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Facebook’s 29 Super Bowl Ads in 12 Hours

On May 17, 2012   /   Earned Media   /   Leave a comment
We use a media monitoring program to measure our earned media and occasionally have a little fun with it. Today I searched news broadcasts for the term “Facebook” to gauge the amount of TV media the company earned leading into its first day of trading. Turns out in twelve hours, from 7 AM – 7 PM eastern, Facebook earned $29,177,926 worth of television coverage. That’s enough to buy about 29 Super Bowl ads.
Measured another way, it equates (very loosely) to about 783,580,806 impressions. That means the word “Facebook” broadcast in to homes today only about 100 million times less than there are users on the website. Not too bad.
Other than watching thousands of clips, no way to tell if the majority was positive or negative. However, if you follow me on Twitter, I promise that will be positive – @Kevin_Cate.

 

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Meet The Cheaper, Better, More Effective Yard Sign

On May 16, 2012   /   New Media   /   Leave a comment
GM announced yesterday that they are dropping the best, most effective yard sign that money can buy – a Facebook ad. GM says that Facebook ads don’t drive sales, which says more about GM’s web presence than the effectiveness of Facebook ads.
On Facebook and Google you can reinforce traditional advertising or introduce validating statements, reviews, or articles, without paying for the ads. You only pay for clicks, which means everything else is free.
While writing this post I pulled up my Facebook account and the image above reminds me that Sacha Baron Cohen’s new movie is out, my friend Orlando Sentinel reporter Aaron Deslatte liked the movie, and so did TIME magazine. I rarely, if ever click on Facebook ads, but they do make an impression, literally. I also don’t click on highway billboards, but I bet GM won’t ditch those anytime soon.
Finally, this digital yard sign concept isn’t new to campaigns. It’s the one yard sign that is actually worth the investment. Look for more and more Facebook and Google ads from companies and campaigns that understand the value of repeated impressions.
Follow me on Twitter @Kevin_Cate

 

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10 Rules for Political Conference Calls

On May 15, 2012   /   Politics   /   1 Comment

It’s part of the job, but one of the worst. Compiled with help from GOP political consultant Rick Wilson, these 10 rules should be shared with every politico, especially those that will be offended by it.

10 RULES FOR POLITICAL CONFERENCE CALLS:
1. Never be on a call that can be started without you.
2. The mute button is your friend, use often.
3. At 40 minutes, effectiveness asymptotically approaches zero.
4. Speakerphones are evil.
5. If someone joins late, no recaps, no new roll calls.
6. “How are you doing” is a greeting, not a question.
7. Fire the person that asks “Who just dropped off?”
8. Preface nothing with “this is out of my lane, but…”
9. “Offline” is either a place to shut you up, or do actual work.
10. Too many conference calls = lack of leadership.

 Follow me on Twitter @Kevin_Cate.

Update: Democratic Super Pollster Dave Beattie adds 11th:

11.  Inverse relationship between the number of participants and quality of decisions.


Update #2: Democratic Consultant (etc.) Jason Stanford adds 12th:

12. “Who’s on?” is not a roll call.

 

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Democrat Charlie Crist’s Opening & Closing 2014 Primary Ads

On May 11, 2012   /   2014 Primary, Barack Obama, Charlie Crist, Florida Democratic Party   /   1 Comment

I was backstage with Charlie Crist in Ft. Myers moments before and after “the hug” that Marco Rubio used to destroy Crist’s Republican, or more accurately Tea Party, credentials. At the time I was staffing Alex Sink, but as a veteran of the Crist Administration and the Obama for America campaign, that day was especially inspiring.

If you’re around Charlie, you can’t help but like him. While waiting in a blue draped holding room, Charlie and Alex chatted over the building roar of the crowd, Dane Eagle provided Charlie with Altoids on demand, and Erin Isaac, as always, made sure CNN didn’t go a week without a Charlie Crist interview. At one point, with Secret Service permission, Charlie even took a seat in the idling Beast – like a kid in a candy store.

Crist’s remarks were brief, measured, and followed by a hug. If you watch closely (click here), the hug was clearly initiated by the President – which makes sense considering Charlie was embracing the necessary but politically challenging economic stimulus package. Ultimately, this was the moment of bipartisanship and civility that Marco Rubio used to win the Republican Primary.

