Irv Kupcinet Media Award
Bernie DiMeo | o7.o5.11
Bernie DiMeo with John "Bulldog" Drummond
An overflow crowd of nearly 700 people attended the 37th Annual Ed Kelly Sports Program Giant Awards Dinner at the White Eagle Banquet Hall in Niles. Among the honorees was John “Bulldog” Drummond, who received the Irv Kupcinet Media Award, presented here by veteran PR man Bernie DiMeo.
OLD PR TACTICS WORK EVEN BETTER TODAY
Bernie DiMeo | 06.09.11
OLD PR TACTICS WORK EVEN BETTER TODAY
People may cringe as they sneak a peak at my new blog and see the word old in the title again. But hang with me here. I have some good advice.
Yes, all of my lamenting in past blogs won't bring back the three martini lunch where we exchanged a press release for a bowl of pasta and three drinks. However there are tactics from back in the day that - although tougher to pull off - work even better when you do.
What used to be common was to walk with a handful of press releases and B/W photos from your North Michigan Avenue office and 'make the route', starting with the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Today, across the river to the Chicago Sun Times and Chicago American, up a block to Channel 7, then a stop at Chanel 5, Channel 2 and of course to City News Bureau, UPI and AP. Only Channel 9 was out of the area and required a short drive. And yes, I know you could drop a press release at the Trib for Channel 9 but bear with me a minute.
We did NOT just drop off press releases. We had relationships with not only the reporters but maybe even more importantly with the guard at the reception desk. As unimaginable as it is today, a couple of nice cigars or a even a couple of bucks on special occasions made you 'OK' to pass.
Then it was on to the newsroom where you sought out the reporter you know, saying hello to others along the way, took a seat at his cubicle (some things have not changed) and "sold" your story to him or her.
Is it a lot harder to do today? Of course. Is it impossible? Not at all. I still do it.
One of our clients is Rocco Shirts Chicago, an online apparel company. They make custom shirts and novelty shirts i.e. "Illinois - Where Former Governors Actually Make Your License Plates".
Sending a timely shirt to a reporter is quicker with email, the image is better and it's a lot easier for the PR person. And that's why most PR people do it that way.
I'm hear to tell you that that's not how I do it. In fact, Rocco Shirts Chicago didn't get mentioned in John Kass's column or Bill Zwecker's column or in Quick Hits because I sent them an email. They got in because
I made the walk, tee-shirts and press release in hand. How did I get past guards and into newsrooms in this post 9/11 era? I'm not telling. But if you are a potential client, call me and we can discuss how Bernie DiMeo
Communications can use some old school tactics, along with new cutting edge methods as well, to improve your brand, image, awareness and market share.
And no - I don't use cigars anymore.
BDC in the News… “The New Normal”
Small firms plan growth with long-term contingent labor model By: Ann Meyer at SmallBizChicago.com
Public relations consultant Bernie DiMeo relies on independent contractors to keep overhead low
When Bernie DiMeo shuttered his advertising firm last year after 22 years in business, it signaled a new beginning.
Within two months, DiMeo was back, having switched his business from DiMeo & Co., a full-service agency employing 15 workers, to the new Bernie DiMeo Communications, a small public relations firm that relies on independent contractors. He also launched an online apparel business, Rocco Shirts Chicago, out of his home, creating part-time jobs for his wife and oldest son, who recently graduated from college.
“I’m adjusting to the new normal,” DiMeo said. “In this business climate, you better have several streams of income. And, in my opinion, it’s better if they are unrelated,” he said.
DiMeo’s sentiments are being echoed by many small business owners who downsized during the recession and have yet to add workers, experts said.
More firms use independent contractors
Payroll data from Glenview-based SurePayroll indicates 5.35 percent of workers paid in February were independent contractors, up 40 percent from 3.82 percent in February 2009. What’s more, a new report by the Kansas City, Mo.-based Kauffman Foundation indicates while entrepreneurial activity has increased since the recession started, most new businesses are not generating full-time positions.
