Christina’s Coffee Talk: With the Parents of PRBC

Family on sofa at beach
This week’s coffee talk was inspired by a question that I am sure most people in PR have answered: “What exactly is it that you do?” So instead of making another PR professional answer this question for the millionth time, I turned to the people who never seem to get it: my parents. But I couldn’t let them have all the fun, so I had PRBC ask at least one of their parents too. I have to admit, I thought the answers were going to be more off base, perhaps confusing PR with marketing or advertising but I was definitely wrong.  Overall I think they did a pretty good job, but I’ll let you decide. Continue reading

Another Milestone

At symbolSee that post down there, yeah, scroll down, that one — the one by Jess Greco announcing our new ‘Pitch Yourself’ program, that’s PRBC’s 100th post!  I know, it snuck up on us too.  (Anyone wishing to send gifts of spirits or other adult beverages, drop me  a note — we’ve got diverse tastes, whatever it is someone will like it).  In lieu of having a party for ourselves, we’re giving you, our wonderful readers, who we love to (hopefully) entertain, inform, and opine to on a weekdaily basis a gift — more of us! Continue reading

Pitch Yourself

Creatas Images Single Image SetAs soon as we decided that #PRBC would be making the move from a hash-tag on Twitter to a daily blog, I knew I wanted my column to be all about starting out in the PR industry, since that’s the point where I’m at in my professional life. Through Flack In Training, I’ve tried my best to help all you amazing readers navigate your way through the job search and the beginning of your exciting careers. Now I (and all the other PRBC’ers of course) want to continue to help, only in a completely different way.

Starting today, we’re launching our brand new “Pitch Yourself” feature. If sending out dozens of resumes and networking your butt off hasn’t helped you land the PR job you’ve been looking for, then maybe your very own post on PR Breakfast Club will. But it won’t be that simple. I mean, we’re not just going to WRITE about you, that would be way too easy. Here’s how it works: Continue reading

Dear Facebook…

Thinkstock Single Image SetDear Facebook,

Seriously, we broke up awhile ago remember? It was right after I met Twitter. Even though Twitter and I are currently having our ups and downs, it doesn’t give you the right to try and rekindle what we once had. Granted, we had a lot of good times together, especially after my AWFUL relationship with MySpace, and don’t even get me started on Friendster (man, he just tried way too hard).

So, sure we hang out at work (because we have to) and the occasional evening – it’s a strictly platonic relationship. Now just when I thought we were developing an understanding, you have gone TOO FAR this time. You know what I’m talking about – you got my parents involved. Continue reading

Bing/Twitter Search is a Giant Cluster

Woman Wrestling With Network CablesThis is what happens when a great search engine that appears to have its head on straight (Bing) teams up with a company that has little clue about how to not implode on itself (Twitter): Bing/Twitter search (just went live in Beta):

http://www.bing.com/twitter

On first glance, my initial thought was: This is awful. Seriously, just awful. Ask my #prbc friends. I wasn’t happy with the product. Basically, I thought Bing and Twitter had gotten together and created a giant cluster of links, tweets and people’s Twitter handles. Basically, there was no structure or coherent approach to how to effectively utilize and manage this new search feature. Continue reading

Seriously? Goog v. Bing search Twitter

Twin brother and sister (10-12) retrieving cuddly toy from under bed, ground view Disclaimer – I’m a Google Harlot.  With minor exception, if Google offers it, I use it.  Yup, I’m on Wave (along with most of PRBC and BTW,  if anyone’s got a few extra invites, we’ve still got some holes to fill), I used Google Docs back before it was Docs (Writely was acquired by Google and then morphed into Docs), Maps, Earth, pretty much everything.  I usually prefer Google search to Twitter search for finding old tweets – a username or two, a keyword, isolate the search to twitter.com and frequently I can dig out old tweets with minimal difficulty.

So Microsoft’s Beta launch of the Bing Twitter search was a disappointment for me.  I had been unimpressed with any of Microsoft’s search engines (The original Microsoft search/MSN search, Live, Bing, meh….). So I had little hope.  The one big selling point a proper Twitter search would give it a longer memory. Continue reading

Breaking News: PRBC member breaks off, does own thing!

tree at sunsetOk, ok. Cool it. No one’s going anywhere. The PR Breakfast Club is alive and well. I just wanted to have a little fun. Muwahaha!

I believe that after nearly two months of existence now, the eleven lovely members of PRBC have received some welcome commentary on this site from friends, colleagues and (yay!) fans. Let’s get even more interactive here. And be nice!

Negate the fact that many of us have our own blogs and some contribute to our company/firm blogs. Who do you think would leave the PR Breakfast Club and pull a Sammy Hagar and totally bite it? Or the opposite? “Remember us little people when you are famous, Jess!” Continue reading

Your Copy Sucks: You Don’t Even Know What “Edit” Means

type writer keyPlease consider this a gentle nudge in the direction of proper usage. I am not angry with you, dear thing. Almost everyone makes the same mistake time and time again. But for your elucidation:

Editing is not the same thing as copyediting.

When you talk about making sure all the commas are in the right place? That’s copyediting. When you think about taking a red pen to a piece of writing? You’re probably thinking of copyediting. It’s something wholly different than editing-editing, and you should probably know the difference.

Continue reading

In-Depth Coverage: Hacks with Benefits

Businessman and woman smiling at each other in officeI am now single again, after more than a decade of marriage, and am realizing the benefits of being a single gal publicist in a tech PR world (the majority of these reporters being men). After all these of years of marital life, I had forgotten how much easier it is to pitch a story with a hint of flirtation in your voice. But do you let those flirtations go any further?

When I first began doing public relations, I was not at all comfortable on the phone pitching. Those were the days before email. We would fax out releases and were expected to follow-up every fax with a call. Continue reading

Allow Me to Disagree. . .

businessman sits in a chair and reading the news paperConsidering I’m writing these thoughts in a blog post, and that the #PRBC was formed through Twitter, I think it’s safe to say I understand the value of social media.  That said, I also understand its limitations and that it is one piece of the publicity puzzle; a puzzle that include events, traditional media placements and a comprehensive strategy which ensures synergy amongst all components.With that in mind, it’s no surprise that a recent blog post (you’ll want to note this was a blog post as you keep reading,) The Fallacy of Facebook: Twittering Away Our Time, rubbed me the wrong way.  By no means do I disagree with all points made, but I think this post warrants some scrutiny and careful examination. Continue reading