Dallas Business and Marketing Blog

I can still remember the morning about five years ago as if it were yesterday. My cell phone started ringing at 7:45 am on the way to the office…it was my mother-in-law.

Of course I think the worse, and quickly answer, expecting news I really didn’t want to hear that early in the morning. Instead, I was greeted by a very cheerful “mama” who was “just beside herself” because my sister-in-law’s husband–Doug–was on The Today Show!

What?! Now, as a public relations professional, of course I’m drooling at the thought of how lucky he was to be on national TV and a prime morning talk show too! How did Doug do it? and why? He was a self-employed videographer doing business mainly in Texas.

As the story goes, Doug was in New York City visiting my sister-in-law who was working on a contract job with a large financial institution. He flew up to visit her, and since he’s a semi-pro golfer, decided to take his golf clubs with him and get in a few games while she was work during the day. Well, that morning Doug was up early, and since he had plenty of time on his hands before going over to Long Island for his tee time, he decided to take in a few of the New York City sights before hitting the greens, and took his golf clubs with him. A communications major, Doug wanted to stop by some of the stations, and headed towards NBC’s studios. Well, Bryant Gumbel was outside the studio doing his broadcast, and then he saw Doug walk up in his shorts, golf shirt, golf socks and sandals, his bag of clubs slung on his back. Now, how many golfers do you see strolling through downtown NYC?

Not only did Bryant almost scream when he saw him, the cameras turned on Doug and he and Bryant started to have an impromptu conversation. Since I saw a replay of the footage, it was funny: Bryant looked like he wanted to drop the mike and go over and just “yak it up” with Doug. He asked Doug if it was Big Bertha in his golf bag, and when Doug pulled it out, Bryant went over to look at it. Well, in the end, Bryant finally asked who Doug was and where he worked. Guess what: Doug was able to plug his business on national TV. For free! For a small business owner, that’s a big advertising win! Doug later landed a tryout for a new cable TV show that was being filmed: a golfer who wandered around the world playing on the best golf courses. Well, he didn’t get the role (it went to another guy from the Dallas area!) but he still got a potential lead out of his few minutes on TV.

So, what’s the morale to this story? I’m not going to recommend wandering around New York City with golf clubs strapped to your back. But, what you can do is when you’re in a position to get some coverage with your local TV, radio or newspapers, grab the chance and make the most of it! When you’re at a community event, a trade show, or any place that you’re in a “positive” role, then get in there and get your free publicity….and get noticed!

~Deb Decker

Popularity: 17% [?]

I was recently doing some research for our client, C-People, a staffing agency in Dallas and did a search on the company name in Google and Yahoo. I always recommend that companies be aware of what the search results are for your company name, as it may be negative or you may have competitors outranking you for your own company name. What I found in the search for C-People is something that is common for most businesses. When I searched in Google and Yahoo there is now a Pay-per-click advertisement for a competitor. So when you are looking for this company, their competitor is the first result you see in the PPC ad at the top of the results.

What does this mean?

It means that your competitor has a chance to steal away a prospect that may have been on the path to working with you! If somebody is looking for a product or service from your company but clicks to a competitor, your competitor has an opportunity to convert the business or gain valuable lead information.

What should I do?

If you notice that someone else is bidding via PPC for your company name, make sure that you also bid for the term and outrank their ad. Searchers are more apt to click higher results, so if your ad shows before the competitor, then you are more likely to have the searcher find you - and you are the one that they wanted to find in the first place. Even if you rank #1 organically for your name, you still need to go ahead and bid on your name to increase the real estate that you occupy in the search results. If you have two links on the search results instead of just one, you increase the likelihood that a user will find your company. If you need help setting up a PPC campaign, don’t hesitate to ask for help from your favorite PPC experts!

So do you rank #1 for your name or does your competitor? Go search for your company and see who else is fighting for your traffic. You may be surprised what you find.

~ Mark Barrera

Popularity: 12% [?]

Last Monday, September 17, was a beautiful day. Not just because it was in the high 80’s with clear springlike temperatures, but because it was time for the 4th Annual III Forks Golf Classic benefiting Angel Flight South Central!