While the sluggish economy is spurring small businesses’ growing reliance on contractors, it could be a long-term trend, said Michael Alter, president of SurePayroll. In Illinois, SurePayroll’s data indicates employment was down 2.7 percent in February, while use of independent contractors was up 1.6 percent, Alter said.
A new employment model
“This is a permanent change,” Alter said. Technology now makes it easier for companies to find freelancers, while also making it possible to work virtually. What’s more, small business owners recognize the value of paying independent contractors a higher hourly rate but for fewer than 40 hours.
DiMeo is among those who use freelancers to reduce overhead costs, such as office space, health care and other benefits. “Now I don’t care if I never have another full-time employee,” he said. “I feel better being small and manageable,” he said.
Likewise, many former full-time workers like the flexibility of freelance work. Keith Romero, principal at Krome Communications, worked in several different public relations and marketing communications positions before hanging out his own shingle three years ago, when his mother was seriously ill with cancer. At the time, Romero felt he had no other option.
Flexibility a big draw
Now, he said, he has no plans to return to full-time employment. He likes the flexibility and the fact he can take on jobs he is passionate about even if they don’t pay well. What’s more, Romero said, he hasn’t been pigeon-holed into one specific discipline and looks for ways to diversify.
“One upside to this down economy is increased entrepreneurial spirit,” Romero said.
While Romero said he works seven days a week, he also takes time off during the week. Many others choose freelancing because it allows them to work part-time and set their own hours. Public relations consultant Robin Boesen has worked for DiMeo in on and off for 14 years. Boesen, who has two school-aged children, said she likes the flexibility because it allows her to be involved in her children’s after-school activities. Thanks to technology, she said, “You really can work from anywhere, anytime.”
While many people start freelancing out of necessity, some like it so much they’re unwilling to return to a full-time office job, Boesen said. “They’re going to continue to freelance even as you see more help wanted ads,” she said.
So far, finding talent hasn’t been an issue for DiMeo. He relies on three contractors whom he has worked with before.
For Christa Rivera, who had been a summer intern for DiMeo in 2009 while a student at Columbia College, serving as a freelance account director and art director for DiMeo means she can teach dance about 10 hours a week. “This way I get the best of both worlds,” she said.
Less overhead means lower prices
While relying on contractors keeps small businesses nimble, the contingency labor model generally results in lower prices for customers, giving small firms an advantage over larger competitors with more overhead.
“The new normal is lean. Prices and fees are less expensive,” DiMeo said.
With less pressure to generate more and more revenue, DiMeo has fewer headaches. He prices projects on an hourly basis and drafts plans based on his clients’ budgets. “I go in and say, `You tell us how much you can afford to spend, and I’ll tell you how many hours I can put toward it,’” he said.
DiMeo and his team of freelancers meet as needed at his office, a coffee shop or over lunch. But most of the work is done virtually, Romero said.
Even as the economy strengthens, Romero expects more businesses to work with virtual staffs. “I think the future will be vagencies, virtual agencies,” he said. “More overhead doesn’t reflect more creativity or greater problem-solving skills.”
Expansion a possibility
DiMeo said he shifted his focus back public relations, where he had started his career, because it is easier to manage than a traditional ad firm in this economy. But he hasn’t ruled out expanding the firm or the online apparel business, or adding a third company to the mix.
“My hope is I will at least keep two businesses, maybe more,” DiMeo said. “It used to be OK to be an entrepreneur. Now you need to be a multipreneur,” he said.
The Unwritten Rules of Email
Bernie DiMeo | Posted 02.18.11
I’ve been around long enough to remember a time when there was no e-mail. Now, before you roll your eyes, this isn’t going to be one of my nostalgic ‘weren’t those better times’ whines. It’s just that we have finally reached a point where e-mail has become a burden, not a benefit.
