Executive Rewind: Handling the News Media

You’ve Got 30 Seconds!

emseidel — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:27:51 +0000

By Eric Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers®

Have you noticed how time-constrained live interviews have become on the cable news networks? Tight formats, “hard breaks” and very interruptive news anchors are making it more difficult than ever to clearly make a point.

Typically, you get little if any warning just how quickly they need you to respond before you’re gone and they’re off to something else. So, you need to go into these situations armed with messages you can get in quickly and concisely, even on some of the most complex topics.

For instance, healthcare reform. Now there’s an issue that lends itself to snappy, short sound bites! Well, Southern Co. CEO David Ratcliffe was asked to do just that recently on Fox Business Network.

Telling Ratcliffe they had only 30 seconds left, anchor Alexis Glick asked how healthcare reform will impact his company. Hard to know, the CEO responded, too complex an issue, just like climate change.

By tying in climate change, Ratcliffe slightly repositioned the issue. He targeted specific audiences possibly watching this interview. Perhaps some Congressional leaders and critical committee staffers heard him saying that right now there’s a lot of confusion about both healthcare and climate change legislation. He wants more clarity, and also wants them to understand the economic impact of their actions on Southern Co. and its customers. It was a message that other CEOs for many companies in various industries certainly must’ve appreciated.

By the way, Ratcliffe said it all in about 32 seconds. Not bad, considering he had no clock to go by and probably no indication he would get a question on such a complex topic with an unrealistic window of time limit.

Strategy on Using News Media for Positioning

emseidel — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:23:03 +0000

By Eric Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers®

When news media can give you a boost, as Fox Business Network did for Dunkin Donuts in the picture above, it’s always welcome. But, in their effort to understand, or interpret, your positioning, make sure you stay on your terms, especially if the news media might not say things quite the way you would.

While the T-shirt Dunkin is marketing makes a frontal attack on Starbucks’ upscale (pricey) market position, CEO Nigel Travis lets the shirt’s printed statement speak for itself, rather than further slamming Starbucks at the encouragement of his interviewer.

FBN’s David Asman suggested to Travis that “you smell blood in the water…” especially in light of the recession. Correctly, Travis avoided repeating or even validating Asman’s assumption. Instead of going negative, he took the opportunity to reinforce a positive message about his product’s perceived value.

When Your Words Come Back to Bite You

emseidel — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:18:56 +0000

Rep. Brad Sherman (Dem-CA)

By Eric Seidel, CEO
The Media Trainers®

Last November, you may recall, the CEOs of the Big Three carmakers were taken to the Congressional woodshed for flying down from Detroit, each on his own private executive jet.

California Congressman Brad Sherman, taking advantage of some TV face time in committee hearings, set them up for public condemnation, asking if they flew to DC commercially and, if they would be willing to sell their jets and fly home commercially. In both cases, he received a negative response.

In truth, the PR damage suffered by the Big Three was self-inflicted that November day, considering that they were in Washington to beg for bailout money. So, the CEOs were sent home with orders to put recovery plans together and return, but not on the wings of their executive perks.As you may know, the Wall Street Journal broke the story on the Congressional bid to expand its own air force, and they have since been pared back to the original four jets requested by the Pentagon.

Now, almost nine months later, the worm has turned. Seems Rep. Sherman and many of his finger-wagging colleagues voted in favor of purchasing eight new executive jets for Congressional travel (junkets?). That was twice as many as the Air Force requested to replace old aircraft.

When asked for a comment, Sherman had some unnamed staffer tell CNBC that his vote was for the defense appropriation bill, which included the fancy airplanes for Congress. One must suppose he was suddenly and surprisingly camera shy when it came time to dine on his own words.

When You’re Asked About Your Competition

emseidel — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:15:50 +0000

By Eric Seidel, CEO
The Media Trainers®

When your name is both a subject and a verb, you just might find others trying to bring you down to size.

So it goes for Google. The seemingly ubiquitous search engine does have competitors still trying to emerge from Google’s dust. Yahoo and Microsoft’s Bing want a much larger piece of the action. The result is intensive focus on the king of the hill and how it will fend off these attacks.

So it’s been for Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Sitting down with Fox Business Network’s Liz Claman recently at his corporate headquarters, the unflappable Schmidt fielded questions about the assault with ease, respect, dignity and more than one clever retort designed to help differentiate Google and its continuing advantage.

Some examples:

Claman: “What do you think about Microsoft’s entry?”
Schmidt: “Well, it’s not the first entry for Microsoft; they do this about once a year.”

Claman: “So you predict that you will hang onto the number one position here.”
Schmidt: “Well, I certainly hope so. Google is about innovation and we’re not done with search.”

Claman: “I look at Google and I say, well, it’s really hard to knock the top entity off, but Google did it with Yahoo many, many years ago.”
Schmidt: “But you earn that. You don’t buy it with ads, you earn it and you earn it customer by customer, search by search, answer by answer. We believe today we beat our competitors because we’re so focused on comprehensiveness, speed, freshness and having the depth that people really care about.”

