Posted on July 2nd, 2009 by Aerial M. Ellis
If I say I’m a doctor, there would be a general assumption that I have degrees in my area of study, hold a significant amount of professional expertise to maintain creditability, and possess a verifiable list of clients that can vouch for my work.
That’s how it works for most professional titles.
I was bothered when I saw a Gawker.com post about “the most famous publicist” who blasted a press release about her dinner date with Cheers sitcom actor, John Ratzenberger, to the media. The random email with “MEDIA ALERT” leading its’ subject line included the restaurant’s location and a welcome for all…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 by Doug Bedell
A bill to allow local governments to post legal notices online is advancing in the Pennsylvania Legislature. It makes you wonder if we aren’t rushing headlong into a dubious media future. The bill also indicates how powerless newspapers appear to be to protect their revenue streams. 
Supporters of the bill in the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee (which voted 18-6 for its release) said online advertising would be a substantial saving for the state’s municipalities and school boards. And so it likely would. They currently spend about $26 million a year on legal advertising.
But that advertising has represented assured revenue for Pennsylvania’s…
Read More...
2 Comments »
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 by Andrea Sok
I was at a gathering of media professionals on the evening of Michael Jackson’s death and we were all talking about how we heard the news of his death. The one common newsource? Twitter.
I actually get most of my news from Twitter. It is a great way to stay connected throughout the day. But with so many applications and programs to assist users, how do you know what to use? I can’t claim to be a twitter expert, but here are three tools that I find helpful:
Tweetdeck
I manage three twitter accounts. With tweetdeck, I am able to set up columns for each account…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on July 1st, 2009 by Doug Bedell
Empathy – walking in another’s shoes – is a prime principle of public relations. I was reminded of that, again, flying home from a vacation trip on United Airlines. This is the airline, remember, that touts the “friendly” skies. 
We don’t fly a lot, admittedly. We might look forward to more trips if it weren’t for the hassle that United introduced with its automated ticketing machines. United introduced the machines without a word of guidance to passengers on their operation. That’s where empathy was – and remains – missing, and anxiety takes over.
Bear in mind the scene as passengers flow…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on July 1st, 2009 by Sam DeReign
One of the main reasons I abandoned MySpace was the endless stream of 
friend requests and messages I got from those darned spambot hussies who go around sharing links to their “naughty pixxx lol.” (They always throw in an lol for good measure.)
Now that MySpace is about as used up as Lindsay Lohan, spammers and legitimate users alike are clamoring for a piece of Twitter, the Megan Fox of social networking sites.
But like any popular website, Twitter is being infiltrated by the same skeezos and scam artists hoping to make a quick buck off someone’s ignorance.
Why, just this morning I got an…
Read More...
7 Comments »
Posted on June 29th, 2009 by Leslie Hawk
Whether you agree with President Obama’s politics or not, you have to concede that he is quickly changing the way the game is played. How? By utilizing social media.
I’m not just talking about his well-publicized addiction to his Blackberry. I am talking about his use of podcasts for his weekly address and his use of Twitter and Facebook to advance his healthcare agenda.
Obama has connected with the American people through the tools of social media, which means a more informed and educated public. This means that “what is done in Congress stays in Congress” is no longer true. And this…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 26th, 2009 by Aerial M. Ellis
The loss of a life is always a crisis. When the dearly departed is Michael Jackson, the media floodgates are likely to burst and overflow.
The king of pop’s demise occurred at 2:26 p.m. on Thursday, June 25, 2009 at the UCLA Medical Center. As one of the country’s best-known hospitals and as one of the ones most likely receive celebrities in it’s emergency room, the staff could have prepared and rehearsed a detailed crisis PR plan to put into motion long before tragedy strikes. However, when the greatest superstar that ever lived takes his last breath in your facility, a plan…
Read More...
1 Comment »
Posted on June 26th, 2009 by Andrea Sok
I know you have all heard it from your boss or clients before. Someone in your industry is quoted in a national publication or seen on national television and they want to know when it will be their turn.
