Parc Entertainment - A Video Production Company - Birmingham, AL

The other night I was watching a TV show that I had recorded with my DVR. Like many of you, when the show went to a commercial break, I reached for the remote in order to fast-forward. But then, a commercial came on for Domino’s Pizza and I stopped to watch. What intrigued me about this ad was its honesty and transparency. The commercial showed focus groups, wherein customers talked negatively about the quality of Domino’s Pizza. They showed Twitter comments where internet users blasted the food chain for its poor product. But then, through sound bytes from Domino’s executives and chefs, the commercial demonstrated how the company was changing its recipe based on the feedback it received. This particular campaign is a great example of how a company listened and responded to its customers. Then, with honesty and transparency, they acknowledged their shortcomings and vowed to change things for the better. We’ll have to wait and see whether the new pizza recipe changes public opinion, but I think the company has done a good job of managing its public relations.

Many of the videos we produce end up on a website. It’s a growing trend. More and more companies are integrating video into their online presence. Soon, internet users will expect to see videos on the sites they visit. In the September 4 issue of the Birmingham Business Journal, Haley Aaron writes about the popularity of online videos and the impact they have on today’s consumer. Below are some highlights from the article.

When local law firm Cory Watson Crowder & DeGaris wants to share information about their company and cases they are working on, the company doesn’t just post a press release or add a link to their Web site.

Instead, the firm uses Web video to tell its story. It created short films that give a brief introduction to its lawyers, as well as information about high-profile personal injury lawsuits the company represents.

“We want people to be able to come on to our Web site and not just look at who we say we are, but really get a much better feel not only for the firm and the work we do, but also for the individual partners,” said Melanie McCraney, director of communications at Cory Watson.

Internet video is a relatively new medium, but Americans are spending more time watching it. According to a survey compiled by comScore, a Virginia-based research company, Americans watched a total of 16.8 billion Web videos in April, from Web sites and video sharing sites such as YouTube. The average viewer spent 6.4 hours watching videos online during the month.

While consumers look to web video for entertainment and education, businesses are discovering the advantages of using it to market themselves…

Even more importantly, the nature of Web video may allow businesses to reach a more engaged audience since viewers can watch at their convenience…

Companies interested in producing web video should consider their tone and message carefully before producing and uploading videos… While free distribution through YouTube and Facebook cuts costs, it’s important that businesses don’t place cost over quality when filming and producing Web video.

A well-executed video can have an incredibly positive impact on your brand and shouldn’t be the last thing you think of when planning your marketing strategy.

Our free e-newsletter is distributed every first Monday of the month. Included in each issue is the “Public Parc,” a forum for discussing different topics pertaining to sales, marketing, advertising, and branding. Subscribers to the newsletter and readers of the blog are encouraged to get involved in the discussion by posting their comments here. You can also post your thoughts on Twitter, using the hashtag #PublicParc. Here is this month’s Public Parc discussion:

In this month’s issue we posted an article about the importance of alleviating fear to pave the way for a sale. In your experiences, has there ever been a time when a particular company representative went out of his or her way to ensure that your concerns were addressed? Can you describe the situation and how the company’s efforts made you feel as a consumer?

Business owners, freelancers, marketing personnel, public relations officers will at one time or another have to deal with projects and/or products that simply aren’t working right. And clients who have given their time, trust, and money, will be looking to these individuals to correct the situation. They aren’t interested in excuses. They’re interested in solutions. In a previous post I gave out some advice on how to respond to a client’s concerns. Number one on that list was “Respond Promptly,” but in this post I’d like to add one more point to that list - “Be proactive.”

Case in point: I recently signed up with iContact.com to distribute my monthly e-newsletter. A few days ago, I tried to access the site to work on my newsletters, but the site was down. It wasn’t long before an email popped up in my inbox from the CEO of iContact. The company had taken the time to write their customers and explain to everyone what was happening. That email was followed up with others that detailed what went wrong and how their team was correcting the situation. They also used their Twitter account to post real-time updates.

I was thoroughly impressed with the way iContact handled the situation. I’m certain that a potentially disastrous PR scenario was quickly diffused because they took a proactive approach and kept everyone well informed.

If you are responsible for client relations, regardless of your industry, maintaining open and ongoing lines of communication between your company and your clients will reflect positively on your brand.

