That whole, “Hey journalist, buy into this idea NOW! You gotta jump on this now, because I’m going to go after the next living soul I can find who will listen to my spin!” Or my personal favorite: “You owe me big for this hit.”

Do these sound like phrases that you would say outside of the workplace, to a friend, or acquaintance, or even someone you see passing by? Probably not. So why the hell do we break out thee trite phrases, not only with reporters and bloggers, but potentially worse, with our own colleagues, the ones whose backs we should have.

Can we please stop the salesman mentality in this business, and actually look at it like real humans treat other jobs: with some compassion and empathy for our colleagues and those we deal with on a daily basis? A colleague helps you land a big interview for a client, and ever since then has been *gently* reminding you that you owe her big for that. You were extremely appreciative for the assistance, as you told her before, during and after she helped you secure the connection. But should that person hold it over your head for the next two weeks that you owe them, as though we are all working off of some commission system like an electronics salesperson, and you just took the next big tip from her? I don’t think so. We’re in this business to connect our clients and organizations with key influencers and audiences; since when did we get into PR to sale a 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme for that glorious 10% commission?

So here is what I propose: Let’s drop the word “hit” from our entire PR vocabulary. That, I believe, would go a very long way in debunking the general public’s view that we’re all hucksters out to sell us the next great concept. It’s an awful jargon term that often offends reporters, and worse, makes us seem like shallow used car salesmen. So if we want to turn around the public sentiment for our business and actually look, act, and feel like an industry that is here to help others, rather than just ourselves, let’s try calling it something else . . . maybe “made a connection.” That’s really corny, I know, but damnit, it’s actually true and doesn’t make us sound like shallow schleps just looking to propel our own personal agendas.

So why do you think the salesman mentality sometimes permeates into PR? Should we be in this for our agencies and organizations, or are we in this world and business for our own personal gains? And what’s your suggestion for a better term than “hit” for making that next big connection for a client?

Editor’s Note: Realizing that our audience has grown quite a bit in the nearly three years since we’ve started publishing we’re choosing to republish posts that many of you may have missed that continue to provide thought provoking reading.  This post originally ran in PRBC on September 19th, 2009.

It goes beyond saying that I was on top of the world seeing the New York Football Giants come out the winners in Super Bowl XLVI. The story is well known: At 7-7, the Giants needed to win out to get into the post-season. Well, the rest is history, as Big Blue rolled their way to Indianapolis and defeated the New England Patriots for their second title in four years.

Winning is outstanding, especially when you are the last one standing with the trophy. In public relations, you need solid planning and teamwork to be successful. Tom Coughlin is the Giants leader. Here are five lessons you could take from coach Coughlin and use them in your PR plans.

• Have great trust in each other: If your client or team does not trust what you do or what plans you’ve come up with, a campaign is over before it starts. Give a client no reason whatsoever to not trust your ideas or plans.
• Have a great belief that your team can “finish:” When you deliver your plans to a client, be confident that you can deliver everything you’ve put forth in a proposal. Don’t doubt because a client will see it right away.
• Keep playing one play at a time: A campaign may have multiple points to it, but the important thing to remember is to not get too far ahead of yourself. Focus on the task at hand, then move on to the next.
• Be able to perform under pressure, whether it is good or bad: Let’s face it, all campaigns aren’t just a release and then follow-up. As we’ve seen lately, a fair amount of crisis PR is needed. The ability to stay calm and focused can go a long way to quelling a crisis before is spirals out of control.
• Find a way to win: I’m not talking about cheating or lying your way to getting success. Even when a PR campaign may be going awry, there is always a way to come out on top. Prior planning helps. However, sometimes street smarts are a good thing to have. It doesn’t hurt to fall back on past experiences either.

At the end of the day, you need that game plan to work out. But, when the plan is not working all the way, you make adjustments. Focus on the end goal and make sure you’ve covered everything. You’ll be on your way to success in the end.

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had

Often times the attraction to an agency is the multiple clients, the variety of industries, the camaraderie of other communications professionals and even the swank office. Agency PR pros are talking to media daily and don’t typically have politics to deal with since they don’t directly work for the companies they represent.