Executives, business owners and other community members from across the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex either sponsored the event, or had one of the golf teams that played on the 72 Par Queens course at the Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, Texas. Although prizes were handed out to the winning teams (by the way, the winning team was 20 under par!) at the post-tournament luncheon, it wasn’t about winning the trophies and other prizes that attracted the players to the Classic. It was to help raise funds for one of the community’s hardest-working non-profit organizations that has given so unselfishly in terms of money and time to people with medical and other needs.

Angel Flight South Central flies people with medical, or other needs, to hospitals and other facilities within Texas, surrounding states, and need be, across the country. Their services are free, so they rely completely on volunteer piolts and donations from individuals, foundations. clubs and corporations. It’s slogan says it all: “In the air because se care!” Angel Flight South Central’s goal is to remove the transportation burden from patients so they can get the specialized medical treatment they need that’s not available to them locally. The organization wants the patients to not worry about “how to get there”, and instead focus on getting well.

It was their hard work that caught the eye of Chris Vogeli, III Forks’ executive chef and proprietor, and other community members. They decided to organize and host the Annual III Forks Golf Classic (named after its main sponsor III Forks which is one of Dallas’ premier restaurants known for it’s ultimate Texas French cuisine). The funds from the past Classics not only have allowed Angel Flight South Central to provide a record number of medical flights for patients with all types of medical needs, but its volunteer group of pilots also were able to help during Hurricane Katrina, flying people out of New Orleans and other devestated areas to different towns and medical facilities.

So many organizations like Angel Flight South Central need hosts and sponsors for charitable events that they hold annually like golf tournaments, casino night dinners, bicycle rides, and more. Sure, being involved in such an event gains community exposure through advertisements, PSAs and other marketing efforts promoting the event; and companies can network with prospective clients or partners at the event. But the main purpose of any event of this type is to help raise funds for some non-profit group that is helping out people in its local community, across the state or nationwide. It’s about giving back to the community.

Even I got caught up watching the players who were enjoying their game at last week’s Classic, and for a short time forgot why we were all there…until I saw a small private plane that probably had just taken off from the local airport fly overhead in the cloudless skies. Then I remembered. We were all there to help Angel Flight South Central raise funds so they could continue doing the humanitarian job of helping Mom, or Grandpa, or even a small baby get the medical treatments they needed to live, or flying them out of a dangerous situation.

That’s what it’s all about.

~Deb Decker

Popularity: 12% [?]

I remember when the Telecom Corridor was growing in Richardson Texas like there was no tomorrow. I worked with clients in and around the corridor from 1995-2001 during my days in Structured Cabling and Carrier Class Ethernet Hardware. In 1998-2000 in particular it was the place to be with high tech companies grabbing up office space just to be “prepared for more growth”. Then in late 200o I had a conversation with a contact up at Alltel in Arkansas that I knew spelled trouble all the way down here in DFW. My contact told me all CLEC expansion has been canceled for 2001 this was one of the reasons I choose to take a position that winter that moved me out of the state for three years in a more diverse industry.

Three years later I returned to Dallas - Fort Worth and it was good to be home but I scarcely recognized Richardson. The beautiful former Erricson was either empty or now converted into Hotel Space. Several of my former clients had either gone out of business or relocated to less expensive locations. Having spent so much of my career in the 90s working in the area it was a disappointment to see.

That’s why I was happy to read an article in the Dallas Business Journal this morning that mentions a new “Mixed Use Project” going on in Richardson. The new venue will consist of 285 Luxary Appartments and 6,000 square feet of retail space when it opens next summer. The 363,000 square foot development will be located at the corner of Galatyn Parkway and Performance Drive near the Eisemann Performing Arts Center and the Renaissance Dallas Hotel.

The Developer on this project is a company called Legacy Partners out of Foster City California.  While this is not a return of Santera, Pathnet and other Carriers that occupied the Corridor in the 90’s it is a positive sign or the City of Richardson and I for one hope to see the renewed growth continue.

~ Jack Spirko

Technorati Tags: richardson texas, richardson, telecom corridor, legacy partners,   technology business council, dallas, fort worth, ft. worth

Popularity: 13% [?]