It will probably surprise those that know me but I firmly realize what a benefit e-mail has been to business. At least it was. But now we’ve tipped the scales from benefit to burden. I remember the unwritten rules of e-mail in the beginning:
- No salutation
- Nothing more than a sentence or two
- No attachments, especially Excel sheets that have to be printed out and then are impossible to read anyway
- No sign off, with follow up contact information
The idea of e-mail was that it was a quick simple way to ask a quick question or give a quick response. Basically, if it sounded rude you were doing it right.
Yesterday’s e-mail:
Joe: Will we have 1,000 shirts ready for the convention?
Sam: Yes.
Today’s e-mail:
Joe: Sam – great game last night. Glad we were there. BTW, per our discussion last night (the one before the wine) I want to emphasize again that we get 1,000 shirts ready in time for the convention. I’m thinking we do 500 red and black shirts and 500 all blue shirts. Does everyone agree? Plus make sure they are sent directly to the hotel not to the office. Thanks, Sam. Please keep me updated on this.
Sam: Joe - That was a hell of a game. Not sure my wife believed me about the extra innings. Anyway, I wanted to respond to you re: the shirts for the convention. We will have them in time but I’m not sure we want to do 500 of each version. What do you think of just doing 1,000 of the all blue shirts. It’ll save some money and everyone will get the same shirt. Want me to run it by the art department? And let me know next time those tickets are available. Thanks, Joe.
UURRGGHHH!!!!!! This of course is just the beginning of this particular e-mail. It will ultimately become an e-mail chain of several pages, which each person will print out (paperless society, remember? ha!), make notes and then respond to. Here’s an idea. That black object on your desk, the one with the cord and wire going into the wall? It’s a telephone. Use it. A two-minute phone call is more personal and more effective than a stupid e-mail chain that lasts for days. So next time, please consider using the good ole telephone. And keep it short!
Aahhh, the “Good Ole Days”
Bernie DiMeo | Posted 6.25.10
Okay I admit it. I miss the good old days. I can handle the new media. In fact I actually embrace the new media for getting the word out for your business. But…I still miss the good old days – especially lunch.
Lunch was truly where business got done. Whether it was at the Boul Mich, House of Hunan or especially Riccardo’s – lunch was when business happened. Because it was all about personal relationships. Instead of writing a “pitch letter” and emailing it, we called a reporter, set up a lunch, tucked the press release in a jacket pocket and headed over to the restaurant.
Just a quick aside to everyone under 30, lunch wasn’t a salad and a glass of water. Nor was it a cup of yogurt at your desk. If any of my bosses saw me eating at my desk I would likely hear, “What are you doing here? Get out there and make some contacts.”
Lunch meant cigarettes, martinis and a plate of spaghetti or a beef sandwich and fries. The bar at Ricardo’s was 3-deep by 11:45 and smoke filled the air.
There wasn’t much small talk – the reporter quickly got to the point – “Whadda you got for me?” At which point I gave my verbal pitch, followed by slowly taking the press release out of my jacket pocket. (Oh yes, we all wore jackets and ties every day). “You didn’t give this to anyone else, did you?” Of course not I said and my word was good enough for him. He slipped the press release into his pocket, promised to call me before he ran it, and we got back to our not so healthy but very tasty lunch – and another round of drinks.
On a really good day I would hear about an agency that was having some trouble with a particular client. Promising that I didn’t hear it from him I jotted it down on a napkin and put it in my pocket.
Not too many people have time for those kinds of lunches today, and even if they did it wouldn’t be the same because, for many reasons, we’ve lost that personal touch. Now it’s email, voicemail, recorded phone systems and well…you get it.
Personally I still believe in that personal touch and am doing my damnest to still make it work. Yes I use email, voicemail, Blackberry, iPhones, Twitter, Facebook and all the rest. But you can still find me doing business the old fashioned way. Except today martinis might be a glass of wine, that plate of spaghetti may be fish or chicken and Riccardo’s is now Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush. But I’m there – care to join me?
Look for Bernie’s next blog soon…tips on how old school tactics can still work today – if you do them right.
Our Clients in the News…Lake County Fielders
Kent McDill at the Daily Herald writes:
How Costner connected with Lake County Fielders
Kent McDill, June 8, 2010
Kevin Costner's life-long relationship with baseball has reached a new level.
