PeRceptions

How Twitter Caused Insult to Injury of Chicago Bears’ Jay Cutler

noreply@blogger.com (Cory Stewart) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:02:00 +0000

During the recent NFC Championship game, Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee. The severity of his injury, which was questioned by many, sidelined the star QB for the entire second half. The result was costly, as the Bears eventually lost the game and a chance to appear in this week’s Super Bowl.

What followed his injury was the “NFL’s first player-on-player social media attack,” as reported by Yahoo! Sports reporter Dan Wetzel. Several current and past NFL players (during and after the game) called out Cutler’s manhood, heart, character and pain threshold on Twitter.

Wetzel’s article stated, “Never before have we had such raw and direct access to real-time thoughts of NFL players.” According to him, the steady stream of tweets significantly changed the dynamic of the story.

Instead of discussing the Bears’ near comeback in frigid weather with a third string quarterback, linebacker Brian Urlacher and countless other players had to defend Cutler and play Doogie Howser, M.D. about his injury. Wetzel correctly pointed out, “The questions by reporters were more aggressive than they would’ve been pre-twitter because journalists could lean on the opinion of NFL players to frame things.”

It has been noted by many that Twitter seems to be the preferred choice of pro athletes for several reasons. It’s quick and simple. Tweets can be completed from personal mobile devices. It allows players to manage the message; instead of reporters editing sound bites. Further, the social media site allows athletes to interact with fans and manage their personal brands.

In a recent story about social media controversy and pro athletes, NBCsports.com writer Elisa Castrodale, found a timely study about Twitter that was conducted by the International Journal of Sport Communication.

“Researchers analyzed more than 1,900 tweets from professional athletes and discovered that the largest percentage of their tweets (34 percent) were interactions with their fans and followers. Diversions and topics unrelated to sports were the second largest category (28 percent), followed by “players discussing their own teams or sports” (15 percent).” The report concluded that “Twitter was a powerful tool for increasing fan-athlete interaction.”

In closing, Cutler’s injury turned out to be the least of his concern following the big game. The personal attacks (posted on Twitter and elsewhere) hurt considerably more than his banged up knee and will lead to questions about his physical toughness for several years.

8 Ways to Reenergize your Mind, Body and Office

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Salloum) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 16:11:00 +0000

Failure to meet New Year’s resolutions – check.

Can no longer fit butt into jeans – check, check.

Haven’t seen the sun in over twelve days – check, check, check.

And to top things off, your newly-organized self has an inbox stacked taller than the Tour Eiffel!

It is imperative you fight the winter blues and failed attempts at “resolving,” for the sake of your sanity, your productivity and ultimately (since this is a work blog) your clients. Here are a few homegrown ideas that seem to be working in the Cookerly Public Relations motherland - at least in my cube - to get innovative and inspired.

1. Customize your cube: Hang up some photos of family and friends or things that inspire you. Personalizing your daily surroundings will make your office feel more permanent; it’s your space – make it pretty.

2. Toss it: Still have notes from a meeting in January of 2008, or a newspaper clip from 2009? TOSS.IT! Here’s some news, it’s 2011.

3. Revamp your wardrobe: When you dress frumpy, your work is frumpy. Dress to impress; you never know where the day will lead. Add a touch of a color or a great print to your dreary black and grey winter ensemble. It will brighten the mood... in your cube (I could write a whole post on this).

4. Replace a smoke break with a social media break: Forget nicotine. Get your afternoon fix by perusing Facebook and Twitter for interesting articles, up-to-the-second news, and fun photos. Keep it professional, so you don’t get too distracted.

5. Do it like Phoebe: Recall that Friend’s episode when Phoebe and Rachel are running through Central Park and Phoebe runs like a maniac fool?

Her energy level is incredible, she goes further faster, plus it’s far more fun. Take a minute to jive down the aisle or flail your hands in the air. Exert pent-up energy, it will revive you and help you refocus. I particularly like number one in this article, Zippity Do Dah! Feel free to share your co-workers reactions with us!

6. Set short-term goals: Too much on your plate? Feel like you’re jumping from one project to the next without really accomplishing anything? Compile a “to do” list starting with your simplest tasks. It’s amazing what crossing off a few assignments can do to motivate and encourage taking on bigger projects throughout the day.

7. Reward yourself: Don’t hesitate to pat yourself on the back for a job well-done. Or better yet, step outside, take a 10 minute walk and breathe in some fresh air.

8. Reward yourself part deux: Yesterday, at 4:12 p.m., my cubemate, Matt says above the typing, “Everyday at 4 the agency should have a happy hour, snack or coffee.” I think that’s brilliant, Matt, and what would make it better? Combine the three!

Matt, Ada, Sarah, Brittney and I have a good cubical culture going here… sometimes it just needs that added zing. We’d love to hear your ideas for fighting winter blues and afternoon delirium. So please, do share!

How Does the Revolution in Tunisia Affect Me? Using Social Media to Your Advantage

noreply@blogger.com (Carol McEntee) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 14:58:00 +0000

Some foreign policy experts are tracing the revolution in Tunisia to the pervasiveness of social media, but a smart commentary on the radio program “On the Media” last week puts the dynamism of popular, modern “movements,” particularly in the Arab world, where it belongs: with active citizens who consume a wide range of media to level information asymmetries and engage like-minded people.

Foreign Policy magazine blogger Mark Lynch clearly points out that new media can help the disaffected organize rapidly, respond more dynamically to political might, and use compelling visual images to galvanize people around a cause. But the new media tools in and of themselves are not the cause for a revolution.

Lynch says: “Calling Tunisia a "Twitter Revolution" is simplistic, but even skeptics have to recognize that the new media environment mattered. I would suggest that analysts not think about the effects of the new media as an either/or proposition ("Twitter vs. Al Jazeera"), but instead think about new media (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, SMS, etc.) and satellite television as collectively transforming a complex and potent evolving media space.”

Pervasiveness of information, images, data, and now more recently - confidential documents – is challenging corporations, politicians and others to rethink how they engage stakeholders and citizens in a conversation about their decisions and the impact they have on broader society. Still, the fact remains that unreasonable use or abuse of power in today’s world is bound to get immediate attention so it’s wise to think about reputation and credibility long before you’re put in a position where “secrets” are cast onto the Internet.

We can use social media to build support for opinions, but it is often the actions of governments or businesses that can prompt a negative rant or tap into deeper seated disaffection that goes “viral” in no time. So, it’s important to remember that media - old or new - remains the tool for distributing the message, not creating it.

Starbucks Customers Jittery Over New Logo

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:14:00 +0000

On January 5, an update on the Starbucks Facebook page announced that the coffee company’s logo would be changing in the spring of 2011. The status update linked to a video message from CEO Howard Schultz on the Starbucks website in which he explained the reason for the change. An accompanying blog post said that the famous Siren needed the update in order to position the company “for future growth” as it explores new channels of distribution (think grocery stores).

