Tip #0.5: Have this song playing in the background while you read this. It helps.

Tip #1: Plan Start to Finish For a plan to be useful, it needs to go as far ahead as possible. Of course, it’s subject to change for any of a million different reasons, but it goes back to the old writing adage that it’s easier to edit than to create. The act of creating a long-term plan forces you to think about causes and effects of your campaign. Before you send out one release, make sure your entire team (and of course, any client contacts), know the next steps. From a client relations standpoint, having a plan reinforces your image as an expert.

Tip #2: Anticipate the Bad

Poop Happens. Know it, accept it, plan for it and be ready to deal with it at all times. Look at it with this analogy. If you take your dog for a walk and bring a plastic bag with you, when your precious pup does his…uhhh…business…you don’t end up with poop-covered hands and a smell that won’t go away. The more you think about, discuss and prepare for the inevitable moment when the stuff hits the fan, the more bulletproof you’ll be.

Tip #3: Be Honest and Transparent What’s one sure way to NOT be bulletproof? Get caught in lies and deceptions. Just look at the recent BP oil spill as a “How Not To” guide. Seemingly every day, there as been a report of the public being misled on the entire incident, from the initial explosion to the clean-up efforts. Sometimes the truth can hurt. A lot. Like to no end. However, if you tell the truth from the start, it’s ALWAYS better than being caught in a lie down the road. Protect yourself and your client by just not lying.

Tip #4: Know When To Stop Talking Perhaps the biggest lesson a PR pro can learn is when shut the hell up. We are a gabby sort, us PR folks. We like to talk, share, learn, etc., etc., etc. But knowing when to stop talking and sharing is critical. Every PR pro I know has inadvertently said something they shouldn’t have to a reporter. It’s OK to not pick up the phone or wait a little while before returning an email. I know it sounds like a direct contradiction to Tip #3 (be honest and transparent), but saying NOTHING is much different than misleading.

What other tips for Bulletproof PR do you have?

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• 30 July 2010 : Friday’s 5 • 30 July 2010
• 29 July 2010 : Twitter is one big, fat inside joke between 100 million people
• 28 July 2010 : Your Copy Sucks: Punctuation Ruins Lives
• 27 July 2010 : Do You ‘Crunch Proud?’
• 26 July 2010 : What the Old Spice Guy Videos Lacked: Real Messaging

GRAND OPENING of the PRBC’s Sports PR Hall of Fame!  Grab a Danish and some orange juice, we’re about to get underway!

At the PRBC Sports PR Hall of Fame, we honor people from the sports world that have effectively mastered the art of public relations, for better or for worse.  This Hall encompasses athletes, managers, owners and even fans.  Nobody is off-limits, as long as they are linked to sports.

When deciding who should be included in the inaugural class, many factors were considered. We won’t go into detail about them here because…well…we won’t.

At it’s core, PR is about image.  And your image is defined, in large part, by your words.  So, we are proud to induct the following athletes into our “One-Liner” wing!

Michael Jordan – No other athlete before or since has crossed-over into mainstream pop culture quite like MJ.  The North Carolina native was asked to support civil rights activist Harvey Gantt in Gantt’s Democratic Senate campaign against Jesse Helms.  Jordan declined, using the greatest one-liner in sports sponsorship history, one so telling about his PR positioning that it is the first one-liner inducted into the Hall of Fame: “Republicans buy sneakers, too.”

Bill Shankly – PR is about helping the public see the importance of your client or event – or even your sport as a whole.  Then great British soccer coach Bill Shankly is easily our first-ever “Hyper-Hyperbole” inductee, thanks to one of the greatest quotations in all of sports, one that enrages and engages the public: “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude; I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”

Muhammad Ali – Nobody convinced more people to buy a ticket to a boxing match than Muhammad Ali.  In his fighting heyday, his interviews were as infamous as the beatings he dished out on opponents. He loved to draw attention to himself, which only put more attention on his bouts, which people paid good money to see.  Instead of one quote, here are four from The Greatest:

“[Joe] Frazier is so ugly that he should donate his face to the US Bureau of Wild Life.”

“I’m so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark.”

“If you even dream of beating me you’d better wake up and apologize.”

“It’s hard to be humble, when you’re as great as I am.”

Thank you for attending this morning’s induction ceremony, and congratulations to these three athletes who mastered the PR one-liner.  Come back soon for our next round of inductees!

Oh, and before you leave, tell us what other sports figures’ one-liners belong in the PRBC Sports PR Hall of Fame?

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• 30 July 2010 : Friday’s 5 • 30 July 2010
• 29 July 2010 : Twitter is one big, fat inside joke between 100 million people
• 28 July 2010 : Your Copy Sucks: Punctuation Ruins Lives
• 27 July 2010 : Do You ‘Crunch Proud?’
• 26 July 2010 : What the Old Spice Guy Videos Lacked: Real Messaging

From: Men around the world

Re: Thanks. (Say it sarcastically, because that’s how we mean it.)

