From MediaPost via Ragan’s PR Daily
Survey reveals why moms follow your business on Twitter
According to a new study by marketing firm Lucid and freelance analyst Lisa Finn, 68 percent of moms follow businesses on Twitter to receive useful information, 67 percent follow a business to learn more about products or services, and 60 percent are looking for deals. Meanwhile, the top two reasons moms use Twitter are networking/meeting new people (77 percent) and keeping up with news (60 percent), the study said. Bottom line: The study highlights that moms want info, connection with others, and to follow a Twitter account with personality. — Matthew Royse. Read story.
From Social Media Explorer via Ragan’s PR Daily
6 tips for dealing with the haters
Does this sound familiar? You suggest a social media initiative at your company — a new blog, for example — and the boss immediately asks, “What happens if someone writes a nasty comment about us?” Instead of calling your boss an old sissy and questioning how he ever got rich acting like such a wimp, refer to social media consultant Jason Falls’ suggestions for dealing with detractors. Good tips. Read story.
From Mashable
The eye candy of social media: 10 info-graphics that pop
Visually appealing social media graphics that engage people and share important stats can make or break your presentation or pitch. Gone are the days of dull pie charts and bar graphs. Web designer Grace Smith provided a colorful array of 10 sharp info-graphics. “Naturally, info-graphics have proven an excellent aid in expressing high volumes of social web information in a clear, visually appealing manner.” My favorites are the compass and prism. Yours? — Susan Young. Read story.
From Ragan’s PR Headlines By Lindsey Miller
4 techniques for spicing up corporate photos
Photographers and newsletter editors share how they stay away from hackneyed images. Read story.
From Ragan’s PR Headlines By Andrew Hennigan
Three essentials for recording a video interview
Less-than-obvious guidelines for making your on-camera exchange valuable. Read story.
From The PR Roast by Hugh Burnham
History is One Big PR Lesson
Independence Day has been a nationwide celebration of patriotism and pride since the “Declaration of Independence” was debated, revised, and approved by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776… This is the day that brings me to pause and contemplate the singing of the anthem that highlights the annual spectacular, “The Star-Spangled Banner”. Read story.
From ReadWriteWeb.com
Twitter hopes "@earlybird" will catch users' attention
Twitter is rolling out @earlybird, a service promoting deals from selected advertising partners. The account will be run by Twitter, but it will retweet Twitter-specific time-sensitive deals from participating brands. Read story.
From Convince & Convert
Finding the social-monitoring tool that's right for you
To find the right social-monitoring tool for your business' needs, it's important to have a clear sense of exactly what you're planning to do with it, writes Katie Van Domelen. Identify not just the area you'll be monitoring, but also the kinds of data you need, the specific users who'll be handling the tool and the operational and budgetary constraints you're facing. Only once you've figured out your real priorities can you get a sense of which tools would work for you, Van Domelen writes. Read story.
From AllFacebook.com
Increase your Facebook following 1,000% in 4 days
When BlitzLocal took over the Facebook account of Weekly World News, the brand had 3,244 fans; within four days, they'd boosted that number to more than 40,000. Here, BlitzLocal chief Dennis Yu reveals the eight strategies he used to boost the brand's following, including creating a landing page that explicitly asks users to "like" your brand and gives them incentives to do so. Read story.
Friday, July 09, 2010
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
And the winner is… Sombrilla
Second in a Series on Award Winning Programs from the 2010 PRSA Del Oro Awards
Award Recipient of El Bronce Award of Excellence (2010) – Publications
Sombrilla is the official magazine of The University of Texas at San Antonio. It is published by UTSA’s Office of University Communications and is mailed without charge three times each year to more than 60,000 UTSA alumni, donors, lawmakers and friends of the university. Through carefully crafted storytelling, Sombrilla aims to keep its readers connected and informed.
The key to Sombrilla lies in its execution.
Naturally, UTSA’s publications team conducts a significant amount of research and extensively plans each issue. However, Sombrilla doesn’t come to life until its stories and images are paired in a beautiful design that invites the reader to learn more about the university.
Sombrilla seeks high standards of reporting, writing, editing, photography and graphic design, resulting in a publication that is attractive, substantial and engaging. Each 9” x 12” issue of Sombrilla boasts 36-pages and four-color processing.
Captivating stories with a welcoming tone invite readers to become reacquainted with UTSA.
Gorgeous photos, illustrations and designs take readers into university research laboratories, into classrooms and into the homes of the people whose lives have been permanently changed by their connection with UTSA. Historical images from the university’s archives are also a common component of each issue, reminding readers of the university’s steady growth toward Tier One.
“Whenever someone asks me what my goals for the magazine were, I’d say I wanted people to read it,” says Rebecca Luther, former editor of Sombrilla. “They’d usually scoff and say there must be something more to it, and there is. But it all starts with getting people to read it and if the magazine is no good, they won’t.”
View Sombrilla online.
By Christi Fish, a PRSA San Antonio Board Member and a Public Affairs Specialist at The University of Texas at San Antonio
Award Recipient of El Bronce Award of Excellence (2010) – Publications
Sombrilla is the official magazine of The University of Texas at San Antonio. It is published by UTSA’s Office of University Communications and is mailed without charge three times each year to more than 60,000 UTSA alumni, donors, lawmakers and friends of the university. Through carefully crafted storytelling, Sombrilla aims to keep its readers connected and informed.
The key to Sombrilla lies in its execution.
Naturally, UTSA’s publications team conducts a significant amount of research and extensively plans each issue. However, Sombrilla doesn’t come to life until its stories and images are paired in a beautiful design that invites the reader to learn more about the university.
Sombrilla seeks high standards of reporting, writing, editing, photography and graphic design, resulting in a publication that is attractive, substantial and engaging. Each 9” x 12” issue of Sombrilla boasts 36-pages and four-color processing.
Captivating stories with a welcoming tone invite readers to become reacquainted with UTSA.
Gorgeous photos, illustrations and designs take readers into university research laboratories, into classrooms and into the homes of the people whose lives have been permanently changed by their connection with UTSA. Historical images from the university’s archives are also a common component of each issue, reminding readers of the university’s steady growth toward Tier One.
“Whenever someone asks me what my goals for the magazine were, I’d say I wanted people to read it,” says Rebecca Luther, former editor of Sombrilla. “They’d usually scoff and say there must be something more to it, and there is. But it all starts with getting people to read it and if the magazine is no good, they won’t.”
View Sombrilla online.
By Christi Fish, a PRSA San Antonio Board Member and a Public Affairs Specialist at The University of Texas at San Antonio
Friday, July 02, 2010
PR News Round-Up, July 2, 2010
From Bulldog Daily, By Terri Thornton, Owner, Thornton Communications
PR 101: How to Tick Off a Journalist in Four Easy Steps
It was three in the afternoon—an odd time to be asleep on a weekday—unless you're working overnights as a TV and radio reporter and producer, which I was. I answered, fearing an emergency. The caller said yes, it was an emergency! She insisted that the newsroom give her my home number because Jesus told her I needed to put an amateur gospel group on my morning show. While a God-fearing music-loving suburbanite wouldn't necessarily know better, it's surprising that otherwise great PR and marketing people put almost as much energy into making themselves ineffective. Here's how to do it wrong.
The Washington Post via Ragan PR Daily Newsfeed
10 mistakes organizations make with social media
Business reporter Steven Overly, of The Washington Post, says one of the top mistakes organizations make with social media is, “Doing too much at once.” He writes that simply creating a Facebook or Twitter account does not mean you are “plugged in.” Check out the other mistakes organizations make with social media, according to Overly. — Matthew Royse
AdamSherk.com via Ragan PR Daily Newsfeed
The 75 most overused buzzwords and marketing cliches in press releases
PR pro Adam Sherk scoured a multitude of press releases to determine how often certain buzzwords and clichés are used. Here are the top five, starting with No. 1: leader, leading, best, unique, and solution — and the list goes on and on. Read more.
Poynter Online via Ragan PR Daily Newsfeed
Speak IT: A handy glossary of tech terms
Not sure what the folks in your IT department are talking about? This story could help clear that up. The Poynter Institute published a glossary of tech terms. “They relate to Web standards, programming, online tools, social networking, online advertising, and basic technology. If you're particularly challenged, this thing called an iPhone is even defined for you.” (h/t Allan Schoenberg) Read more.
From iMedia Connection via SmartBrief on Social Media
How to engage the 1% of your fans who really matter
As many as a third of social sales are spurred by just 1% of a brand's online fan base, writes Jon Siegal, so identifying and targeting those influencers can pay big dividends. Forget splashy broad-gauge promotions, Siegal suggests, and focus instead on highly targeted campaigns designed to reach and reward your power-users. "Your key influencers are incredibly important, so make sure to treat them that way. By rewarding their loyalty, you'll reap more sales across the entire social web," he explains. Read more.
PR 101: How to Tick Off a Journalist in Four Easy Steps
It was three in the afternoon—an odd time to be asleep on a weekday—unless you're working overnights as a TV and radio reporter and producer, which I was. I answered, fearing an emergency. The caller said yes, it was an emergency! She insisted that the newsroom give her my home number because Jesus told her I needed to put an amateur gospel group on my morning show. While a God-fearing music-loving suburbanite wouldn't necessarily know better, it's surprising that otherwise great PR and marketing people put almost as much energy into making themselves ineffective. Here's how to do it wrong.
The Washington Post via Ragan PR Daily Newsfeed
10 mistakes organizations make with social media
Business reporter Steven Overly, of The Washington Post, says one of the top mistakes organizations make with social media is, “Doing too much at once.” He writes that simply creating a Facebook or Twitter account does not mean you are “plugged in.” Check out the other mistakes organizations make with social media, according to Overly. — Matthew Royse
AdamSherk.com via Ragan PR Daily Newsfeed
The 75 most overused buzzwords and marketing cliches in press releases
PR pro Adam Sherk scoured a multitude of press releases to determine how often certain buzzwords and clichés are used. Here are the top five, starting with No. 1: leader, leading, best, unique, and solution — and the list goes on and on. Read more.