As a quasi-traditionalist, I don’t always acclimate easily to institutional change – especially when it involves a sacred cow like my coffee. But I also understand that brands need to evolve in order to grow and enter new markets. The Starbucks logo introduced in 1992 – the one I’m reluctant to give up now – replaced the brown, vintage-looking Siren that decorated the first store Starbucks opened in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. I’m sure the original customers who discovered the coffeehouse before its explosive growth were reluctant to see that logo retired as well. But people are resilient and coffee habits die hard.

Brands change – they have to in order to survive – but that doesn’t mean change for change’s sake is necessarily a positive development. Remember New Coke or Gap’s recent logo fiasco? Starbucks is all about the experience they deliver for customers – from the store ambiance to the service. Oh, and of course the coffee. People pick Starbucks because they feel better about themselves after they leave the store, not because it’s better than Dunkin’ Donuts. If people start feeling different, they may go elsewhere. It remains to be seen whether people will acclimate to the new, modern logo and feel the same about their $4 latte. If the experience feels too institutionalized, Starbucks may lose its edge.

Starbucks’ handling of the switch doesn’t bode well for the direction of the company. As far as I can see, it hasn’t responded to a single comment on Facebook, despite hundreds of respectfully negative feedback on the new logo. If top management is as out of touch as the person managing the Facebook page, then the coffeehouse may be losing its bearings.

I certainly hope that’s not the case. After all, I’m dependent on their wi-fi internet and caffeine. But you can’t build a business model on wi-fi and jitters; I think my local McDonalds has wi-fi and lattes now. But they can’t beat the Starbucks experience. At least for now.

Snowy with a Chance of Internet Addiction

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 19:49:00 +0000

It’s a snow day! Grab your garbage pail lids, flexible flyers, dining hall trays and find anything that resembles a hill. It’s a snow day….but it’s not.

There was a time when “snow day” meant your world shut down. You put on as many layers as possible, spent hours outside (as a kid or with your kids) – and just when you thought you couldn’t get any colder – you went inside, made hot chocolate, got toasty warm and started all over again.

But with the advent of the Internet, VPN, smart phones and any other device that keeps us connected, there is no such thing as a snow day, weekend or even an evening without the constant call of work. And here in lies the dilemma. This isn’t a new topic, it’s been debated for the past 15 years or more, but the way we now respond has reached a much higher pitch. It’s not just about the devices and connectivity – it’s about us.

First it was the tanning beds, cell phones and video games, now it’s “Internet addiction” or “Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD).” The Computer Addiction Study Center at Harvard University's McLean Hospital has found that 5-10% of the population has internet dependency. Dr. Maressa Orzack, a licensed clinical psychologist, member of the Harvard Medical School faculty and founder/coordinator of the Computer Addiction Services, has treated these addictive behaviors. Articles have been published in the Harvard University Gazette about this disorder with anecdotal stories.

In addition, Internet addiction clinics and help sites are cropping up at a rapid rate. In August 2009, ReSTART, the first residential treatment center for "pathological computer use" was founded in Fall City, Washington; HelpGuide.org enables you to assess your addiction and provides self help tips to break the habit. Plus, a recent article on Livestrong.com identifies the far reaching effects such as detachment and task failure, isolation, guilt and even poor diet as just a few of the problems.

Yes, it could be true. A day without constant feedback and information is no longer relaxing, it’s actually stressful.

Or you can look at it like this – we’re having a snow day in Atlanta, but the rest of the world is still doing business and not waiting for our ice to melt.

There are no make up dates for snow days!

Is Social Media Becoming the Primary Source of News and Information? For me, I think it has.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 13:27:00 +0000

It wasn’t too long ago that, personally, I would have laughed at the idea social media could become a major force in news and information. I’m old enough that I grew up watching Walter Cronkite deliver the evening news and knowing him as “The Most Trusted Man in America.”

The idea that Facebook and Twitter and countless other mediums could somehow become as influential as Walter Cronkite was preposterous in my mind.

Well, I have to confess that I was wrong. During my Christmas vacation, I spent a lot of time on social media, Facebook being the primary communications tool (among several) of choice. What became abundantly clear to me was; in addition to finding out about goings on with my friends and family, I was getting a significant portion of my news from social media. Upon reflection, I realized that in 2010 (and now into 2011) some of the important and not so important news that affected me, or that I was simply interested to know, came by way of social media.

Quick example: I love baseball and am a lifelong fan of the St. Louis Cardinals … it was a tweet that popped in one evening informing me that the Cardinals had signed Lance Berkman from the free-agent market. Naturally, with great excitement, I went to the web pages of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch to get the full story, however, without Twitter, it might have been the next day before I heard the news.

That’s hardly critical news, but while in Memphis for the Liberty Bowl (don’t ask) it was a posting on Facebook that tipped me off to a tornado watch and the heavy thunderstorms that were rolling our way. Fortunately for Memphis the worst of that awful storm turned north, but tragically spawned deadly tornados in Arkansas. Thanks to a posting on facebook, our New Year’s Eve reveling in Memphis was done with an awareness that we might need to take action.

Then today comes a snow day in Georgia. I knew about it from the “old fashioned” media because they’ve been predicting this event for a week, but I found out by email that Cookerly Public Relations would be having an agency-wide telework day today. The photo is looking out the front door of the "Cookerly Snellville Office."

Most importantly, I found out that my bowling league would advise if there would be competition tonight via facebook and my sons sent me video of a big snowball fight at the University of Georgia that broke out last night http://tinyurl.com/2blsghw … now THAT is fast-breaking, critical news!

When I reflected on it, I thought about many of other recent instances where my first alert of news (some important only to me, some more broad in scope) came by way of social media.

Hmmm. I guess the idea that social media could become, or perhaps HAS become as influential as Walter Cronkite – at least in my world – is hardly a preposterous notion.

And that’s the way it is…

Tackling Social Media in 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Ada Hatzios) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:57:00 +0000

Since the New Year brings new beginnings, perhaps you are thinking about ramping up a new social media program this year. Not sure where to start? Mashable has compiled a list of more than 150 social media resources for businesses, along with a plethora of tips and advice from social media representatives at various organizations.

A few key takeaways:

From “Why You Need to Monitor and Measure Your Brand on Social Media”:

• “Social media is like the largest cocktail party in the world.” Social media monitoring is important. People are out there talking about your products and your company, with or without your input, or message points. If you’re not paying attention, you don’t know what they’re saying.