About a month ago the organization I work for, Save the Family, was featured on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. Coming off that high I got the expected questions regarding when we will be featured nationally again. I don’t know why Oprah’s people haven’t been banging down our door!
What steps do small-medium size non-profits take after such a great event? You must keep doing what…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 25th, 2009 by Sam DeReign
I’m scared of the iPhone – as in I have to control my urge to crawl into the fetal position when someone starts explaining all the things it’s capable of doing.
When it comes to my cell phone, all I want is the ability to talk and occasionally text. That’s it.
To me, the iPhone is just another piece of technology that mocks my lack of social importance. There is no aspect of my life that would necessitate an iPhone. I don’t know enough people. I don’t travel enough. And my job is not one of those bustling, on-the-go, “modern man” jobs…
Read More...
17 Comments »
Posted on June 25th, 2009 by John Vignolo
Earlier this month, Nielsen Online released a study detailing time spent on social networking sites. In the past year, usage of social networking sites has jumped 83 percent. Facebook led the way in this surge along with Twitter. However, these media-hyped, mega-viewed sites still struggle with one thing: a way to actually make money. 
This week the team behind Twitter announced that the micro-blogging service will earn its first revenues in 2009 from major corporations such as Dell, Whole Foods Market Inc. and Starbucks, while Myspace cut two-thirds of its global workforce. Twitter co-founder Biz Stone stated that the company could…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 25th, 2009 by Heidi Sullivan
As public relations professionals, we are all taking a crash course in engaging in social media whether we like it or not. 
What are some of the easiest ways to lose that ever-important social capital in the social web? Here are 5 surefire ways to burn bridges and lose social media cred:
- Syndicate without caution. There are some extremely useful tools to upload your blog photos to Flickr, send your Diggs to Twitter, etc. However, these tools should always be used carefully – syndication can be seen as annoying – or *gasp*, spam – when done too frequently or impersonally. If you’re…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 24th, 2009 by Sam DeReign
For a guy who hasn’t made a successful movie in several years, Ashton Kutcher remains surprisingly somewhat relevant. If you think it’s because of his marriage to Demi Moore, think again, ‘cause let’s face it – Demi Moore hasn’t been relevant since 1997.
No, it’s his addiction to Twitter that has garnered him headlines on CNN and more followers than Oprah. In my opinion, anyone who has more followers than Oprah on Twitter is entitled to some sort of bejeweled Twitter crown. Many would argue that having more Twitter appeal than Oprah is the epitome of successful PR.
In other words, Mr. Kutcher…
Read More...
40 Comments »
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 by Leslie Hawk
I know this article may seem a bit hypocritical, especially since I am constantly on Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites updating my status, keeping up with friends and co-workers, and networking with business associates. However, it has recently come to my attention that I may be addicted.
Here are some warning signs:
· If your phone buzzes in the middle of the night with a new post and you break your big toe on the dresser going to check….you may be a Twitt-a-holic.
· If you have mastered all the nuances of typing out “umms,” “uh-uhs,” and other non-verbal cues such as nodding…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 19th, 2009 by Gene King
The executive interview can be one of the most stressful exercises for public relations professionals. It amazes me to see how man executives still conduct interviews, particularly on television, and are awful. Worse than that, they are woefully phony, over-rehearsed and about as insightful as a politician on a campaign stop. In other words, they say nothing, deliver tired cliches and act more like an infomerical host than a leader of a corporation with something substantive to say.
A grim reality of public relations today is that marketing has absorbed it as a subservient aspect in many companies—a terribly wrong move…
Read More...
2 Comments »
Posted on June 18th, 2009 by Gail Whitcomb
Avon’s CEO Andrea Jung recently fired herself one Friday afternoon. Of course, she was back at work the following Monday, but with a lot of positive press coverage under her belt.
