The Lessons of Innovation from Fast Company

Every company is looking to be innovative -- and every business magazine offers insights about innovation.

A recent Fast Company offered lessons of innovations, and made some worthwhile points. I've identified a few important lessons (below) but check out the entire article:

• Growth should be a tactic, not a strategy. In other words, growth shouldn't be the end goal by itself, but a means to achieve a more significant, sustainable goal.
•  Design is a competitive advantage. Not enough companies look at design this way -- but more should.
•  Social media makes products and services better. This is a way to look at social media that B2B companies often don't understand.

Check out the other lessons, too, here.

Three Quick PR Lessons from the Midterm Elections

The pundits and politicians on both sides of the aisle are trying to draw lessons learned from this week's midterm elections. Based on "lessons" apparently learned the last few election cycles, I think it's fair to say all three parties are drawing the wrong lessons.

But this is not a political blog.

Instead, since this is a PR-focused blog, here are some PR lessons to consider:

1. Differentiation is important to prevent commoditization. But being too different -- Christine O'Donnell -- may not work either.
2. Spending tons of money can make you more competitive by building awareness. But it can take more than money to make a compelling case that closes the deal.
3. Communicating an aspirational vision or one that captures emotion is more compelling than selling the status quo, particularly if the status quo doesn't feel so good. That's why consumer product companies, including auto manufacturers, constantly sell New & Improved versions of the same old products. In 2008, Obama communicated an aspirational message and story. But he wasn't able to do so this year. Meanwhile, this year, the GOP, and the Tea Party in particular, was able to capture anger that resonated and energized its base as well as independents to swing the balance.

I do believe these lessons are applicable for PR functions. Let me know if you think there other lessons we can draw.
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Norman Birnbach
Birnbach Communications, Inc.
781.639.6701
birnbach@birnbachcom.com
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Blog: blog.birnbachcom.com

Why Forbes Publishes Its Annual Forbes Celebrity 100 List & The Lessons It Teaches PR

I don't think I need to explain why Sports Illustrated runs its annual swimsuit issue in Feb., when much of the country is buried in snow, when the Super Bowl is over, when basketball and hockey seasons seem endless, and when it's too soon (and too cold) to think about spring training.

But the reason for the annual Forbes Celebrity 100 may not be so obvious.

The annual Forbes Celebrity 100 is designed to be "a power ranking based on earnings and fame but also on social media rank such as Facebook friends and fans, Twitter followers, overall print and broadcast coverage, number of blog hits, and appearances on covers of 25 consumer magazines.

Sounds like a good set of metrics. But those metrics, other than earning power, make the list subjective rather than objective.

They're trying to quantify fame, much the way Q Score have done for celebrities for years.

Adding the element of "power ranking" makes it okay for Forbes to cover celebrities because Forbes gets to treat them as business people, not just as eye candy.

How else could Forbes justifying placing Sandra Bullock, Kobe Bryant, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Swift on its cover?

Forbes can always put Oprah on its cover (as the current hit, "I Want to be a Billionaire," points out), but it would take a stretch to imagine Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, Anglina (do I have to provide her last name?) and others.

The value of its annual Forbes Celebrity 100 is to act like the always popular People Magazine for one issue during mid-summer -- the equivalent slow period for business as Feb. is for sports fans.

It's fun beach reading. It gives you the opportunity to debate whether Beyonce, who claimed the Number 2 spot and earned $87 million, should out rank James Cameron, Number 3 who earned $210. Or to try to figure out how boxer Floyd Mayweather (number 31 with $65 million) out-ranked producer Jerry Bruckheimer (number 47 with $100 million)?

The answer, of course, is besides the point.

For Forbes, the point is to generate interest and boost readership at a time when its readers may be on vacation, trying to unwind a bit. (They never truly unplug.)

The lesson for PR functions: look at your industry for any slow period, and think of developing a fun stunt that's accessible but relevant to generate attention when your competitors may have checked out. Swimsuits in Feb. have a tangential connection at best with sports just as teen celebrities have a tangential connection with business. And SI and Forbes have been doing a good job filling their respective magazines during slow periods.

Lessons Learned from Keeping a Clutter-free Desk

I've kept my office clean for a month.

That may not seem like much of an accomplishment to you. For far too long, I lived by a desk cluttered with files. I always knew where things were so I didn't think I needed to make a change.

But my wife finally, um, helped me see the errors of my ways.

Actually, I think she didn't believe I'd be able to keep my desk clear of clutter. And I wasn't sure if I could, either.

But I have. And I like it.

I learned some good lessons in clearing the clutter and maintaining a clutter-free desk.

• It's easier to actually be organized than not.
• I have more room to spread out papers and files when I need to. (And then I can put them away when I don't need them.)
• Old clips and notes are like boxes that remain unpacked 60 days after a move: You'll never get to them. (This weekend, I also cleaned out a box at the basement at home from when we last moved -- 12 years ago.)
  
• Social media tips from 2006 no longer are that relevant. Yes, we're still in the midst of a social media revolution, but way back in 2006, the focus was on blogs and podcasts, not social networks like Facebook (mostly MySpace), YouTube and Twitter.
• Back in 2006, trying to figure out appropriate metrics for social media did not exist. The lack of accepted metrics continues to be a problem these years later.
• I actually get more things done.
• I have a nice cherry wood desk.