By listening, you can discover potentially negative perceptions about your brand, positive feedback from customers, and questions about how to use a product, and more. Use this information to address issues before they escalate into a larger problem. Positive feedback can be incorporated into client testimonials, brand advocacy and give you valuable insight into those emotional connections your customers have with you.

From “6 Essential Steps for Executing Your Social Media Strategy”:
• Keep track of who is posting. Identify who will be responsible for being the “voice” of your company or organization’s social media channels and outline guidelines for what type of content to post, how often, and how to comment.

Having too many voices can create confusion, but it doesn’t have to. Having a plan is especially important when you’re posting on multiple channels, like Twitter, Facebook and a company blog. Without it, potential inconsistencies can lead to misinformation and mixed perceptions – many voices can work, as long as they are all speaking your language.

From “Why Twitter Is a Big Win for Small Businesses”:

• Target followers to reach people who would be interested in your products or services.
• Take your time and listen, feel comfortable with what you want to say and don’t try to jump in all at once.

Be strategic about who you’re following; consider how you can both benefit from the relationship. For example, retweet items that you think would be informative or helpful to your community.

Implementing a social media program is a dynamic process. Make sure you periodically review your program and make changes to improve it. But the main thing to keep in mind is to just start – once you have a clear strategy and have developed a plan, of course – and always keep learning and listening. Yes, the volume of data can be overwhelming. But once you get a grasp on what is being said about your brand, you can make more informed decisions to support marketing and business objectives.

Even in this digital age, you will always need a human mind behind it to make sense of it all and ensure it benefits your organization. It will pay off.

A Former Journalist's Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Glazier) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:07:00 +0000

One of my favorite parts about New Year’s Day—apart from college football—is to see how my resolutions change every year. Ever since I started writing down and saving my resolutions, I’ve found that some of them stay there year after year (“call your old friends more often” and “get more sleep” seem to hold on to their spots with tenacity). But most of them change, and looking at those changes is an interesting way of viewing the ways your life shifts.

For example, here’s one of mine from last year: “Update and pare down your list of publicity contacts.” My position in life has changed somewhat since I wrote that. At this time last year, I was working as a freelance journalist and editor, something I’d been doing for years. It wasn’t until December that I joined Cookerly full time. I couldn’t be happier with my new position and my new team.

With the start of my first year in PR, I’m resolving to remember the lessons from my years as a journalist. Here’s an editor-turned-publicist’s resolutions for the new year:

1. No Spam: This one comes right out of that 2010 resolution. The reason I had to pare down my publicity contacts was because I was receiving 35-50 press releases a day. As an editor, the most important thing to me in a PR contact was how relevant their pitches were. For the publicists who regularly sent me appropriate material, I read each and every pitch sent my way. For the ones who harassed me with every release they wrote, not so much. For example, when I was working on a publication targeted specifically for men, one persistent publicist insisted on hitting me with regular releases for Amish romance novels. Her email currently heads straight to my spam folder.

2. Make It Easy: One of the other things that separate the PR pros from the amateurs was how easy they made it to use their stories. Journalists are busy people. They like it when the publicist knows what they’re going to need for the story and provides it. I know I did. Give me a well-written release with a good headline, compelling quotes and easy access to a quality source, and you had a lot better odds that I would run your story.

3. Follow Up: Most reporters and editors I knew did not have clean desks. They were overloaded and juggling ten different balls at a time. It’s easy for them to lose track of your story. I was pretty good at staying on top of potential stories, but I still had things fall through cracks. Sometimes a quick follow-up call would remind me of something that slipped through. Again, if you’re pitching stuff that is relevant to the journalist, a follow-up call is considered helpful instead of nagging.

On Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Candace McCaffery) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 17:38:00 +0000

This is the last post of the year for PeRceptions. Historically, we’ve used it as an opportunity to take a look back at the year at Cookerly – what we’ve achieved professionally and on behalf of our clients; what stands out as the most memorable events of the year.

But that strikes me as a bit too much navel-gazing for a business that is in the business of using messaging to reach audiences on their terms. So, because I often advise clients to avoid the trap of navel-gazing (e.g., talking in their own “lingo” instead of trying to think as someone who doesn’t know them, their product or service as well as they do), I’m taking on a different topic.

Being somewhat of a history buff (and lover of Wikipedia), I started wondering how and when the tradition of New Year’s Resolutions got its start. A bit of common sense is all that is needed to understand the “why” – it’s logical to see that any opportunity to start anew would be a good time to take inventory on what is working – and what isn’t – in our lives.

But here are four things you may not know about the New Year celebration and its traditions:

Like many things in Western culture, New Year’s Resolutions got their start with the Romans. Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances, had two faces, and could look back on past events and forward to the future. A legend began that on December 31 at midnight, Janus would see the past year and the next year at the same time. Romans began making promises to Janus in the hopes that he would see their sincerity and help them attain their goals. Many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year.
The modern form of our Americanized New Year's Resolutions is credited to Benjamin Franklin. In his "Poor Richard's Almanac" of 1738, Franklin wrote, "Each year one vicious habit rooted out, in time might make the worst man good throughout," and the almanac published a first set of true New Year's resolutions.
There are many global “good luck” traditions associated with the New Year. Being a true Southerner, to me, New Year’s Day means a dish based on West African recipes, Hoppin’ John (for luck), accompanied by collard greens (for money). Food traditions abound across the globe, with lasagna the meal of choice for luck in Sicily; suckling pig in Austria; and rice pudding (with one lucky almond) in Norway. These traditions seem to stick for decades or even centuries.
Resolutions don’t fare as well. In 1997, a University of Washington study found 47 percent of the 100 million adult Americans who make resolutions give up on their goals after two months. This figure has grown to 80 percent in the past decade, according to recent research completed at the University of Minnesota.

As for me, I do make resolutions, but avoid the “I will go to the gym 7 days a week” ones, as I know I’m only setting myself up for failure. Professionally, I think I speak for everyone here when I saw we resolve to continue to work hard on behalf of our clients, to be true partners in their businesses, and to appreciate the fact that they trust in us to be catalysts in changing behavior, driving sales, enhancing and protecting their reputations. What about you?

Crisis Communications Decision Points

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:26:00 +0000

In his book Decision Points, former President George W. Bush offers a candid look at his decision-making process while in office. From the war in Iraq to his efforts to reform Social Security, the book is a rare glimpse inside the mind of one of the most controversial presidents of my lifetime. It’s a good read for anybody interested in politics and history, whether you agreed with Bush much or not.

The section in the book dedicated to Hurricane Katrina received a lot of media attention, in part because many people – even five plus years after Katrina – wondered how an administration could be so disengaged at such a critical time. As you might expect, Bush both expressed regrets – he couldn’t deny that the response by federal and state agencies was a disaster – and offered push-back against those who placed blame solely on his administration.

