Jane Genova: Speechwriter - Ghostwriter

Travel Media - Yet, Another Shift (Post-Airbnb, Now Post-COVID-19)

The travel brand communicated extreme pleasure, at least for tourists. And, enough pain to complain about for business people whose work involved too much time on planes and hotels far from home.

That brand identity has fallen apart.

According to Airbnb head Brian Chesky, it might never be able to be put together again.

In an interview with influential Axios, Chesky fingered a permanent shift from travel which involved planes, border-crossing, city tourism, and primarily for business reasons. Instead, any form of wanderlust will consist of getting there by car, sticking within about 200 miles, heading for small cities, and sheltering in homes, not hotels or motels.

A big gainer will be open-air natural recreational areas such as National Parks. This weekend in the Midwest, parks were full. In addition to the cars that Chesky mentioned, there had been plenty of motorcycles, motor scooters, and bicycles (traditional and e-). 

Of course, the disruption has been put in play by COVID-19. 

And, again travel writers will have to return to the drawing board to focus on what people are interested in.

That upheaval in subject matter correlated with the coming of the Airbnb concept. Tourists wanted to experience the local scene, say in Barcelona, Spain, in an intimate way. Airbnb made it possible to stay where the natives lived and worked, not in a standalone hotel chain. And the travel media directed writers to ferret out where the insiders really went to eat, drink, flirt, and gawk. Out were the usual tourist traps.

In the COVID-19 era and afterward travel writers will be digging around for what's undiscovered fun in natural surroundings and in small whatever.

For example, there could be a story with lots of action-packed photos of how the Coast Guard rescued a small boat in a state park surrounding Lake Erie in Toledo, Ohio. Or, where the regulars contend fishing is best in that location. As for commercial tie-ins there will be plugs for where to rent a bicycle or motor scooter and what private homes host guests (including w/o a middleman such as Airbnb). Also, cover tenting. What facilities allow pets?

Will the traditional European, then Asian, Grand Tour end for new college graduates? That could also represent COVID-19 fallout.

Parents might only pony up the funds for touring the Great Natural Wonders, small towns, and wide open spaces in the U.S.

The old jingle about Seeing the USA in Your Chevrolet might mutate into Hop on a Honda 125 and Tent Your Way to Enlightenment. The new travel symbol could be couples, of all sexual configurations, motorcycling across the USA. Already, I am observing more three-wheeler cycles wherever. 

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The Social Media Branding Playbook

How is your social media branding doing?

Likely if it's serving your professional needs well, it probably doesn't include a book you published recently.

In digital, "real" books are an anachronism, with some exceptions.

Sure, though, knock out some free e-ones as a download on your website. But, since Google is your new homepage, that website per se has less and less ROI.

Now and then, Google will pick up some content from your website. But the game is actually about what makes it onto search engines about you. Add onto that reality this: Google is currently a major part of your resume. Employers review your social branding. 

And, just as important, in the era of Amazon - as public relations player Bob Dilenschneider should have known - publishing a book is a risk. If it doesn't get traction in Amazon rankings, that book puts the author in what could be called The Amazon Corridor of Shame."

Here's an interesting tidbit in the annals of branding. There's a lesson here. 

On December 31, 2019, scheduled to help folks with their own decisions in 2020, Dilenschneider published the book "Decisions."

Since then, it never did catch fire.

Right now, at 6:00P.M. ET, its Amazon ranking is 700,749.

The number of customers who had reviewed: six.

No Big Brandname has given it gush. After all, both the long-time business celebrities on Dilenschneider's network - Roger Ailes and Jack Welch - have died.

The composite social brand is what counts, not being the author of a book, at least not one which isn't a best-seller or a juicy expose.

The elephant in the room is: Could "Decisions" or, by extension, any book had done okay had there been no coronavirus? A judge on the bench assessing who's in and who's out would rule that issue speculative and irrelevant. All that matters is what's getting attention for and enhancing the social brand in the now. 

Those in the trenches of executive communications in the Fortune 100 and in marketing for BigLaw have to embrace that development. That is, if they want to generate results for their clients.

In addition, they are probably struggling to hold onto their jobs during the latest Stalin-like purge of white-collar workers. As The New York Times reports, once they are knocked out the 2020 sandbox, they wind up in suspended animation. Too many do not understand how to grab onto work in a very different phase of the American labor market. They may never land comparable jobs. 

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The Coca-Cola Pause - No Advertising on Social Media for 30 Days

For Coca-Cola it will be 30 days of reflection and re-evaluation of its advertising on social media globally, reports CNBC.

Unlike Unilever and Verizon, Coca-Cola isn't officially participating in the boycott of Facebook's advertising platforms. Its stance is more individualistic. Its head James Quincey highlights the corporation's commitment to not being part of any form of racist messaging. What he demands is this: more accountability and transparency in advertising.

Meanwhile, for myriad reasons, the world of advertising is unraveling. Even among BigTech players such as Google, where the majority of commercial messages are placed, there has been a decline in advertising revenue. 