Poynter Online via Ragan PR Daily Newsfeed
Speak IT: A handy glossary of tech terms
Not sure what the folks in your IT department are talking about? This story could help clear that up. The Poynter Institute published a glossary of tech terms. “They relate to Web standards, programming, online tools, social networking, online advertising, and basic technology. If you're particularly challenged, this thing called an iPhone is even defined for you.” (h/t Allan Schoenberg) Read more.
From iMedia Connection via SmartBrief on Social Media
How to engage the 1% of your fans who really matter
As many as a third of social sales are spurred by just 1% of a brand's online fan base, writes Jon Siegal, so identifying and targeting those influencers can pay big dividends. Forget splashy broad-gauge promotions, Siegal suggests, and focus instead on highly targeted campaigns designed to reach and reward your power-users. "Your key influencers are incredibly important, so make sure to treat them that way. By rewarding their loyalty, you'll reap more sales across the entire social web," he explains. Read more.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
And the Winner is…The Event Center at Plaza Lecea
First in a Series on Award Winning Programs from the 2010 PRSA Del Oro Awards
Award Recipient of El Bronce Award of Excellence – Web Design
It is no doubt that we are an Internet-driven society. Whether it is reading the news, searching for the right gadget or even buying cars, we go to the World Wide Web as our first reference. For many companies and organizations it has meant revamping their marketing strategy to include a website that is both dynamic, diverse and user friendly.
When The Event Center at Plaza Lecea needed to market to more corporate and business clientele, they brought the Ashford Davis company (AFD) on board to determine how its website could be redesigned to attract weekday event clientele. Their weekends were quick to book with weddings and anniversaries, leaving weekdays and week nights available for other events.
The Event Center’s website wasn’t user friendly and the wedding product line received all of the emphasis. AFD established three main goals: increase functionality, establish conversion ratio goals and increase search engine visibility. “Much like any campaign, a website must be built around a strategy, says AFD owner Ashleigh Davis. “All too often people build websites “because they need one.” The only true approach is to first determine what it is you want your website to do; how you want your website to help you achieve your goals. Only then will you be able to accurately determine and implement the functionality necessary to make your website work for you.”
With the new site structure, each product line received the attention it deserved by funneling traffic efficiently. In order to monitor ROI and watch traffic patterns, AFD established separate “Requests for More Information” with goals defined in Google Analytics. These new goals will allow Plaza Lecea to decipher precisely from where converted leads are coming – referring websites, specific keywords or CPC campaigns. Functionality had increased by 26 percent, and new visitor traffic had grown by 140 percent..
Ashleigh Davis launched AFD in November 2008 with the intent to bridge offline marketing strategies with emerging Internet visibility initiatives such as search engine optimization and social media marketing. After only one year in business, AFD has received several awards including the El Bronce Award of Excellence for Web Design. Davis was pleasantly surprised. “Receiving the El Bronce Award was truly an honor. I never imagined I’d be receiving recognition for the work I completed my first year in business!”
By Trisha Box, PRSA Board Member and Director of Development at the Winston School San Antonio
Award Recipient of El Bronce Award of Excellence – Web Design
It is no doubt that we are an Internet-driven society. Whether it is reading the news, searching for the right gadget or even buying cars, we go to the World Wide Web as our first reference. For many companies and organizations it has meant revamping their marketing strategy to include a website that is both dynamic, diverse and user friendly.
When The Event Center at Plaza Lecea needed to market to more corporate and business clientele, they brought the Ashford Davis company (AFD) on board to determine how its website could be redesigned to attract weekday event clientele. Their weekends were quick to book with weddings and anniversaries, leaving weekdays and week nights available for other events.
The Event Center’s website wasn’t user friendly and the wedding product line received all of the emphasis. AFD established three main goals: increase functionality, establish conversion ratio goals and increase search engine visibility. “Much like any campaign, a website must be built around a strategy, says AFD owner Ashleigh Davis. “All too often people build websites “because they need one.” The only true approach is to first determine what it is you want your website to do; how you want your website to help you achieve your goals. Only then will you be able to accurately determine and implement the functionality necessary to make your website work for you.”
With the new site structure, each product line received the attention it deserved by funneling traffic efficiently. In order to monitor ROI and watch traffic patterns, AFD established separate “Requests for More Information” with goals defined in Google Analytics. These new goals will allow Plaza Lecea to decipher precisely from where converted leads are coming – referring websites, specific keywords or CPC campaigns. Functionality had increased by 26 percent, and new visitor traffic had grown by 140 percent..
Ashleigh Davis launched AFD in November 2008 with the intent to bridge offline marketing strategies with emerging Internet visibility initiatives such as search engine optimization and social media marketing. After only one year in business, AFD has received several awards including the El Bronce Award of Excellence for Web Design. Davis was pleasantly surprised. “Receiving the El Bronce Award was truly an honor. I never imagined I’d be receiving recognition for the work I completed my first year in business!”
By Trisha Box, PRSA Board Member and Director of Development at the Winston School San Antonio
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
PR News Round-Up – June 29, 2010
From BusinessWired via Ragan’s PR Daily
4 reasons your press releases won’t make Google News
A worthy argument against the “die, press release, die” crowd is search engine optimization — press releases help drive a brand’s Google ranking. But what if your press releases aren’t appearing on Google News? BusinessWired blog, a part of Business Wire, offered four reasons why this might happen and how you can fix it. Read more.
From Bulldog Reporter's Daily Dog
Highlights from the PRSA Counselors Academy 2010
BurrellesLuce's Johna Burke interviews Tom Gable, APR, Fellow PRSA, CEO Gable PR, LLC, who discusses key takeaways from his presentation on strategies for agency success. View video.
From Richard Edelman’s 6 A.M. blog
The Third Way--Public Engagement
I am speaking this morning at Edelman’s fourth New Media Academic Summit, jointly hosted by New York University and Syracuse University, attended by more than 100 professors from 10 countries. My bold assertion is that there is a Third Way for companies to communicate, beyond paid and earned media, by embracing Public Engagement. Read more.
From Fast Company via Ragan’s PR Daily
New study says social media triggers ‘generosity-trust’ chemical in our brains
Looking for ways to justify social media to your boss? Now, you have science on your side. A Fast Company article describes how a neuroeconomist has discovered — for the first time — that the chemical oxytocin in our brains, which is responsible for empathy, generosity, and trust — can be increased simply by tweeting! Yes, folks, you have to read the story — it sounds too good to be true. — Matthew Royse. Read more.
From Communications Conversations via Ragan’s PR Daily
The people have spoken: Winners feted for PR Readers’ Choice awards
On Friday, PR pro Arik Hanson announced the winners of his 2nd annual Readers’ Choice awards for PR blogs. The big winner: Chicago-based PR pro Gini Dietrich. Her blog, F.A.D.S. (The Fight Against Destructive Spin), won the award for PR Blog of the Year. Check out the other winners. Read more.
By Bill Sweetland via Ragan’s PR Daily
7 ways to stop CEOs from boring the audience
How to bring out your executive's human side. Read more.
From PRNewser via Ragan’s PR Daily
Survey: Majority of people place more trust in companies with Twitter feeds
Need to sell Twitter to upper management? Here’s a compelling case for it. According to the 2010 Digital Influence Index, a seven-country survey of 4,243 people by Fleishman-Hillard and Harris Interactive, “75 percent of people surveyed said they view companies that [tweet or post status updates to Facebook] as more deserving of their trust than those that do not,” according to the survey. Read more.
By Adam Holden-Bache
7 More B2B Social Media Tools You Haven’t Heard Of
Read story.
From Public Relations Matters via Ragan’s PR Daily
5 ways to stay current on PR trends and news Read more.
You’re busy. You hang out with your family and friends and think, “How do I have time for a fulltime job?” Then you’re back at work thinking, “How do I have time for family and friends?” In this environment, staying on top of industry news and trends often hits the backburner. But there are ways to stay current without investing too much time, says PR professor Barbara Nixon. She offered five suggestions. (One way is to subscribe to PR Daily. Definitely agree with that.) Read more.
From Ragan.com
Vocus buys Help A Reporter Out: What can subscribers expect?
Don’t worry, subscribers to Help A Reporter Out (HARO), nothing is going to change. On Thursday (6/10), PR software-maker Vocus bought HARO, and the question bouncing around Twitter was how the acquisition will affect the free service. “There will be absolutely no difference,” HARO founder Peter Shankman told Ragan.com. “I’m still running HARO; the editors are still running HARO. And we will never charge—it will still be free.” Read more.
4 reasons your press releases won’t make Google News
A worthy argument against the “die, press release, die” crowd is search engine optimization — press releases help drive a brand’s Google ranking. But what if your press releases aren’t appearing on Google News? BusinessWired blog, a part of Business Wire, offered four reasons why this might happen and how you can fix it. Read more.
From Bulldog Reporter's Daily Dog
Highlights from the PRSA Counselors Academy 2010
BurrellesLuce's Johna Burke interviews Tom Gable, APR, Fellow PRSA, CEO Gable PR, LLC, who discusses key takeaways from his presentation on strategies for agency success. View video.
From Richard Edelman’s 6 A.M. blog
The Third Way--Public Engagement
I am speaking this morning at Edelman’s fourth New Media Academic Summit, jointly hosted by New York University and Syracuse University, attended by more than 100 professors from 10 countries. My bold assertion is that there is a Third Way for companies to communicate, beyond paid and earned media, by embracing Public Engagement. Read more.
