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lines between all communications activities and this requires a new
approach.
9. Don't believe the people that tell you that the only way to generate
awareness for your brand is through paid banner adverts on media web-
sites. Unless you're Louis Vuitton or Cartier, you should go out there
and tell your story, but make sure it is authentic and that you are doing
so in a genuine and transparent manner. Even Louis Vuitton and Cartier
are keeping clients is the loop through new media channels like Twitter.
10. Use your brand's website as the first point of communication with the
public. Communication doesn't only mean adverts and newsletters but
also comprises the sensory elements that are disseminated from your
website's content and atmosphere.
11. Understand that multi-media has blurred the lines between print, televi-
sion, videos and the Internet. Each communications channel crosses over
to the other. The online and offline media worlds no longer exist in par-
allel but have arrived at converging points at several intervals. Can you
name one TV station that doesn't have a news website? Or one maga-
zine that hasn't yet created a blog?
12. Do not be tempted to start a blog or a community just because com-
petitors are doing so or because your PR agency is telling you that it is
the way to go. If you have to create a club or community, there should
be a strategic purpose behind it and it should be executed on the right
platform and without any errors, and not on Facebook only because it is
easy.
13. Keep your eyes everywhere and your ears wide open. Subscribe to
online magazines, monitor blogs, join social networks, activate news
feeds, adopt instant messaging, subscribe to newletters, accept press
releases and do whatever else that is needed to keep up with the web.
For goodness sake do not fold your arms, say that the web is not suited
to your brand - and then look down at your shoes when you hear me
saying at a conference that luxury PR and communications people who
don't subscribe to online luxury magazines are still stuck in the eight-
eenth century.
14. Finally, it is not more important for your advertisement agency to win
awards than for you to win clients. Seriously, which side are you on and
who are you working for?
The magazine madness
If you take a copy of any fashion or lifestyle magazine, say
Vogue
,
Elle
or
Vanity Fair
and flip through it, you'll get the impression that if we were to
put numbers to it, 70 percent of the content would be advertisements and
20 percent would be editorial information on the products and services of the
