The New Normal.

Dressing up for the Olympics.

Brands on Screen.

The LatAm Connection.

The E-lection? Not Quite.

The Female Factor.

Highs & Lows of Food Marketing.

Big in Japan.

ISSUE FIVE

SUMMER ‘10

Colin Byrne

CEO, UK & Europe

There’s a distinct sporting flavour tothis issue of

33 & A Third RPM

. Whilethe pampered megastars of international football strut their stuff onthe pitches of South Africa, the worldlooks on in amazement – not just at theskill, athleticism and occasional blatantgamesmanship of these soccer icons butat the capacity for transformation and joyous celebration of an entire country.

Hosting the World Cup has kick-startedmassive infrastructure improvements andamid the blazing colours and raucous partyatmosphere more favourable perceptionsof the country are being shaped. As the‘rainbow nation’ basks in the world’sattention, other countries look on awaitingtheir chance.Among them is Brazil, which as LauraSchoen notes in her piece

PositiveProspects for South America

, is hostingboth the 2014 World Cup and 2016Summer Olympics. Even closer at hand isthe 2012 London Olympics, for which theMcCann Worldgroup is official marketingservices supplier. The tongue-in-cheekheadline to guest contributor ShaneGreeves’ article about this role,

NoPressure Then…

makes me smile at thescale of a task encompassing a jaw-dropping ‘40,000 briefs’ but I’m alsoconfident that the Worldgroup has what ittakes to shape The Look of the Games.We’ve packed plenty more besides intothis summer issue, including pieces onJapan, marketing to women, the foodindustry, product placement and electioncampaigning. We kick off with

The New Normal

in which our Chief ReputationStrategist Dr. Leslie Gaines-Ross deliversher verdict on changing consumerbehaviour after a fact-finding tour of sevenEuropean markets.Enjoy.

Dr. Leslie Gaines-Ross

Chief Reputation Strategist, Weber Shandwick

The New Consumer Normal

Marketing and communicationsprofessionals must adapt to a newConsumer Nation where consumers ruleand public opinion carries more weight.They must engage consumers in a world of eroded trust and weakened confidence.

Conspicuous Consumption >Conspicuous Frugality

Thrift is permanent. Generic store brandsare in. Loyalty is out. May the best pricewin!

Info-Overload > Info-Demand

Consumers like being in the driver’s seatand getting information when and howthey want it. They are not as frustrated bydata as typically reported and in fact, feelsmarter, in control and enjoy classifyingthemselves as “researchers.”

Trust in Institutions > Trust in SocialNetworks

Trust in institutions continues to slip.Among European consumers, onlinereviews and recommendations as well assuggestions from friends, family and co-workers lead the list of most influentialchannels (Weber Shandwick, 2009).

The New Media Normal

As the number of new online media sitesand new technologies emerge and areadopted, marketing communicationsrequires greater adaptability andexperimentation.

Media Placements > Social MediaTriggers

Although unlikely to disappear completely,stories pitched to journalists will possiblylose relevance to news outlets that “catch”the next big story taking place in socialmedia.

Deferential Press > Pro-Conflict Media

Conflict now drives conversation.Polarisation is in. News sells when it takessides. Companies and brands willincreasingly find themselves on the firingline.

Press Pass > USB Port

Today everyone is a public figure andindexed somewhere. You do not need tobe interviewed or photographed by a journalist to find yourself or brand in astory.

Old Media Dinosaurs > DigitalDarwinism

Companies with superior skills of adaptation, such as social media expertise,the ability to ignite advocacy, and thecreativity to develop INLINE campaigns,are positioned to flourish. To survive,digital skills and savvy are required.

Press Release > 140 Characters or Less

Communicators must learn how to makeimportant announcements and respond toissues within the Twitter “what’shappening” box or risk being late to theparty or being criticised.

The New PR Normal

Communicators must fully integratemessages to diverse stakeholders using avast array of media. They must beconsistent, authentic and transparent.

Corporate Messengers > CorporateCommunications Advisors

Communications officers will be moreinfluential. Many now work side-by-sidewith CEOs (58 per cent report to the CEOaccording to Weber Shandwick in 2009, upfrom 48 per cent) as crises erupt suddenlyand media stays turned on continuously.

Traditional > INLINE

Finding the right balance betweentraditional media and new media is centralto a company’s storytelling.Communications – and the stories told –should not be isolated within channels butINLINE.

Rank and File > Employee Ambassadors

CEOs that spent last year battling therecession are coming out of their bunkersto engage more with their workforce.Employees may yet be a company’s bestfans and supporters.

Sleight of Hand > Visible Hand of Government

Government’s previously faint hand isplaying a more visible role in businessaffairs. The extended, and visible, arm of government everywhere has now becomeour New Normal.

Awareness > Advocacy

It is no longer enough to just be aware of abrand. Brand evangelisation is the newmarketing, the new 30-second commercial.

The New Reputation Normal

Managing reputation has always beencomplex. Future challenges are onlycompounded by evolving technologies,decreased tolerance for ethical lapses inleadership, and a 50/50 chance that a first-rate reputation will remain at the top. Likenever before, communicators are requiredto steady their company reputations andcalm stakeholders.

Google as Search Engine > Google asReputation Manager

“Google is not a search engine. It’s areputation management system.” Whenonly eight per cent read past the thirdpage of search results, communicationsprofessionals need to understand thatonline presence and search engineoptimisation are critical tools.

As the global economy slowly recoversand companies and organisations regaintheir footing, marketing andcommunications professionals are faced with trying to answer a central question– what will be our “new normal?” How will we position our companies andbrands in this decade of new normality? What will the new environment looklike for marketers and corporatecommunicators when consumers rule,disruptive technologies and socialmedia reign, media is transformingitself, every stakeholder matters andcrises prevail? After visiting seven Weber Shandwick markets in Europeto discuss what to expect in our nextdecade of the New Normal, here areseveral observations and predictionsthat were discussed. The “tour”underscored several factors as Itravelled to meet with colleaguesand clients – no company is immunefrom recession fatigue, local news isincreasingly driving global news, clientsare eager to measure the return onsocial media and balance theirinvestment in traditional and newmedia, three-year plans are quicklyturning into 36-hour plans, face-to-facestill matters, and your employees maybe your best advocates when crisisstrikes.

Marketing and communicationsprofessionals must adapt to anew Consumer Nation whereconsumers rule and publicopinion carries more weight.

The NewNormal.

CEO Stand-By > CEO Reset

The reputation of CEOs needsrecalibrating or resetting. CEO perceptionshave been permanently bruised, with only14 per cent of American executivesholding a positive view of chief executivesin mid-2009 (Weber Shandwick). Anencouraging sign that CEOs are in resetmode is that CEO participation at topglobal forums increased 96 per cent from2007 to 2009 among the top 50 world’smost admired companies.

Reputation Camouflage > NakedReputation

Today, people know exactly what acompany does and where it does it. Brandscan no longer hide behind marketingmessages. Reputations are see-throughand require daily monitoring and attentionto early warning signs.

Halo Effect > Pitchfork Effect

The reputational tide can turn oncompanies and the executives who runthem overnight. A beloved brand or CEOcan go from hero to zero in no time.Reputation protection is mission critical.

Click

here

for a podcast featuring Lesliediscussing the New Normal.