From Fast Company via Ragan’s PR Daily
New study says social media triggers ‘generosity-trust’ chemical in our brains
Looking for ways to justify social media to your boss? Now, you have science on your side. A Fast Company article describes how a neuroeconomist has discovered — for the first time — that the chemical oxytocin in our brains, which is responsible for empathy, generosity, and trust — can be increased simply by tweeting! Yes, folks, you have to read the story — it sounds too good to be true. — Matthew Royse. Read more.
From Communications Conversations via Ragan’s PR Daily
The people have spoken: Winners feted for PR Readers’ Choice awards
On Friday, PR pro Arik Hanson announced the winners of his 2nd annual Readers’ Choice awards for PR blogs. The big winner: Chicago-based PR pro Gini Dietrich. Her blog, F.A.D.S. (The Fight Against Destructive Spin), won the award for PR Blog of the Year. Check out the other winners. Read more.
By Bill Sweetland via Ragan’s PR Daily
7 ways to stop CEOs from boring the audience
How to bring out your executive's human side. Read more.
From PRNewser via Ragan’s PR Daily
Survey: Majority of people place more trust in companies with Twitter feeds
Need to sell Twitter to upper management? Here’s a compelling case for it. According to the 2010 Digital Influence Index, a seven-country survey of 4,243 people by Fleishman-Hillard and Harris Interactive, “75 percent of people surveyed said they view companies that [tweet or post status updates to Facebook] as more deserving of their trust than those that do not,” according to the survey. Read more.
By Adam Holden-Bache
7 More B2B Social Media Tools You Haven’t Heard Of
Read story.
From Public Relations Matters via Ragan’s PR Daily
5 ways to stay current on PR trends and news Read more.
You’re busy. You hang out with your family and friends and think, “How do I have time for a fulltime job?” Then you’re back at work thinking, “How do I have time for family and friends?” In this environment, staying on top of industry news and trends often hits the backburner. But there are ways to stay current without investing too much time, says PR professor Barbara Nixon. She offered five suggestions. (One way is to subscribe to PR Daily. Definitely agree with that.) Read more.
From Ragan.com
Vocus buys Help A Reporter Out: What can subscribers expect?
Don’t worry, subscribers to Help A Reporter Out (HARO), nothing is going to change. On Thursday (6/10), PR software-maker Vocus bought HARO, and the question bouncing around Twitter was how the acquisition will affect the free service. “There will be absolutely no difference,” HARO founder Peter Shankman told Ragan.com. “I’m still running HARO; the editors are still running HARO. And we will never charge—it will still be free.” Read more.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Hear from the Communicators' Point of View in the BP Oil Spill Crisis
There’s naturally a lot of conversation online and off about the BP, federal agencies, the President and anyone else who is or could be involved in the clean up of the Deepwater Horizon oil mess. There’s the environment angle, the coastal resident livelihood angle, the worker safety angle, the regulation of oil drilling angle, etc., etc. And for readers of this blog, there’s the public relations and communications angle.
Interestingly, there are a couple of podcasts that have interviewed communicators who are in the middle of the crisis.
The For Immediate Release podcast by Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson posted an episode on May 15, 2010 where Neville interviews Neil Chapman, BP Head of Refining and Marking Communications.
The On the Record Online podcast by Eric Schwartzman posted an episode on June 4 titled: “BP Oil Spill Crisis Communications: Inside the US Government's First Attempt at Using Social Media to Communicate a National Disaster.” Eric interviewed U.S. Navy Public Affairs Officer Jim Hoeft, who is coordinating communications at the Official Site of the Deepwater Horizon Unified Command for the Joint Command Center in Louisiana.
The On the Media NPR podcast by Bob Garfield and Brooke Gladstone had a story on June 04 about the Coast Guard, BP, and media access to the Gulf oil spill.
And then there’s the PR critic, “Leroy Stick,” who started a Twitter feed, @BPGlobalPR, in order to poke fun at BP and its “BS” PR statements. He has no connection to BP. Advertising Age landed an interview with him that you can read online. Whether or not you agree with his tactics (e.g., brand-jacking), he does make some thoughtful points.
The For Immediate Release podcast by Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson posted an episode on May 15, 2010 where Neville interviews Neil Chapman, BP Head of Refining and Marking Communications.
The On the Record Online podcast by Eric Schwartzman posted an episode on June 4 titled: “BP Oil Spill Crisis Communications: Inside the US Government's First Attempt at Using Social Media to Communicate a National Disaster.” Eric interviewed U.S. Navy Public Affairs Officer Jim Hoeft, who is coordinating communications at the Official Site of the Deepwater Horizon Unified Command for the Joint Command Center in Louisiana.
The On the Media NPR podcast by Bob Garfield and Brooke Gladstone had a story on June 04 about the Coast Guard, BP, and media access to the Gulf oil spill.
And then there’s the PR critic, “Leroy Stick,” who started a Twitter feed, @BPGlobalPR, in order to poke fun at BP and its “BS” PR statements. He has no connection to BP. Advertising Age landed an interview with him that you can read online. Whether or not you agree with his tactics (e.g., brand-jacking), he does make some thoughtful points.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Print Media Learning Readers Have Value
Print journalism may not be dead, but print media is going the way of the railroad. That was the message from Bill Conroy, of the San Antonio Business Journal at the June PRSA luncheon. In the years before social media, according to Conroy, media dominated one way communication. Conroy noted that Marshal McLuhan’s mantra “the medium is the message” served to reinforce the power of the press. He referenced this relationship as the hypodermic syringe model, a painful one for the audience to absorb.
Now with Facebook and Twitter and thousands of other social technologies dominating our lifestyle, everyone has journalistic power in the new two way communication model. This is difficult for media companies to accept, but Conroy was confident that the money stream will catch up to social media because they are perfectly poised to deliver quality content.
Conroy told the audience that print media still draws advertising revenues and cited some statistics that show health in his own paper, but said that the ad revenue structure is still changing. He suggested that media outlets “have to have a message that makes you a must-read.”
Offering the gamely suggestion that objectivity has been used by the media as a smokescreen because they owned the conversation, Conroy believes that a more symbiotic relationship with audiences was needed. He even went so far as to say that “the people that matter most are the readers, and frankly, we forgot that in the arrogance of (wanting to) dominate the market.”
For public relations practitioners who have always struggled with this arrogance, it seems like a fairytale ending that local print media actually acknowledged the power of readership. Conroy continued by saying that media need to have a more symbiotic relationship with audiences, giving them stories in the form they want it. And he even suggested that media will need to offer “less lecture and more dialogue.”
One thing Conroy said will not change for print media are the principles of fair reporting, honesty and lack of bias. This is an important statement to public relations practitioners who often suffer at the hands of newer, citizen journalists who don’t play the rules of the game between news media and PR folks. Time-honored principles like full disclosure, embargoes, conflict of interest and ethical behavior have not necessarily been adopted by the online community in the devotional way to which the public relations community has grown accustomed. It’s anyone’s guess if some of those principles will carry on in the new world of journalism.
Friday, June 11, 2010
PR News Round Up ~ June 11, 2010
From This Just In/PR Tactics
Grocery Rivals Funding Stealth Campaigns Against New Wal-Mart Stores
As Wal-Mart has grown into the largest grocery seller in the United States, competitors threatened by proposed new Wal-Mart locations have often hired a company called Saint Consulting Group to secretly run antidevelopment campaigns against the retail giant, The Wall Street Journal reported this week. Read more. (Related on PRSAY: A Glimpse Into the “Dark Side”)
From Social Media Examiner
Top 5 Social Media Myths Debunked
As with any new technology, social media has spawned its share of misconceptions and myths that keep people from interacting. It’s time to debunk the big myths that are keeping business owners and marketers on the social media sidelines. Myth #1: My Customers Aren’t on Social Media Wow, if I had a dollar for every time I heard [...] Read more...
By Lee Odden (via Ragan)
5 steps for building a marketing strategy on Twitter
Engagement with your target audience is crucial, so follow these guidelines. So you want to succeed with Twitter, eh? Before you run off and chase shiny butterflies and little blue birds, take a seat and collect yourself. Then read the following tips on creating a potential Twitter marketing strategy that will help you become more productive and successful using Twitter for business. Read more.
From MediaShift (via Ragan)
How 6 big summer films are embracing social media marketing
Just as corporations and small businesses alike are experimenting with social media, so are Hollywood studios. “Facebook is rocket fuel for word-of-mouth and studios are experimenting with how to best engage users in order to convert those who ‘Like’ a movie to someone who purchases a ticket,” writes Nick Mendoza, the director of digital communications and ad firm Zeno Group. He explained how six big summer movies are using social media. Read more.
From BusinessWired (via Ragan)
Study: Only 13.5 percent of PR pros put links in press release
Scary statistics on press releases from a study by Business Wire's blog, BusinessWired. It asked 268 PR pros if they include links in their press releases; 85 percent said they do. However, BusinessWired then looked at roughly 1,000 press releases and found that a mere 13.5 percent contain links. Oops. So, what’s the advantage of including links in your press releases? “Relevant, timely hyperlinks in your press release … can amplify your message, help increase your search engine optimization, and drive traffic to your website or other relevant sites,” according to BusinessWired. — Susan Young. Read more.
From TVNewser (via Ragan)
Report: CNN close to dropping Associated Press
If the report is correct, and CNN drops the AP, then the 24-hours news network will operate without a wire service — it dropped Reuters in 2007 — instead opting for its own in-house wire service, which CNN has reportedly nurtured as a potential revenue source. Read more.
From The Christian Science Monitor
Study: Web tools cement local communities
Social-media tools are helping people to renew their ties to their local community and to forge stronger relationships with their neighbors, according to a new Pew Internet and American Life study. Web users are substantially more likely to meet their neighbors offline, the study found. Regardless of Internet use, the study found that knowing neighbors' names was the most important factor in increasing community engagement. Read more.