USAToday recently featured Jung in its Executive Suite column as an innovative and long-tenured CEO. And much as I hate to say it, a long-lasting female CEO. Savvy women leaders like Carly Fiorina and Anne Mulcahy made it to the top, but didn’t last. I have to believe that Jung’s top notch PR skills have helped her stay the course for 10 years. Plus being a kick-butt business person.
Her interview…
Read More...
2 Comments »
Posted on June 18th, 2009 by Andrea Sok
Businesses do it all the time. Offer a discount or free product in exchange for an email address or a referral. Should nonprofits do the same? As an individual working for a homeless provider, I can’t offer much in the way of discounts, but what’s wrong with purchasing some gift certificates in order to get people to follow our cause or refer a friend?
The Phoenix area HandsOnNetwork recently partnered with US Airways to offer participants an opportunity to win US Airways gift cards in exchange for a vote. The votes were for a contest being put on by Target Corporation and…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 17th, 2009 by Aerial M. Ellis
Reading is fundamental. Writing is as well. But not all writing is created equal, particularly when it comes to writing for news.
Maybe you’ve been there before. You need to write a press release but don’t have the slightest idea of where to start. You’re unsure about the content, the news factor of your story or what it’s worth. But you were always good in English, so you’ll figure it out.
Or maybe you’ve been here: you have an important message to get out to the media and want give them all the details. You’re uncertain of how to send your press release…
Read More...
2 Comments »
Posted on June 17th, 2009 by Leslie Hawk
I recently read an article in the May 29, 2009 BusinessWeek by Gene Marks, CPA, entitled “Beware of Social Media.” I am not sure exactly why Mr. Marks felt the need to comment on this topic. I don’t go around telling him how useless and time consuming balancing your checkbook is (I know there must be benefits or my accounting professor wouldn’t have taught us to do it). The point is, I am not a student of accounting and I am not qualified to speak about it. I will leave that to the professionals such as Mr. Marks, just as he…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 16th, 2009 by Doug Bedell
Channels are channels. Return calls from the public, promptly. Don’t set up e-mail access and not respond to messages sent there. These are elementary PR precepts, but it’s surprising how often communication offices ignore them. It’s as though messages get brushed off a desk, or lost in a pile. 
Carelessness like that, of course, undermines relationships. It’s worse when a government agency is involved and even worse when the agency is part of a new administration that prides itself on being responsive to citizens.
I can provide a personal instance, and advise that I don’t enjoy being ignored. Nobody does. I’ve…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 16th, 2009 by Doug Bedell
Get to know the local reporters covering your area – TV and print. That sounds obvious, self-evident, but how many of us really do it? 
More likely we put in a call to the assignment desk and wait for a reporter to show up to do an interview – we become a talking head for a questioning microphone or notebook. Maybe the reporter you haven’t seen in a while is pining for a feature. Do you know what areas he or she follows?
There’s opportunity in really trying to learn a reporter’s interests and to what extent he or she is able…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 16th, 2009 by John Vignolo
By now if you have read the news or turned on the television in the past few days, the Iranian presidential election and public protests surrounding the victory of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have remained near the top of the mass media’s attention. What you will also be hearing about is how Iranians are twittering about these public demonstrations, posting photos of the chaos, @replying to Wolf Blitzer about his haircut and more.
Twitter enables ordinary people to be conduits of information. It can be used to engage people to gather further material for stories and to report on them from…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 15th, 2009 by Natalie Black
If you weren’t already sick and tired of hearing about Twitter’s astronomical success, then you will be by now.
I came across an article in The New York Times this weekend which explored the phenomenon behind Twitter’s suggestion list (check out the article here). In the last few months, Twitter has hand-picked a few hundred members to suggest to followers. The result has been a surge in growth for those users. And by surge, I mean literally hundreds, if not thousands of new followers in a matter of days. Needless to say, PR pros have caught wind of this and have now…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 15th, 2009 by Leslie Hawk
I would like to continue my comments on the article by Gene Marks, CPA which were recently published in the May 29, 2009 BusinessWeek.
