as the most important factors in the food they ate. Therefore, no matter how delicious their reheated lasagna proved to be, it was still from a box. To me, that would be like a chef hiding meat in a casserole, serving it to a vegetarian and saying, "See! It still tastes good!" How ConAgra didn't see this while planning this elaborate ruse just baffles me.

What other advertising schemes had you saying, "what the hell were they thinking!?"

Happy blogging,

Katy Hartwick

@katyhartwick

When reality gets in the way of reality TV

A trending topic in the blogosphere these past few weeks has been in regard to the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' crisis management. If you aren't privy to shameless reality TV news, one housewife's husband committed suicide this past month following his pending divorce and public financial mess. This occurred soon before the second season of the show was supposed to premiere, and many PR professionals wondered how the network, Bravo, was going to handle the situation.



In short, Bravo ran the premiere as scheduled, but added in an introductory clip of the cast members gathering to discuss the death of Russell Armstrong, estranged husband of castmate Taylor. The wives talked about how "no one saw it coming" and how badly they felt for Taylor. There were tears and hugs, and then an abrupt message saying, "the following footage occurred months before Armstrong's death." Then, 'reality' resumed. Following the episode, Bravo aired a brief suicide prevention PSA as well.

Writer Tonya Garcia of PRNewser's blog said it best: reality has interfered with the 'Real' Housewives. A lot of viewers found the show, even with the edits and added PSA, hard to swallow. Many critics felt the show should have been canceled all together. Garcia, on behalf of PRNewser, admitted she thought the show came off looking "dismissive of a man's death…and more concerned with capitalizing on the pre-premiere attention."

I admit that I've indulged in the catty babbling of the 'Real Housewives' franchise – hey, we all have our guilty pleasures - but I was very put-off by this. I agree with Garcia; the show completely dropped the ball here. I understand that the old adage states, "the show must go on," but this just left a bad taste in my mouth.

I don't necessarily agree that the show should've been scrapped, but I do feel that by choosing to continue airing episodes, they should have removed the Armstrong storyline in its entirety. In my opinion, they could have acknowledged the tragedy in an off-screen interview with Bravo officials and willing cast participants without adding it into this season's story arc. I feel they should have announced that, out of respect for the Armstrong family, all footage of Russell (and consequently, Taylor) would be excluded from the season. I just don't see how keeping it in the show could come off as anything but capitalistic. Although, as nauseating as it is to admit, I'm certain the ratings for this show will skyrocket if the deterioration of the Armstrong marriage is aired. That's just how our rubber-necking society rolls.

While there were definitely more pressing issues in the news this week, I thought this served as a good example of PR crisis communication gone awry. I'm curious to see how other people my age felt about Bravo's strategy. For anyone who watches (or just has a strong opinion about) the show, how do you think it should have been handled?


Katy
@katyhartwick on Twitter

Crash Course in PR

My introduction to the PR world came a bit late in my time as an undergraduate. I’m guilty of believing the term “Public Relations” to be synonymous with Samantha Jones of Sex and the City. If I thought Advertising, my chosen major, was pretty high up on the BS-meter, then PR was at the very top. It all seemed frivolous and shallow to me.

But once I got a taste of PR in some of my upper-level communications classes, I realized Samantha Jones was a very exaggerated example of one, small piece of the PR pie. After learning a bit more about the history of PR and the different types of PR jobs, I realized that this is where I wanted to be.

Of course, this was during my final year of undergrad, and I’ll-be-damned if I was going to change majors that late in the game. So, when I was accepted into the Mayborn Graduate Program, I decided to devote my studies to the world of Public Relations.

So far, I’ve learned there are many areas of Public Relations I never even considered: media relations, public affairs, marketing communications, B2B relations, donor relations for nonprofits, crisis management, and social media relations – to name a few.