The entire interview contains these and additional concisely articulated responses from Schmidt, who welcomes the competition but makes it understood Google’s hold on the hill remains solid and long term.

The Eyes Have It!

emseidel — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:13:07 +0000

By Eric Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers®

Super sports agent Scott Boras as he’s being introduced on Fox Business Network could not have seemed more disinterested; he even gives the impression of being inconvenienced. So why did he accept the invitation?

First impressions often are long-lasting. Note the cocky look supported by body language displayed by Invidi CEO David Downey. This was before the interview about his product that tracks your TV viewing habits by placing a cookie in your satellite or cable receiver.

Advertising executive Jeff McClelland was talking about the advantages of using radio as an advertising medium and must have thought he was on radio. His eyes never came up to meet the camera.

What is loan officer Steve Snider looking at? A script! That’s right, he’s on TV reading from his notes in response to a question!

Joint Chiefs Chairman, Admiral Mike Mullen has a curious way of addressing questioners. His head turns only slightly, as his eyes seem to communicate a wariness.

Adm. Mullen is consistent. While the shot above is from a CBS Face the Nationinterview, this one was at another time on CNN’s State of the Union.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner also seems to measure his interviewers with some concern, if not outright suspicion. Like Mullen, his eyes move further than his head.

Even while speaking, Geithner never fully commits. He seems as if he’s on the defensive.

How Quickly Can You Make a Point?

emseidel — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:04:10 +0000

DWT* Prevention Inventor Makes Most of Opportunity
(*Driving While Texting)

By Eric Seidel, CEO
The Media Trainers®

What if Fox Business Network invited you to pitch your business on-air to a venture capitalist. At the same time, of course, you have the opportunity to reach an even wider audience. You need to get their attention quickly. It’s your most immediate challenge.

Well, FBN made that offer to Matt Howard, founder of Zoomsafer.

“Zoomsafer is software for mobile phones to prevent distracted driving.” As a famous chef might say: “Bam!” Howard nailed it immediately in his very first sentence. And, then he followed up with strong, relatable anecdotal detail. He told a very compelling personal story.

A “crackberry” addict himself, Howard related how he nearly hit a little boy while reading an email as he was backing his car out of his driveway. A near-tragedy was averted. Barely.

Howard’s pitch to a venture capitalist appearing with him on the Fox Business program was persuasive. He obviously understood how he had to connect fast and did it in less than a minute.

The VC was impressed. He told Matt Howard the $1.5 million he wants for his invention is out there.

Wonder how many potential investors and interested prospective customers contacted him after that appearance.

Honest Communication Is Not Optional

emseidel — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:01:09 +0000

By Eric Seidel, CEO
The Media Trainers®

Cyber space is bloated with articles, blogs, video and audio criticizing and condemning businesses and their leaders, helping to form negative impressions. Online examples are easy to find:

The people at the top in general are the subject of a recent blog post entitled The Demonization of Corporate Executives.

A major air carrier, often its own worst enemy as pointed out in this space earlier this year (United’s PR Goes Down in Flames), is the subject of even stronger criticism in the blog of Forbes contributor and marketing expert Shaun Rein, founder of China Market Research Group. He does not mince words in this post: United Airlines’ 3 greatest flaws.

When a passenger-filled JetBlue sat on a frozen tarmac for hours on end, the blogosphere went ballistic. One site defaced the JetBlue logo and its promise.

And, in the current angry environment over bailouts, when AIG chose to dish out millions in “bonuses,” the backlash was long, loud and predictable, as noted in this post: Why AIG is Getting Such a Bitter Reaction.

Executives complain they don’t know how to deal with it all. They actually do. It really comes down to wanting to. As pointed out in United Airlines’ 3 greatest flaws, the airline’s statements about customer care rang hollow. They were only words, unsupported by the actions of management and employees.

Communication, first and foremost, is critical. Today’s CEO has got to be able to communicate effectively and honestly to a bevy of constituencies. What you say—promise—and how you follow through will answer the question of How Is Your Company Being Perceived?

This era of new media is a double-edged sword. Use it honestly, openly and authentically to protect your name and reputation.

Ignore it at your peril.

Sometimes a Sense of Humor is Required

emseidel — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:03:32 +0000

Rick’s Cabaret CEO Eric Langan

“Gentlemen’s Club” CEO Way Too Serious

By Eric Seidel, CEO
The Media Trainers®

You’ve got to understand the interview environment ahead of time and adjust accordingly.

CNBC’s Mark Haines (pictured at left) has a precocious personality and he enjoys using it. He often finds humor in things, perhaps where we might not first sense it. But this one was easy and you knew ahead of time Mark would have some fun with it.

Rick’s Cabaret is a chain of 18 clubs in 10 cities that are euphemistically called “Gentlemen’s Clubs.” Of course, we all know what that means.