Never underestimate the power of a symbolic picture to swing an election, especially in Florida – just remember another popular victim of campaign death-by-picture, Governor LeRoy Collins (and MLK).

But a similar visual may actually propel Charlie Crist into the Governor’s Office in 2014.

To be clear, I’m not a consulting or endorsing Charlie Crist. However, I believe that in order to jump in the Democratic Primary for Governor, he will have to endorse Barack Obama before the 2012 election, probably before he even switches his registration. And believe me, it will be well timed.

It’s also not a secret that Obama world appreciates Charlie Crist – despite some stinging, desperate sounding criticisms in the heat of his 2010 Republican Primary. But here’s the $72 million question:

Will Barack Obama appear at a rally with Charlie Crist to accept his endorsement?

This may actually be a deciding factor in the 2014 Democratic Gubernatorial Primary.

If the Obama-Crist rally happens and Obama wins re-election (which I believe he will), Crist will have the best opening and closing ads in the 2014 primary – arms around the President, gracious remarks – the perfect visual symbol of Charlie’s acceptance into the Democratic Party.

The argument against Charlie will be that he’s not really a Democrat – but how will that argument hold up when you have the leader of the free world, the leader of the Democratic Party, heaping praise upon him?

It probably won’t. There will have to be another, better argument, visual, or narrative.

Follow me on Twitter @Kevin_Cate

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More on Florida Legislative Aide Poll Infographic

On May 10, 2012   /   Communications, Florida, Public Relations, Tallahassee   /   Leave a comment

This week we released an infographic poll showing that 81.1% of Florida legislative aides believe that an in-person visit from a constituent is a “very effective” advocacy strategy compared with 27.3% for a visit from a lobbyist. Check out the poll here.

As our clients already know, genuine communication from constituents trumps all other advocacy strategies, especially messages highlighting the local or personal impact of legislation. This poll shows that despite hyper-partisanship, aides still believe that real people with compelling stories to tell hold the most persuasive influence in Tallahassee.

Here is a good article/interview from the Florida Current.

Here are some other key takeaways:

Most aides feel that the Internet has made it easier for constituents to be involved in the public policy process (97.8%), even though individualized emails were the only means of Internet communication that a majority of respondents rated as having a positive influence on a member’s decision making process.

Of the top three methods listed to have “Some Influence,” none of them were methods that utilized the Internet. Postcards had the largest percentage (71.8%), followed by visits from lobbyists (70%), and a tie for third between news editorials of an issue and individual faxes (55%).

Most staffers (59.4%) believe that advocacy of identical form messages are sent without the constituent’s knowledge or approval, explaining the trends against form communications.

When asked about whether particular methods of internet communications are more important for communicating with constituents or understanding their views, none of the four methods were believed to be very important for understanding constituent’s views. Only the member’s blog (50%) and Facebook (50%) were believed by a majority of staffers to be very important for communicating member’s views.

So everyone believes that the Internet is important, but there seems to be disagreement about just how much so. What do you think?

Follow me on Twitter @Kevin_Cate

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Scott Blows Open Email Records

On May 3, 2012   /   Public Record, Public Relations, Rick Scott, Sunshine Week   /   Comments Off

Florida Governor Rick Scott today unveiled “Project Sunburst,” offering incredible next-day access to the inboxes of most senior staff members. You can literally scroll through and read emails sent to his Communications Director, Chief-of-Staff, etc. Most of these emails are from reporters, understandably.

For example:

  • After a back and forth about questions regarding Angela Corey, New York Times national correspondent Serge Kovaleski tells Scott spokesperson Brian Burgess that “no one here is interested in your games” and that “perhaps your staff should act more responsibility.”
  • Tampa Bay Times Reporter Katie Sanders gives the Scott press team heads up that Politifact will soon rule a statement from Lt. Governor Carroll as “false.”
  • Daily reporter call logs from every Governor’s agency are accessible – basically revealing what every reporter in the state is working on in relation to any part of state government.
  • National Journal superstar Beth Reinhart is working on a story about how Democrats will be linking Rick Scott and other unpopular Governors to Mitt Romney.

The daily reporter call logs were once sent out by mistake during Charlie Crist’s administration, thus far the most open, transparent executive branch in Florida history. Apologies were swift, as reporters, understandably, weren’t happy to have enterprise stories and leads revealed to all other reporters.

