In addition to the dramatic changes we are seeing in the mainstream media environment with social media and interactive, the public relations (PR) business is evolving as well to reflect the economic circumstances we find ourselves working in. Consider these tips to improve your PR efforts and response in these troubled times:

• Take advantage of lower travel, airtime and vendor costs for outside services like matte stories, sponsorships, etc.

• With advertising activity in the toilet, there is less media clutter and greater opportunities for visibility.

• History shows companies that spend on PR now when others are not, will emerge stronger following the recession. Stay in the game.

• Shift dollars into social media strategies; social media is more affordable, targeted and offers opportunities for increased creativity.

• Many editors are being laid off, and those who survive consolidation are now wearing more “hats”. Pre-packaged stories that require less effort are appealing to them.

• Blogs are growing in sophistication and audience. Increase your outreach to this growing medium. Their viewers are loyal and invested in the content on these sites.

• Offer media “exclusives” whenever possible. With online news at its peak, traditional outlets are looking for a scoop wherever possible to demonstrate their relevance to a scattered audience.

There is a silver lining in every dark cloud, and there are opportunities to be had, even in this challenging marketplace.

More than any single piece of marketing communication you send out into the marketplace, the one most frequently seen is definitely your corporate or brand logo. Have you ever given serious thought to what it says about your company, your philosophy, your people and your attitude?

Maybe it’s time to give that some deeper consideration. A recent article in The New York Times cited a new breed of logo emerging in this troubled economic environment we live in. It’s a warmer, fuzzier, more accessible and friendly looking logo. Non-threatening, reassuring, even playful. As the article puts it, “not emblems of distant behemoths, but faces of friends.”

Experts say logos are becoming less official looking and more conversational. They are not yelling; they’re inviting. They’re more neighborly.

If this is true, the reasons are obvious. In this era of Wall Street greed and big company insensitivity to the plight of everyman, we all need someone to hate or blame. Big multi-nationals fit the bill just fine. Bigger has become badder, not better. So there may be an advantage to looking smaller and more approachable, right? Plus, we live in an environment of increased transparency, and the Internet allows us a previously unavailable view of the workings and corporate citizenship achievements or infractions of companies both large and small.

So specifically what constitutes a “warmer, friendlier” logo? Less intrusive typefaces. More lower case treatments. Increased use of softer more subtle graphic elements and “happier” colors. Wal-Mart’s new logo is a good example. Less harsh and military looking, it is now more differentiated vs. Target and Kmart’s logos.

Does your logo need a make-over? Food for thought.

Before

After

An interesting study was issued recently, from GfK Custom Research North America, which sheds some additional light on consumer shopping behavior in our troubled economy. The study reports that 30% of consumers polled say they are now buying more “store brand products” compared to a year ago. In fact, the percentage of respondents who say they buy “store brands” frequently increased sharply to 55%, up from 41% in 2006 and 12% in 1991. Finally, as one would suspect, 3 out of 4 consumers surveyed say that declining economic conditions are an important factor in their decision to buy more private label.

Private label market share has been on a steady rise for years, long before the current recession began. And store brands are better than ever. Costco’s Kirkland brand has taken private label to a whole new level. The implications of this trend for consumer packaged goods manufacturers are significant and somewhat alarming. They also represent a call to action that smart marketers will heed; specifically that consumers must have a compelling “motivation” to pay more for a branded item when there is an apparently comparable store brand next to it at a lesser price. As marketers, we are in the business of building value into our brands through quality, convenience, performance, price, science, education and features.

That is how we move our potential and current customers up the ladder from awareness to loyalty, the holy grail of marketing.

So in doing battle with private label, you must always provide the consumer with a value proposition that provides both rational and emotional justification for purchase. It that doesn’t happen, losses in your market share may result.

So what is it with this social media trend? Who has time to update Facebook, LinkedIn and keep tweeting at the same time? Are you feeling claustrophobic surrounded by all of these looming technologies? Wondering how you will ever keep up? Welcome to the future.

By most estimates there are currently 14 million individuals on Twitter, and 70 million on Facebook. Plus 6 million LinkedIn users. While these specific “brands” may not be around in a few years (remember MySpace?), the acceleration of social media channels represents not just a fad or even a trend. It has become a lifestyle. Once the domain of Gen X and Gen Y, social media is becoming more and more pervasive. Even Mom and Dad are catching on.

To understand this craze, one needs to recognize that the popularity of these social channels is symptomatic of a larger shift—one toward greater interactivity and control of information. Reality television, though frequently annoying, is also symptomatic. People today want to create the news; in some cases even BE the news. Or at least shape the news they receive in the way they choose. It’s all about control. The days of the passive consumer just taking in whatever they are fed are totally gone. The consumer of the future will control what they receive, when and how they receive it.