In class, Professor Bufkins told us about the stigma PR practitioners have of being “faux journalists.” When I tell people I’m a journalism major focusing in PR, I definitely get the sideways glances and snide comments, so I enjoyed her clever retort to give these name-callers: Without Public Relations, journalists would have nothing to write about, and without Advertising, they’d have no one to pay for their writing. Ha!

So to wrap this up, I’ll leave saying I no longer believe PR is simply schmoozing and getting your clients’ name in the paper. Good PR is a two-way conversation, and social media has become a huge part of that. My goal for this semester is to learn a little about each segment of the PR family, and, hopefully, I’ll collect more snarky retorts for all the PR-haters out there.

Katy Hartwick

@katyhartwick on Twitter

Flash Mob Experiment: Fist-Pumping in Denton, TX

For a group project in my Strategic Social Media class, we were assigned the task of organizing and executing a flash mob. We were able to choose what, when and where we performed our flash mob. We decided on a Jersey Shore-style fist-pumping flash mob, Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 7:30 at Lucky Lou's bar in Denton, Texas. For a rainy Wednesday early evening, we had a pretty good turnout!

YouTube Partnerships: Turning Hobby into Full-Time Career

By: Katy Hartwick

Money.  Pink Floyd says it's a gas. Liza claims it makes the world go 'round. Michael Jackson alleged that people lie for it, spy for it, kill for it, die for it. Needless to say, money is a pretty important part of our lives. So can you imagine making six-figures worth of it by uploading videos to YouTube? According to this New York Times article, this seemingly impossible feat is actually a reality for some YouTube stars who have turned hobby into full-time internet career.

YouTube - which has over 100 million views per day - opened the door for much larger audiences for some independent content creators. Over time, these YouTubers are quitting their day jobs in exchange for YouTube sponsorship and advertising revenue.

But exactly how does it all work? One of the biggest road blocks in verifying YouTube salaries is that YouTube users, upon getting accepted into the Partnership Program, are required to sign a confidentiality agreement that prohibits them from divulging any financial information.

However, an article from Yahoo Finance recently reported annual earnings of some YouTube partners - and several prominent figures on YouTube claim the numbers are accurate. The article details ten YouTube stars who earned over $100,000 the previous year from the website. These people are not associated with major companies or brands, and instead built their following from the ground up.

So let's break it down. Advertising revenue is based on the number of views a video gets. Revenue is generated by CPM (Cost-per-mille, or cost per 1,000 views), and according to reports, the average CPM ranges from somewhere between $0.75 to $2.00.

For example, take this video from Ray William Johnson, the second-most subscribed YouTube channel of all time, which has received 3,638,347 views to date.

If we go by those reported numbers, the revenue would factor out like so:

3,638,347 views /1,000 views (CPM) = 3,638.35

3,638.35  x  0.75 = $2,728.76 (lowest range)

3,683.35  x  2.0 = $7,366.70 (highest range)

So this particular video could generate anything from $2,700 to $7,300 in advertising revenue. Those earnings are then divided between YouTube and the partner. So for Ray, this video could earn him anywhere from $1,300 to $3,600. As of today, Ray has uploaded just over 180 videos. If his viewership is consistent, he could have earned up to $650,000 from his YouTube channel alone!

$3,600  x 180 videos = $648,000

Of course, we must remember that this is the exception and not the rule. In fact, it has been reported that only 3% of YouTube's content is from its partners. 

In the end, it cannot be denied that the Partnership Program is pretty much a win-win for YouTube and its partners. When provided with a steady source of income, partners are motivated to hone their video-making skills and produce higher-quality content for the site. YouTube, in turn, gets better content and greater views.

But is it worth it? For someone to think they could be making that kind of money right off the bat would be insane. Some of the partners have been on YouTube since its humble beginnings in 2005, but only became partners and started earning money this past year. It takes a lot of time, energy, and imagination to keep viewers watching and subscriptions intact. But for someone with great ideas, charisma, and a lot of time on their hands, YouTube could be a fun, alternative career option.