The Biggest PR Wins of the Week

We all know the saying, you win some, you lose some. Well, some won bigger than others in their communications efforts this week. Take a look at who we think nailed it as of late.

1. WestJet 

If you haven't seen (and shed a tear over) WestJet's latest promotional video then you must live under a rock. This video immediately went viral upon it's release on December 8th; already reaching over 15 million less than a week later. It has gained WestJet media attention all over the world, which definitely qualifies as a PR win. The short ad features lucky passengers on a flight from Ontario to Calgary meeting with jolly ol' Saint Nick himself, who was, obviously, in a blue Santa suit. Can you say branding? After their quick meet and greet with Santa they went on their way. Little did they know that while they were in the air, 150 WestJet elves, err, employees, were diligently working on a Christmas miracle. Upon arriving in Calgary, they discovered all the gifts that they had asked Santa for, on the baggage wheel. You can imagine the emotions, excitement and enthusiasm that ensued. Check out the five and a half minutes of happiness for yourself and make sure to have the kleenex handy.

2. Instagram 

WestJet wasn't the only one who had busy elves working away this week. Instagram showed the world today that they too have been up to something, and that little something is called Instagram Direct. What is Instagram Direct? Think Snapchat, but well, for Instagram. It is a new component of the app that allows you to send videos and photos directly to friends, versus posting them on a public timeline. Instagram has a history of reacting quickly to any potential competitors. When Vine first started hitting its stride, Instagram responded immediately with their own version of video. When Snapchat really started gaining traction, the Instagram team when back at it and gave us Instagram Direct. Their incredibly quick turnover rate is unmatched and their constant updates are what allow them to maintain their edge and popularity. Why use 3 separate apps when you can do everything you want in one? Our (and Instagram's) thoughts exactly.

3.  Shopify

This one hits closer to home. It isn't so much of a PR win, but an overall life win. Local tech startup Shopify just announced today that they have raised $100 million in funding. Shopify started out as a few guys trying to sell snowboards, who quickly realized that the software they were making to sell said snowboards just may be more valuable. Shopify now has over 80, 000 online stores stretched across 100 different countries. They are proof that you don't have to sell out to Silicon Valley in order to be seriously successful. Shopify has stuck around in our nation's capital and is now not only a staple in the startup community, but in the entire Canadian community. They represent the ideal, yet elusive  combination of an incomparable creative community culture married with on the mark business smarts.  Kudos Shopify!

The Irony of Exceptional Businesses: Getting Back to the Basics

As a budding entrepreneur, I have recently taken to analyzing and dissecting businesses, companies and projects that I come across along my way. Mind you, I do this from a distance and usually in my head. But I especially do this with successful ones, because well, bluntly put, I want to be successful too. Gotta keep your eye on the prize, right?  Not only that, I have begun thinking about various brands or organizations I like and actually pondering the reasons why I do have such an affiliation and affection towards them.

The common denominator that was first to jump out at me was a simple one, but it was present in almost every single successful company I could think of and really managed to set apart the ordinary from the extraordinary.

I'll sum it up in a phrase for you: the truly exceptional businesses get to be so exceptional by doing some not so exceptional things. Pretty normal things, actually.

It's not necessarily about offering an amazing product/service or having a genius idea. That is an important part of the process of course, but there are millions of ingenious ideas and products out there, and those can make great companies, but to push the envelope and get your company to the next level it requires more than just that. Here is where we get back to the basics.

What do I mean by this? Well, perhaps I'm a tad idealistic and optimistic (my personal blog is entitled "The Eternal Optimist" after all), but I like to think that these traits tend to be rather, well...simple and standard. To me, they should be common sense. That is what I mean by basics. It doesn't take a rocket science to figure them out, but apparently it does to apply them.

I'm talking about the nitty gritty, elementary traits of humanity. I'm talking about getting back to the basics of social conduct, folks. Things like customer service. Great customer service these days can be thought of as simply acknowledging and answering a client's question or concern.  The standards have lowered and the technologies have improved. This should equal a recipe for social success, but in today's day and age it can too often be virtually impossible to track someone down in a company to talk to. And in my eyes that is inexcusable. What goes hand in hand with customer service? Politeness. In today's world of email and emoticons sometimes politeness seems to be a thing of the past, and because of that, it goes an even longer way when done right. There are many more basics I could list off that include but are not limited to: being on time, being prepared, listening skills, etc. These things should be a given in the business world, but I am realizing more and more that they unfortunately are not.

So, what does this mean for you and your business? Don't underestimate having an amazing product, but don't overestimate it either. There are so many (too many) wonderful ideas out there that don't make it past the startup phase and this is usually because all of the effort is spent perfecting the product and not enough on the business end. If this isn't your forte, find someone who does enjoy it and does it well. This is essential because it will create the reputation of your company and you can never take back a first impression, right?

This may be cliché but the most relevant quote that comes to my mind is simply the golden rule "treat others as you would want to be treated". This is almost even more applicable in business than in real life. You are a client of something after all. Turn the tables on yourself and think of what kind of treatment you would expect/like to receive from businesses.

What is your stance on this subject? Do you think it takes ordinary actions to create an extraordinary company? Do you think there is a lack of these logical traits in companies today?