Will I newsjack the Oscars? Uh...what do you think?!
It’s Oscar season, time for those in marketing to turn the Academy Awards into our own version of something that cleverly plays off their relevancy.
I love the Oscars so I am totally going to riff on them, with a version that’s marketing communication-focused. So without further ado, this year’s winners are:
For best performance in building credibility with buyers who don’t you yet: Public relations
We’re having a moment here, guys. Don’t believe me? Check out this report from Kevin Indig over at Growth Memo.
I’ll save you the read (though I’d highly recommend checking it out), but––plot twist––44% of what LLMs return is found in the first 30% of your content.
Do you know what content is designed to get to the point – your very credible point – as soon as possible? (Well written) public relations.
You know what content LLMs like the most? (Well written) public relations.
Oh, and guess how most people are finding out the information they need/want about the product or service they’re looking for? Yep, AI overviews/ChatGPT.
For best performance in helping to simplify the complex: Short-form video
I won’t go into another AI-infused explanation of how everything from infographics to illustrations are easier to create than ever. But I will address how important the age ol’ take of ‘garbage in, garbage out’ really is in this (not-so-silent) era of AI.
Avoid the slop. Please. Do the heavy lifting and prep up front by putting in the time to truly understand what it is you are trying to communicate and action you want to create. A blockbuster. Without that work behind the scenes, you may still make something cool…that nobody cares about. A box office bomb.
For best performance by all of your content and contacts in one place: HubSpot
We all work way too hard to have the content we create go unseen or not even know where it ever goes. We have the tools, the technology and the knowhow to get every single drop of return we can out of your marketing efforts.
HubSpot can seem like a lot…and something that is a modern-day version of The Wizard of Oz, intimidating and larger than life behind that curtain. But it’s really not. Which is why we became a partner agency and are educating our clients and many potential clients on the long list of benefits. There’s no place like HubSpot.
For best performance in protecting your brand: Crisis communications
Look, crisis communications is the Meryl Streep of our world. 21 nominations but only three wins. It’s something that is a great idea, looks the part, makes sense and no one will argue against. But when it comes time to make the easy decision…we may be distracted by the bright shiny new object.
The bottom line is that today, there is no greater brand protection you can offer and embrace than a crisis communications program. It’s timeless.
For best performance at a trade show: Lead speed
Those little pieces of gold that used to sit in the drawer and get shipped with the booth…and now sit in your CRM…will wilt and die if not cared for within 24 to 48 hours.
No joke. That’s how much (or little) time you have to capitalize on the all the months of planning, the budget earmarked a year ago, and people stuffed into your booth that make up the hard work that goes into a show. Don’t wait to figure out what you’re going to do with it all. Make them one of the first steps you take in your planning, because the tradeshow must go on.
Lifetime achievement award: People!
There is so much being said and written about AI. And even if half of it is true, that’s worth our time. BUT…the more we learn, the more it’s apparent just how critical genuine contact and engagement is when it comes to the “human” in human resources…the “relations” in media relations…the "service" in customer service.
AI will do a lot for us…but as important as that is, we also need to be thinking about what we can be doing for each other. Because things are changing fast and a friendly face, real handshake and hearty laugh is going to go a long way.
Speaking of people, if you want to talk to someone about any of the thinking or ideas you saw here, let me know. I’d love to connect. Email me today at ben.brugler@akhia.com
Thanks for reading!