From The Christian Science Monitor
Primary voters used Twitter to learn about candidates
Confronted by intimidating 80-page voter-information pamphlets, primary voters in California and other states have been using Twitter and Facebook to find out about the candidates. Peer recommendations help voters cut through the clutter and get the information that matters to them, say political-media experts. Read more.
From USA Today
Ford trades auto shows for Facebook
Ford Motor's latest Explorer model won't be introduced at a glitzy auto show -- instead, it will make its debut on Facebook. The company will launch the car with a campaign that focuses on drivers' real-world experiences, rather than glamorous TV ads. "We live in a 140-character society ... When we have people's attention, we want to make sure it sticks," says Scott Monty, Ford's head of social media. Read more.
Grocery Rivals Funding Stealth Campaigns Against New Wal-Mart Stores
As Wal-Mart has grown into the largest grocery seller in the United States, competitors threatened by proposed new Wal-Mart locations have often hired a company called Saint Consulting Group to secretly run antidevelopment campaigns against the retail giant, The Wall Street Journal reported this week. Read more. (Related on PRSAY: A Glimpse Into the “Dark Side”)
From Social Media Examiner
Top 5 Social Media Myths Debunked
As with any new technology, social media has spawned its share of misconceptions and myths that keep people from interacting. It’s time to debunk the big myths that are keeping business owners and marketers on the social media sidelines. Myth #1: My Customers Aren’t on Social Media Wow, if I had a dollar for every time I heard [...] Read more...
By Lee Odden (via Ragan)
5 steps for building a marketing strategy on Twitter
Engagement with your target audience is crucial, so follow these guidelines. So you want to succeed with Twitter, eh? Before you run off and chase shiny butterflies and little blue birds, take a seat and collect yourself. Then read the following tips on creating a potential Twitter marketing strategy that will help you become more productive and successful using Twitter for business. Read more.
From MediaShift (via Ragan)
How 6 big summer films are embracing social media marketing
Just as corporations and small businesses alike are experimenting with social media, so are Hollywood studios. “Facebook is rocket fuel for word-of-mouth and studios are experimenting with how to best engage users in order to convert those who ‘Like’ a movie to someone who purchases a ticket,” writes Nick Mendoza, the director of digital communications and ad firm Zeno Group. He explained how six big summer movies are using social media. Read more.
From BusinessWired (via Ragan)
Study: Only 13.5 percent of PR pros put links in press release
Scary statistics on press releases from a study by Business Wire's blog, BusinessWired. It asked 268 PR pros if they include links in their press releases; 85 percent said they do. However, BusinessWired then looked at roughly 1,000 press releases and found that a mere 13.5 percent contain links. Oops. So, what’s the advantage of including links in your press releases? “Relevant, timely hyperlinks in your press release … can amplify your message, help increase your search engine optimization, and drive traffic to your website or other relevant sites,” according to BusinessWired. — Susan Young. Read more.
From TVNewser (via Ragan)
Report: CNN close to dropping Associated Press
If the report is correct, and CNN drops the AP, then the 24-hours news network will operate without a wire service — it dropped Reuters in 2007 — instead opting for its own in-house wire service, which CNN has reportedly nurtured as a potential revenue source. Read more.
From The Christian Science Monitor
Study: Web tools cement local communities
Social-media tools are helping people to renew their ties to their local community and to forge stronger relationships with their neighbors, according to a new Pew Internet and American Life study. Web users are substantially more likely to meet their neighbors offline, the study found. Regardless of Internet use, the study found that knowing neighbors' names was the most important factor in increasing community engagement. Read more.
From The Christian Science Monitor
Primary voters used Twitter to learn about candidates
Confronted by intimidating 80-page voter-information pamphlets, primary voters in California and other states have been using Twitter and Facebook to find out about the candidates. Peer recommendations help voters cut through the clutter and get the information that matters to them, say political-media experts. Read more.
From USA Today
Ford trades auto shows for Facebook
Ford Motor's latest Explorer model won't be introduced at a glitzy auto show -- instead, it will make its debut on Facebook. The company will launch the car with a campaign that focuses on drivers' real-world experiences, rather than glamorous TV ads. "We live in a 140-character society ... When we have people's attention, we want to make sure it sticks," says Scott Monty, Ford's head of social media. Read more.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
There’s Definitely a Business Case to Be Made for Public Relations…
by PRSA Chair & CEO Gary D. McCormick, APR, Fellow PRSA
I recently had the opportunity to ring the opening bell for the NASDAQ – a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I clearly had never placed on my bucket list. Even more curious, it was done for an organization that is not a listed or public company. I was there representing a professional association of public relations professionals, which represents a multibillion-dollar global industry.
So how did this happen? It was the result of an advocacy program for public relations launched by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) to outline the value and impact that public relations has on an organization’s success – The Business Case for Public Relations™.
Many don’t understand the essence of our business. Stylized notions of celebrity publicists and Beltway spokespeople pervade the news and popular culture, and the term “PR” itself has become common shorthand for the impression – good or bad – that organizations create.
That’s why PRSA developed The Business Case for Public Relations. The program showcases the role of public relations and the professional value it delivers to essential business outcomes:
If your public relations activities are focused on business output and media clips instead of business outcomes, then you are coming up short in a return on your investment. On the other hand, your investment in public relations will garner attention when you can show how that investment delivers value in financial performance by generating sales, revenue and profit; improves your brand equity and reputation; allows for stronger and more efficient employee recruitment and retention; and increases the support you seek for policy decisions or achieving market position.
I hope that you will take time to find out more about the value of public relations on an organization’s performance by visiting www.businesscase@prsa.org. Moreover, I hope that you find and define the value that public relations is currently delivering or can definitely deliver in your organization.
So how did this happen? It was the result of an advocacy program for public relations launched by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) to outline the value and impact that public relations has on an organization’s success – The Business Case for Public Relations™.
Many don’t understand the essence of our business. Stylized notions of celebrity publicists and Beltway spokespeople pervade the news and popular culture, and the term “PR” itself has become common shorthand for the impression – good or bad – that organizations create.
That’s why PRSA developed The Business Case for Public Relations. The program showcases the role of public relations and the professional value it delivers to essential business outcomes:
- Distinct skills provide services like crisis mitigation, reputation and brand building, wealth creation and consumer engagement.
- More than other communications and marketing disciplines, public relations engages all stakeholders of an organization, identifying and delivering impacts that are strategically aligned with concerns of the boardroom, employees, customers and investors.
- Public relations skills are critical to restoring waning public confidence in government and financial institutions as well as being essential to define, develop and maintain the transparency that consumers expect from the companies with whom they choose to do business.
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If your public relations activities are focused on business output and media clips instead of business outcomes, then you are coming up short in a return on your investment. On the other hand, your investment in public relations will garner attention when you can show how that investment delivers value in financial performance by generating sales, revenue and profit; improves your brand equity and reputation; allows for stronger and more efficient employee recruitment and retention; and increases the support you seek for policy decisions or achieving market position.
I hope that you will take time to find out more about the value of public relations on an organization’s performance by visiting www.businesscase@prsa.org. Moreover, I hope that you find and define the value that public relations is currently delivering or can definitely deliver in your organization.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
PR News Round Up -- June 8, 2010
From Brian Solis
Rules of Engagement in Social Media
As social media continues to evolve, establishing not only policies and guidelines but also defining the “rules of engagement” will encourage thoughtful interaction as it benefits the business, brand, customer, peers, and prospects at every touchpoint. In the end, we earn the attention, relationships and business we deserve. Following is an outline of best practices to help you craft a practical set of rules that guide representatives as they engage… Read story.
From Pew Internet and American Life Project
The State of Online Video
Seven in ten adult internet users (69%) have used the internet to watch or download video. That represents 52% of all adults in the United States. Moreover, video creation has now become a notable feature of online life. One in seven adult internet users (14%) have uploaded a video to the internet. “We are seeing a surge in online video watching that is driven by a combination of broadband access, the increasing use of social networking sites, and the popularity of video-sharing sites,” explains Kristen Purcell, Associate Director for Research at the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and author of the report. “To tap into these trends, untold numbers of websites now showcase online video as part of their content.” More.
From Web Worker Daily via Nonprofit Online News
6 New Terms to Use When Measuring Social Marketing Efforts
I'm normally pretty disgusted when consultants (such as myself) make up fancy new hyped-up terms for well-established concepts in order to draw attention to themselves and create anxiety-based demand in their market. But these 6 New Terms to Use When Measuring Social Marketing Efforts actually seem pretty useful. Plus, they are not named in that annoyingly cutesy way that many firms use to glue the terms to their own brand and marketing. The six terms are Attractions, Participations, Interactions, Actions, Transformations, and Transactions. Not all of these apply to every campaign or program, but I encourage you to familiarize yourself with them. Using them will lead to better designed and managed social media efforts. Read story.
From Social Media Examiner
How to Make Twitter More Useful for Your Business
If you’ve been using Twitter, you’ve likely checked out an app or two to make your Twitter experience more robust, or even just a bit easier. TweetDeck, Twitpic and Tweetie are all examples of Twitter apps. What if I told you there was a magical place that could easily be your one-stop shop for all your Twitter needs… Read more.
From PRBreakfastClub
At GM, four communicators oversee the Facebook page
PRBreakfastClub recently spoke with Christopher Barger, GM’s director of global social media, who mentioned that four employees have direct responsibility over the company’s Facebook page and its roughly 90,000 fans. Six employees, on occasion, tweet from GM’s Twitter account, he also said. Check out the full interview with a whole lot more about GM’s social media efforts. Read story.
Rules of Engagement in Social Media
As social media continues to evolve, establishing not only policies and guidelines but also defining the “rules of engagement” will encourage thoughtful interaction as it benefits the business, brand, customer, peers, and prospects at every touchpoint. In the end, we earn the attention, relationships and business we deserve. Following is an outline of best practices to help you craft a practical set of rules that guide representatives as they engage… Read story.
