LISA KOVITZ - Managing director, Burson-Marsteller, Brand marketing
practice, New York
The Grinch will not steal the holiday season this year for marketers who
really understand how the media is handling non-war related news.
Gift idea stories should have been pitched to magazines months ago, with
the pay off coming now. As for newspapers, every one in this country
publishes some kind of lifestyle coverage on a daily basis - even
specializing it to food, technology, home, and entertainment - so
there's lot of room there. For television, holiday shopping trends will
be canaries in the coal mine on the health of the economy - those "Black
Friday"/day-after-Thanksgiving stories could be a great opportunity for
products sold in large malls, where every station sends reporters in
droves on that day. Certain gifts may be just right for the country's
mood to nest and find comfort. Getting coverage for those products is
all in how they are presented and pitched.
ROSEMARY OSTMANN - Director, consumer marketing & technology, Middleberg
Euro RSCG, New York
The key to communicating consumer messages this holiday season is to
understand how your brand fits into the changed landscape. Strategies
that worked in seasons past will not work this year. That doesn't mean
your core values as a brand change. It simply means that companies must
rethink how they are relevant to consumers. The uncertainty associated
with the economy and further terrorist attacks forces us to be more
thoughtful and cautious about how we approach holiday spending. Research
also shows that Americans feel guilty about spending money on holiday
gifts when those around them are dealing with unthinkable losses at a
traditionally joyous time of year. The news hole is smaller, but it's
not closed entirely.
Holiday spending is a key driver of our economy, and most people agree
we should not turn our backs on the topic altogether. This year,
companies need to assume an empathetic voice and help consumers make
smart decisions that they can feel comfortable about. It is also
critical to show how a brand fits into the trends that are already
starting to surface, including increased online spending, consumer
insistence on straightforward marketing messages, heightened appeal of
opportunities for self expression, and demand for home entertainment
products that allow consumers to spend time with their loved ones.
RENE EDELMAN - Executive vice president, PR21, New York
While journalists are covering the aftermath of the September 11
terrorist attacks, the nation's heightened security concerns, and our
wartime economy, it is more important than ever for public relations
agencies to ensure that all communications with the media this holiday
season are tasteful, thoughtful, and consistent with current news
trends. There is a strong desire on the part of businesses and
politicians to restore consumer confidence by fostering Americans'
sensible shopping with a "return to basics." Morning talk shows such as
Live with Regis and Kelly, newspaper feature writers and consumer
editors will do holiday shopping segments. They may be focused, for
example, on consumer technology products you can use in an emergency or
for survival, such as cell phones and pagers, as well as household
staples, such as gourmet soups and water. There will be opportunities
for consumer, healthcare, and travel companies to provide smart travel
and health tips and promote creative family time. Also, with the
proliferation of online media and cable and digital TV, there are
numerous outlets in which we can place our holiday shopping stories.
TOM GOODMAN - President/CEO, Goodman Media International, New York
We have been working on the 75th anniversary of the Neiman Marcus
Christmas Book and we've continued to work with contacts on the high
end. We launched the campaign soon after the September 11 attack, but a
lot of early pitching had been done. The national programs don't have as
much time to devote to softer news, but there still is some time. For
instance, we were scheduled for a segment this past Friday on Today.
(You've got to dig a little deeper if breaking news happens, this had
been scheduled for October 11.) We're not putting all our eggs in one
basket, we are trying to keep all the contacts alive. None of the
pitches are completely off the table, we're continuing to pitch because
the attitude of producers and what they'll do can change very quickly.
Sometimes they immediately dismiss you, and your initial reaction is to
give up. We haven't fallen into that trap. We've been aggressive without
being abrasive about keeping our contacts while not ignoring second tier
outlets.