The Dallas Business Journal is running a Charity Bass Fishing Tournament on September 28th on Lake Ray Hubbard. The event will be run out of the Bass Pro Shops location in Garland and will be fun to attend even if you don’t compete. Like most outdoorsmen I could personally spend at least half a day just hanging out in Bass Pro Shops so even though I am not planning to compete I will probally stop by and enjoy the event a bit.

For those competing there is money to be won, total purse is $8,250.00 and breaks down as follows

• First - $6,000.00
• Second - $1,500.00
• Third - $750.00

You don’t even need boat or a partner to compete as their are options that will provide you with either one or both. More information is available at the Dallas Business Journal Website,

~ Jack Spirko

Technorati Tags: dallas business journal, bass pro shops, lake ray hubbard, fishing, charity, dfw, dallas, fort worth, garland, texas

Popularity: 14% [?]

Or will it the press release adapt to the network age?

In the past, the press release was written almost exclusively for the news media. A former journalist, I can remember receiving press releases in the mail (some with hard print photos or illustrations, and even VHS videos!), over the fax, on disks, and even sometimes in person. Now that I’ve dated myself, let’s take a short walk down memory lane……

With the birth of the internet, press releases soon were distributed via email to the media, customers and other targeted audiences. Soon online news services were formed. Today, press releases are search engine optimized press releases. Not only are they used by the media for news stories, but now directly drive revenue. The paid newswire services have turned the press release into a social media press release by establishing partnerships with social media start-ups like delicious and technorati, making it easier for people to find news and information that may be interesting to them. Thanks to the internet, today’s press release is made to all kinds of stakeholders, democratizing the news distribution process.

What about blogs and podcasts? Some PR professionals are insistent that news distribution will be solely through blogs and podcasts. For a company, blogs and podcasts will build their company’s presence, reinforce it’s brand, and drive up revenue. But talk to the media, and you soon learn that they don’t want that to happen. Blogs are good sources of public opinion, and additional information regarding a certain topic. Podcasts: the media does not have the time, nor luxury, to watch numerous podcasts and have to glean information out of them for their stories.

So, will the press release go by the way of the Stone Age? No. The press release is here to stay. It’s just evolved a bit and plays a bigger role in the growth of companies, and how business is done around the world!

~ Deb Decker

Popularity: 14% [?]

….spilling into a customer’s lap as they leave your drive thru.

While McDonald’s definitely had a major reputation management problem after the customer sued them for scalding coffee spilling in her lap, their traditional crisis communications plan moved away from just conducting interviews with the print, TV and radio media, and included online reputation management. A few years ago, McDonald’s could have easily turned to traditional media to get their message out to a majority of their customers and rescue their reputation and business. But, that was a few years ago.

McDonald’s was savvy and realized the majority of their customers were not reading newspapers, listening to the radio or watching TV: instead they were online, and blogging. Now they had another issue to deal with: online reputation management. Bloggers are writing 24/7. And they’re located worldwide. And emails and blogs are distributed quickly. You better be ready, and you better be quick when you have a crisis situation, because time is of the essence when you’re dealing with online reputation management.

Now, let’s look at another crisis communication situation that didn’t involve spilled coffee, a plane crash or high-rise explosion. This crisis evolved online through the use of negative blogs and a vicious email campaign.

At an undisclosed university, a senior-level class of students was studying online communications and its effect on businesses and other participants. They were assigned a project to develop an online communications program that involved blogs and emails, identify a “subject” company that they would discuss in their blogs and emails, and track the effect of these communications on their “subject” company’s reputation and growth. After researching various fast-growing companies, the class picked out a privately owned company that printed and sold art gallery-quality giclee prints. While not a multilevel marketing scheme, this company did sign up independent distributors who sold the art via web sites and at local events. Within two years, the company had grown into a multi-million-dollar business.

The communications students picked this company because of its online presence and rapid growth. Next step in their project: blogging and emailing misinformation about the company. Then the students monitored the online distribution of this misinformation, and watched the affect it had on the company’s growth. While this class project was supposed to teach the students the importance of online communications, this exercise backfired. While the students definitely learned the reach online communications has, and its powerful impact businesses and more, the final outcome was not what they had expected: the quick death of a very successful company. By the end of the semester, the company had not only lost its clients and distributors due to false acquisitions and misinformation, but they were forced to file bankruptcy.