If you are considering leaving time sheets in the past, for stability, security and routine make sure the switch it is a fit for you and an answer to what you are trying to leave behind. The pros of working in-house does typically include better health benefits, more opportunity for advancement and fewer barriers to implement new PR programs.

“In-house, you are constantly building off of the previous work you have done, have a far deeper level of exposure, a greater variety of tasks and a more vested personal interested in the success of the organization,” says to Tim Whitman, Senior Manager of Corporate Communications, Application Security, Inc.

But also think of the negatives of in-house communications such as a supervisor who is not really sure what it is that you do, fewer tools to help do your job and the lack of working in a communications team for idea exchanges.

PR pros that come from agency background are sometimes better prepared to make the transition to an in-house practitioner. “I gained experience/exposure by working on multiple accounts, on multiple account teams, reporting to multiple managers, all with tight deadlines,” says Mark LoCastro, Public Relations Manager. “The skills I’ve acquired at an agency are invaluable for my in-house role.”

When considering making the switch from agency to in-house communications contemplate the following:

• Have an understanding if the company you are considering joining a good fit, not only from a business prospective and what you want to be doing, but organizationally as well.
• Analyze if the company personality matches yours.
• Interview your potential colleagues as much as they are interviewing you.
• At an agency you do not get to choose the clients you work on so switching in-house offers that unique opportunity. Be sure the company mission and subject matter interest you.
• Know what your upward mobility opportunities look like.

“I encourage people to move in-house, provided the environment is one they have reason to believe will engage their energy and their intellect,” says Joshua M. Peck, Senior Manager, Duane Morris LLP. “I believe that working with one company deepens one’s relationship with the work and makes one more effective to develop and shape messaging.”

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had

Last week, Apple released its fourth quarter 2011 earnings, posting a profit of $13.06 billion on revenue of $46 billion. Earnings per share were $13.87, far exceeding analysts’ expectations of $10.08 per share. Fueled in large part by their stratospheric sales of the iPad and iPhone, Apple’s monstrous quarter brought bright smiles to shareholders but also started to illuminate the spotlight on a not so glamorous side of their business: outsourcing labor to China. As Apple executives high fived in the boardroom about their booming profits and encroaching world dominance of their devices, new reports began to emerge about the company’s seemingly unscrupulous business practices, namely the work conditions at the Chinese plants that manufacture and assemble their devices.

Normally, when a company releases an earnings report as rosy as Apple’s 4^th quarter results, markets rejoice at the positive news and hoist it in the air as a symbol of optimism, which as you may or may not know, is a key barometer of market direction. This is usually followed by a boost in brand sentiment and, if a company is publicly traded, an uptick in share price.

In the recent era of sagging profits and disappointing earnings within a market that is just beginning to poke its head out from the dark shadow of the recent recession, Apple’s earnings report was cause for celebration. They practically carried the S&P fourth quarter profit growth on their shoulders as Wall Street analysts swooned and shareholders chuckled silently to themselves recalling how smart they were to buy a stock that was sure to jump in value with the news.  As glasses clinked in celebration on Wall Street, a lingering PR problem started to swell for Apple.

The earnings report triggered an increase in negative coverage about Foxconn, the manufacturing behemoth that uses Chinese labor factories to manufacture the iPads and iPhones. Apparently, investigative reporting with article titles like, Should Consumers Boycott Apple? has uncovered some not-so-pleasant working conditions in these factories that crank out the Apple products, including a worker who died after completing a 34 hour shift, others whose hands were rendered useless for the rest of their lives from amped up carpal tunnel syndrome, employee dormitory infrastructures that rival modern prisons and stories of workers standing for so long their legs swelled until they could hardly walk. Hardly the coverage that Apple expected after hitting a grand slam with their earnings report.

The earnings report also unleashed a flurry of news stories about the $97 billion cash on hand that Apple is sitting on, with some outlets like the Huffington Post quantifying that amount of money by demonstrating what it could pay for (did you know that Apple has almost enough cash on hand to buy Facebook based on projections of what they will be valued after their pending IPO?). Furthermore, with politicians and the American public’s attention increasingly tuned into the sagging U.S. unemployment numbers, many wonder why Apple is not doing more with their plethora of resources to stimulate job growth in their own backyard rather than continuing to outsource their device manufacturing to a place where they know about unfair and unjust labor practices.

