ARC ACCESS Board Blog

Amy Keith McDonald Wednesday, April 05, 2006 3:04 PM
McDonald Marketing Communications
Dublin, Texas

254-445-4333

amy.mcdonald@mmcsolutions.com

Wow, you missed a terrific meeting in Memphis. We had great speakers, extraordinary entertainment, and some good ole’ words of wisdom shared by various public relations professionals while we were “off the clock.”

So, I’m compiling some of the info I gained from various sessions that “rocked my world.” (We were in Memphis.) Some are reminders, and some is new information. I hope you can benefit from my list.

Here’s my top ten:

1. While promoting Elvis is pretty easy, using a limited budget to control the various spins can get challenging. And, the time-honored tradition of keeping it fresh applies. The Monday after we visited Graceland on Thursday, Graceland was named a national historic monument, and Priscilla Presley was on-hand to work the festivities. And ARC professionals knew the scoop before the news hit the media!

2. A great way to measure via Internet is to create a multitude of “landing sites,” which allow folks entering a webpage from different sources to land on slightly different URLs. Measurement, measurement, measurement!

3. Elvis.com is also available in Spanish (elvisvive.com), allowing for income from Spanish advertising, etc. Our ARC lesson? Look at what’s happening here in Texas. We need to be ready to adapt our horizons to encompass this increasingly-important demographic on a national level!

4. Go to claritus.com or other sites like it if you want to get the demographic details on an area before developing communications plans. You can get a few freebies, but it and other sites like it are a “must” for the initial planning stage! Check it out if you have never used it.

5. “Scope creep” is a term for the inevitable changing parameters of a project, as changes are made by the Client or better (alternative) options are presented. The answer? Scope creep can be good, but always keep communication between Clients and Agencies current, including cost change, timelines changes, etc.

6. Create a “dashboard” measurement system for various tactics you’re pursuing. Be able to, at any point, point at a routine measurement that allows you to see just how “targeted” and “successful” your efforts are.

7. There is always a need to establish clear, quantifiable expectations for various efforts. Sure, this puts us on the hot spot. But, in the case of the professional who got his Client new product coverage in 17 of 19 trade publications, and the Client was distressed because he did not receive coverage in all of them, if is obvious setting expectations is a necessity.

8. After identifying the Client’s problem or opportunity, ask the question “Can it be addressed through public relations?” Be willing to say “no”!

9. Reminder, don’t just measure what is convenient. The analogy? A drunk looking for his car keys on the sidewalk under the sidewalk, because that’s the only place he can see to look.  YIKES. Take a close look at what you’re choosing to measure. Is it right? Or is it easy and cheap? What does it really accomplish?

10. APR is KING! (right next to Elvis!) More money, more job opportunities, more job security (?is that possible?), and better skills and service to your client or boss! The chance to get APR accreditation is taking off, with a possible group of 10-12 working together post-July 2007 to get ARC members accredited. JOIN US! If you’re near a PRSA chapter, you can study with them, thanks to an agreement ARC has. AND, if you’re not near a PRSA chapter, there are loads of resources for us too!


Carroll Merry Wednesday, April 12, 2006 7:47 AM
Countryside Marketing, Inc.

262-253-6902

On Working With Graceland

While many would not consider Graceland a particular attraction for a dealer or customer program, I think those who went with the ARC tour on March 23 found the entire evening fascinating.I had only been to Graceland once and that was nearly 20 years ago. A lot has changed since then.

The t-shirt and velvet painting stands across the street are all gone and the entire area has been cleaned up. Some new things have also been added to the tour. The auto museum is now across the street and is suitable for a very nice reception. A couple of new display areas have also been added to the mansion tour as well. 

What really made the Graceland experience a nice one, though, was the great people I had the pleasure of working with in making it happen. I wrke with a woman in the Special Events Group...Patty Bennett...and she was an absolute charm to work with. Friendly with a capital F. Cordial with a capital C. And thorough with a capital T.

From the meeting planning standpoint, working with the Graceland group was really great.

So, if you are headed Memphis-way, and are looking for a unique experience for your customers, consider Graceland. We did an entire evening there and it was really great!!


Jo Patterson Monday, April 17, 2006 1:06 PM


The Making and Management of a Legend

No trip to Memphis is complete without a tour of Graceland, and ARC’ers were not about to break with tradition when they gathered in Memphis for the ARC Spring Fling. A tour of Graceland kicked off the ARC meeting on Thursday, March 23.

Whether an Elvis fan since birth, as a teenager, as an adult or – heaven forbid – not a fan at all, the private tour of Graceland provided ARC’ers with insights into the private life of The King. For many of us, it was a flashback to the 70s with the green shag carpeting and dark paneled walls in parts of the mansion.

The Graceland Mansion offered us a unique glimpse into the personal life of Elvis Presley. Our tour included Elvis’s living room, TV room, the famous “jungle” room, trophy building, an amazing display of Elvis’s gold and platinum awards, and lots more. It comes as no surprise that Graceland is the one place where Elvis truly felt at home throughout his incredible life and career. More than 650,000 visitors pay homage to Elvis by traveling to Graceland each year.

After a respectful visit to the Meditation Garden, the final resting place of Elvis, we boarded Elvis’s customized Lisa Marie jet. The jet features a luxuriously appointed living room, conference room, sitting room and private bedroom.

We ended our evening with a reception in the Elvis Automobile Museum. Here we leisurely strolled by the numerous vehicles owned by Elvis. Highlights included Elvis’s 1955 pink Cadillac (his mother’s favorite), a 1956 purple Cadillac convertible, the red MG Elvis drove in Blue Hawaii, his Harley Davidson motorcycles and more.

Two days later, Jen Swearingen of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. joined our meeting to enlighten us on “Managing the Presley Legacy.” As marketing communications specialist, Jen is involved in all aspects of marketing and public relations.

Following are a few fun Elvis facts that Jen provided us:

  • Elvis passed on August 16, 1977 – Part of managing the Presley legacy is NEVER saying that Elvis “died.”
  • Graceland, the most famous home in America after the White House, opened to the public in 1982.
  • Almost 15 million visitors have traveled to Graceland since 1982.
  • In 1991, Graceland Mansion was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • On March 27, 2006, Graceland was officially designated a National Historic Landmark.
  • One in 10 Americans (10%) has visited Graceland.
  • Elvis fans – who are they?
    • 56% are female
    • 30% are under 25 years of age
    • 60% are employed full-time
    • 6% are retired
    • 75% are from the U.S.

For more information on Elvis, visit www.elvis.com, the official Web site of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

Thank you.
Thankyouverymuch.