However, there was one explanation of the response that I found especially instructive.

Bush talked about the success he had dealing with natural disasters both as governor of Texas and president; he said he thought his administration had disaster response down. It was a blind spot for him not because he discounted the danger natural disasters posed to America’s coastal cities, but because he had grown complacent and believed past success dealing with disasters would translate into an effective response to Hurricane Katrina. We all know it didn’t.

The lessons of Bush’s failures in New Orleans can be applied to crisis communications. The old maxim “past performance is no guarantee of future success” applies here. Every new crisis/situation has to be analyzed on its own merits and not through the prism of previous events. History and context are important, but they’re no substitute for fresh, current analysis. When consulting with clients like Ready Georgia on crisis communications issues, I and colleagues at my agency always keep these principles in mind.

The top words of 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Ada Hatzios) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 20:57:00 +0000

The Oxford University Press issued its “Word of the Year” along with a list of the top 10 finalists. Some you may be familiar with, and others may raise eyebrows – as they did mine.

Without further ado, here are the top 10 Finalists for “2010 Word of the Year”:

1. bankster: noun, a member of the banking industry perceived as a predator that grows rich at the expense of those suffering in a crumbling economy: trillions of dollars are flowing to the banksters in the form of near-zero interest loans.

2. crowdsourcing: noun ,the practice whereby an organization enlists a variety of freelancers, paid or unpaid, to work on a specific task or problem: Kodak used social media crowdsourcing to engage its customers in their naming contest.

3. double-dip: adjective, denoting or relating to a recession during which a period of economic decline is followed by a brief period of growth, followed by a further period of decline: higher food and energy prices could increase the risk of a double-dip recession.

4. gleek: noun, a fan of the television series Glee.

5. nom nom: exclamation, an expression of delight when eating. nom noms (pl. noun) delicious food. (popularized by the noises made by Cookie Monster on Sesame Street)

6. retweet: verb, (on the social networking service Twitter) repost or forward (a message posted by another user). Noun, a reposted or forwarded message on Twitter.

7. Tea Party: noun, a US political party that emerged from a movement of conservatives protesting the federal government in 2009.

8. top kill: noun, a procedure designed to seal a leaking oil well, whereby large amounts of a material heavier than the oil—e.g., mud—are pumped into the affected well.

9. Vuvuzela: noun (also called vuvu), a long horn blown by fans at soccer matches. Gained notoriety during 2010 World Cup.

10. webisode: noun, 1. an original episode derived from a television series, made for online viewing. 2. an online video that presents an original short film or promotes a product, movie, or television series.

And…….(drumroll, please), the 2010 Word of the Year:

refudiate

Definition: verb used loosely to mean “reject,” widely attributed to Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska, who used it in a Twitter message in July in reference to “refudiate” the proposal to build a mosque. The word is a combination of “refute” and “repudiate” and is not, in fact, a real word. However it received so much attention that it prompted the editors of the Oxford University Press to conclude that “neither ‘refute’ nor ‘repudiate’ seems consistently precise, and that ‘refudiate’ more or less stands on its own, suggesting a general sense of ‘reject.’”

My personal favorite: vuvuzela. It sounds like an exotic bird or fruit that one might enjoy eating in Fiji while sipping a colorful drink with a little umbrella in it. Popular during the World Cup, the horns don’t really look or sound that exotic at all. But the word is fun to say.

As for nom nom….really? This is now part of the American lexicon? Are we reverting to baby talk? (no offense, Cookie Monster). I dare someone to use this in a sentence!

I thought webisode was a word two years ago. And double-dip – previously used in reference to uncultured party guests who would dip their potato chip twice in the guacamole or party dip of choice – has now become associated with the Great Recession. Ah, progress. I found it interesting that three of the finalists – crowdsourcing, retweet and webisode – are a direct impact of social media influence.

Sam Sifton and Grant Barrett provide some additional words that impacted 2010 in the New York Times.

What are your favorites?

Should Government Pay for PR?

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy Paden) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:52:00 +0000

Several weeks back, Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri made news by questioning the General Services Administration’s (GSA) hiring of a PR firm to help with crisis communications. GSA’s Kansas City office hired Jane Mobley Associates to develop a communications plan to address issues stemming from pollution problems at a federal complex there.

As someone who has done a good bit of government-related PR work over the years, I found myself talking (quite loudly) to my computer screen when I read this quote from McCaskill, “The federal government should not be spending money on contracts to manage the press,” she said. “They should answer questions openly. If this happens so easily at one federal agency, it may be going on in others.”

Yes, Senator. It is going on at other agencies. And it should.

The reason McCaskill’s comments got under my skin is that they reveal a common misperception about PR. “Managing the press” is not about deception or even obfuscation. Good, ethical PR pros would never advise a client – government or otherwise – to intentionally mislead the press and the public. Not only is it wrong, it’s just not effective. One of PR’s main purposes is to build credibility, and you can’t do that by lying or being evasive.

McCaskill’s quote also revealed a lack of respect for the public relations profession that I think is all too common. Her assumption that the government shouldn’t spend money for PR services implies that there is no expertise required for public communication and that anyone should be able to “answer questions openly.”

I’m guessing she would have no problem paying millions of dollars to solve the pollution problem that led to this communications crisis. So why is she balking at spending a fraction of that amount to make sure that the public understands the intricacies of a complex situation? As a taxpayer, I think that’s a good investment.

Government officials who have received good advice from experienced professionals should be more responsive and better equipped to serve the public by providing accurate, timely information. In contrast, an official who is caught in the middle of a controversial situation without good counsel is far more likely to be defensive and reactive.

So while McCaskill claims to be protecting the public interest, from my perspective she’s doing just the opposite.

Get Back to Basics: 3 Tips for Social Media Success

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:59:00 +0000

As I voted this morning in the 4^th Annual Mashable Awards, I realized that the world of social media is growing almost beyond my comprehension. In business, is it possible to learn about, apply and succeed with so many new online tools?

The question got me thinking about something I heard during an interactive panel discussion at a recent Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) seminar. When asked what we need to stop, start and continue doing with regard to social media, Rob Fishman, social media manager at The Huffington Post, said, “We need to start getting back to basics.”

Rob, I couldn’t agree more. Most of us know that social media tools are just that…tools to communicate the messages we’ve always conveyed to our audience. But so many people and organizations out there want to jump into the shiny, new pool headfirst, and their messages can get lost in the shuffle.