What’s clear is that Apple’s relationship with these Chinese factories is not breaking news. Neither is the subject of whether American corporations have given up on feeling obligated to support American workers. In fact, it’s a controversial topic that has been festering for quite some time with human rights/labor activists and economists. Apple’s case demonstrates that modern PR does much more than highlight the positive or manage the flow of information between an organization and the public. It opens minds to the underlying issues of our time and sparks conversation and debate to educate and spur action. It can act as a rallying cry to support our beliefs and morals or defend brand loyalty in the face of controversy. Whether you support Apple or are against them, the earnings report released last week created a firestorm that few PR execs in the company could have imagined.

P.S. – Apple’s crisis communications team has responded to the recent negativity of its labor practices by releasing an internal staff email written by CEO Tim Cook addressing the issue.

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had

I have noticed that as journalism jobs are eroding, many reporters are turning to PR and public affairs positions with mixed results. There are so many unemployed PR practioners on the market, that there is fierce competition for these jobs. PR agencies are now looking for applicants who can do more than write well. They also have to be able to pitch, take pictures, do social media, and shoot and edit video. The video after the jump sums up my thoughts.

Manny Otiko, vice president of social and new media at Desmond & Louis, has worked in the public relations and journalism field for about 15 years as a journalist and a media relations specialist. His experience includes stints as a reporter at a daily newspaper, serving as a media relations specialist for a state agency and working for Southern California public relations agencies, Dameron Communications, Tobin and Associates and WunderMarx PR.

Manny has worked with clients in the public affairs, technology, education and economic development fields. He has secured coverage in publications such as The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, the Associated Press, the Wall Street Journal, CNN.com and Men’s Health.

Manny has been published in The Riverside Press Enterprise, The LA Sentinel, The LA Wave, The Washington Afro-Am, IE Weekly and Our Weekly. He is an active member of the Orange County chapter of PRSA, the National Association of Black Journalists and the Black Journalists’ Association of Southern California.

These are all excellent references for us to read and digest, identifying meaningful bits and pieces of the advice and observations that we can put into practice to become more effective PR practitioners. As I gaze around the PR digital ecosphere there is one thing that has always stumped me about the subject of PR advice – why isn’t there more written about effective internal PR as the foundation for external strategies?

Seems logical that if you can’t get a grasp on internal PR, external campaigns would be a lot more difficult to execute.

Regardless of the PR environment you operate in, we can all stand to benefit from keeping some of the core internal PR tenants in mind as the foundation of our external efforts as well as a way to augment our results in the aggregate. Here are 5 tips for strengthening your internal PR strategy to achieve improved results:

1. Hold regularly scheduled PR meetings – Scheduling meetings or portions of meetings focusing solely on public relations helps to keep the lines of communication open with you and your front line staff (usually customer service, sales) on what PR projects are currently running or soon to be launched. Plus, it allows for a chance to get external project feedback or results that otherwise may have slipped by you to either of these departments that they forgot to forward on to you (which never happens, right?). Extra – Use these departments as internal focus groups to test your new ideas, briefly brainstorm about resources you may have overlooked or see if they have any ideas worth pursuing.

2. Post new PR materials internally immediately after they are released – There has been a lot of talk in 2012 about breaking down silos and improving internal communications, abandoning the old mentality of operating in a vacuum to promote increased transparency across a company.  How much more impactful is a News Release if you aren’t the only one in your business touting the message? Considering that most employees (especially sales) are permitted to own and operate their own social media channels, encourage these colleagues to help increase message amplification by sharing PR content with their communities. Leverage the power of many when broadcasting your PR messages and make it easy for staff to access and spread the word through their channels. Extra – Tag your content links using Google’s URL Builder to track internal company shares and how much traffic that is sending back to your site. Analyze these results regularly to see what content resonates with customers and prospects and make the necessary adjustments to your strategy.

