It's already here.
This is a great article from Advertising Age which explains exactly why the business of media relations is shifting away from traditional media.
http://tinyurl.com/m6pwwl
Friday, June 19, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Dealing with unhappy social media...
Social media has fundamentally changed the engagement organisations have with customers, partners, enemies and in some cases, the media.
While the move towards open conversation, greater transparency and corporate organisations with a genuine voices should be welcomed, there is still concern about how to react when the social media audience turns against you.
Here are a few quick tips: (remember at this early stage in the development of social media we are all learning...)
1. There are no rules, be ready but not paranoid.
2. Be involved, have a presence. Don't find out you have a social media problem before you have a presence.
3. Have a plan in place. Speak to some professionals conversant in PR and Digital communication.
4. Know when to respond. Better to take 24hrs to respond with your facts presented correctly than respond quickly and be under prepared.
5. Be transparent and honest - this goes without saying.
6. Never over react or be personal when dealing with a social media audience, if you do it WILL end badly.
While the move towards open conversation, greater transparency and corporate organisations with a genuine voices should be welcomed, there is still concern about how to react when the social media audience turns against you.
Here are a few quick tips: (remember at this early stage in the development of social media we are all learning...)
1. There are no rules, be ready but not paranoid.
2. Be involved, have a presence. Don't find out you have a social media problem before you have a presence.
3. Have a plan in place. Speak to some professionals conversant in PR and Digital communication.
4. Know when to respond. Better to take 24hrs to respond with your facts presented correctly than respond quickly and be under prepared.
5. Be transparent and honest - this goes without saying.
6. Never over react or be personal when dealing with a social media audience, if you do it WILL end badly.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
When PR works, it really works...
Since Englishman Ben Southall was named winner of the Tourism Queensland "Best job in the world" competition, the PR industry has been quick to praise the campaign and talk about the power of PR. As an example of the global reach mass communication now has via social media, it's almost flawless.
UK PR guru Mark Borkowski posted on his blog "The campaign, run by Tourism Queensland, is a fine example of PR left to do what it does best – spread a positive story as far and wide as possible in a glowing light. And you don’t get a much more glowing, positive light than in Australia, thanks to the ‘can do’ attitude of the Australians and the sunshine. The story behind this job spread virally throughout the world with a little careful placing on YouTube and Facebook – ‘The Best Job in the World’ was a fantastic hook to take advantage of social networking with."
He's right. PR with the right idea, strategic timing and the bravery (client-side) to allow the public to make the message or event their own, is unbeatable in terms of return on investment.
It's been a brilliant advertisement for PR the whole industry can use.
UK PR guru Mark Borkowski posted on his blog "The campaign, run by Tourism Queensland, is a fine example of PR left to do what it does best – spread a positive story as far and wide as possible in a glowing light. And you don’t get a much more glowing, positive light than in Australia, thanks to the ‘can do’ attitude of the Australians and the sunshine. The story behind this job spread virally throughout the world with a little careful placing on YouTube and Facebook – ‘The Best Job in the World’ was a fantastic hook to take advantage of social networking with."
He's right. PR with the right idea, strategic timing and the bravery (client-side) to allow the public to make the message or event their own, is unbeatable in terms of return on investment.
It's been a brilliant advertisement for PR the whole industry can use.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Tweet me or get lost...
The UK Guardian’s tech editor Charles Arthur deals with endless enquiries and media releases from PR - but in an effort to make PR’s get to the point, he’s decided to only accept pitches via Twitter which forces PR's to a) play catch-up and b) be Twitter-savvy.
This changes the rules of interaction between PR's and media.
Firstly, making PR's change their method of contact is his choice His coverage, his rules. Fine.
Secondly, making the PR and journalism interaction take place out in the open is a significant game-changer.
So tweeting a pitch to Charles - and remember you can’t direct mail unless Charles follows you, everyone knows that you’ve pitched to him and knows what you are offering.
So if Charles rejects it, you can’t then go to someone else and say ‘I’m offering you an exclusive’ which then gives you the nightmare of going to reporters one at a time or all at once. This kind of transparency is new to PR.
On the plus-side, it’s a lot harder for a person to ignore a tweet than an email - and takes less time to reply to as well.
There’s also the possibility that this might increase PR tweetspam because if PR ‘A’ sees that PR ‘B’ has sent Charles a tweet about a product and A has something similar, then they are also going to get in touch with him. It could become a fascinating bun-fight.
If Charles does stick to his guns, does it mean he runs the risk of missing a good tale by email? What implications are there for PRs who don’t/won’t use Twitter? Will other reporters follow suit? Will PR's return the favour by saying ‘reach us only via Twitter?’ (Doubtful)
The game has most certainly changed.
This changes the rules of interaction between PR's and media.
Firstly, making PR's change their method of contact is his choice His coverage, his rules. Fine.
Secondly, making the PR and journalism interaction take place out in the open is a significant game-changer.
So tweeting a pitch to Charles - and remember you can’t direct mail unless Charles follows you, everyone knows that you’ve pitched to him and knows what you are offering.
So if Charles rejects it, you can’t then go to someone else and say ‘I’m offering you an exclusive’ which then gives you the nightmare of going to reporters one at a time or all at once. This kind of transparency is new to PR.
On the plus-side, it’s a lot harder for a person to ignore a tweet than an email - and takes less time to reply to as well.
There’s also the possibility that this might increase PR tweetspam because if PR ‘A’ sees that PR ‘B’ has sent Charles a tweet about a product and A has something similar, then they are also going to get in touch with him. It could become a fascinating bun-fight.
If Charles does stick to his guns, does it mean he runs the risk of missing a good tale by email? What implications are there for PRs who don’t/won’t use Twitter? Will other reporters follow suit? Will PR's return the favour by saying ‘reach us only via Twitter?’ (Doubtful)
The game has most certainly changed.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
You can never tell know what consumers are doing with your product...
What happens when people use your brand in unconventional ways?
Sometimes you end up with the Diet Coke and Mentos experiments http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22cfLVtUWn8&feature=related
Sometimes you get "How to Smoke Smarties."
http://adage.com/article?article_id=135224
Sometimes you end up with the Diet Coke and Mentos experiments http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22cfLVtUWn8&feature=related
Sometimes you get "How to Smoke Smarties."
http://adage.com/article?article_id=135224
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Fighting to survive...
This is an interesting look at what newspapers are doing with social media to prevent themselves going into terminal decline...
http://mashable.com/2009/03/11/newspaper-industry/
http://mashable.com/2009/03/11/newspaper-industry/
Monday, March 9, 2009
The stereotype....
This Apple TVC is a case study in everything PR shouldn't be.
The PR person characterised:
a) Refuses to listen
b) Acts as the gatekeeper to her client (Microsoft)
c) Uses euphemisms
d) Says "No comment" - an absolute PR no-no
The PR person characterised:
a) Refuses to listen
b) Acts as the gatekeeper to her client (Microsoft)
c) Uses euphemisms
d) Says "No comment" - an absolute PR no-no
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