To keep us all grounded in this ever-changing arena, we need to remember to get back to basics when launching a social media promotion or using social media to tout a product or service. Here are three tips to help you do that:

Give the People What They Want – Consumers turn to your brand for a reason. Whether it is to be informed, serviced or entertained, always keep your audience in mind and deliver to them, not always what they expect, but what they want.
KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid – Sign up, then we’ll email you a special code to use online. You’ll tweet that using our handle and 29-character hashtag, which will get you entered for a drawing to submit your video on Facebook. I think you get the point.
Never Tell a Lie – The language might be more casual; the tone more fun. But communicating via social media channels requires the same transparency and honesty of other platforms. Don’t exaggerate or make promises you can’t keep.

By getting back to basics, who knows? You could be the “Must-Follow Brand” at the 5^th Annual Mashable Awards.

How do you know when it’s time to revisit the messaging? 2010 misfires that might give you a clue.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:56:00 +0000

Messaging. Critical to your business success, it’s the way you communicate the appeal and the impact of your business, product or service to your target audience. A clearly stated message tells consumers why they should do business with you rather than your competitors.

Over time, these messages help to build your brand image whether for a product, service, company or even a person, like a politician or sports superstar. They must be communicated on a daily basis in your words and by your actions.

So why do we forget? No matter how finely honed an image might be, there will always be those moments that make PR specialists cringe.

And every now and then, you just have to throw your hands up and say- well – what do you say to the following 2010 real life examples of public relations misfires?

There are the obvious examples we’ve discussed ad nauseum:

• BP, CEO, Tony Hayward saying “I want my life back,” when 11 others lost their lives and millions were frantically worrying about their livelihood.

• If you Google “Bidenisms” you’ll find many. But nothing compares to Joe’s open mic disaster when during the signing of healthcare reform he whispered to the President AND the whole world, “This is a big @#*&! Deal!”

• Or Christine O’Donnell’s very short lived ads that ran during her political campaign for the Delaware Senate seat stating unequivocally, “I am not a witch!” –really good to know!

But there are also those that typically go unnoticed (unless you watch late night TV).

• When the best promotion you can come up with to drive sales is “Buy a car, get a free balloon,” it’s time to reconsider your messaging.

• Or in an effort to raise money and draw attention to animal cruelty you hit on a really big idea for fundraising and the headline reads: “Local Humane Society to Host Pig Roast Dinner.” You might want to rethink your mission.

• All the refined messaging in the world doesn’t work if you can’t use spell check: “We’re the small local college BIG on graguate success.”

• And then there is the ever present tag line that concisely communicates your message. For one school this didn’t work out so well. The tag:
Mount St. Joseph School: Building Boys into Men. Men who Matter. Mount Men.

I’ll just leave it at this – messaging – it’s important.

Happy Holidays!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:49:00 +0000

‘Twas the Night before Christmas when all through the agency,
Nobody was stirring, not even Mizz Cookerly.

The proposals were stacked by the front desk with care,
In hopes that new clients would soon stand right there.

Staff members were at home all snug in their beds,
While visions of bowl games danced in their heads.

With Candace in her ‘kerchief, and Jane in her cap,
Just settled down from a new client flap.

When out near the lobby arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my office to see what was the matter.

Away to the window, I flew like a flash,
I pulled up the blinds and threw off the sash.

The moon shone brightly on the new fallen snow,
Gave luster of midday to objects below.

But, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
Than Amy and Ada with Chex Mix and beer!

Come into the office I yelled with great cheer,
I’ll call Mike and Cory and get them right here.

Get Debbie, get Brittney and call Sarah too,
They’ll want to join in our little impromptu ado.

Beth and Matt and, and oh yes, Carol Mac,
Give ‘em holler, get ‘em out of the sack.

Come to the office, no matter how windy,
We’re gonna have fun so call Lil’Cindy.

Don’t forget Lindsay, nor Katie nor Chris,
Mistletoe awaits and one might get a kiss.

They drank of the cheer and ate all the snacks
Shouldn’t drive after drinking, and those are the facts.

But we can’t stay too long as it is Christmas Eve,
But ready or not, it’s now time to leave.

The good news is; from the lands that are hinter,
Santa just landed at Alliance Center,

Saint Nick says he will take us by sleigh,
To our far flung destinations by midnight this day.

So we load in the back all set for the ride,
With huge bags of toys sitting right by our side.

"Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On Cupid! On, Donder and Blitzen!

Off the parking deck and over the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

So up over Buckhead we rapidly flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and the whole staff too.

Up front was Carol who was talking some jive,
Telling Santa where to go, and just how to drive.

To each home he took us with great feeling and care,
And flew off himself into the frigid night air.

And away Santa flew like the down of a thistle.
Singing a song and whistling a whistle.

Thank you Saint Nick for a fabulous ride,
And returning us home where we’re safely inside.

And to close this out, it’s not rocket science,
Thanks to our clients for being our clients.

For without you, there’s no need for us,
We’d have to pack it in and get on the bus.

So from us to you, may your Christmas be Heaven,
And best wishes for your two-thousand eleven!

Taking the Blocks Out of the Box: The Value of Fresh Thinking

noreply@blogger.com (Candace McCaffery) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 17:53:00 +0000

This week, I have been thinking about thinking. New thinking, to be exact. In the inevitable way that the calendar shift to December makes “It’s almost the new year!” roll off the tongue, this week has been filled with planning, planning and more planning.

I may be unusual, but one of things that I like most about planning for a new year is the opportunity to look at what we’re doing and ask “If I was starting all over with this, is this the mix of strategies and tactics I would propose? Why or why not?” One of my clients referred to it as “taking all of the blocks out of the box.” Would you just re-arrange the same blocks, or do you throw them all out and get a whole new set?

While some may groan at the prospect of starting over, I enjoy the opportunity. And I’m especially grateful when a client invites us to take a fresh approach. To me, that’s a large part of what keeps my job challenging and fulfilling. In my younger days, I fulfilled this need for new by packing up my car and moving to a new state every few years. In my somewhat older and wiser years (and because I have a child who loves where she lives), I channel that need into my work. I’m not alone: one of this agency’s greatest strengths is that even with clients we’ve had for years, we never rest on our laurels, but rather strive for improvement every day. December just gives us an added reason… and a looming deadline.

So, I’d like to challenge you to take a look at your box of communications blocks – go ahead and take them out and play with them for a while. And while you’re stacking, think about these three things:

Are there external issues impacting your audience? An obvious one would be the economy and its impact on your audience and messaging. Even if you aren’t selling anything, there may be impacts to consider. For instance, loss of jobs means no commuting back and forth to work. For The Clean Air Campaign – which focuses on getting commuters out of the habit of driving alone – that impacts their target audience, but in a very different way than a company selling luxury goods.
Are you fully leveraging the social media space? And are you doing it in coordination with your traditional marketing? So much has changed, and so quickly, that many companies and organizations are either struggling to keep up or starting up multiple social media tactical projects (two Facebook pages, three Twitter feeds, a couple of blogs and a LinkedIn Group.) without consideration for integration into other established communications strategies. No matter what you do – or don’t do – in the social space, the bottom line is that all of these channels and tactics will be most successful if they are looked at holistically: you get a bigger bang for the buck, and your audience gets a consistent message online and offline.
Speaking of offline, have you forgotten the value of good, old-fashioned grassroots programs? Sure, social is the shiny new thing, but don’t dismiss the value of a more human approach to communications. Those Rotary Club speaking engagements, coffee shop bulletin boards and local event sponsorships may still be valuable, depending on your audience and your goals. We love the immediacy, anonymity and power provided by the digital world, but even the biggest tech geek needs some face-to face connection time. If they didn’t, TweetUps wouldn’t exist.