From Pew Internet and American Life Project
The State of Online Video
Seven in ten adult internet users (69%) have used the internet to watch or download video. That represents 52% of all adults in the United States. Moreover, video creation has now become a notable feature of online life. One in seven adult internet users (14%) have uploaded a video to the internet. “We are seeing a surge in online video watching that is driven by a combination of broadband access, the increasing use of social networking sites, and the popularity of video-sharing sites,” explains Kristen Purcell, Associate Director for Research at the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and author of the report. “To tap into these trends, untold numbers of websites now showcase online video as part of their content.” More.
From Web Worker Daily via Nonprofit Online News
6 New Terms to Use When Measuring Social Marketing Efforts
I'm normally pretty disgusted when consultants (such as myself) make up fancy new hyped-up terms for well-established concepts in order to draw attention to themselves and create anxiety-based demand in their market. But these 6 New Terms to Use When Measuring Social Marketing Efforts actually seem pretty useful. Plus, they are not named in that annoyingly cutesy way that many firms use to glue the terms to their own brand and marketing. The six terms are Attractions, Participations, Interactions, Actions, Transformations, and Transactions. Not all of these apply to every campaign or program, but I encourage you to familiarize yourself with them. Using them will lead to better designed and managed social media efforts. Read story.
From Social Media Examiner
How to Make Twitter More Useful for Your Business
If you’ve been using Twitter, you’ve likely checked out an app or two to make your Twitter experience more robust, or even just a bit easier. TweetDeck, Twitpic and Tweetie are all examples of Twitter apps. What if I told you there was a magical place that could easily be your one-stop shop for all your Twitter needs… Read more.
From PRBreakfastClub
At GM, four communicators oversee the Facebook page
PRBreakfastClub recently spoke with Christopher Barger, GM’s director of global social media, who mentioned that four employees have direct responsibility over the company’s Facebook page and its roughly 90,000 fans. Six employees, on occasion, tweet from GM’s Twitter account, he also said. Check out the full interview with a whole lot more about GM’s social media efforts. Read story.
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
PR News Round Up - June 2, 2010
From Mashable
42 new guidelines for social media added to AP Stylebook
Not sure how to correctly write acronyms and phrases related to social media? The AP Stylebook has you covered. Mashable reported this morning that the Associated Press released new social media guidelines, which includes 42 definitions, use cases, and rules for writers to follow. “Among the more interesting changes — at least from a grammar and style standpoint — are separating out ‘smart phone’ as two words, hyphenating ‘e-reader,’ and allowing fan, friend, and follow to be used both as nouns and verbs,” according to Mashable. Read story. Read the guidelines.
From Reuters
BP taps former Department of Energy PR chief as its new spokesman
Over the weekend, the oil company announced that it hired Anne Kolton, the former head of public affairs at the Department of Energy and one-time aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, as its chief of U.S. media relations. As you might imagine, the PR team at BP is a bit … overworked. “BP's media team has been overwhelmed by press and public attention since the Deepwater Horizon rig … The company has flown in staff from London to help deal with media requests, but has also been forced to put its media hotline on voicemail to process the many calls — some abusive — that come in,” reports Reuters. Related Hullabaloo One blogger thinks the hiring of Kolton is a bad PR move. “They think they can do anything if they have the right public relations — but they can't even do that right,” he wrote. More
From iHealthBeat
4 hot summer trends in healthcare social media
Are you keeping an eye on what’s happening in healthcare social media? It’s a lot to wrap your brain around, from HIPAA regulations to the latest techniques for Flip cams. But there are four other trends you should be paying attention to. Here is one: Engaging e-patients. “E-patients can provide feedback not only on improving hospital websites, but also as participants in quality improvement within the health system,” iHealthBeat says. Read story.
From Bulldog Reporter
Video interview: Todd Dezen- March of Dimes and D S Simon Productions Win Big Apple Award
Doug Simon, President and CEO of D S Simon Productions spoke to Todd Dezen, Associate Director, National Media Relations, March of Dimes about how winning the PRSA-NY Big Apple Award for Use of Broadcast, can serve as a platform to help March of Dimes combat premature births. See short video interview. Read post.
From Mashable
More than 90 social media resources
This list is like the Library of Congress for social media advice — or at the very least it’s like a really big Barnes & Noble. Read story.
From PRNewser
PRWeek publisher calls it quits at magazine
Julia Hood, the publishing director and former editor-in-chief of PRWeek, is leaving the magazine to become president of the Arthur W. Page Society, a professional organization for chief communications officers, reports PRNewser. Read story.
42 new guidelines for social media added to AP Stylebook
Not sure how to correctly write acronyms and phrases related to social media? The AP Stylebook has you covered. Mashable reported this morning that the Associated Press released new social media guidelines, which includes 42 definitions, use cases, and rules for writers to follow. “Among the more interesting changes — at least from a grammar and style standpoint — are separating out ‘smart phone’ as two words, hyphenating ‘e-reader,’ and allowing fan, friend, and follow to be used both as nouns and verbs,” according to Mashable. Read story. Read the guidelines.
From Reuters
BP taps former Department of Energy PR chief as its new spokesman
Over the weekend, the oil company announced that it hired Anne Kolton, the former head of public affairs at the Department of Energy and one-time aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, as its chief of U.S. media relations. As you might imagine, the PR team at BP is a bit … overworked. “BP's media team has been overwhelmed by press and public attention since the Deepwater Horizon rig … The company has flown in staff from London to help deal with media requests, but has also been forced to put its media hotline on voicemail to process the many calls — some abusive — that come in,” reports Reuters. Related Hullabaloo One blogger thinks the hiring of Kolton is a bad PR move. “They think they can do anything if they have the right public relations — but they can't even do that right,” he wrote. More
From iHealthBeat
4 hot summer trends in healthcare social media
Are you keeping an eye on what’s happening in healthcare social media? It’s a lot to wrap your brain around, from HIPAA regulations to the latest techniques for Flip cams. But there are four other trends you should be paying attention to. Here is one: Engaging e-patients. “E-patients can provide feedback not only on improving hospital websites, but also as participants in quality improvement within the health system,” iHealthBeat says. Read story.
From Bulldog Reporter
Video interview: Todd Dezen- March of Dimes and D S Simon Productions Win Big Apple Award
Doug Simon, President and CEO of D S Simon Productions spoke to Todd Dezen, Associate Director, National Media Relations, March of Dimes about how winning the PRSA-NY Big Apple Award for Use of Broadcast, can serve as a platform to help March of Dimes combat premature births. See short video interview. Read post.
From Mashable
More than 90 social media resources
This list is like the Library of Congress for social media advice — or at the very least it’s like a really big Barnes & Noble. Read story.
From PRNewser
PRWeek publisher calls it quits at magazine
Julia Hood, the publishing director and former editor-in-chief of PRWeek, is leaving the magazine to become president of the Arthur W. Page Society, a professional organization for chief communications officers, reports PRNewser. Read story.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Social Media Workshop for Non-Profits
Confused about where to go next with social networking sites for your nonprofit? Does your organization seem to have more barriers than pathways? Explore solutions with colleagues and social media professionals at Smooch SA (Social Media Opportunities for Charities); coffee hour and workshop tomorrow at the Ecumenical Center for Religion and Health. RSVP here. Participants will get a chance to explore current organizational barriers and start to develop solutions. It's free!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
PR News Round Up - May 27, 2010
From SmartBrief on Social Media
Facebook launches new privacy controls
Facebook has introduced a set of privacy controls that it hopes will finally lay to rest lingering anger regarding its use of user data. The tools replace the site's old privacy controls, which had about 150 different options, with the option of using a single switch to restrict access to personal information to a user's immediate network. "We probably should have been more sensitive to this issue beforehand," says CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
From The Measurement Standard by Katie Delahaye Paine
I'm 100% Convinced that 50% of PR and Social Media Metrics Are Wrong
...and if this was accounting, you'd be in jail.
I’m convinced that most marketers and communications professionals are cheerfully going through life with blinders on. Those blinders are made out of a flimsy gauze of questionable accuracy, incomplete variables, and general apathy. Today’s marketers have taken “fuzzy math” to an all new level. No one seems to mind about this sloppy work because it’s “just PR” or “just marketing.” Well I'm here to tell you it's your job and our industry, and our credibility is on the line. The only way we in PR and communications can be credible is to at least attempt to base our decisions on reliable, complete, and accurate data. Click here to read more.
From Copyblogger
73 ways to become a better writer
Here are some quick tips to help you become a better writer. For instance, tip No. 22 says, “Go back and cut 10 percent of your word count”; tip No. 60 says, “Read Zinsser’s On Writing Well at least once a year.” Good advice. More
From PRSA (Voice of Public Relations)
Silver Anvil Awards Podcast Series: Creating a World with More Birthdays
The PRSA 2010 Silver Anvil Awards podcast series features finalists from this year's program… Listen in as Deb Radman, APR, PRSA Fellow, speaks with the American Cancer Society’s Amy Swygert, vice president of strategic communications planning and Greg Donaldson, national vice president of corporate communications, about the “Create a World with More Birthdays” campaign. More
Facebook launches new privacy controls
Facebook has introduced a set of privacy controls that it hopes will finally lay to rest lingering anger regarding its use of user data. The tools replace the site's old privacy controls, which had about 150 different options, with the option of using a single switch to restrict access to personal information to a user's immediate network. "We probably should have been more sensitive to this issue beforehand," says CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
- Read The New York Times story: “Facebook Bows to Pressure Over Privacy”
- Read Mashable story: “How Facebook’s New Privacy Controls Work”
- Read All Facebook story: “10 Things You Must Know About Facebook's Privacy Changes”
From The Measurement Standard by Katie Delahaye Paine
I'm 100% Convinced that 50% of PR and Social Media Metrics Are Wrong
...and if this was accounting, you'd be in jail.