Keith Krininger (left) received an extreme retail makeover

I was browsing through a back-issue of the Birmingham Business Journal and came across the following article by Lauren Cooper about a local business owner who saw his sales improve from a complete store makeover, including logo design, displays, advertising, and marketing. Many people like using the economy as an excuse to slash marketing and advertising budgets, but this particular case study demonstrates the value of good, solid marketing efforts.

Local businessman Keith Krininger said last week was a whirlwind at a few of his local Bedzzz Express stores.

With a film crew documenting every moment, representatives from mattress component manufacturer Leggett & Platt Inc. conducted an “Extreme Retail Makeover” of four of his eight stores – modeled after the television show Extreme Home Makeover.

Krininger was chosen from hundreds of mattress retailers across the country to be the Fortune 500 company’s test case in proving the industry can profit from touting the health benefits of sleep, said Mark Quinn, Leggett & Platt’s executive vice president of bedding sales and marketing .

Four of Krininger’s stores underwent a visual, marketing and process makeover, including logos, displays and advertising, to improve traffic and profitability.

And one week after its implementation, Krininger said he can tell a difference.

“Customers are responding to it,” he said. “Right off the bat, we’re selling the sheets (now offered), which I was skeptical about that.”

Sales of bed frames have noticeably changed as well, he said.

“We used to have just one, but now we have three choices and – amazing enough – if you give (the customer) the choice they’ll say ‘I don’t want the cheaper one, I want the one in the middle or the higher.”

And one of the most important shifts was in his 31 employees and sales associates, he said. The experience was exciting and invigorating for them and has expanded their thinking to new levels, he said.

Leggett & Platt’s Quinn said a lot of the credit goes to Krininger, who agreed to have his business totally up-ended.

“He’s been in business for 15 years and has been successful,” said Quinn. “But it’s a different time. If you are not willing to expand your comfort zone now, then you’re not going to do it.”

The makeover at Bedzzz Express is a great example of bringing new life to an old business plan, said Betsy Holloway, associate professor of marketing at Samford University’s Brock School of Business.

By differentiating himself and educating customers on the benefits of sleep, he’ll have a competitive advantage relative to other bedding retailers, she said.

“Before it was just the product, but now it’s the presentation, product promotion and personnel to articulate the benefit,” said Holloway. “He’s offering more value, which allows him to charge higher prices and create a higher volume. Sounds like a recipe for success.”

Krininger said his next step will be to implement the makeover in his remaining Bedzzz Express stores and to offer it to his nine licensed Bedzzz Express’ outside of Birmingham.

With that done and the national recognition within the industry he’ll get from the makeover, he’ll be able to concentrate on growing his license business beyond the state’s borders, he said.

Leggett & Platt’s Quinn said the video from the Extreme Retail Makeover will be shown at a large industry conference this spring, a Web site will be dedicated to the makeover and certain components will be offered to others in the industry.

I was listening to an internet marketing podcast recently and the hosts of the show were discussing how E-Consultancy is using Twitter to join in on public conversations related to their company. Here’s a quick synopsis of E-Consultancy, as stated on their website:

Econsultancy is a community where the world’s digital marketing and ecommerce professionals meet to sharpen their strategy, source suppliers, get quick answers, compare notes, help each other out and discover how to do everything better online.

Founded in 1999, Econsultancy has grown to become the leading source of independent advice and insight on digital marketing and ecommerce.

Our reports, events, online resources and training programmes help our 80,000+ members make better decisions, build business cases, find the best suppliers, look smart in meetings and accelerate their careers.

E-Consultancy searched for what people were saying about them on Twitter and placed a live feed of those tweets right on their home page. And there’s no content filtering, so if there are people out there with negative feelings toward E-Consultancy, those thoughts will show up right on the home page.

Just a few years ago, this practice of exposing potential customers to potentially negative reviews would be a no-no. However, in today’s social media world, this transparency might be refreshing. It demonstrates to the public that this company listens to their customers and strives to be prompt in addressing all concerns. It shows that they are engaged and tuned in to conversations about their brand.

This doesn’t mean that you have to put a live Twitter feed on your home page, but it does illustrate the point that as business owners, we have a responsibility to the people we serve. You need to be engaged in what people are saying about your brand. Listen to them. Respond in a timely manner. And always look for ways to improve your brand.

What are your thoughts about E-Consultancy’s move? Good or bad?