Did this get you thinking about thinking? I hope so – playing with blocks can be fun at any age.

Getting Serious About Laughter

noreply@blogger.com (Cookerly Public Relations) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:59:00 +0000

The recent passing of Leslie Nielsen has me thinking about comedy and its place in PR.

When you work with a client year after year, the message can get stale. Part of the challenge is coming up with new and engaging ways to say the same thing over and over. The cool part is that on one hand, you have different platforms to distribute your message (thanks social media!), and on the other hand, you have the way in which you say it.

So in a world full of boring press releases, lengthy quotes, stats and the 24-hour news cycle, how do you get someone’s attention?

Consider making your audience laugh.

A good example: I follow a handful of news outlets on Twitter, and while my eyes gloss over as I scan through most of them, the only one I enjoy and share with friends … the AJC. Why? Its tweeters (names still undisclosed) are funny and smart. They make me laugh and I appreciate the tasteful sense of humor they apply to everyday news.

So maybe it’s time to spruce things up and add some levity to your message. Next time an idea makes you laugh in a brainstorm, use it! I bet your audience will think it’s funny too.

Blog Post Epilogue:
In tribute to Mr. Nielsen, and the fact that I used my Thanksgiving vacation to spray WD-40 on every hinge, lock and moving part in my house, two quotes from Spy Hard:

Dick Steele, Agent WD-40: Operator, get me Washington.
Operator: George?
Dick Steele, Agent WD-40: D.C.

Veronique Ukrinsky, Agent 3.14: Have a nice flight, and I wish you adieux.
Dick Steele, Agent WD-40: Thank you, but I am quite satisfied with the do I have.

Lights, Camera…AH! When behind the scenes becomes the scene

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Salloum) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:11:00 +0000

“Good morning, Cookerly Public Relations, this is Amy.” I hold my breath, wondering who’s on the other line. Is it about the media briefing document I compiled last night? Or is it the reporter from the Times finally calling me back to confirm an interview time?

Neither, today it’s one of our Senior VPs, Candace, asking me to read a creative brief for a video shoot she and her team are filming for SunTrust about the MasterCard Market place. A casting call about online shopping? I would’ve worn better shoes!

Having facilitated media interviews with clients, undergone media training and interview preparation, calming nerves – “don’t worry, you’re the expert, and I’ll be there to step in if any sensitive issues should arise” – you’d think turning the microphone on yourself would be business as usual. And this shoot was about the new SunTrust MasterCard check card and online shopping. Bingo, a topic on which I am a self-proclaimed expert!

Try again. Dreaming up a story idea, drafting the pitch, reaching out to reporters, securing the opportunity, scheduling the interview, reviewing key messages with the client prior to the interview, that is a piece of cake (once you have a few years of experience under your belt, of course). The alternative, a tiny flashing red light, sweaty palms, tongue twister lines - a simple task that is not. It’s more like lights, camera...AH!

After about two hours of acquainting myself with the overall theme of the video and key elements of the “new SunTrust MasterCard check card and benefits of shopping online at the MasterCard Marketplace,” (try repeating that 102 times! Sounds more like – “the new SunTrust MasterCard Marketplace, check card MasterCard”…huh?), we began filming. Seven hours later, we had interviewed 15 strangers about their online shopping habits and using a check card vs. a credit card – letting the whole world (Underground Atlanta and Peachtree Center) know about the advantages of using the new MasterCard check card.

[Long dramatic exhausted sigh] Kudos to reporters for chasing down sources to get that two-minute interview and flying by the seat of their pants trying to make conversation out of nothing. Did you get everything you needed? Or is it back to the drawing board? Seven hours of your life, you can only hope you have some good materials to make your case!

We sat for five days, waiting in anticipation, wondering if Josh, Shandra, Kay and Brenda and Adam (we knew Bob did not) got us those sound bites to make the video work… (and of course, how did my hair look and was the inflection in my voice overkill?!)

A few nips-and-tucks in the editing room and boom, Jonathon, our producer and Will, our cameraman, made magic!

The video is in its last rounds of editing, and I look forward to seeing the final product. And while this was quite the experience, I will to stick to my comfort zone, behind the scenes, where I get to sit in the director’s chair. However, do not be mistaken, whether on camera or behind the camera, I will always pay special attention to my shoes.

How’s LeBron’s “Decision” working out?

noreply@blogger.com (Cory Stewart) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:06:00 +0000

Earlier this year, in my blog entry, “LeBron’s “Decision” Stains Legacy, Compromises Journalistic Integrity,” I analyzed the fallout surrounding LeBron James’ and ESPN’s hour-long special called “The Decision.” Most know that LeBron dumped the Cleveland Cavaliers and decided to play for a stacked Miami Heat line-up that includes All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

The way LeBron and his camp handled the announcement disturbed many in the league, press and public. He was widely panned as being selfish and ego-driven, and even basketball legends Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley publicly chided his actions. The damage LeBron suffered to his brand and overall image was immense and might prove to be irreparable.

The fallout was so bad that one of his biggest sponsors, Nike, recently felt the need to roll-out a highly publicized TV ad for its superstar. The 90 second commercial, LeBron Rise, attempts to repair his image while addressing the offseason criticism for his poor handling of the announcement. The reviews were mixed, but it did lead to a sharp, funny rebuttal, Response to “LeBron Rise,” from Cavaliers fans.

Cleveland felt scorned and openly burned LeBron jerseys and clothing in front of news cameras following the widely criticized ESPN program. According to press reports, they even threw rocks and bottles at the 10 story Nike billboard of LeBron that was a fixture in downtown Cleveland. The ad was obviously removed immediately after his announcement.

Cleveland was not the only ones to spoof the commercial; the creators of the comedy show South Park and the Ultimate Fighting Championship poked fun at the new Nike commercial. (If you need a laugh, I recommend viewing them on YouTube – warning: clips contain strong language.)

To LeBron’s credit, he did purchase a full page ad after his “decision” in his hometown paper, the Akron Beacon-Journal, thanking his family, friends and supporters. Interestingly, the ad did not mention or thank his thousands of fans and supporters in Cleveland.