I’m convinced that most marketers and communications professionals are cheerfully going through life with blinders on. Those blinders are made out of a flimsy gauze of questionable accuracy, incomplete variables, and general apathy. Today’s marketers have taken “fuzzy math” to an all new level. No one seems to mind about this sloppy work because it’s “just PR” or “just marketing.” Well I'm here to tell you it's your job and our industry, and our credibility is on the line. The only way we in PR and communications can be credible is to at least attempt to base our decisions on reliable, complete, and accurate data. Click here to read more.
From Copyblogger
73 ways to become a better writer
Here are some quick tips to help you become a better writer. For instance, tip No. 22 says, “Go back and cut 10 percent of your word count”; tip No. 60 says, “Read Zinsser’s On Writing Well at least once a year.” Good advice. More
From PRSA (Voice of Public Relations)
Silver Anvil Awards Podcast Series: Creating a World with More Birthdays
The PRSA 2010 Silver Anvil Awards podcast series features finalists from this year's program… Listen in as Deb Radman, APR, PRSA Fellow, speaks with the American Cancer Society’s Amy Swygert, vice president of strategic communications planning and Greg Donaldson, national vice president of corporate communications, about the “Create a World with More Birthdays” campaign. More
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Diversity: It's a Humanity Thing
By Melissa Vela-Williamson, Diversity Specialist, H-E-B (and PRSA San Antonio board member)
Originally posted recently on an internal H-E-B blog
“So....what do you do?”
We’ve all been asked this question at one event or another. When I worked in Public Relations, most people understood what I did. Sort of. For those who didn’t, I’d drop key words like “event planning” or “media relations” and I would see the light bulb switch on. Since I’ve joined a Diversity department, the explanation has been a little more complex.
The confusion starts with the various ways people have heard “diversity” used. Is it related to Affirmative Action or celebrating cultural months? Is it how we’re different or how we’re the same? Is it a department to fear or to befriend?
What is “diversity”? It seems to depend on who you ask. The term is as diverse as the populations it refers to!
Merriam-Webster defines it as “the condition of being diverse” and "the inclusion of diverse (as people of different races and cultures) people in a group or organization.”
The simplest way I’ve heard it defined was by Dr. Cornell West. Members of the Corporate Diversity Leadership Council and I were fortunate to hear him speak (preach really) at the recent Texas Diversity & Leadership Conference.
Here’s my definition: it’s about mutual respect. Diversity represents the acknowledgement that what is truly the same about us all is that we’re all different. All people deserve love, respect and a chance to succeed at their goals. Bringing the outsiders in; giving all kids a shot on the team; growing talent wherever there’s potential...that’s how I see it. It’s the key to innovation and creativity in any aspect of life and business. So... how do you define diversity?
Originally posted recently on an internal H-E-B blog
“So....what do you do?”
We’ve all been asked this question at one event or another. When I worked in Public Relations, most people understood what I did. Sort of. For those who didn’t, I’d drop key words like “event planning” or “media relations” and I would see the light bulb switch on. Since I’ve joined a Diversity department, the explanation has been a little more complex.
The confusion starts with the various ways people have heard “diversity” used. Is it related to Affirmative Action or celebrating cultural months? Is it how we’re different or how we’re the same? Is it a department to fear or to befriend?
What is “diversity”? It seems to depend on who you ask. The term is as diverse as the populations it refers to!
Merriam-Webster defines it as “the condition of being diverse” and "the inclusion of diverse (as people of different races and cultures) people in a group or organization.”
The simplest way I’ve heard it defined was by Dr. Cornell West. Members of the Corporate Diversity Leadership Council and I were fortunate to hear him speak (preach really) at the recent Texas Diversity & Leadership Conference.
To Dr. West, “diversity is about humanity.” It’s about love. “When you love people, you loathe that they’re being treated unfairly.” He urged us “not to be well adapted to injustice” and to remember to have a life task in addition to our day jobs.
Here’s my definition: it’s about mutual respect. Diversity represents the acknowledgement that what is truly the same about us all is that we’re all different. All people deserve love, respect and a chance to succeed at their goals. Bringing the outsiders in; giving all kids a shot on the team; growing talent wherever there’s potential...that’s how I see it. It’s the key to innovation and creativity in any aspect of life and business. So... how do you define diversity?
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Dear Washington Post, Don't confuse PR with Propaganda
Dear Washington Post,
I read with interest your story “Toyota had attack plan against congressional testimony, documents show” on May 15. In it, your lead sentence states: “Toyota officials sought to develop a public relations campaign to attack the credibility of key witnesses who have testified before Congress about acceleration problems…” Setting aside for a moment whether or not the accusations made in your article are true, I must call your attention to your description of such activities as a “public relations campaign.”
By definition public relations involves maintaining mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and its publics. In addition, PR ethical standards support protecting and advancing the free flow of accurate and truthful information. So the type of campaign your story claims was considered by Toyota was not, by definition, a public relations campaign, even if PR people were involved.
It's like saying an organization set up a “nutrition project” by feeding children chips and sodas.
Rather, the kind of campaign that you were talking about would have been a “propaganda” campaign or, as Reagan Communications called it, a “smear campaign.”
While it may sound like I’m word-smithing a bit, that is after-all your business as a premier newspaper.
Thank you.
I read with interest your story “Toyota had attack plan against congressional testimony, documents show” on May 15. In it, your lead sentence states: “Toyota officials sought to develop a public relations campaign to attack the credibility of key witnesses who have testified before Congress about acceleration problems…” Setting aside for a moment whether or not the accusations made in your article are true, I must call your attention to your description of such activities as a “public relations campaign.”
By definition public relations involves maintaining mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and its publics. In addition, PR ethical standards support protecting and advancing the free flow of accurate and truthful information. So the type of campaign your story claims was considered by Toyota was not, by definition, a public relations campaign, even if PR people were involved.
It's like saying an organization set up a “nutrition project” by feeding children chips and sodas.
Rather, the kind of campaign that you were talking about would have been a “propaganda” campaign or, as Reagan Communications called it, a “smear campaign.”
While it may sound like I’m word-smithing a bit, that is after-all your business as a premier newspaper.
Thank you.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
PR News Round Up - May 18, 2010
From Brian Solis
Report: Top 20 Brands on Twitter – April 2010
Brands are consistently among the most discussed subjects on Twitter and as such, studying the activity transpiring on Twitter gives us insight into size, scope, and scale. Once again, I partnered with PeopleBrowsr, the data mining, analytics, and brand engagement company, to mine and analyze the conversations defining the most discussed brands on Twitter. Read report.
From culpwrit (Cathleen Johnson)
Things I Wish I’d Known in College
Cathleen Johnson contributes the third part of a series stemming from a panel discussion involving successful women graduates of Northern Illinois University who were assembled by Denise Schoenbachler, Dean of the Business School, on the topic of: Lessons from the Front: If We’d Only Known this Back Then. Read story.
From Social Media Examiner
3 Ways to Use Facebook Insights to Your Advantage
As a business owner or marketer, knowing the profile of your target audience is extremely important. That’s step one, and all good marketing campaigns rely on the fact that you’ve got this figured out. If you’re using Facebook for business, there are some powerful tools at your disposal. Read story.
From chewitt's Blog (via Ragan.com)
Tips for naming your white paper
You put so much effort into writing and designing that white paper, so why cheat on the title? A MyRagan-ite offers advice on how to write a snazzy title for your premium content. Read story.
From Lindsey Miller (via Ragan.com)
3 ways nonprofits use Flip video for a wide array of topics
Academic and government communicators tout the camcorders’ ease of use and low cost. Read story.
From "Moving at the Speed of Creativity" (Wesley Fryer)
Web-based, Open Source Project Management Software Options
I'm looking for a free and possibly open source web-based, project management software solution Storychasers can run on our own server with a mySQL database backend, to coordinate the assorted details associated with Celebrate Oklahoma Voices 2.5 day digital storytelling workshops. The solution I'm looking or is web-based / cross-platform, permits project "templates" to be created and shared with multiple users, and has a shallow learning curve… WikiPedia has a helpful comparative matrix of project management solution options, and includes 7 open source choices which appear to meet our requirements. Read story.
Report: Top 20 Brands on Twitter – April 2010
Brands are consistently among the most discussed subjects on Twitter and as such, studying the activity transpiring on Twitter gives us insight into size, scope, and scale. Once again, I partnered with PeopleBrowsr, the data mining, analytics, and brand engagement company, to mine and analyze the conversations defining the most discussed brands on Twitter. Read report.
From culpwrit (Cathleen Johnson)
Things I Wish I’d Known in College
Cathleen Johnson contributes the third part of a series stemming from a panel discussion involving successful women graduates of Northern Illinois University who were assembled by Denise Schoenbachler, Dean of the Business School, on the topic of: Lessons from the Front: If We’d Only Known this Back Then. Read story.
From Social Media Examiner
3 Ways to Use Facebook Insights to Your Advantage
As a business owner or marketer, knowing the profile of your target audience is extremely important. That’s step one, and all good marketing campaigns rely on the fact that you’ve got this figured out. If you’re using Facebook for business, there are some powerful tools at your disposal. Read story.
From chewitt's Blog (via Ragan.com)
Tips for naming your white paper
You put so much effort into writing and designing that white paper, so why cheat on the title? A MyRagan-ite offers advice on how to write a snazzy title for your premium content. Read story.
From Lindsey Miller (via Ragan.com)
3 ways nonprofits use Flip video for a wide array of topics
Academic and government communicators tout the camcorders’ ease of use and low cost. Read story.