Business is good at Rick’s, despite the recession. When CEO Eric Langan was recently interviewed by Mark, Haines predictably reached for some double entendres, noting that the clubs report 48% of their money comes from service revenues. “What would those be?” asked Haines, tongue squarely in cheek. Not even a smile from Langan, as he described the availability of “private VIP rooms.”

Moving on Haines said he was surprised only 12% of revenue was from food sales, and wondered if customers just are not hungry. Langan, ever the straight man in this exchange, replied that food is a loss leader. Haines said, “It’s tough to chew with your tongue hanging out!” To which Langan dead panned: “Yeah.”

Throughout, it was clear all of this was flying right over the strip club executive’s head. Langan probably lobbied for this interview and certainly had to know it could/would be handled in a lighter way. And once he knew Mark Haines was the interviewer, did anyone consider doing some due diligence on Haines’ MO? Langan didn’t need to compete with Haines, but certainly he should’ve heard the humor and made the interview more fun for himself and his target audiences, who undoubtedly would’ve enjoyed the humor, too.

Haines (and viewers, most likely) had their fun anyway, unfortunately mostly at Langan’s expense.

Appealing to Stockholders: “Make A Couple Billion Dollars”

emseidel — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:12:26 +0000

Priming the Deal Through Target Audiences

By Eric Seidel, CEO
The Media Trainers®

A very important vote’s scheduled for this Tuesday (July 21st) at the NRG Energy stockholder meeting. Utility holding company Exelon has its own slate of directors up for election to the NRG board. Exelon has been on a months-long campaign to buy NRG and keeps getting turned away.

But the door remains open. Exelon has continually increased its offer, and NRG has indicated the latest proposal this month was a “step in the right direction.”

Of course, Exelon wants and needs the blessing of a majority of NRG shareholders and their help to increase Exelon’s influence on NRG’s board of directors. And, it’s those stockholders Exelon has been targeting, including in one of the company’s latest opportunities placing Chairman and CEO John Rowe on CNBC:

Exelon CEO John Rowe

“…we think the synergies that we can offer…make a couple billion dollars for the
shareholders in each company, and that’s a rare thing. NRG is betting on a
growth strategy. Most of those growth strategies in our business don’t work…this
is not only a conflict about price, it’s a conflict about views of the entire
industry and it really just comes down to what the investors believe.”

NRG is a global wholesale energy company. Exelon is the most prolific user of nuclear power producing electricity in America. NRG has nuclear generation facilities in the very attractive growth market of Texas, as well as natural gas, oil and coal plants throughout North America and in Europe and Austrailia.

Together, the two companies would create the largest U.S. power generating concern. When Rowe talks about making “a couple billion dollars for the shareholders in each company” on CNBC, it’s a very persuasive argument targeted at industry analysts, the NRG board and stockholders he needs in favor of the merger.

Let the Media Help Say It for You

emseidel — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:53:27 +0000

By Eric Seidel, CEO
The Media Trainers®

It’s the National Retail Federation vs. Wal-Mart. Despite the federation’s 2500 membership roster, this has the feel of David vs. Goliath.

So, when you’re at an apparent disadvantage of that degree, what can you do? Get some help from the news media, of course.

These two seemingly aligned organizations are on opposing sides of healthcare reform. Wal-Mart, often at war with unions and their attempts to organize the massive retailer’s workforce, has “partnered” with one of its most aggressive and long-time antagonists, the Service Employees International Union in favor of employer-mandated healthcare. The federation says that would be a job killer and put many retailers out of business.

The federation’s Sr. VP for Government Affairs, Steve Pfister, recently carried that message to target audiences watching Fox News Channel’s Your World, and took advantage of some questions from substitute host Stuart Varney.

Varney: “Maybe Wal-Mart did because it knew it could do it and it would put unbearable pressure on its direct competitors.”

Pfister: “Well Stuart, you said that, I didn’t, but I think there might be some truth to the comment you just made.”

And Varney said it for him, giving Pfister an opportunity to simply second that emotion. Then Varney opened another door of opportunity for the Retail Federation executive.

Varney: “Do you think they are trying to buy and curry favor with the unions; a good PR move, for example.”

Here Varney is alluding to the effort by unions to get federal legislative relief to sidestep secret ballot votes in shops they try to organize.

Pfister: “…in terms of currying favor with the unions, in addition to healthcare reform, I would submit to you that the SEIU’s number one priority as well as the rest of organized labor is the card check issue, and I’m not going to suggest that there’s a quid pro quo because I think that would be fool hearty to try to cut a deal on providing healthcare coverage to ward off card check…”

Pfister’s not-so-subtle message to Wal-Mart: if you think you can stop union efforts on card check by aligning with them on healthcare, you’re fooling only yourself, at the expense of your fellow retailers. While news people often ask questions that seek conflict and controversy, there are times when you can use those questions, as Pfister did, to your advantage without necessarily being the primary message sender.