In the end, one commercial or an entire ad campaign is not going to repair LeBron’s image. While winning a championship (or five) might help, it’s going to take a very concerted effort from LeBron and his handlers to mend fences with fans and the public. However, based on his latest Nike TV ad and the public’s reaction, it appears that won’t happen anytime soon.

What Does Your Facebook Page Say About You?

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney Watson) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:25:00 +0000

Facebook is an awesome social networking tool that enables users to stay connected with friends, but the downside is that almost everyone is on Facebook, including my 71-year-old grandmother. Moreover, we live in a voyeuristic society. People are searching to find information about others and many are guilty of TMI – too much information— through Facebook. With that in mind, it’s important to be cautious and cognizant of our Facebook content.

The social network is a resource for people searching for roommates, learning about a new friend and most importantly, seeking employees. According to a study in 2009, employers are using social networks to screen job candidates and eliminate them from consideration because of information found on their pages such as:

• Information about alcohol or drug use
• Inappropriate photos or information posted on a candidate’s page
• Poor communication skills
• Unprofessional screen names

Although you won’t find the bullets above on my Facebook profile, I decided that in addition to changing the privacy settings on my profile, I would create two profiles, one for my personal life and the other for professional use. Perception is key, and although I don’t have anything to hide, I’d like to prevent scrutiny over a vacation photo or for remarks made on my personal profile.

Each individual uses social networking sites for various reasons, but it’s important to keep in mind that the posts we make on Facebook can inhibit our employment searches, harm our careers and damage our professional reputations. Here are a few tips for keeping your Facebook profile employer-friendly and an article on how to use Facebook without losing your job over it, which includes information on setting up a personal and professional profile.

Baking up Raving Fans through Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Brittney Watson) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:44:00 +0000

Guess what? I’m a winner! A winner of what, you ask. I’ve won the Reynolds Baked for You Baking Cups!

This may not be much of a perk for you, but it definitely is for me. I go bonkers for baking and I’ve been trying to win something, anything for the past 22 years. After all my years of trying to win trips to Disney through a Lunchables contest, or a year’s supply of Fruit Roll-ups, I finally win something by making a comment on a blog post. My simple share on Wendy Shannon’s With A Southern Twist got me a win.

Yes, I am excited about the “Fashionista Cupcakes” that I’ll be baking after I receive Reynolds’ new baking cups so that I can not only share my baked goods, but also show off my fancy cake cups from Reynolds. After all, that was the ultimate purpose of the blog giveaway and smart marketing too.

As my colleague Amy wrote in a previous post, “[Blogs] have become part of mainstream media. Influencing, inspiring, creating debate and keeping us up-to-date on the latest and greatest…[and]…as PR professionals, blogging enhances our clients’ SEO, drives traffic and enhances thought leadership among their audiences.”

Blogs have become a source for individuals and provide a medium for conversations to occur on a particular topic. And with bloggers’ increasing influence, it only makes sense for companies like Reynolds to reach out to these influencers and create online advocates who engage in their communities and spread the word about its new product, especially since cupcakes are all the rave.

Reynolds’ outreach to blogs like With A Southern Twist, Good Housekeeping and MomTrends was not coincidental. They are leveraging effective marketing channels to connect with their target audience, increasing visibility for the brand and the product, creating conversations about the new non-fading chic cupcake cups and encouraging consumers to purchase the product. I’ll be receiving a eight-pattern Baked for You Baking Cups sample kit from Reynolds, just enough to test the cups, fall in love with them (I’m sure I will) and spread the word with others.

My Cookerly colleagues understand the importance of using traditional media in combination with social media such as blogs to engage audiences, raise visibility and drive sales or action. While blogs may never replace traditional media, the blogosphere can serve a role - small or large, depending on the client - in pushing stories about a client to the forefront. They can be (and are) posted at any time and easily shared with others, even serving as leads for reporters seeking a story. What used to be a vessel for personal thoughts and commentary has evolved into a place for advertising and education, but I have no complaints. I can only hope that my next blog comment can win me a 2010 Range Rover.

What happened to responsible journalism?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 19:16:00 +0000

There have been a couple of news items recently that, as a former journalist, have really annoyed me. I have been gone from the other side of the “media divide” for almost two decades now and it seems that journalistic integrity has become something of a novelty, at least for a few.

First, a web site in India reports that President Obama’s trip to Mumbai is costing $200 million per day. On its face that sounds more than absurd, but totally unbelievable, yet Eric Bolling on Fox Business News and other media picked up the story. I have yet to see anyone produce an actual cost for the president’s trip, but I think that I would verify the amount before I ran with it, and I would think common sense would tell ANYONE that it JUST COULDN’T be that much!

Anyone who knows me knows that I wouldn’t be the first person to jump to President Obama’s defense, but COME ON; $200 million A DAY?

We were always taught in journalism school to check our facts and VERIFY EVERYTHING before reporting. I also went to journalism school before there was an Internet, so the paradigm has changed significantly. Maybe they’re teaching something different here in 2010.

I think back to CBS News and Dan Rather reporting, as fact, information about George W. Bush’s military service record only to find that the documents from which Rather reported information were fakes.

Then there were the erroneous reports by Pierre Salinger, a very respected journalist, of TWA Flight 800 being shot down by a missile over the Atlantic Ocean in the 1990s. Salinger believed and reported on information (later discredited) that was circulating via email and on internet postings.

We could probably assemble volumes on journalists who failed to check facts, or worse yet, totally ignored them in the interest of their own agenda.

That brings me to a related note; there is the issue of journalists contributing to political candidates. In journalism school we were taught that we should not provide monetary support to candidates on whom we reported or offered comment, yet commentator Keith Olbermann was suspended from MSNBC for doing just that.

Bravo to MSNBC for standing up for what is right, but I suspect Olbermann isn’t the only such offender in the media (though I have no specific knowledge of others.) I wish every network would hold their news staff members to the same standards and take action against every offender.

I’m not holding my breath because it looks to me as if the rules of journalism have changed ... and that’s a shame.

I wonder what Walter Cronkite, Ralph McGill or Henry W. Grady would say about all this?

Public Relations Spending on the Rise

noreply@blogger.com (Carol McEntee) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 14:33:00 +0000

The age old debate about what prompts awareness and visibility for a brand reappeared this month on the pages of Georgia Trend. According to the article, spending on public relations has increased while advertising is down. The media research firm SNL Kagen reports that overall public relations spending in the United States will climb almost three percent this year to $210 billion following two straight years of decline (by 5.5 percent in 2008 and 15.6 percent in 2009.) Advertising, on the other hand, continues to fall in in some segments, especially in daily newspapers.

