Wow. I saw the move "Contagion" over the weekend, and it was really incredible. At least the idea of it was incredible. A woman travels overseas, shakes hands with the casino chef who has just wiped contaminated pig's blood off of his hands (but not very well). She interacts with several other people at this casino, then goes home - through several airports and a pit stop with an old lover. Then .... people start to die. Including her.
The PR aspects surrounding this scenario really stood out during this movie. First, you have a blogger who realizes this is a problem before anyone else, because he saw a video of someone sick on YouTube - and he can't get anyone to listen, so he goes off on his own. He decides he knows the cure - fakes that he has the illness and makes himself well using forsythe. He makes millions of dollars from this position - which is all a lie. He winds up arrested, but his blogger fans bail him out.
The Center for Disease Control finds itself in the worst situation in anyone's memory. Particularly when their fearless leader is overheard warning his fiance to leave town and join him - before others know her town is soon to be quarantined. So they have this media disaster to extinguish.
There was a lot of talk in the movie about Twitter, blogs and the Internet. Ten years ago, this type of situation could possibly have been managed better, since the spread of rumors would have taken longer. The opposite viewpoint, of course, is that the spread of warnings and good news (vaccines) would also have taken longer.
So this whole scenario just really brought to light how things have changed in the Internet/social media age. In good ways and bad ways. I don't know how such a situation could be managed well, because there are so many sources of information. It wasn't like the CDC was even in control, which, in days past, it would have been.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
There is no good reason to NOT communicate
Reviewing a ragan.com article today, by Rob Biesenbach, struck a familiar chord with me. I've been bitten by some of these "6 lame excuses for not communicating," and would like to expound. One such reason is, "We can make it better." This is what happens with communications sometimes that get stuck in a never-ending review cycle. EVERYBODY thinks they're an editor. While some edits are well worth the wait, in general when non-editors try and re-write your stuff, it doesn't make the communication better at all - and often makes it worse. So, write well, choose a trustworthy (and quick) editor, and get the communication off your desk.
Another reason for not communicating is "we don't have all the information." This one bit me badly on 9/11. I'll never forget that it took the entire day to get a communication OK'd to send out. By then most employees had seen the news over and over throughout the day, talked to their families and other sources, and were on their way home. Ridiculous - and sad.
"The lawyers won't let us" is another reason, and I believe that - at least sometimes - if you know darn well that what you're saying is right, it's better to ask forgiveness than permission. Obviously you don't want to get your butt in a sling - so you'd better be certain you know what you're talking about, and that it won't land the company in hot water.
"They'll as a question we can't answer." Oh well! Biesenbach is right - no one is expected to know everything. There may be some questions you will have to get back to people on. It's better to be communicating what you know, than nothing at all.
They've already been told? That's a great one. Even if "they" have, if "they" are your company's employees, they need to hear it from their company's leaders, who may not do it without a nudge from PR.
We don't have time? Not a good excuse at all. Nobody has time - we all make time to do the things that are important. And as a PR professional - what is more important than communicating?
Another reason for not communicating is "we don't have all the information." This one bit me badly on 9/11. I'll never forget that it took the entire day to get a communication OK'd to send out. By then most employees had seen the news over and over throughout the day, talked to their families and other sources, and were on their way home. Ridiculous - and sad.
"The lawyers won't let us" is another reason, and I believe that - at least sometimes - if you know darn well that what you're saying is right, it's better to ask forgiveness than permission. Obviously you don't want to get your butt in a sling - so you'd better be certain you know what you're talking about, and that it won't land the company in hot water.
"They'll as a question we can't answer." Oh well! Biesenbach is right - no one is expected to know everything. There may be some questions you will have to get back to people on. It's better to be communicating what you know, than nothing at all.
They've already been told? That's a great one. Even if "they" have, if "they" are your company's employees, they need to hear it from their company's leaders, who may not do it without a nudge from PR.
We don't have time? Not a good excuse at all. Nobody has time - we all make time to do the things that are important. And as a PR professional - what is more important than communicating?
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Avoid bad PR practices, OR .... Be Honest!
Gil Rudawsky wrote an article on ragan's website, called "5 bad PR practices that will frustrate journalists." Rudawsky started out as a journalist and is now a PR pro, and he lists here some common sense thoughts about what NOT to do as a PR professional. (http://www.ragan.com/PublicRelations/Articles/43636.aspx)
His points to seem to be obvious, but if you've worked as a reporter/journalist - or as a PR professional - you've probably seen PR folk try and get away with these very things. Rudawsky lists "No one home" as the top no-no, noting that you should NEVER send out a media release and then not have someone available to talk about it. I agree that is a huge mistake - a release can never tell the whole story, and if you want the press to have yours, you'd better be prepared to tell.
I think all five of Rudawsky's points actually refer to the same mistake - and that is being dishonest. The remaining four points are 2) spinning the news, 3) flat-out lying, 4) no homework, and 5) sly pitching. If you want to build relationships with reporters, and if you ever want a reporter (or colleague) to trust you again, the initial relationship had better be based on honesty and trust. You don't even have to like each other - although I think it helps - but you'd better have a reputation for being honest and straightforward.