3. Include internal staff in PR content – There is no better way to empower colleagues to share a message than including them in the content you create. For example, if you are shooting a video promoting a product or perhaps one that demonstrates training on how to use your product or service, recruit in-house staff as cast and work with them on developing a compelling message. Harness the enthusiasm of your co-workers because it often translates into higher quality content plus it encourages them to share with others. Extra – Develop an editorial content calendar that maps out a timeline of your plans and list staff you plan to include to get the creative juices flowing early and give them a source of motivation. Motivation breeds productive employees.

4. Encourage management to develop a social media policy – Surprisingly, a recent Infographic reported that 40% of companies have no training or governance of social media. If your company doesn’t have a policy or has one that doesn’t include guidelines of how to share company content and why it’s important, encourage management to develop or amend a social media policy that includes this information. Once it’s in writing, hold a meeting and train employees on how to use social media channels and how they can help to drive traffic and sales with their efforts. Extra – Use analytics or industry case studies to prove your point. The Internet is chock full of examples that can be used to support your objectives.

5. Publicize internal PR results – Use a white board, bulletin board, intranet or other communication platform and keep employees abreast of project results. No one wants to think their efforts disappear into a black hole and aren’t impacting the bottom line. Prove to yourself, your colleagues and management that cooperation and teamwork pay much bigger dividends than you or your department acting alone. Plus, it provides you a little kick in the pants to continually stay on top of your internal PR outreach and make the necessary changes and adjustments to improve results. Extra – Increased leads, higher sales, and an engaged community spells a win-win for you and your company. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes with your internal PR efforts along the way as long as you fail forward.

Do you have an internal PR strategy in place? What tactics and strategies have you found to be effective?  

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had

But, before doing so, it’s instructive to take a deeper look at what, exactly, Mr. Cuban said. In an op-ed for Entrepreneur.com, excerpted from his latest book, “How to Win at the Sport of Business: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It,” he lays out his “12 rules for startups.” Rule No. 11 states:

Never hire a PR firm. A public relations firm will call or email people in the publications you already read, on the shows you already watch and at the websites you already surf. Those people publish their emails. Whenever you consume any information related to your field, get the email of the person publishing it and send them a message introducing yourself and the company. Their job is to find new stuff. They will welcome hearing from the founder instead of some PR flack. Once you establish communication with that person, make yourself available to answer their questions about the industry and be a source for them. If you are smart, they will use you.

Pretty sound advice, no?

On the whole, it appears so. But when you dig into it a bit deeper, Mr. Cuban’s advice works only if you are an entrepreneur on his level: widely successful, media savvy and charismatic. For the 99 percent of entrepreneurs who don’t fall into this category, it’s not quite as clear a picture.

With this in mind, and with Mr. Cuban’s multiple posts filling the blogosphere with comments galore, both pro and con, I thought it would be interesting to ask you, dear PRBC readers, what is the value of PR to startups.

Offer your own take in the comments section of this post. (Note: The ever-wise Peter Himler has a great rebuttal post that is especially interesting in its detail of how his PR firm counsels startups.)

Below is an amalgamation of my responses to Mr. Cuban and others who have filed posts on this subject in recent days. Keep in mind that I direct PRSA’s advocacy program, so, naturally, I’m biased about PR’s value. Just sayin’.

Why Startups Need PR
Mr. Cuban is correct in pointing out that reporters want to hear from entrepreneurs, especially those who are knowledgeable and passionate about their business and industries. They become terrific sources. But that’s a small sliver of the modern role and value of public relations.

Let’s look at the reality of the situation: Is PR going to help a company’s sales grow by double-digits next quarter? Is it going to turn a bad product into something “magical.” Not likely. That’s not its true value.

But it will help an entrepreneur gain an objective sense of where his or her business stands in the broader consumer and buyer marketplace. Strategic PR pros also will provide entrepreneurs with a nuanced understanding of the local media market, something few CEOs have the time or experience in handling themselves.

Perhaps most importantly, PR will prepare entrepreneurs for the inevitable day when their business is no longer the “next big thing” (something that is of particular concern in the tech world).

As Margit Wennmachers, co-founder of San Francisco-based OutCast Communications, told The New York Times in 2009, “Few tech companies with absolutely no PR have built a user base successfully.”