So my advice to natural products companies, media and stakeholders is: jump in and learn to swim FAST. Nothing you can do will stop this movement. If you can get out ahead of it you will prosper; if not, you will be swept out to sea with others who never “caught on.” Social media is quickly becoming an activation point for brands where they can connect directly with their customers and participate in market conversations. Don’t miss out.

For those who care, I will be twittering from the Vitafoods Conference and Trade Show in Geneva, Switzerland in May. Follow me at www.twitter.com/jeffreylhilton.

April 22 is Earth Day 2009. Maybe it’s not marked on your calendar, but some day it probably will be. On this day, we are all encouraged to do something to help preserve or sustain or renew the precious and fragile resources of this planet that we live on. Unfortunately, the goal of saving the planet is a bit broad and non-actionable and ultimately confusing to most of us. What exactly should we be doing to play our part? “For the love of global warming, could someone please help me?” is the plea we hear most often.

Contrary to popular convention, in this particular case it is good to sweat the “small stuff.” And that’s the best place to begin. Most American consumers think about sustainability or environmental activism in a series of concentric circles.

It all starts with what I can do to make an impact that will improve life for my own family. That is my immediate concern, before I can worry about the rest of you. Then, as I make some positive changes like reusable grocery bags, recycling and purchasing carbon offsets, I can begin to think about what I could do to impact my local community. So I buy local as often as possible and volunteer time and money toward building support for important environmental causes. Then, and only then, am I willing and able to look outside my community to think creatively about what I can do as a world citizen to make a difference for humankind.

So the evolution and adoption of these types of “green” values starts small in our immediate environment and expands outward as we take small, successful steps. So don’t beat yourself up because you aren’t a Greenpeace Ambassador. Just take small steps to change your life and the lives of those you love in positive ways. If we all did that, it would bring about an amazing shift over time.

On April 22, just do one thing differently than you have in the past. I have been working on this for the last six months, and I am making progress. And it feels good. Try it.

Seems like I have seen many examples lately of what I call the “halo effect of a healthy lifestyle.” Basically, when it comes to health and wellness, everyone you meet is totally committed to living and eating in a fully natural and sustainable manner.

Right.

I am reminded of a focus group we conducted a few years ago for which we carefully screened participants over the phone to make sure we recruited only health conscious individuals who watched their diet carefully and exercised three to five times per week. We anticipated a fit, trim and active group. Boy, were we wrong. It looked like a pie eating contest at the county fair. How could our screening procedure have gone so wrong? Easy. What people say they do and what they really do are seldom the same. Particularly when it comes to health and wellness.

A recent survey by Just Kid Inc. indicated 86 percent of moms surveyed rank “healthy and nutritious” as the most important characteristic of an ideal food for their kids. And 82 percent said an ideal food is one that “establishes good eating habits.” OK. Then who is buying the Pop Tarts, Mac & Cheese, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch? Probably many of those same moms.

The lesson here is that as marketers in the natural products industry, we always have to look beyond what our customers say to determine what they really do and how they really act when no one is observing or taking notes. The moment of truth comes when mom walks down the grocery aisle and makes food and supplement choices for her family. She knows what she SHOULD do and she knows what her kids WANT her to do. The question is what will she do?

Getting at true consumer motivation and authentic buying behavior comes through continued tracking and an ongoing dialogue with your customers. As you get to know them better, you can better predict their behavior and make smarter marketing decisions.

Now, please pass the Oreos.

By now many of you have heard about or personally experienced that proud moment I will call Expo West 2009. The aisles in Anaheim, Calif., were booming, and retailers, manufacturers and suppliers were actively engaged. Even the Nutracon conference was bursting at the seams. Now I don’t know about you, but the success of that event made me very proud of this industry and what it stands for. It made me proud that Americans are still committed to self-care even when their belts have been tightened. It made me proud that the natural products industry can hold its own in this depressed economy, without a government “bailout” and without an “economic stimulus package.” Entrepreneurs and small business are the backbone of our economy. Hopefully government will keep that in mind as it regulates, rescues and spends in search of prosperity.

I had the opportunity to present a seminar at Expo West—“Leveraging Green Marketing Strategies for a Healthier, More Sustainable Brand.” The PowerPoint presentation is available online. The green market is evolving within this new economy, and consumers are still interested in green initiatives provided they can be accomplished within a reasonable budget. Some call it “econo-green,” and it’s the next wave in sustainability. Green at any cost is a thing of the past. It’s all about being lean and green. More to come in later blogs about this dynamic market segment.

All in all, a very productive trade show for all of us. And a good indicator of things to come.