What could be more important than honesty - in any kind of business, really - but especially when you're in the public eye, as a PR professional.
His points to seem to be obvious, but if you've worked as a reporter/journalist - or as a PR professional - you've probably seen PR folk try and get away with these very things. Rudawsky lists "No one home" as the top no-no, noting that you should NEVER send out a media release and then not have someone available to talk about it. I agree that is a huge mistake - a release can never tell the whole story, and if you want the press to have yours, you'd better be prepared to tell.
I think all five of Rudawsky's points actually refer to the same mistake - and that is being dishonest. The remaining four points are 2) spinning the news, 3) flat-out lying, 4) no homework, and 5) sly pitching. If you want to build relationships with reporters, and if you ever want a reporter (or colleague) to trust you again, the initial relationship had better be based on honesty and trust. You don't even have to like each other - although I think it helps - but you'd better have a reputation for being honest and straightforward.
What could be more important than honesty - in any kind of business, really - but especially when you're in the public eye, as a PR professional.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
What else would I post about today?
Turn on the radio ..... turn on the news ..... fire up the Internet and what do you see today? On the 10th anniversary of 9/11 - it's all about 9/11. As well it should be. We can read about commemorations and ceremonies around the U.S. We can listen to memories of those affected, and see how things have changed - in New York, around the country and around the world - since 9/11. An MSNBC article is titled "From Sydney to Paris formal ceremonies pay tribute to those who perished," reminding us U.S. citizens aren't the only ones whose lives were lost and whose lives have been affected. I believe that everyone alive on September 11, 2001, will always know exactly were they were that morning their world turned upside down.
What does that have to do with PR? In a cold and impersonal way, I would say that a company or organization providing information in the public realm who does not publicly acknowledging the day - particularly the tenth anniversary - would be thought very cold and impersonal, definitely affecting how they are thought of by their publics (I hate that word). Since public relations is about developing effective relations between organizations and groups that are important to them, acknowledging the day that so greatly affected each one of us is a very good way of reaching out. Reaching out is a way of sharing a common issue, a common concern, a common need to make sense of it. And if we can't make sense of it, at least we can stand together and go forward with strength.
Where was I? I was at work in a meeting about changing benefits, sharing my expertise about how to best communicate the changes that were coming in 2002. I stepped out for a moment, and a colleague told me a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. I thought that was just terrible - unbelievable - but I didn't understand what was happening. Like many, I was very slow to comprehend the magnitude of the day. Of course, by mid-day, I was beginning to understand, and instead of working on benefits communications I was working on communications about the events of September 11.
And that's all I have to say about that.
What does that have to do with PR? In a cold and impersonal way, I would say that a company or organization providing information in the public realm who does not publicly acknowledging the day - particularly the tenth anniversary - would be thought very cold and impersonal, definitely affecting how they are thought of by their publics (I hate that word). Since public relations is about developing effective relations between organizations and groups that are important to them, acknowledging the day that so greatly affected each one of us is a very good way of reaching out. Reaching out is a way of sharing a common issue, a common concern, a common need to make sense of it. And if we can't make sense of it, at least we can stand together and go forward with strength.
Where was I? I was at work in a meeting about changing benefits, sharing my expertise about how to best communicate the changes that were coming in 2002. I stepped out for a moment, and a colleague told me a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. I thought that was just terrible - unbelievable - but I didn't understand what was happening. Like many, I was very slow to comprehend the magnitude of the day. Of course, by mid-day, I was beginning to understand, and instead of working on benefits communications I was working on communications about the events of September 11.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Highly Effective PR Event Using Social Media
The team I work with recently had an opportunity to use a number of available PR tools. We had a major event happening at work, with a lot of natural attention surrounding it. At the last minute, a supporter of the event decided to take a backseat, and suddenly our team was not only doing the event coordination, we were solely responsible for any and all PR surrounding it.
With 24 hours notice, my team coordinated a ustream account to be able to broadcast events leading up to the event, the event itself, and a post-event press conference. They jumped through incredible hoops to successfully use this tool - and were able to have live coverage. We used a number of media tools available to inform the public of the broadcast, including Facebook, e-mail to large groups and Twitter. These efforts generated more broadcast, web, Twitter and print coverage than past events with more support.
The reason I'm posting this in my blog is not just to brag about my team (they are absolutely incredible), but to talk about the availability of media tools in achieving great things for our business. (Using media tools to achieve great things in our personal lives will be another post.) Of course, it helps to be entrenched in social media before you absolutely need it. It's helpful to have a great number of business "friends" on Facebook, and maintain a chatter about your business there so the right people are paying attention. You can even have additional Facebook pages specifically for your business or company, as well as different products or events. Twitter requires a high number of followers for this tool to be effective in spreading the word about anything. E-mail groups to include business associate, partners and acquaintances can be used periodically to ensure these relationships. Setting up and maintaining these useful tools is immeasurably useful when the need is great.