Gents,

Let’s call a spade a spade: because of you, the past few months haven’t exactly been stellar for the collective image of men.

Tiger, seriously, man.  Seriously.  You’re the greatest in the world at what you do.  You scored the hot model wife.  You established a mega charity.  And you went and chased around cocktail waitresses for kicks?  Instead of that, why not learn to fly an airplane around the world blindfolded…or buy Antarctica and rename it “TigerIsAwesomeLand” and construct a shrine to yourself there…or turn your savings account into gold coins and go swim in your vault like Scrooge McDuck?  Nobody would blame you…you’re Tiger Freakin’ Woods!

Jesse, you had the greatest image boost EVER!  You do know your claim to fame was building tricked out motorcycles and being a seedy character, right?  Look, you were married to a porn star.  Then you somehow convinced Sandra Bullock, to marry you, in one of the biggest “upgrades” since we stopped driving cars like the Flintstones and started using motors.  And then she went out and won a frickin’ Oscar and said she never would have done it without you.  Then the affairs and the white supremacist and Nazi imagery leaked out.  I’ll repeat this: you married America’s sweetheart and had a stripper mistress with a NAZI kick on the side.  What the hell is wrong with you?

Larry, Larry, Larry…dude, like the name of the old TV show – eight (divorces) is enough!  We’re sure each of them has their own unique reason, and you probably aren’t the cause for all…EIGHT…of them.  However, after, say, five failed marriages, just be a bachelor.  At your age and income level, the tax benefits can’t be THAT important to you.  Basically, enough marriages end in divorce…stop padding the stats!

You are celebrities.  Things you do matter in the public eye.  Some of us are trying to lead a decent life.

Men make up, you know, half of the world’s population.  Most of us are good people, or at least try our best to be every day.  But when people see the defiant, seemingly unrepentant playboy (BTW, that Nike ad featuring the voice of your father was ridiculous) or the apparently uncloseted white supremacist or the ancient womanizer, we ALL come off looking bad.

It’s really embarrassing.  Please stop.  Thanks.

While the return of the world’s top golfer will help the Tour’s ratings, it also marks an interesting event for the media. In his public apology spoken press release, Woods did not field any questions and has not answered any questions about his marital infidelity.  So while we’d like to say that the media will stick to the tournament at hand, drama sells and the opportunities for juicy questions and an irate golfer are some must-see TV in the making.

But hey, you don’t come to this blog to read about sports or infidelity so let’s get to the root of Tiger’s return to the PGA at Augusta National as a PR move – one that is safe, nostalgic and was strategically planned.  Much like a CEO, Woods is advised by some top notch PR folks who carefully chose when he would return to golf. Given the course’s history, importance and pageantry, the Masters is an intriguing choice for Tiger.  Our two in-house Sports PR experts don’t agree with each other on this topic:

• What a great move
• Dumb move, Mr. Woods

The introduction for this post can be found here

As my esteemed colleague outlined above, some people believe that Tiger Woods returning to competitive golf at the Masters is a good PR move.  I whole heartedly disagree.

Let me count the ways:

Walk Before You Crawl – Would you want your first game of the season to be Game 7 of the World Series or even the Super Bowl?  From a sheer golf mechanics perspective, Tiger will not be at the top of his game.  He will not have played a round of competitive golf in nearly six months when he tees off at Augusta.  Why not work your way into peak condition before the biggest tournament of the year?

Respect the Game – There is no sporting event in the United States that is as revered as the Masters.  Even folks who aren’t into golf know that this is the biggest championship in the sport.  Instead of the focus being on the greatest golfers playing their greatest golf, it will instead be on illicit affairs and the fallen angel.  Augusta National has a reputation for controlling every aspect of the player and fan experience – how do you think they’ll like TMZ creeping around their hallowed grounds?

Spread the Love – Let’s call a spade a spade, shall we?  Tiger’s return to the PGA Tour will be a HUGE event.  In fact…it will be a MAJOR event.  It will draw insane TV ratings and public interest.  Why, then, would the PGA Tour not have Tiger return at another event that could use the “boost?”  Doesn’t make good business sense to me.

Happily Never After? – Tiger’s experience at Augusta can only acceptably end in one of two ways in the eyes of fans.  One, he wins the tournament and puts on a green jacket.  Two, he plays the worst two rounds of his life, misses the cut and flies home Friday night, the sport kicking the man at his lowest point.  Neither one of these is good for golf.  These potential endings are the only ones fans will look at as definitive and satisfying.