When the owner of the company was finally able to find out what had happened, it was too late. Unfortunately, if he had an online crisis communications plan in place, he could have attacked the students’ negative blogs and emails with targeted, positive blogs and emails that would have maintained his company’s reputation and kept him out of bankruptcy court!

Lesson learned for both McDonald’s and the now-bankrupt art distributor: if you have a crisis communications plan, make sure it includes social media! But if you don’t have a crisis communications plan, you better act quick and get one in place. With the scope of the Internet and number of people blogging and emailing, you can’t risk one email going out that can turn into a reputation management nightmare.

~ Deb Decker

Popularity: 13% [?]

What do you think of when you hear the words “chamber of commerce”?

Ribbon cuttings in front of a new building or at a ground breaking? Welcome kits delivered to new tenants at a business park?

Think again.

Your local chamber of commerce is a gold mine of leads.

If you live in a remote location, you’ll may have a small chamber, and if you live in a larger metropolitan area, you may have multiple chambers to choose from and join. Some of those chambers will be young and fresh as they’re involved in a growing community. Or they’ll be older and more stable, with corporate members that are bigger and established. Make sure you join a younger chamber as you’ll have more opportunities to meet and work with companies that are growing, or new companies that move into that city. And look at your mature chambers: you can still build relationships with established companies which can turn into business down the road.

A good example of this mix of chambers is the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. The Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce was established in 1874 while the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce was organized in the 1880s. Although more mature, these chambers still have groups and activities encouraging members to work together to build their cities stronger and more profitable. Then on the southwest side of the Metroplex, you have Mansfield….a town that was once just a blip on the map south of Arlington (yes! soon to be home of the Dallas Cowboys!) is now one of the fastest growing towns not only in the Metroplex, or Texas, but in the nation. As the Mansfield Chamber of Commerce president says, he’s a firm believer in the chamber members working together so they grow and are prosperous, which only makes Mansfield stronger and more prosperous. Then on the Northeast side of the Metroplex, is Frisco. Again, a young chamber that attracts almost 300 attendees to its weekly morning breakfast meeting: not only are these members eager to meet each other, but to work together and help their businesses, and Frisco, be successful!

Okay, so now you think you get to go to breakfast meetings. Yes, and other groups too that are focused on business women working together, community events, and more. But again, think past that. Your fellow chamber members can be reached in other ways too:

Podcasts - produce a podcast that focuses on a topic that is fresh, “hot” and one that will help the member companies grow their business…while “soft promoting” the services you offer to help them get there (like producing their own podcast promoting their product or services!)

Webcasts - get together with a few other member companies and broadcast over the Internet via a webcast on a topic that all of you have some expertise in and provide a solution (product or services) to help other chamber members of businesses within the community be profitable

Community blogs - post to the Chamber blog, and other community blogs, building your presence and reputation not only with local businesses, but the community’s residents

Community events - don’t just send a foursome to play at a community golf tournament, but make sure you have a larger presence as a sponsor: that will get you publicity in the chamber’s publications, on their web site, in the local papers and sometimes, even on TV and radio through advertisements and interviews

So, what to do?

1 Research the chambers in your area, talk to their membership directors and visit one of their meetings

2 Join the Chamber(s) that you believe its member companies will benefit from your services, (which in turn, you will benefit from their business) and where you can have an impact on the community growth

3 Get involved in speaking at their networking meetings, sponsoring community events and getting involved in chamber groups

You have the choice to help shape the way business is done in your community/communities, and how it impacts your company’s growth.

Even if your company has a small targeted client base or is in a niche marketplace, still join your Chamber(s) join and get involved. You never know “who knows who” at a company you have been trying to get your foot in the door at….you may meet and recruit your company’s next CEO who will lead the company on to bigger and better financial growth!….and being involved in your community will build your company’s reputation as a company that cares about the city’s future growth and success which impacts all of the residents living there.

Chamber of Commerce. Now what do you think of? Increased business. Potential leaders. Improved reputation.

Now you’ve got it!

~ Deb Decker

Popularity: 12% [?]