Costner, the star of two of history's most famous baseball movies, Field of Dreams and Bull Durham, is the co-owner of the Lake County Fielders, the new Northern League team that calls Zion its home.
Costner was a fan of minor league baseball, habitually searching out teams while on location for movies or on the road with his country-western band Modern West, when Schaumburg Flyers owner Rich Ehrenreich came to him with the idea of owning a minor-league team.
Ehrenreich and Costner met through an acquaintance at Paramount Studios. One thing led to another, and Ehrenreich told Costner about "this great minor league baseball project I was working on."
Baseball is a natural conversation starter with Costner, who admits his name has become synonymous with American's pastime.
"I've had this history with baseball prior to the movies that I have been associated with,'' Costner said. "I grew up playing, my dad played hardball, and if you want to be with Pop that is what you want to do. I did Little League, Babe Ruth, high school, pick-up games, and I happened to be associated with those three movies (including "For Love of the Game"). Somehow that cemented in the consciousness of the public my love for the game."
Costner said he initially resisted the germ of the idea that he become involved with the Fielders.
"I resisted because of the geographical distance from where I live and where the club operates,'' Costner said. "But this is not so much about baseball as it is about the fact that I think Rich's mindset is really about the game and about the experience of the customer.
"He really impressed me that way,'' he said. "He loves this game and loves this outlet for baseball. He approached me the right way and was never abusive about my participation. I really like the cut of his jib. He was very thoughtful when he talked about why he wanted me to be associated."
The United States is populated with hundreds of minor league teams, and Costner is one of those people who takes full advantage of the opportunity minor league baseball presents.
But he approaches the experience from a unique perspective.
"Whenever I make a movie on location, I look to see what minor league games are in the area,'' Costner said. "I think about the players, knowing they have to go through this eye of the needle, which is the same with actors and musicians, where very few are actually going to get there.
"I think about the personalities sitting in the dugouts,'' he said. "Everybody there was the star of their team, and this is the first time any of them had to sit on the bench. There is a lot of drama there that is not even out on the field. It is an interesting exercise for me and a social outlet to take my children to."
After Costner agreed to become an owner, the matter of the team name had to be discussed.
Clearly, 'the Fielders'' is a take off of Costner's famous "Field of Dreams'' film, and Costner was not going to allow that name to be used without good reason.
"There was a very thoughtful process about what we were going to call the team,'' Costner said. "The movie is set in the heartland, and there is an association there (with Zion). I thought it was a good fit, and we felt it was the right call."
Of course, Costner knows the one question on the minds of all the new Fielders fans is "When will the superstar owner make an appearance at a home game?"
Costner laughed about the expectation that is associated with his relationship to the team.
"It is my plan to come to a game this summer,'' Costner said. "Rich is very cognizant that he is my eye on the team as it goes forward. But I plan to come and have my boys come and see it someday."
Now that it has happened, perhaps it makes sense that Costner is an owner of such an American enterprise as baseball.
After all, with a career that has centered on the American imagery of westerns and baseball, Costner certainly projects the proper sense of what makes baseball special.
"Nobody is going to expect me to be anything other than an American,'' Costner said. "I am tied very close to the American experience."
If you go
What: Lake County Fielders, a pro baseball team in the independent Northern League, to make its home debut Friday.
Where: First 15 home games, starting Friday against the Gary SouthShore Rail Cats, will be played at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis.
Stadium update: First game at Fielders' new stadium in Zion (route 173 and Green Bay Road) has been pushed back to July 2 at earliest. About 6,000 temporary fold-down seats, portable suites, three party decks, permanent field lighting, mobile restroom facilities and a children's play area are planned for the Zion property, according to the city.
Tickets: Fielders games at Carthage College will cost $5 for adults, with no charge for children 12 and younger.