In short, getting media coverage is great, and certainly many entrepreneurs can do just that on their own. But for nuanced insight that will help build a company’s success for the long haul, a PR pro can be an invaluable resource for any business owner, no matter if their business is young or old, hot on the media’s and public’s radar or just hoping to be.

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had

I have reached a fork in the road of my career which takes me away from seeing my mentor on a daily basis. With that change I have been reflecting on the wealth of invaluable knowledge that I learned from my mentor. This knowledge is not just how to craft the perfect press release or pitch a reporter but how to conduct myself as a professional and the importance of being an eternal student of the trade.

You can spot a PR newbie from a mile away. We can all remember being there. We can all remember that one PR pro who took the time to stop what they were doing, take you under their wing and teach you what you needed to know to become a successful practitioner.

“Being a mentor is about passing down knowledge and wisdom through the generations,” says Angela Betancout of Ambit Marketing. “I will never forget the impact my mentor had in my life and it’s important for me to be a mentor now.”

Remember that someone helped you get started in your career. It is important to share your experience and time to help shape and mold the next generation of PR professionals. By investing time in their growth we are continuing to develop the trade and instilling in them the values and skills needed to be a “good” PR pro.

A mentor can help a newbie learn acquired skills which sometimes take years to develop. The mentor/ mentee relationship provides the newbie exposure to skills beyond the textbook teaching to help the newbie fast track their career with advanced skills that will separate them in the piles of resumes for a job.

What a mentee can learn from a mentor is only as good as the quality of the relationship. The recipe to be a good mentor is to be available, invested, open, honest and provide access to foster the network of your mentee.

Some of the most memorable lessons learned from mentors:

• My mentor always remained calm under pressure and didn’t stress over mistakes.

-          Phyllis Ershowsky, PKE Marketing & PR Solutions

• Small things do matter so take the extra time to make sure the document is formatted perfectly, that you have double checked your facts, and that you said thank you.

-          Cathie Ericson, Freelance writing and PR consultant

• Listen to what the editor or producer is telling you. Even though they may be saying no to a particular pitch, they may be giving you clues as to what they are looking for.

-          Andrea Rodriguez, Flavor PR

• Build relationships, not contacts,

-          Jasmine Bina, JB Communications

• Respond quickly, be polite and above all keep to the message.

-          Bonnie Russell, PersonalPublicRelations.com

“I would tell my mentor, thanks for putting your trust in me even though I was new and didn’t know a thing,” says Phyllis Ershowsly of PKE Marketing & PR Solutions. “You gave me an amazing amount of responsibility and let me fly. I credit my mentor for enabling me to do that—allowing my confidence to grow.”

A good mentor/ mentee relationship has shared accountability. The mentor and mentee have to both be invested in the relationship. Make sure that you are accessible to PR students and welcome questions and conversations.

I want to thank my colleague, mentor, boss and friend, Leslie Doles, for taking the time to help a PR newbie. I have learned so much I can’t even begin to tell you or thank you.

Linzy Roussel Cotaya is a New Orleans based public relations professional with a social media hobby. Her resume includes a mix of ad agency and nonprofit experience. Follow Linzy on twitter, @zzcrawfish, or on www.crawfishtales.com.

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had

Although the article brings up good points about the importance of diversifying one’s reading material(s), I beg to differ.

In the article, Eric Klinenberg, professor of sociology at New York University states,

“You want all the stuff that journalists serve up with a sigh (because, well, it’s not exactly journalism, is it?). And, in return, as part of the deal, journalism is allowed to have a civic purpose – to report and analyse the workings and frailties of democracy – beyond quick ways to whip up a cottage pie.”

As a PR and social media professional, I get a lot of my news from email newsletters to which I am subscribed, via those I am following on Twitter, as well as my Facebook connections and publication ‘check-ins’ both for myself and my clients.

On a daily basis I come across articles and discussions that I was not necessarily searching for, but learn from and found via those channels. I have found new publications and topics of interest this way that I then add to my daily reading list.

