One of the most significant challenges in 2010 and realtime is the inability for agencies to function in the traditional mode of signing things off.
PR, Marketing and Ad agencies typically, when writing copying, releasing images, video, etc, for a client, have it all signed off. This is a way of providing protection – for both the brand, and the agency – and it makes perfect sense. The challenge is that in 2010, with more emphasis on realtime response (on the web, and off the web), there is simultaneously the removal of the time to sign off on every engagement and interaction.
The solution that I pose for this problem is a fundamental shift in the way outside parties handle brands and accounts – a change from signing off to handing off. I’ll explain:
- Signing off means every engagement must be pre-approved. Handing off means engagements (plural) are pre-identified and pre-approved.
- Signing off means producing a press release, which is then signed off – which fits terribly in a Tweet. Handing off means every press release begins with a ‘Tweet Release’ or two, for Social Media purposes.
- Signing off means every engagement is checked against the brand. Handing off means the engagement is informed by the brand.
- Signing off means content first, brand personality check second. Handing off means brand personality first, content check second.
What Would The Brand Do?
In my 2010 framework I discuss the difference between guidance and governance. Governance is the control of content and context, thereby making it static and inherently hard to adapt and spread. Guidance instead encourages in the customisation of content and context, thereby making it dynamic and inherently easy to adapt and more spreadable.
Not only in Social Media, but in our knowledge based economy, and in a world heading towards people-to-people thought and Social Business, guidance wins over governance because it allows the users to make the content and context more personal by adapting the message – thereby making it more targeted and spreadable.
When it comes to handing off versus signing off, it’s the same pitting of guidance against governance. This means the agency handling the account needs to be able to guide the message – which means they have to take on the mantra of “What Would The Brand Do?” when carrying out any activity.
Sure – this may well already be what many agencies do – but few have been empowered to think like this. What Would The Brand Do means that a PR worker can put on one hat, then put on the other – having been well versed in the personalities of the different brand hats. Of course, this means we need development of our staff, not management.
Capturing this brand personality is, again, nothing new. Training, guidelines, examples. Yet the Social Media industry in particular seems to struggle with these when it comes to running multiple Twitter accounts. This is what we do for clients at Aaron+Gould, and I can tell you it works – we’ll publish some case studies soon. Certainly when it comes to collections (teams across multiple companies), this brand-mentality is essential.
So what do you think?
Beautiful photo with thanks to Kuw Son
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Sophy
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http://www.wavespr.com Claire Thompson
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