This is the first in a new series I’m calling “3 Questions With…,” which will feature three questions with ridiculously talented people in the marketing communications business.
Edward Boches began his career in PR and started the PR department at Mullen more than 20 years ago. He then moved over to the advertising account service side and, later, became a copywriter. He’s now chief creative officer at Mullen.
Edward is the kind of person you want to work with if you get the chance. His energy is contagious. He brings the best out of the people around him. And he believes the next breakthrough creative idea can come from anyone, not just the people with “creative” in their titles.
That’s why I chose Edward for the debut of “3 Questions.” One of the many reasons I like working at Mullen is because I get to work with people like him. I highly recommend checking out his blog and connecting with him on Twitter.
One of the questions that come up often in social media is “Which marketing communications discipline should lead the charge – PR, advertising, digital or some other?” What’s your take?
First of all every one of these disciplines needs to learn social media: the protocols, the platforms, the art and science of conversation, the meaning of transparency and authenticity. Secondly, as community and conversation proliferates, content and creativity will become more and more important. It’s how brands will stand out, inspire word of mouth, and stimulate propagation. Third, in the world of social media, applications and utility are more important than messages; our product is our content and our content need be interesting. However, it still strikes me that PR should lead the way. PR understands how to communicate to and with the public, how to generate content and stories, how to connect with bloggers, and how to write. But they surely can’t work in isolation; they need partners from creative, digital, development, design, SEO and analytics.
You consistently conjure up new ways to use social media tools for clients beyond the tools’ original purposes. What helps you look at the tools and their possibilities in new ways?
Funny you should ask that. I find that a lot of traditional creative people are afraid to take their creative skills and thinking beyond the execution of an ad or a website. For me, social media — the platforms, the technology, the possibilities of co-creation — are far more inspiring than a blank sheet of paper. I want to invent something new every day, whether it’s another use of Twitter’s API for the Superbowl or Academy Awards, the creation of a social media powered website, a branded Firefox add on, or a new magazine made up of aggregated content (my next project). I think we will see a creative renaissance thanks to social media. Think things like Chalkbot, media mash-ups (CNN/Facebook), Boone Oakley’s website on YouTube, etc. All you need is an open mind and some imagination. And, of course, a couple of developer friends.
Congratulations to you and Mullen for winning the highly-publicized Zappos RFP. What do you think set Mullen apart from the other 100 agencies that submitted RFPs for the pitch?
The same thing it takes to win any account. A clear understanding of the brand and its culture. A relentless pursuit of outstanding creative to bring it to life. And the willingness to go that last .0000001 percent, which is the difference between winning and coming in second these days. We did not win Zappos with any social media; it was more a pitch that brought to life the brand and its essence with a voice and a handle that expressed it clearly and creatively. Zappos is one of the best social media brands out there, but it needs more than just social to compete. A reminder that everything has to work together. Social is just one part of the puzzle, though, of course, the fastest growing one.
Anything you’d like to ask Edward? Feel free to leave your thoughts or questions in the comments.
*Image from Creativity_Unbound.
David spends his days focused on marketing communications strategies and execution. He blogs here regularly about integrated communications, PR and social media.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Looking forward to this series. I love Edward’s comments on Zappos in that social media is just one piece of the puzzle. It’s not the be-all, end-all.
My question to add for Edward, someone who has successfully bridged PR and creative in his career: what’s the number one skill you think PR practitioners are lacking today that is stopping them from being an “all-around” performer as the marcomm disciplines continue to meld together?
Amy:
Hard to nail down one skill, but the two things that I believe every PR person needs to get really good at is: curating and choreography. Ha. Bet that’s not what you thought I’d say. But these days everything is so interdependent. Content/technology/distribution/branding/paid/unpaid, etc. A PR person should know how to inspire conversation, gather a community, represent a brand, and counsel its use of social. But more and more she’ll need to create or inspire original content and utility, unite multiple services and agencies, and incorporate ideas and apps beyond what any one person or group can do. Requires a new set of skills; like being an architect: have a vision, know what needs to get done, assemble the pieces, build. Good luck. Somewhere between difficult and challenging.