I've been on Facebook for about three years, Twitter for one, and foursquare for less than that. Four years ago I wouldn't have known what social media was, let alone think it could benefit a business. I encourage everyone to venture out - if you haven't already - and try out these tools. They aren't going away - their only promise is to expand and diversity. They can help build your business savvy, as well as increase awareness and support of your business, products and events.
With 24 hours notice, my team coordinated a ustream account to be able to broadcast events leading up to the event, the event itself, and a post-event press conference. They jumped through incredible hoops to successfully use this tool - and were able to have live coverage. We used a number of media tools available to inform the public of the broadcast, including Facebook, e-mail to large groups and Twitter. These efforts generated more broadcast, web, Twitter and print coverage than past events with more support.
The reason I'm posting this in my blog is not just to brag about my team (they are absolutely incredible), but to talk about the availability of media tools in achieving great things for our business. (Using media tools to achieve great things in our personal lives will be another post.) Of course, it helps to be entrenched in social media before you absolutely need it. It's helpful to have a great number of business "friends" on Facebook, and maintain a chatter about your business there so the right people are paying attention. You can even have additional Facebook pages specifically for your business or company, as well as different products or events. Twitter requires a high number of followers for this tool to be effective in spreading the word about anything. E-mail groups to include business associate, partners and acquaintances can be used periodically to ensure these relationships. Setting up and maintaining these useful tools is immeasurably useful when the need is great.
I've been on Facebook for about three years, Twitter for one, and foursquare for less than that. Four years ago I wouldn't have known what social media was, let alone think it could benefit a business. I encourage everyone to venture out - if you haven't already - and try out these tools. They aren't going away - their only promise is to expand and diversity. They can help build your business savvy, as well as increase awareness and support of your business, products and events.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
For Twitter's sake!
I just read Chris Abraham's blog on, "Twitter success demands both top influencers and everyone else," at http://bit.ly/oo6Mu0.He makes a lot of good points. He asks, "Do you focus on the most popular and ignore the rest in social media?" He indicates that some people when using social media want to refine their followers and fans, but disputes the necessity. When narrowing your scope, as Abraham says, you are preaching to the choir. By not limiting your followers and fans, you are reaching countless people and groups who will now benefit from your wit and wisdom. You may gain loyal followers that you would not have had if you limited your following.
Where I work, we have several Twitter accounts. One for our propulsion business, one for community outreach, one for corporate news and another for composites news. Each has a distinct group of followers - as well as some commonalities. So while the purposes of the accounts may vary, we can gain momentum by retweeting. We will often tweet from one account and second the motion by retweeting from another account, thereby having an even greater reach. As Abraham says, "A wider and more open-minded audience has more positive effects than we can realize." And while I'm seconding the motion - I think I'll tweet it. There!
While Twitter has expanded our audiences, as well as increased the speed of receiving breaking news, it has also made our writing more concise. I never realized just how much could be said in 140 characters or less. Cut out the fat - say what you mean - and be done with it.
Like many, I didn't understand Twitter's value at first. But now I do, and like Abraham I believe we should "engage in the thousands and even the millions .... and allow [our] markets to define themselves." And don't get me started on Facebook. Who knew I had so many friends???
Where I work, we have several Twitter accounts. One for our propulsion business, one for community outreach, one for corporate news and another for composites news. Each has a distinct group of followers - as well as some commonalities. So while the purposes of the accounts may vary, we can gain momentum by retweeting. We will often tweet from one account and second the motion by retweeting from another account, thereby having an even greater reach. As Abraham says, "A wider and more open-minded audience has more positive effects than we can realize." And while I'm seconding the motion - I think I'll tweet it. There!
While Twitter has expanded our audiences, as well as increased the speed of receiving breaking news, it has also made our writing more concise. I never realized just how much could be said in 140 characters or less. Cut out the fat - say what you mean - and be done with it.
Like many, I didn't understand Twitter's value at first. But now I do, and like Abraham I believe we should "engage in the thousands and even the millions .... and allow [our] markets to define themselves." And don't get me started on Facebook. Who knew I had so many friends???
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
JCOMM 2300
I'm excited to begin my JCOMM 2300 class - Introduction to Public Relations. My first assignment is to create a personal blog, and begin to post my thoughts and analysis about PR industry observations. I'll be using materials from current events, PR-centered blog articles, PRWeek articles, PR/Communications academic journals or research reports, or general observations in the PR industry.
This is going to be a great exercise to help me become more familiar with the PR industry. While I work in the Communications field, and cover internal communications, community relations and external communications - my specialty is internal communications. This course, and using this blog, will help me expand my knowledge and skills in PR, helping me in both my current job and future positions.
So here is my start! Once I delve further into the course materials, I will be writing much more.
TTFN
This is going to be a great exercise to help me become more familiar with the PR industry. While I work in the Communications field, and cover internal communications, community relations and external communications - my specialty is internal communications. This course, and using this blog, will help me expand my knowledge and skills in PR, helping me in both my current job and future positions.
So here is my start! Once I delve further into the course materials, I will be writing much more.
TTFN
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