Had Don Draper from "Mad Men" been in the ad game today, he probably would be on furlough or even laid off. 

The Coca-Cola pause could set off an earthquake in the global ad sector.

In marketing timing is everything. Complimentary consultation on your marketing communications in COVID-19 time. janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

BuzzFeed: Tech Writer Ryan Broderick Fired for Alleged Plagiarism

BuzzFeed News is now the object of the buzz.

Its senior reporter on the tech desk Ryan Broderick has been fired. It's alleged he committed forms of plagiarism in 11 articles, reports The Wall Street Journal. Essentially, that consisted of using other media outfits' material without attribution. Those included HuffPost.

This development is news. But it's not necessarily a black eye for BuzzFeed News.

There has to be a degree of trust between editors and reporters. When BuzzFeed became aware of the alleged plagiarism, it investigated. It took action. It made public its findings.

One of the most high profile situations of reporter misconduct has been that of Stephen Glass at The New Republic. That saga even became a film.

Part of the reason for the long shelf life of that kind of fabrication is that Glass went on to attend and complete law school. Of course, given the character requirements of state bar associations, he was not admitted to the bar. Therefore, he can't practice law. 

Because the legal profession is so highly regulated it seems bizarre that Glass would opt to start a new career by going to law school. 

Could it be that usually plagiarism results from what might be thought of as a "loose wire." The classic example had been Jayson Blair's antics at The New York Times. 

Other times it results because of extreme pressures. The reporter or the columnist simply caves to lifting someone else's material to keep up with the workload. Digital has speeded up the game.

Also, in media currently, metrics are recorded and displayed in real time. When I was a columnist for AOL the bulletin board tracked page views, comments, and so on. No question, that ups the pressure game. 

An irony in all this, especially because the U.S. is the global headquarters for capitalism, is that overall media jobs pay peanuts. At least compared to those doing tech or on Wall Street. There's a big tradeoff in money for a byline or influence. 

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Unilever Yanks Advertising from Facebook - The Social Network Caves

It could have gone either way.

The movement to boycott advertising on the Facebook platforms could have fizzled out. It was put in play by civil rights groups.

Or, it could have picked enough traction to make the social network pay attention to preventing hate speech and misinformation.

Well, the latter is what happened.

The tipping point might have been Unilever's change of policy. Earlier it had indicated it would keep advertising with Facebook and just push for reforms on the social network's ad platforms. That was even though it subsidiary Ben & Jerry's had announced that it would no longer advertise with Facebook. 

More recently, as The Wall Street Journal reports, Unilever gave notice that it would withhold advertising on Facebook, as well as Twitter, until there were reforms. In addition, other bigs joined the Facebook bandwagon.

Quickly then, Facebook became all ears. Mark Zuckerberg went public. He stated that political messages its policies forbade would be labeled. Also, hate speech such as depicting minorities as inferior would be banned. 

What's obvious is that boycott had succeeded. Facebook is on the defensive. Its stock nosedived. Right now, it's at 216.08, down 8.32%. Investors must be furious at the Facebook leadership. 

Of course, more businesses could begin participating in the boycott. Facebook might have no other choice but to also make further changes. It contends that it makes its policies based on its principles, not revenue concerns. But in this situation revenue is the issue. And it is reconfiguring policy.

Meanwhile other networks such as TikTok , which is social, and LinkedIn, which is professional, are increasing influence.  Could the unthinkable happen: Facebook become a marginal digital player? Also, Zuckerberg could find his power reduced. 

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Facebook - Will It Face Massive Boycott of Its Ad Platforms?

Right now the boycott of Facebook's advertising platforms is in the embryonic stages.

Kicked off by civil rights leaders it has been adopted from companies ranging from Ben & Jerry's to Eddie Bauer. But, others such as Unilever (parent of Ben & Jerry's) and GM have decided against that kind of initiative. Instead they will speak with Facebook about eliminating hate speech and misinformation.

In 2019, advertising accounted for about 99% of Facebook's revenue. You bet, the stakes are high. 

What the social network faces is that there could be more of the Ben & Jerry's types who parachute into the boycott. The boycott could be huge, notes The Wall Street Journal. That would hit revenue significantly. Also, it would throw considerable shade on the brand.

Movements are contagious. Those which never advertised on Facebook and individuals from all generations can decide to back off from any association with the social network.

Can it go kaput? TikTok is gaining plenty of traction. That's the cool place to make a statement, personal, political, or commercial.

Meanwhile, Facebook's party line is that it makes policy decisions based on principles, not revenue. It reviews all policies filtered through principles, not revenue implications. 

UPDATE:

Verizon pulled its advertising from Facebook, reports the Daily Mail.

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The Extreme Creativity of Jack Abramoff - Up the River, Again, He Can Channel That into Writing Fiction

Some may recall big-name lobbyist Jack Abramoff. 

Then that branding went kaput when he went up the river because of federal corruption charges. That was 2006.