Last week, I went through his social media myths #1-2 and this week I would like to round out my commentary by continuing to elaborate and further explain why much of what he says is erroneous or simply does not go far enough.
Mr. Marks says in his third point that there is a myth in social media that you need to be on all the big sites. He goes on to say that those who have…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 14th, 2009 by Jonnice Slaughter
From time to time, its certain that PR professionals will have to employ tactics, that aren’t taught in many PR school handbooks, in order to engage a specific media target. One tactic that fits this category, that is widely used when traditional pitching isn’t enough, is a media walk-through or visit. In fashion, this would be the equivalent to a “Go-See.” This is when you schedule your client to visit a particular media outlet for the sole purpose of presenting their brand in hopes that the one on one interaction will deliver a better outcome than over-the-phone pitching, email pitching,…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 12th, 2009 by Will Gorsuch
The subject of my blog is simple – PR. Now before you cast the cloak of discontent, I want to put some spin on the subjec
t. My topic is Physical Relations (the kind without the worry of any unwanted STDs). While there may be a more “specific” title without its own quotations and all, my idea of Physical Relations are the kind of Public Relations campaigns that are more than just words on paper.
I am not talking about pens, key chains, coasters, condoms, bracelets, boxes, or can openers with your company or brand logo stamped on them. My idea of Physical Relations comes from…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 12th, 2009 by Gene King
Just when you thought you’ve seen it all and couldn’t possibly shake your head more in these challenging and crazy times comes a reminder that surprises are always certain in uncertain times. As companies of all sizes in various industries slice away at their spending, many are taking particularly deep cuts in marketing, public relations and corporate communications. Yet, one company is going against the tide. It’s a company that many in our industry would never have expected to come charging into the scene with such rousing endorsements of our trade and yet it has done exactly that and with vigor.
Wal-Mart, the…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 12th, 2009 by Doug Bedell
Here’s what’s listed as pitfall areas by the Bizzy Women blog for women-led business firms looking to hire PR support (my abridgements, read the whole piece): 
1. Great Expectations – PR collaboration won’t be successful overnight. Hard work and collaboration needed.
2. Choosing the Wrong Size Firm – With a limited budget, choose a smaller firm where you can be close to the person you initially talked with.
3. Not Knowing What You Want – Plan beforehand to be clear on what PR might accomplish for you.
4. Be Cagey About Your Budget – give a firm a chance to show what they can do…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 12th, 2009 by Doug Bedell
Business blogs are a new tool for relational communication; add them to the PR arsenal.
A blog can be a message journal or, indeed, an entire website. They are low-cost (apart from staff time), streaming and allow interactive communication – comments from readers and the ability to respond to them. A business blog is a social media tool; it can be a great listening post.
A blog needs to be planned carefully. Who will be its “voice,” on who’s behalf will it be speaking? The CEO, the PR department, the organization itself? The “voice” needs to be consistent. Who will be responsible for…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 11th, 2009 by Leslie Hawk
If you are like some PR professionals you have found yourself at one time or another the only PR professional in your company. You are a department of one.
This presents a number of challenges as well as unique opportunities.
The challenges are obvious. You must work that much harder to make yourself a valuable resource to those who control the budgets. You must justify your existence by effectively communicating the features and benefits – the true value – of public relations. You must be salesperson going to each and every department contributing valuable insight to the marketing, government relations, communications, and…
Read More...
No Comments »
Posted on June 10th, 2009 by John Vignolo
Last week a new search engine program known as Topsy launched into cyberspace with $15 million in startup cash from multiple investors. Topsy determines the influence of a Twitter user by the number of retweets generated about a topic. Topsy should prove to be an asset for businesses – the most influential twitterers on a topic, product, etc. will be readily available for marketers who want to spread their influence.
Topsy may turn out to be a successful search tool for those looking to reap the benefits of Twitter. However, Twitter itself still struggles to meet capacity as its membership…
Read More...
1 Comment »