The stakes at the Masters are ridiculously high.  Going into it with little preparation and no momentum is a horrible choice for Tiger.  And the PGA Tour has backed themselves into a corner, where no matter who wins their greatest event of the year, Tiger is the story.  Despite what Jeff thinks, and no matter how intriguing the public catharsis may look on paper, this move has “FAIL” written all over it.

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• 30 July 2010 : Friday’s 5 • 30 July 2010
• 29 July 2010 : Twitter is one big, fat inside joke between 100 million people
• 28 July 2010 : Your Copy Sucks: Punctuation Ruins Lives
• 27 July 2010 : Do You ‘Crunch Proud?’
• 26 July 2010 : What the Old Spice Guy Videos Lacked: Real Messaging

Branded content isn’t new, but it is evolving.  A “matte release” like the one about Product SuperAwesome, has been an item in the PR toolbox for a long, long time.

The evolution is staggering, as “advertainment” has become a popular industry buzzword, as it truly melds the two worlds of advertising and entertainment.

Chances are, you’ve watched “American Idol” over the years, right?  Do you remember those Ford music videos where the contestants would sing a bad version of your favorite song while doing something vaguely related to driving the automaker’s latest offering?  Then you’ve seen “advertainment.”  (And you’ve probably lost a few favorite songs along the way.)

In the print/online world, the Search Engine Optimization capabilities of branded content are immense.

I recently came across a company called ARAnet, which specializes in branded content in the Web 2.0 space.  They “place” their clients in hundreds of trusted online media sites every day (targeted to their client’s audience, naturally).  We all know that links aren’t equal.  A link from your local daily newspaper carries more authority than a link from “JoeBob’s World Report from the Basement” (Not a real site.  I hope.).

The best part of this is the SEO maximization component.  If you are included on more high-traffic websites, your site becomes more visible to search engine spiders, thus, gets more prominent position in, for example, a Google results page.  And, to keep the chain rolling, a result that is high up on the page has more credibility with users – more so than the paid advertising slots above it.  Hence, Ms. PR, meet Mr. Advertising.  And you two, go grab a drink with Madam Direct Marketing.

ARAnet’s metrics reports, broad-base outreach capabilities and innovative Adfusion program which provides targeted content widgets to high-traffic sites (like Yahoo!), make them a true industry leader in this field.  With major outlets in numerous Top 20 media markets, they are a company on the rise.  I highly recommend you click on their website to learn more about them.  And before you ask, this post is NOT paid for!

As corporate websites, YouTube channels and the SEO phenomenon continue to grow, the general public has more exposure to branded content than ever.  “Watch our commercials online!”  “Click here for Part 2!” “LOOK AT US!!!”

Clearly, with the audience becoming more advertising-savvy, advertisers and marketers are at the precipice of a tactical revolution.

Your Turn: What types of branded content are most effective at reaching YOU?

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• 30 July 2010 : Friday’s 5 • 30 July 2010
• 29 July 2010 : Twitter is one big, fat inside joke between 100 million people
• 28 July 2010 : Your Copy Sucks: Punctuation Ruins Lives
• 27 July 2010 : Do You ‘Crunch Proud?’
• 26 July 2010 : What the Old Spice Guy Videos Lacked: Real Messaging

These stars win championships (or compete for them every year), donate money, work in the community, sponsor brands – they do everything heroes should do.

Heck, Drew Brees has helped rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina with time, effort and money – and just last night brought the Super Bowl trophy to his adopted hometown. It didn’t complete the economic and social recovery, but it gave the city something wonderful to rally around.

But you know what?

Villains are much more intriguing than heroes.

Tiger Woods dominated the sports pages for over a decade for winning tournament after tournament after tournament – in dominating fashion, no less. But after salacious details of his personal life leaked out, he became a news and entertainment story, as well.

Boxers like Lennox Lewis ruled over their sport for years, but nobody ever garnered the attention of powerhouse “bad boy” Mike Tyson. Even after serving jail time for a rape conviction, the public could not get enough of him, in and out of the ring.

Exhibit A:

Enough said.

A quirky all-star who does a “heel turn,” to borrow from professional wrestling (when a good guy becomes a bad guy), by playing with guns in his workplace, all of the sudden becomes a national news story. Rumors of high-stakes locker-room gambling debts overtake the game-winning shots from the hands of one Gilbert Arenas. We identify him not with the play on the court, but what he confessed to in front of a judge.

My question to you is this: What is it about sports villains that make them so intriguing? Why does their villainy trump their heroics? And why do we allow them to stay relevant in the media?

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• 30 July 2010 : Friday’s 5 • 30 July 2010
• 29 July 2010 : Twitter is one big, fat inside joke between 100 million people
• 28 July 2010 : Your Copy Sucks: Punctuation Ruins Lives
• 27 July 2010 : Do You ‘Crunch Proud?’
• 26 July 2010 : What the Old Spice Guy Videos Lacked: Real Messaging