Not what I thought you’d say, but a very interesting response. Part museum director, part cruise director? It’s a tall order, for sure, but I think we’ve already seen that professionals who have been most successful innovating for their organizations are doing exactly what you’ve said: developing and telling a story across many channels such that a community will want to participate in that story.
David – Great series going here, and I really like how you have focused this Q&A session down to just 3 really well-targeted questions.
Edward – Thanks for the insightful answers and for giving us all some perspective about how you have taken a background in PR and molded that into a very well rounded career in client services, advertising, PR and social media. Certainly a model many of us would like to follow. My question for you is this: You mention in your comment to Amy Mengel that you believe PR pros need to better understand how to inspire conversation, generate content and unite multiple parties behind a common cause. Certainly those are all worthy of our time, and something I firmly believe each of us should work hard toward improving on. But my gut feeling as I continue to move forward in the PR/social media world, now on the agency side, is that PR pros really need a better understanding of how their clients’ and organizations’ business operates. Frankly, it’s something that I am seeing lacking in the profession: a high-level business acumen that is necessary in order to best advise and counsel clients and organizations about targeted and well-executed outreach efforts.
I’m curious as to what your take is on this, and what benefit you see in a PR pro obtaining an MBA. It’s certainly an idea that has been on my mind lately, and I would really appreciate hearing what value – if any – you see in this.
Thanks – @KeithTrivitt
Keith:
Didn’t mean to gloss over that. Some of it is a given: understanding a business, its model, finances, operations, decision making, style and most importantly culture. As for the MBA, if it will get you into the boardroom with more respect and attention for your ideas, then yes. I personally dropped out of graduate school and concluded that it didn’t matter for me. Then again, I was an entrepreneur, more interested in building than running. It can’t hurt. But if you do get one, you’ll end up a CFO or a CMO, not a pr guy.
With concern to question 1, I both agree and disagree with you Edward. First, you state: “applications and utility are more important than messages” which, to me, is just wrong – and directly contradicts the first point you make within this question.
I’m no media expert, but have sold a ton of Lexus’ because of knowing how to engage an audience in dialogue. Before social media, copywriters were the ones tasked with one goal – to effectively (and affectively) engage an audience in (an internal) dialogue. The applications and utilities today are no different than learning how to use MS word to write a tv script, or how to use Photoshop to mock up storyboards.
As to which communications discipline should lead the charge in dealing directly with an audience, I wrote a post last January (a month into SM) http://tinyurl.com/82dd22 called Revenge of the Copywriter. I still believe that for seeking out and engaging an audience you still need a copywriter’s tact. However, the deeper I dive into SM, I’m in agreement with you that PR people might be the ones who are best suited to handle direct client dialogue to solve problems, announce things, etc. Besides, I think PR writers might be less expensive than hotshot copywriters.
So I’m torn. Nice post David. And yes, congratulations to you guys on the Zappos account.
Jim – @smashadv
Jim:
Always appreciate your point of view. You caught me for sure. Should have been a little more careful. Meant to say that content and utility (apps) become more important than messages (one way messages) for two reasons. Content in social space is by definition stuff that inspires conversation. And two, stuff that inspires conversation and participation are often things that aren’t written content but rather useful things. Think Gap’s fan page where you can mix up outfits. Or the Zingr add-on from Miracle Whip. Social ideas that aren’t messages but actually enable consumers. Interesting I also think that creatives need to embrace and play a key role in social media, but more as idea generators, not as the day in and day out folks who maintain the relationships that social builds. Thanks
“…in the world of social media, applications and utility are more important than messages”
Really? I think they are equals.
Can you explain why you believe this a little more?
Damn. OK, will try again. Messages are inherently one-way broadcasted soundbites. Social is about dialog and conversation and participation. How do we stimulate that? Not merely with messages and or soundbites, but often with real utility and applications that invite participation and enable a role for the consumer. Not suggesting that what we say isn’t important; rather that what we offer up as content and utility (don’t forget ins social media that is our product) become equally important.