On the Web: fieldersbaseball.com
Our Clients In The News…Gold Coast Tickets
From Lewis Lazare at the Chicago Sun Times:
Cubs' ticket pitch is pure Gold
May 17, 2010
By LEWIS LAZARE Sun-Times Columnist
Die-hard Cubs fans love their team, win or lose -- and there's been a fair amount of the latter lately. But either way, if and when the balmy days of summer finally kick in, you can be sure Cubs lovers will show up en masse at Wrigley Field.
Some may find it tough to nab a ticket, and Gold Coast Tickets wants Cubs fans to know it is there to assist them.
Gold Coast, which has been around for 15 years, has put a station-domination ad campaign in place at the Addison L stop to remind Wrigley Field visitors about the service it offers.
One of several signs plastered all over the station reads "I'll Get You in All Season Long," while another says "Gold Coast Tickets -- You Got a Guy." Gold Coast spokesman Ben Gosselin said the company has cut back on advertising this year but felt it could get the biggest bang for its limited ad dollars with this station-domination tactic.
5 Social Media Scams and How To Avoid Them
Social Media is like everything else today – look out for scams. Even better, hire professionals to handle your social media - like us. This article, from Norton, describes how you can protect yourself from "viral infection". An excerpt from the article is below:
We’re wired to be social creatures, and sites like Twitter and Facebook have capitalized on this to great success. According to its COO Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook draws 175 million logins every day."
"But with this tremendous popularity comes a dark side as well. Virus writers and other cybercriminals go where the numbers are—and that includes popular social media sites. To help you avoid a con or viral infection, we’ve put together this list of the top 5 social media scams.
# 5 Chain Letters
You’ve likely seen this one before—the dreaded chain letter has returned. It may appear in the form of, "Retweet this and Bill Gates will donate $5 million to charity!" But hold on, let’s think about this. Bill Gates already does a lot for charity. Why would he wait for something like this to take action? Answer: He wouldn’t. Both the cause and claim are fake.
So why would someone post this? Good question. It could be some prankster looking for a laugh, or a spammer needing "friends" to hit up later. Many well meaning people pass these fake claims onto others. Break the chain and inform them of the likely ruse.
To read the rest of the scams and how to avoid them, click here.
Blast from the past: Sox to pitch park upgrades to fans
I love it when I’m proven right, years after the fact. My comment in 2001 has proven out that attendance would increase at Comiskey Park once improvements were made. Of course winning the World Series helped a bit too. I didn’t see that coming. Here's an excerpt:
From 2001:
In an attempt to draw more fans to White Sox games, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority has approved spending $22 million to revamp concession stands, improve views and upgrade club level seating at Comiskey Park...
"Comiskey got caught in a time warp," said Bernie DiMeo, CEO of DiMeo and associates, the advertising firm that came up with the "Good Guys Wear Black" campaign for the White Sox. "This stadium is a big improvement over the ones built in the 1960s, but it came just before this retro-style stadium trend that has snowballed, and left Comiskey behind."
For old times sake, you can read the full article here.
Bernie DiMeo launches new public relations firm
Our new site has been live for less than 48 hours, and Lewis Lazare, Chicago's media and advertising guru has already found us. Here's an excerpt from his write up:
He's back. And none too soon, if you ask us. Just weeks after shuttering his 22-year-old ad agency, DiMeo & Co./Chicago, Bernie DiMeo is going back to his roots in the communications world and launching a new public relations firm, Bernie DiMeo Communications. The firm's tag line (and with Bernie at the helm, how could it not have one?) is "Old Dog. New Tricks." By that, DiMeo intends to suggest that his new firm will combine the best of old school, traditional public relations practices with the potential and power of new media. "I may be an old dog, but I have learned some new tricks," said DiMeo...
DiMeo and his new PR team, for now, intend to operate in a lean, low-overhead fashion. His team will forgo a traditional office space and work independently or collaboratively, depending on a project's needs. But DiMeo knows where he can find "office space" if he needs it. "We have about 50 satellite offices around the city, and they all have a liquor license," said DiMeo, who can do quips with the best of them...
You can read the rest of Lewis' blog post here. I highly recommend it. But don't forget to check out the rest of our new site first!