Multitasking- is it costing YOUR company or helping it?

 

I normally do not get into these types of discussions in my blog, but a lot of controversy has been running around about multitasking. So, does it cost a company when employees multitask, or make them more productive? No simple answer.Multitasking

 

It seems PR Clients and major corporations are pushing their employees to multitask due to the reduction in staff. But are these decisions going to actually hurt a company in the long run? I think it will, and it seems to already be happening. When we multitask, many of us think it is doing a few tasks at a time, when actually we are doing a portion of a task. So nothing gets completely accomplished, and if it does, it is over a longer period of time.

 

When I first began working we did several tasks during the day. Was that multitasking? No. Are what young people doing today multitasking? No. The reason, our brains are not capable of handling more than one function at the exact same time. That’s a fact, a scientific fact. When people say they are multitasking, I prefer to use a term “Parallel Tasking”. That makes sense. This means you do one task, such as printing out a status report, and while that is printing, you complete an excel sheet. Another example, you begin to write or type a letter, then decide to have a drink of coffee or water that is on your desk, while drinking, you answer a phone call. So are these multitasks? They are “Parallel Tasks”. Remember, the brain is wired to focus on one thing at a time. Just like a circus juggler who looks like he is tossing objects in the air and then does something else (in the same spot) is using his reflexes that he taught to keep a motion going while he re-directs his attention to another task.

 

There are a lot of studies on the subject, even one called The Myths of Multitasking.

 

So I ask again, is multitasking helping or hurting your company? Before you answer that, check your email and finish typing that report, and oh, change the song on your iPod and get another cup of coffee.

Branding

Are you Multiplatform with your brand?

Branding a product or licensing a product can be a big step for any company. When developing a branding program for a pr client, or your own company, you might want to look at how your product branding, or company branding is marketed.

Today, we are seeing multiplatform branding by major companies. This can be applied to any size company when implemented correctly.

First let’s back up a step. When branding your company, or product is not an overnight campaign. It usually takes several months and in some cases years to build a solid brand image.

Ok, back to multiplatform branding. Why is this new catch phrase important to publicity and public relation campaigns. Because if you are not watching how the consumer, or your customers are reacting to today’s activities, then you are missing out on how to reach them.

Multiplatform brands make use of the different forms of what consumers, like kids, are doing. They are multitasking!

We are all multitasking. It has become a way we do business, how we have business relationships, how we interact with families, and how we buy goods.

It is necessary for you to identify the market you are in, research your audience and then identify what multi-markets, or multi-activities those potential customers are involved in.

This is one way to keep your brand awareness high with potential, and existing customers. Customers will now see your brand in all the places they visit and are multitasking.

Your publicity program can then gain extended exposure with reporters, editors, and various media. How? Because you are reaching out into those customers other markets they are multitasking in. So get your media together and have the pr people start a multiplatform branding program for your company.

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