The guy doesn't learn. Or perhaps his enormous creativity just gets the better of him.

Now, as The Hill reports, he's back in the soup again, in 2 ways.

And it all involves that sexy topic of cryptocurrency.

First of all, Abramoff took a guilty plea with San Francisco U.S. Attorney David Anderson for the criminal conspiracy to make false and misleading statements about purchasing cryptocurrency. He faces up to 5 years back up the river.

And, next, as this press release details, the SEC is suing him, NAC Foundation, and its chief executive officer Marcus Andrude for investor fraud involving bitcoin.

The specific matter was allegedly conducting a fraudulent and unregistered offering of AMLBitcoin. They contended it was an improved version of the digital asset.

The group claimed what they were offering had anti-money laundering, ant-theft, and anti-terrorism features embedded in it. Those features, they said, were created on the NAC privately regulated public blockchain platform (not true).

The 3 were imaginative promoters. They touted that various government agencies were in the loop wanting in on the AMLBitcoin (not true). They also boasted that they were on the brink of advertising AMLBitcoin of the SuperBowl (not true).

To navigate his new legal woes, Abramoff, notes Law.com, is again using white collar lawyer Abbe Lowell of Winston & Strawn.

"20/20" should be mulling producing a 2-hour special "The Amazing Jack Abramoff." In prison he will have the time to pen fiction, which might have been the right path for him from the get go. So many convicted criminals have a motherlode of creativity that they could have channeled into the arts. The real-life John Gotti and the TV character Tony Soprano both had a deep understanding about staging. 

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Watch Your Language - "Power" Takes on Ugly Connotation

Many speechwriters recall the time when power was the topic for executives to focus on in their talks - internal and external. Yes, power had come out of the closet. Machiavelli wasn't taboo any more. He had plenty of insight, right. Women were told they need more power. 

Leadership? Like, who cared. Things really got done through power. Stanford University professor Jeffrey Pfeiffer's book "Power" was hot in corporate circles and journalist Hedrick Smith's "The Power Game" in political ones. 

That was then.

Now, power has again taken on ugly connotations, again. 

Enemies of whistleblower John Bolton label him as "power hungry."

Not well-liked First Son-in-Law Jared Kushner is described as having the most power in the White House and that's not good.

Professionals in all sectors, ranging from law to corporate, are being coached for "compassionate leadership." 

Therefore the term "power" has to be eliminated, at least for now, from the conversation. Language is everything in these volatile times. The term "power" is simply too harsh. The front lines in just about every social movement are struggling to soften capitalism.  

Machiavelli, of course, isn't cool any more.

And, COVID-19 has made the world horizontal since we are all in this together - or are supposed to be. Those paid to be in charge are but trusted servants.

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Boycott of Facebook Ad Platforms - Will It Pick Up Enough Traction?

Facebook's ad platforms are powerful. 

So, there is a major business decision involved in boycotting those platforms. 

That business issue in a difficult global economy could prevent that boycott initiated by  civil rights groups from gaining traction.

On the one hand, Ben & Jerry's chief executive Matthew McCarthy announced at the CMO Summit sponsored by The Wall Street Journal that his team is considering a boycott.

On the other hand, the parent of Ben & Jerry's - Unilever - is not.

Myriad other major businesses such as GM are also on the fence.

At this time, it is possible to support social justice in general while not taking the direct initiative of pulling advertising from Facebook. Those businesses can enhance their support by going on record as encouraging Facebook to prevent hate speech and misinformation.

Since the coronavirus is entering a new dangerous phase, the stress on business could and probably will increase. It will be interesting to monitor if there is a pull-back from such an intense integrating of social justice into the branding.

The embrace of The Triple Bottom Line, that is adding People and Planet Earth to Profits, could go on pause. Instead of softening, traditional capitalism could harden. 

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Google Ad Business Expected to Be Down in 2020

It's a confluence of forces. And the fallout from the pandemic is just one of them.

Based on how eMarketer works up the numbers, advertising revenue for Google is slated to decline in 2020, reports The Wall Street Journal. That's the first time that has happened since eMarketer began tracking Google. 

Of course, COVID-19 figures in. Travel advertising accounts for about 11% of Google's ad revenue and people aren't traveling. So, its biggest customer Expedia is doing less advertising. Also, another major customer Amazon is cutting back. That's because it is already having difficulty filling the orders that have already come in. The pandemic has boosted online sales.

But there are other reasons for the projected drop in revenue. They include how businesses are rethinking how they spend their marketing budget. The results from advertising are being questioned. Should more of the dollars which used to be put into advertising be used in another type of promotion?

Also, Google has irritated some of its travel advertisers by putting out there its own travel products to compete with theirs. 

In addition, it is well known that much of Google has become what can be thought of as a "walled garden." It has configured its engine to direct searches to its own products.

Meanwhile, television advertising is also projected to decline about 15% and print 25%. That will mean layoffs in those two sectors.

What used to be glam fields are now corridors of financial pain.

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