The impact of this open government initiative cannot be overstated. And they are promising more.

From the press release:

“In the coming months, Project Sunburst will be expanded to include other agencies within the Executive Branch.”

From Tampa Bay Times:

“As always the devil is in the details,” said Barbara Peterson, director of the First Amendment Foundation whose organization spent thousands trying to get the emails of the governor’s top staff when Scott first came into office. “But providing real time access to email is a very positive and proactive step.”

It’s possible that this is a bold move to distract from all the “lost” emails from Rick Scott – but I find it hard to believe that argument. This level of transparency is unbelievable. I’m assuming that we will soon be able to sort through “sent” emails in addition to the “inbox.” I’m sure Governor’s Office staff have already adjusted to this new initiative, but it will be interesting how reporters will react. Rest assured, this initiative will result in more work for someone at the Florida Democratic Party. One I never imagined coming from Rick Scott.

I’m still processing the impact of this openness. What do you think?

Reply here or on Twitter @Kevin_Cate

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Branding Legislation Matters (Stand Your Ground)

On April 23, 2012   /   branding, Communications, Earned Media, Media Consulting, Politics, Public Relations   /   Comments Off

Quick reaction to the fact that 42% of voters still support the “Stand Your Ground” law that George Zimmerman will use as a defense for shooting Trayvon Martin (32% oppose). If this legislation was dubbed the “Shoot First” bill, you would see the poll numbers reversed. Alternatively, if the legislation was explained to voters, the polling would likely change again – and I’m assuming some of that 42% would go away.

The problem is that the bill is branded well. Just as crucially, it was branded first. When it comes to legislation, branding is the first, and sometimes most important, battle. Changing public opinion on legislation is tough at it is – changing public opinion on language that polls well is almost impossible.

Recent examples in Florida: Fair Districts, Save our Homes, Vaccine Access Act.

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The Cal Ripken Jr. of Capitol Press Corps

On April 12, 2012   /   Capitol Press Corps, Journalism, New Media, Tallahassee, Web Video   /   1 Comment

We were there on the last day of Tallahassee Democrat reporter Bill Cotterell’s 42nd legislative session – a Cal Ripken Jr. type feat, unlikely to be repeated. Congratulations and thank you, Bill.

Read his retirement column and story here:
tallahassee.com/article/20120305/COLUMNIST03/203050306/This-Cotterell-column-you-thought-you-d-never-see

To contribute to the Florida Capitol Press Corps’ Barbara L. Frye Scholarship Fund:
barbarafryescholarship.wordpress.com/contact-us/

 

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Rock by the Sea Web Video

On April 9, 2012   /   Florida, Web Video, YouTube   /   Comments Off


Here is a quick web video we shot for the Rock by the Sea charity concert in Panama City, Florida. It features our good friend Valerie from Core Message and if you watch closely, some subtle motion from our Philip Bloom dolly. Thanks to NEEDTOBREATHE for the soundtrack.

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Hair Trigger Flack Attack

On April 5, 2012   /   Capitol Press Corps, Earned Media, Florida, Politics, Press Release   /   2 Comments

My old boss Steve Schale is famous for his “underreact” sign – in fact I brought it from the Obama campaign into my current office. I don’t always agree with the sign, but more often than not, I think twice about fleeting, knee-jerk reactions to articles or press events.

Which brings me to this strident, false, and absurd statement from the campaign of Connie Mack for US Senate: “Reporters misquote and misinterpret. Their spin trumps truth.”

I know it’s in vogue for some campaign flacks to wail aimlessly at the media. After all, didn’t Newt Gingrich use this strategy to prevail as the Republican nominee for President of the United States? But there is no excuse for this over the top claim. Here is the statement (h/t  SaintPetersblog):

Connie Mack Campaign Manager Jeff Cohen issued the following statement today in response to a fabricated headline (Mack Campaign:  Why we Will Squash LeMieux Campaign Like a Bug”) by the Tampa Bay Times. Read the entire statement here.

This hair trigger flack attack, coupled with Connie Mack’s, well, reputation, should give every voter, reporter, and pundit pause about the temperament and competence of this campaign moving forward.

Maybe Steve should just send the Mack campaign one of his signs before this gets any worse.

@CateComm on Twitter and Facebook

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