Finding Your Inner Andy Rooney

I was saddened by the death of Andy Rooney. The world lost a cultural media icon with his passing and for those of you who knew him and followed his work, a part of you may have been left empty too. Rooney gave the world a long and distinguished 70 year career as a war correspondent, writer, producer, and journalist but was undoubtedly best known for his 3 minute essays at the end of the CBS news magazine “60 Minutes” where he constantly pointed out life’s unspoken truths or subtle lies. The quintessential “curmudgeon,” Rooney often touched our lives with his prose and opinions, got us thinking about controversial topics and frequently struck a chord by discussing taboo topics or subjects that no one wanted to talk about like why no one speaks in an elevator. Continue reading

Blogger Relations: Vicks Vapo Dad Event

PR pros have accepted that Facebook and Twitter are necessities in the PR matrix of communications tools. Once you are on board with that, the next step is to understand that bloggers are also a tool that when used correctly can be a powerful vehicle for your brand and message. In the wake of disastrous blogger events such as the Marie Callender’s tasting dinner, blogger relations is important.

Bloggers need to be treated just as you would any prospective customer or reporter. Yes, there is debate and even a court ruling that bloggers are not journalists, but it is the manner you treat them that matters. Continue reading

Conference Report: BOLO 2011

The BOLO conference was held at the totally hip and retro Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale, Arizona with its beautiful saltwater swimming pool and cabana boys (and girls) delivering umbrella drinks. Two days packed with speakers and case studies, a poolside cocktail reception and a rooftop farewell dinner were included in the conference fee.

BOLO stands for “Be on the Lookout” for new social media marketing techniques, strategies and tactics. Bret Giles of Agencyside in Phoenix is the founder and key organizer of this annual event. Scott Stratten, author of “Unmarketing,” opened the conference with the keynote address. He discussed about how employees of companies and corporations are the embodiment of the brand. That moment of truth, when one representative of a huge corporation can turn a bad experience into a great one, is the whole premise of “unmarketing.” Instead of thinking of ourselves as marketers, he wants us to focus on delivering great experiences to our customers, whether it’s in person or in online engagement. Continue reading

Nittany Lyin’: Penn State’s PR Woes Far From Over

Normally, the noise you hear coming from Penn State University this time of year is at Beaver Stadium, home of the Nittany Lion football team. Head coach Joe Paterno has built a respected program over the years. Unfortunately, that program and the university itself are dealing with a different noise now.

Over the weekend, former football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested on charges of sexually abusing eight boys over a 15 year span. Sandusky retired abruptly from the Nittany Lion program in 1999. The charges against him are serious, but what happened behind the scenes at the university is just as deplorable. Continue reading

Eight Ways PR is Like Sailing

  • PR people, like skippers, tend to have a ‘Mother Nature’ resiliency.

A PR person’s day can be planned with great predictability but each hour, let alone each day, can bring twists, turns and interview requests that become opportunities not to be missed. Whatever Mother Nature may throw your way during a 2-3 hour sail, be prepared. We have not figured out how to control the weather, or every aspect of our day as a PR pro, but we are certainly smart enough to choose wisely where to turn the boat by determining the best tacks (tactics) and gibes (strategy) depending on where we want to go.

Results are in the Eye of the Beholder

At one point or another, we’ve all heard a version of this story:

A king brings six men into a dark building. They cannot see anything. The king says to them, “I have bought this animal from the wild lands to the East. It is called an elephant.” “What is an elephant?” the men ask. The king says, “Feel the elephant and describe it to me.” The man who feels a leg says the elephant is like a pillar, the one who feels the tail says the elephant is like a rope, the one who feels the trunk says the elephant is like a tree branch, the one who feels the ear says the elephant is like a hand fan, the one who feels the belly says the elephant is like a wall, and the one who feels the tusk says the elephant is like a solid pipe. “You are all correct”, says the king, “You are each feeling just a part of the elephant.”

Sometimes it may feel like we’re all speaking a different language when it comes to measuring results or communicating success. The finance group and C-Suite are often focused on ROI and other tangible revenue-related outcomes. The sales team may be more concerned about lead generation, though, and your team is likely concerned about yet another metric. Continue reading

Honesty and Transparency in Public Relations

This week, I had the great opportunity to speak with Ferris State University’s PRSSA chapter. Not only was it a chance to give them an idea of how a public relations pro got his start, it allowed me to give them advice they may not normally get in an academic setting.Some of the points I made during the talk:

  • Want a job when you graduate? Use your PR skills & put a plan together.
  • Research and know the company you’re applying to. Go to their website and study the job requirements.

Klout Konundrum

Since the launch of their products-to-influencers Perks program over a year ago, Klout has done 100+ deals with brands, but, as Ad Age Digital reported yesterday, “…such tactics are subject to [Federal Trade Commission (FTC)] disclosure regulations and the program could potentially have legal implications.”

The catch – The FTC’s 2009 revision regarding testimonials and endorsements in advertising: people posting about such products must disclose that they received them as incentives. Continue reading

Real vs. Fake Social Media Crises

Last week, I had the honor of representing PRSA at an American Conference Institute panel on managing social media crises in the digital age. Joining me on the panel were three whip smart PR execs in Sandy D’Elosua (Front Burner Brands), John Moran (Schwartz MSL) and Jenny Dervin (JetBlue Airways Corporation).

Our full presentation is embedded below, but let me just say that my commentary paled in comparison to what my fellow panelists offered. Especially Ms. Dervin, vice president of corporate communications at what may be the epicenter for crisis communications management in the digital age: JetBlue. Continue reading

Planning Must be as Detailed as Measurement Will Be

You can measure nearly anything you wish so long as you plan properly in advance. It sounds simple, but it can be extremely tedious and detailed to ensure you will be able to measure exactly what you would like.

I recently participated in a Twitter campaign in which consumers were asked to publish a tweet with a hashtag in it. Those of us who did so were eligible to receive something free if we were in the right place at the right time. It was great! I got a good prize out of it. But there were steps along the way where I wondered if the team would be able to collect all of the data they might want. Continue reading