Overall, on an absolute basis, spending on advertising is larger, but the changing media landscape is prompting many organizations to reconsider the blend of advertising and public relations. Some in the local pubic relations community believe that public relations is no longer taking a backseat to advertising for a number of reasons. First, they note that connections made through the public relations channel, either through earned media, social networks, events, community relations, issue management, etc., represent a more authentic engagement with a brand or message. Also, the savvy media consumer has become smarter at dodging that paid appeal.

That said, it is critical that we in public relations acknowledge the complexities of dealing with multiple audiences and messages to stay effective and to cut through the noise. For example, one of our clients, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, sponsors an emergency preparedness campaign – Ready Georgia – where we blended traditional public relations strategies and tactics with targeted paid advertising and leveraged the exploding social media universe. The reason is that we recognize residents need to hear the message multiple times from multiple sources.

As the media landscape evolves, this discussion will continue to solicit a vigorous debate. Stay tuned… and in the meantime, tell us what you think.

A Good Reputation is Priceless…

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Stout) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 15:34:00 +0000

As Warren Buffet quipped, “it can take 20 years to build a reputation and only five minutes to ruin it.”

Of course, everyone wants a good reputation. But how do you get one – and more importantly, keep it? A good number of clients come to us for a crisis plan or issue management. Others know they need to be ready for a “problem,” but don’t believe it’s “that much of a concern right now.” When clients talk about building their brands, they usually mean “good news marketing,” launching products/programs and supporting sales.

But equally important is galvanizing your brand against disaster before a crisis hits home. It’s easy to get complacent. No one wakes up saying, “today will be the day that the stuff hits the fan.” When that day arrives, however, the strength of a company's reputation is its best protection.

The closest thing to reputation protection that appears on a balance sheet is termed goodwill. Having a reservoir of goodwill can make all the difference and sustain a company through bad times.

Investopedia defines Goodwill as an intangible asset on the balance sheet that typically reflects the value of a strong brand name, good customer relations, good employee relations and any patents or proprietary technology.

While the term intangible asset sounds nebulous, we use public relations every day to tell concrete stories that provide credibility and entitle a positive reputation. Step by step, reputation is built on goodwill that emanates from reliable products, excellent service and sound business practices across the board – not from fluff.

Public relations strategies and tactics should be major elements in any plan to build positive relationships with the stakeholders who determine your organization’s success. While there are multiple key audiences including stockholders, boards of directors, regulators, legislators and other influencers, I want to mention several ideas for fostering quality reputations among three all-important groups.

(1) Employees: Employees can be your biggest fans or your loudest detractors. If they don’t believe the talk, they won’t do the walk. Too often, internal communications are tagged on as an afterthought. Put employees front and center, involve them in your communications plans and company initiatives and make them your best ambassadors.

(2) Media: I’m amazed at how many clients have never met the reporters in person who write about their companies. Knowing the media is the best way to build credibility in the good times and get a fair shake when things go wrong. It’s easy to do. Have a proactive media outreach program. Tell your good news stories; be an industry thought leader. Don’t have your first interaction with a reporter be in the middle of a crisis.

(3) Clients: Organizations need to fall in love with their clients; it’s that simple. Talk to them; listen to them; give them little presents; keep your promises; be good to them. And they will love you back. That translates into everything from easy-to-understand product information and engaging social media programs to cordial customer service and valuable website tools. (Ask me about a particular business/industry and I can provide specific ideas.)

Coke survived a potentially large scale ban on Coca-Cola drinks in Europe in 1999 because it had longstanding trust with loyal consumers and stockholders alike and was able to trade on its goodwill.

Toyota is currently working diligently to regain its reputation following the “gas pedal” crisis; I believe it will recover based on its long-term excellent reputation. Arguably, BP has a steeper road to climb without the same stockpile of goodwill upon which to draw.

Top leadership needs to pay attention – and provide resources – to inculcate the values, culture and programs for an organization to build and nurture its reputation. Indeed, it may be a CEO’s most important contribution.

Would you trust this guy with your social media?

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy Paden) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:08:00 +0000

Nothing against Cookerly’s newest intern, but the answer should be no. You wouldn’t hand an intern a company credit card, so why should you give him the login to the company’s Twitter account? Either one could end up costing you.

It’s a classic move. A new technology comes along that looks promising, but top-level management isn’t convinced that it’s worth an investment of any “real” resources. At my first job, our website was built by a part-time employee whose primary job responsibility was in-house courier. He built us the simplest of sites in his spare time. In some ways we were ahead of the game – keep in mind that these were the days when creating a website was cause for a press release. But that amateur website stuck around a lot longer than it should have, giving leadership an excuse not to invest any resources into something better because at least we were “out there.”

Obviously, a lot has changed in the past 15 years. But given the fact that our social media director has gotten the question, “Can’t an intern handle our social media?” at multiple speaking engagements in the past week, it’s clear that many people are still not convinced that social media deserves the attention and effort of experienced professionals.

So here’s a quick run-down on top reasons an intern shouldn’t be in charge of social media:

Strategy. If you’ve been playing this game a while, it’s easy to forget how long it can take to get a firm grasp on strategy. And I don’t mean learning what a company’s particular marketing/PR strategy is – I mean understanding how strategy differs from tactics, and why that matters. Implementing social media in a way that will effectively, consistently build your brand requires strategic thinking and you’re not going to find that in the intern seat.

Messaging. Sure, you can teach an intern your company/brand’s key messages. But do you really trust them to figure out the most effective way to communicate those messages on the fly? Social media is immediate – you’re not going to get the chance to review every tweet, every status update, every blog comment. So whoever you’ve got in the social media driver’s seat had better know your brand personality well enough to communicate the right messages, in the right voice and via the right channels. Again, probably not an intern.

Integration. Perhaps the biggest reason that the intern shouldn’t be in charge of your social media program is because it should be completely integrated with your marketing and PR efforts. It’s impossible to achieve that level of integration if an intern is deciding what your social media presence looks like. Yes, she may be a whiz at using Facebook to stay connected with her friends, but does she know how to use it to build a brand? Does she understand how a particular social media channel is building community among your customers? Is she aware of the other channels of communication with those customers?

Don’t get me wrong. Interns and other young staff members are often among the most knowledgeable when it comes to social media. But don’t confuse their experience as users with the expertise that is needed for effective marketing. Watching a lot of TV doesn’t make you a network executive, and spending hours on Facebook every day shouldn’t make your intern a social media director.

(Author's Note and Disclaimer: No interns were harmed in the making of this blog post. Even though he's only been on board for a week, Michael Knottek is doing a fantastic job and his picture was selected based solely on his position as new kid on the block. I'm sure one day he'll make an excellent social media director.)