Guardian author Peter Preston states,

“…you can’t have one without the other. Put your cash on the newsagent’s counter and you get some things you desire and other things, from Cardiff or Chad, that you didn’t know had happened until you turned to page five.”

I think that I have both: information from reputable news sources as well as bloggers and friends/family, mostly free-of-cost.

PR students and professionals, please, let me know – What platforms do you use to stay updated on the latest news? Which do you prefer?

How do you stay well read?

 Kelly is a traveler, New York native, public relations and social media professional, avid music lover, techie, and psychologist. She is passionate about enabling meaningful conversations and connections via the social web, believes that learning is lifelong and enjoys discovering new tactics to create and sustain brand identity and influence and maintain advocates.

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had

The main culprit of this fiasco is Ocean Marketing, a marketing company responsible for public relations for N-Control. The President of Ocean Marketing, Paul Christoforo, engaged in a customer relations battle that resulted in major consequences.  A customer had emailed Ocean Marketing, politely inquiring the status of his two pre-ordered products, and if he would be able to receive them by Christmas. In the emails back and forth, Paul Christoforo provides inadequate responses, attributing to delays and telling the customer to put on his “big boy hat” and stop complaining. The customer forwards his correspondence to Mike Krahulik, one of the creators of a popular game-centered web comic called Penny Arcade.

Paul continues dropping several names in the industry and brags of his own importance, using bully tendencies to try to get his way. Eventually, Mike Krahulik posts the entire email correspondence between Paul and the customer on his website. Penny Arcade, with its 3.5 million readers, fuels the rage against Paul Christoforo, spreading the dialogue to major sites and blogs. After a few days, Ocean Marketing is dropped by the client, N-Control is forced to hire damage control and Paul Christoforo is unlikely to ever work in a PR role again.

What to Learn from Paul Christoforo

Now that the fervor against Paul Christoforo has died down in the past few days, what can we learn from the fiasco?  The following are important lessons that customer service and public relation departments can take from the event:

1. The Importance of Quality Customer Service

No bigger lesson can be taken from this event than the importance of customer service. It is highly critical that representatives understand that the happiness of customers play a major role in the success of the company. If your products are undergoing shortages or delays, simply admitting fault can go a long way in appeasing customers.

2. It’s All About the Attitude

The main reason why Paul Christoforo failed spectacularly results from his poor attitude. Throughout the entirety of the exchange, Paul fails to exhibit professionalism and humility, instead expressing his opinions through crude rants and arguments. Even his dialogue fails to utilize basic grammar, spelling, or sentence structure, further cementing his role as a bully. Clear, articulate language should be obvious; however, companies should remember that their attitude can play a deciding factor in good or bad customer relations.

3. Don’t Underestimate the Power of the Internet

The fervor against Paul Christoforo spread quickly as a result of the Internet. Major news sites and blogs quickly picked up on the fiasco, and angry comments against Ocean Marketing blazed back and forth. Given the immediacy of the Internet, any bad publicity has the potential to quickly turn viral. The anger against Ocean Marketing is another point of proof that the Internet can make or break the perception of your company. Therefore, companies would do well to steer clear of the wrath of the Internet masses.

4. Bad Publicity Does Exist

Paul Christoforo brags that he creates publicity for N-Control, regardless of whether the publicity is good or bad. However, this fiasco is an example that bad publicity does exist. The fallout from bad publicity can be dire and have terrible consequences for the company. If your company experiences bad publicity, carefully manage social media channels, customer satisfaction, and take the following step to control the flow of publicity.

5. Damage Control

In the height of the anger against Ocean Marketing, Paul Christoforo was quickly dropped and replaced with a new public relations manager. This new representative quickly started damage control, attempting to restore the name of the company and the product. If your company has the misfortune of experiencing public relations mismanagement, it is important to realize that damage control can restore faith in the company again.

Paul Christoforo and Ocean Marketing may be forgotten in the next few weeks, but the lessons should not. By maintaining customer satisfaction and public relations, companies can ensure that their reputation does not go up in flames, as it has for Ocean Marketing.

Rachel Hyun Kim is a writer on topics ranging from workers compensation insurance to document scanning. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including document management to small businesses and entrepreneurs for the leading business directory, Business.com.

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had