From "Moving at the Speed of Creativity" (Wesley Fryer)
Web-based, Open Source Project Management Software Options
I'm looking for a free and possibly open source web-based, project management software solution Storychasers can run on our own server with a mySQL database backend, to coordinate the assorted details associated with Celebrate Oklahoma Voices 2.5 day digital storytelling workshops. The solution I'm looking or is web-based / cross-platform, permits project "templates" to be created and shared with multiple users, and has a shallow learning curve… WikiPedia has a helpful comparative matrix of project management solution options, and includes 7 open source choices which appear to meet our requirements. Read story.
Monday, May 17, 2010
PR News Round Up - May 17, 2010
From Scobelizer (Robert Scoble)
An Open Letter to Mark Zuckerberg
It’s clear you are having some PR issues with the changes you’ve made to Facebook. Read story.
From Ragan’s PR Daily
Toyota considered smear campaign against its critics
Remember Toyota's mishap with the faulty accelerators, the ones that led to massive recalls a few months back? Well, it turns out the company had plans to develop a PR campaign “to attack the credibility of key witnesses who have testified before Congress about acceleration problems with the company's cars,” The Washington Post reported. As part of the effort, Toyota tapped President Obama’s chief pollster Joel Benenson, who questioned the public about the integrity of top witnesses against the automaker, according to the Post. The company said it never produced advertisements based on the poll data. Read Washington Post story.
From Ragan.com (By Sandra Fathi)
5 tips for Foursquare success
The social media site is already radically changing the way customers interact with businesses. The burgeoning social media network Foursquare is a location-based platform that allows users to alert friends in real-time of their exact whereabouts by “checking in” to businesses on mobile phones. While this tool provides plenty of perks and fun for users, many businesses are also finding value in Foursquare. Read story.
From Hubspot
Free Hubspot Webinar: Small Business Guide to Social Media Marketing on May 20, 1 PM ET
Facebook, Twitter and other social media buzz words have become present in everyday professional life. Join us to learn the real-life applications of these tools. During this free live webinar, Kipp Bodnar, Inbound Marketing Manager at HubSpot, will present real small business case studies demonstrating successful social media marketing strategies that have helped generate leads and revenue. Get details.
An Open Letter to Mark Zuckerberg
It’s clear you are having some PR issues with the changes you’ve made to Facebook. Read story.
From Ragan’s PR Daily
Toyota considered smear campaign against its critics
Remember Toyota's mishap with the faulty accelerators, the ones that led to massive recalls a few months back? Well, it turns out the company had plans to develop a PR campaign “to attack the credibility of key witnesses who have testified before Congress about acceleration problems with the company's cars,” The Washington Post reported. As part of the effort, Toyota tapped President Obama’s chief pollster Joel Benenson, who questioned the public about the integrity of top witnesses against the automaker, according to the Post. The company said it never produced advertisements based on the poll data. Read Washington Post story.
From Ragan.com (By Sandra Fathi)
5 tips for Foursquare success
The social media site is already radically changing the way customers interact with businesses. The burgeoning social media network Foursquare is a location-based platform that allows users to alert friends in real-time of their exact whereabouts by “checking in” to businesses on mobile phones. While this tool provides plenty of perks and fun for users, many businesses are also finding value in Foursquare. Read story.
From Hubspot
Free Hubspot Webinar: Small Business Guide to Social Media Marketing on May 20, 1 PM ET
Facebook, Twitter and other social media buzz words have become present in everyday professional life. Join us to learn the real-life applications of these tools. During this free live webinar, Kipp Bodnar, Inbound Marketing Manager at HubSpot, will present real small business case studies demonstrating successful social media marketing strategies that have helped generate leads and revenue. Get details.
Friday, May 14, 2010
PR News Round Up - May 14, 2010
From DannyBrown.com
A simple way to measure social media
Can't figure out how to measure your stupendous social media campaign? Don't worry, it's not because you're a Cro-Magnon. Difficulty and confusion over measurement is commonplace. But the debate misses the point, says Danny Brown, who insists that “social media can offer some of the best metrics for ROI around.” He's got a real simple list that even early versions of homo sapiens can understand and execute.--Jackson Wightman Read story.
From The Wall Street Journal
New campaign proclaims: Adobe hearts Apple
How sweet. In an ad campaign running in newspaper and websites, Adobe declares in bold letters that it “loves” Apple. Could this really be true? Are Apple and Adobe sittin’ in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G? Not really. “Make no mistake,” reports The Wall Street Journal, “it’s not a make-nice ad campaign by Adobe. In the ads … Adobe also says it loves Flash — the Adobe software at the heart of the dispute with Apple. And Adobe makes it clear that it is unhappy with Apple’s decision to limit the software that can run on its iPhone system, which Adobe alludes to as ‘anybody taking away your freedom to choose what you create, how you create it, and what you experience on the web.’” As they say: First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes … SYNERGY. You never know. Read story.
From The New York Times
In NYT interview, Facebook PR chief admits to lousy communications
With all the negative publicity about Facebook and its privacy breaches, it was only natural that someone was going to fall on a sword. And that person happens to be the company’s vice president of public policy, Elliot Schrage. “It’s clear that despite our efforts, we are not doing a good enough job communicating the changes that we’re making,” he told The New York Times. “Even worse, our extensive efforts to provide users greater control over what and how they share appear to be too confusing for some of our more than 400 million users. That’s not acceptable or sustainable. But it’s certainly fixable. You’re pointing out things we need to fix.” (Image via.) Read story.
A simple way to measure social media
Can't figure out how to measure your stupendous social media campaign? Don't worry, it's not because you're a Cro-Magnon. Difficulty and confusion over measurement is commonplace. But the debate misses the point, says Danny Brown, who insists that “social media can offer some of the best metrics for ROI around.” He's got a real simple list that even early versions of homo sapiens can understand and execute.--Jackson Wightman Read story.
From The Wall Street Journal
New campaign proclaims: Adobe hearts Apple
How sweet. In an ad campaign running in newspaper and websites, Adobe declares in bold letters that it “loves” Apple. Could this really be true? Are Apple and Adobe sittin’ in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G? Not really. “Make no mistake,” reports The Wall Street Journal, “it’s not a make-nice ad campaign by Adobe. In the ads … Adobe also says it loves Flash — the Adobe software at the heart of the dispute with Apple. And Adobe makes it clear that it is unhappy with Apple’s decision to limit the software that can run on its iPhone system, which Adobe alludes to as ‘anybody taking away your freedom to choose what you create, how you create it, and what you experience on the web.’” As they say: First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes … SYNERGY. You never know. Read story.
From The New York Times
In NYT interview, Facebook PR chief admits to lousy communications
With all the negative publicity about Facebook and its privacy breaches, it was only natural that someone was going to fall on a sword. And that person happens to be the company’s vice president of public policy, Elliot Schrage. “It’s clear that despite our efforts, we are not doing a good enough job communicating the changes that we’re making,” he told The New York Times. “Even worse, our extensive efforts to provide users greater control over what and how they share appear to be too confusing for some of our more than 400 million users. That’s not acceptable or sustainable. But it’s certainly fixable. You’re pointing out things we need to fix.” (Image via.) Read story.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
PR News Round Up - May 13, 2010
From Hispanic PR Blog
Hispanic PR Census results reveal strong feelings about PR discipline being best suited to lead social media marketing
DALLAS, TX – The results of the four-month long Hispanic PR Census, an initiative that garnered responses to eight questions from more than 319 marketing professionals who work in Latino PR and/or social media, shows a large percentage feel PR or other fields are better suited to lead social media initiatives in comparison to advertising. A surprising 76% also said that they have worked on a Hispanic social media-related campaign in the past year. Read story.
From Augie Ray’s Blog (Forrester Research)
Seven Things Your Organization Must Do Because Of Social Media
In the mid- to late-90s, many business leaders observed the advent of the Web and asked the wrong question: “What will the Internet do for us?” Instead, they should have been asking, “What will the Internet do to us?”… What can we can learn from the Nestlé and United occurrences? Here are seven "musts" that smart companies will adopt in the age of social media. Read story.
From Mashable
Top 5 Social Media Tips for C-Suite Execs
For the rank and file at companies big and small, social media is infiltrating the workplace and fast becoming an important part of day-to-day activities. When it comes to executives and upper management, though, social media mostly remains an art unpracticed. We gathered up expert advice from Tim Bray of Google, Guy Kawasaki of Alltop (formerly Apple), Doug Ulman of Livestrong, John Battelle of Federated Media and Steve Rubel of Edelman on the why and the how when it comes to C-level executives and social media. Their tips and advice range from practice to crucial and point to the need for C-suite executives of this generation to heed social media. Read story.
From Altitude Branding
No time for social media?
“We're too busy for that crap” is a common refrain used by dinosaur organizations when talking about social media. But now that social media is ubiquitous on the Web (it has surpassed porn as the No. 1 activity online), can you afford this attitude? Only if you intend to go the way of the brontosaurus (read: newspapers). Amber Naslund, the director of community at Radian6, has some thoughts on making time for evolution. “Social media often starts off as an ‘and,’ something we need to tack on,” she wrote. “So, too, with most new and unfamiliar things. We have to do a little more now [so] we can look at everything together later, and decide what to keep.” Be sure to share this post with any colleagues and pterodactyls who are simply “too hectic” to bother with social channels.—JW Read story.
From Texas Public Relations Association
Webinar: PR & Social Media: Incorporating Facebook, Twitter, etc. into your PR strategy (May 25, noon)
This session will go over methods and reasons to incorporate social media tools into your overall PR strategy, with specific examples of both proactive and reactive PR campaigns from Whole Foods Market. Whole Foods Market is widely recognized as one of the leaders in its use of social media with stakeholders, has one of the largest Twitter following of any brick-and-mortar business, and currently has more than 400 individual social media accounts. Lead by Libba Letton of the media relations team and Winnie Hsia of the integrated media team at Whole Foods Market. Register for this webinar online today!
Hispanic PR Census results reveal strong feelings about PR discipline being best suited to lead social media marketing
DALLAS, TX – The results of the four-month long Hispanic PR Census, an initiative that garnered responses to eight questions from more than 319 marketing professionals who work in Latino PR and/or social media, shows a large percentage feel PR or other fields are better suited to lead social media initiatives in comparison to advertising. A surprising 76% also said that they have worked on a Hispanic social media-related campaign in the past year. Read story.
From Augie Ray’s Blog (Forrester Research)
Seven Things Your Organization Must Do Because Of Social Media
In the mid- to late-90s, many business leaders observed the advent of the Web and asked the wrong question: “What will the Internet do for us?” Instead, they should have been asking, “What will the Internet do to us?”… What can we can learn from the Nestlé and United occurrences? Here are seven "musts" that smart companies will adopt in the age of social media. Read story.
From Mashable
Top 5 Social Media Tips for C-Suite Execs
For the rank and file at companies big and small, social media is infiltrating the workplace and fast becoming an important part of day-to-day activities. When it comes to executives and upper management, though, social media mostly remains an art unpracticed. We gathered up expert advice from Tim Bray of Google, Guy Kawasaki of Alltop (formerly Apple), Doug Ulman of Livestrong, John Battelle of Federated Media and Steve Rubel of Edelman on the why and the how when it comes to C-level executives and social media. Their tips and advice range from practice to crucial and point to the need for C-suite executives of this generation to heed social media. Read story.
From Altitude Branding
No time for social media?
“We're too busy for that crap” is a common refrain used by dinosaur organizations when talking about social media. But now that social media is ubiquitous on the Web (it has surpassed porn as the No. 1 activity online), can you afford this attitude? Only if you intend to go the way of the brontosaurus (read: newspapers). Amber Naslund, the director of community at Radian6, has some thoughts on making time for evolution. “Social media often starts off as an ‘and,’ something we need to tack on,” she wrote. “So, too, with most new and unfamiliar things. We have to do a little more now [so] we can look at everything together later, and decide what to keep.” Be sure to share this post with any colleagues and pterodactyls who are simply “too hectic” to bother with social channels.—JW Read story.
From Texas Public Relations Association
Webinar: PR & Social Media: Incorporating Facebook, Twitter, etc. into your PR strategy (May 25, noon)
This session will go over methods and reasons to incorporate social media tools into your overall PR strategy, with specific examples of both proactive and reactive PR campaigns from Whole Foods Market. Whole Foods Market is widely recognized as one of the leaders in its use of social media with stakeholders, has one of the largest Twitter following of any brick-and-mortar business, and currently has more than 400 individual social media accounts. Lead by Libba Letton of the media relations team and Winnie Hsia of the integrated media team at Whole Foods Market. Register for this webinar online today!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
PR News Round-Up - May 12, 2010
From: PR Daily
How to produce a social media press release
Are you using social media press releases? Research shows that reporters and editors like them and that they get picked up more frequently than traditional releases do. The next PR Daily webinar is all about the social media press release. In it, veteran communications consultant Shel Holtz will introduce you to the origins of the social media release, explain its components, and offer tips on how to get these releases in front of the eyes of online reporters and bloggers. Read more about this event.
From: PR 2.0 by Brian Solis
7 Scientific Ways to Promote Sharing on Facebook
With a view from the top, we can see that Facebook sharing is enhanced by simple language and thus modernizes the old adage KISS to now represent Keep it Simple and “Shareable.” Read story.
From: Authentic PR Counsel by Tom Gable
New Research Shows Positive Reputations Enhance Corporate Results
The Reputation Institute just released its annual Reputation Pulse, which measures the corporate reputations of the largest U.S. companies based on consumers’ trust, esteem, admiration, and good feeling about a company while also gauging perceptions across seven rational dimensions of reputation. Read story.
From: Ad Age
The Right Way to Make Your Social-Media Mea Culpa
Boeing's rebound after letter gaffe provides lessons for Twitter apologies. Read story.
From: Forbes
The Underground Art of PowerPoint
Microsoft's presentation program is evolving from boring bullet points into an entirely new art form. Read story.
How to produce a social media press release
Are you using social media press releases? Research shows that reporters and editors like them and that they get picked up more frequently than traditional releases do. The next PR Daily webinar is all about the social media press release. In it, veteran communications consultant Shel Holtz will introduce you to the origins of the social media release, explain its components, and offer tips on how to get these releases in front of the eyes of online reporters and bloggers. Read more about this event.
From: PR 2.0 by Brian Solis
7 Scientific Ways to Promote Sharing on Facebook
With a view from the top, we can see that Facebook sharing is enhanced by simple language and thus modernizes the old adage KISS to now represent Keep it Simple and “Shareable.” Read story.
From: Authentic PR Counsel by Tom Gable
New Research Shows Positive Reputations Enhance Corporate Results
The Reputation Institute just released its annual Reputation Pulse, which measures the corporate reputations of the largest U.S. companies based on consumers’ trust, esteem, admiration, and good feeling about a company while also gauging perceptions across seven rational dimensions of reputation. Read story.
From: Ad Age
The Right Way to Make Your Social-Media Mea Culpa
Boeing's rebound after letter gaffe provides lessons for Twitter apologies. Read story.
From: Forbes
The Underground Art of PowerPoint
Microsoft's presentation program is evolving from boring bullet points into an entirely new art form. Read story.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Annual PRSA San Antonio Del Oro Awards Banquet ~ May 6, 2010
The San Antonio Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America cordially invites you to a special evening to celebrate the region’s public relations stars. Our emcee will be Monica Taylor of FOX. Join us to celebrate our El Bronce and La Plata winners (See the list of 2010 La Plata and El Bronce winners), with special recognition to our Del Oro recipients. Find out more about our winners and emcee here.
Congratulations to our individual winners:
Paige Ramsey-Palmer, APR
Tex Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award
David Gabler
Public Relations Professional of the Year
Stephen Chavez
Community Service Award
Kathrynne “Katie” Hornstrom
Horizon Award
Register by Thursday, April 29, 2010. Get details. Download the invitation (pdf).
Want to reserve a table for your friends and colleagues at this year’s Del Oro Award Banquet? Become a sponsor!
Want to help a young professional? Donate items for the Del Oro Silent Auction to benefit the Marilyn Potts Endowment Fund!
Take a good look at the must-haves in this year’s Silent Auction. We've got piano lessons, a fancy diamond necklace, dinner out at Crumpets, wine tasting, symphony tickets, a night's stay at St. Anthony Hotel, and much more. See some highlights and be ready to bid!
Congratulations to our individual winners:
Paige Ramsey-Palmer, APR
Tex Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award
David Gabler
Public Relations Professional of the Year
Stephen Chavez
Community Service Award
Kathrynne “Katie” Hornstrom
Horizon Award
Register by Thursday, April 29, 2010. Get details. Download the invitation (pdf).
Want to reserve a table for your friends and colleagues at this year’s Del Oro Award Banquet? Become a sponsor!
Want to help a young professional? Donate items for the Del Oro Silent Auction to benefit the Marilyn Potts Endowment Fund!
Take a good look at the must-haves in this year’s Silent Auction. We've got piano lessons, a fancy diamond necklace, dinner out at Crumpets, wine tasting, symphony tickets, a night's stay at St. Anthony Hotel, and much more. See some highlights and be ready to bid!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
PR Campaign Key to Morgan’s Wonderland Opening Success
Earlier this month, the long-awaited grand opening ceremony for Morgan’s Wonderland was carried live on Ustream It was the capstone of a year-long awareness campaign for the nations’ first theme park designed with accessibility and special needs in mind.
The park is the brainchild of San Antonio philanthropist and former builder Gordon Hartman and named for his special needs daughter Morgan. The park is a non-profit operation, so a large opening campaign so typical to theme parks was not an option, according to Bob McCullough, APR, Communications Director for Morgan’s Wonderland.
“One of the biggest challenges is communicating exactly what it is. It’s a theme park, but it’s not a theme park in certain respects,” says McCullough. “We don’t have tickets, we have reservations. There are no coupons, no promotions. Instead, because many families dealing with special needs are faced with economic challenges, we offer free admission to special-needs guests and $5 admission to those who come with them. Therefore, you have to approach things a lot differently.”
Approaching things differently was the hallmark of the park’s pre-opening campaign too. According to McCullough, the team at the Gordon Hartman Family foundation embraced social media very early, integrating a Facebook and Twitter presence with the park’s Web site. Reaching out to local social media groups like the Social Media Club of San Antonio and BMPR (Business, Media and Public Relations) was part of that plan.
Traditional media relations were important, too, says McCullough. First and foremost, educating and informing the local media was a key part of the plan. The park’s soft opening on March 3 featured great local coverage. “Then we started getting calls from Alaska and New York and everywhere in between because and the local stations kindly shared their stories with the networks” says McCullough. “We also received a tremendous boost March 8 when ‘ABC World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer’ aired a lengthy feature story.”
In the month after the soft opening of Morgan’s Wonderland, San Antonio’s ABC affiliate KSAT TV aired a 30-minute special on the park, which led to additional coverage by “Good Morning America” two days before the grand opening. The San Antonio Express-News produced a special insert about the park that was distributed April 4.
The grand opening on Saturday, April 10, featured former San Antonio Spur David Robinson and actress Eva Longoria Parker among the celebrities. McCullough estimates that more than 10,000 attended the opening. “Even though people had to wait a little to get in the park, there were millions of smiles. It was a great evening and the weather cooperated, too. Everything went beyond our expectations.”
But the public relations campaign is not yet over. McCullough is a veteran of the theme park business. While Public Relations Director at SeaWorld San Antonio, he and his team earned a Silver Anvil for the Grand Opening Campaign for that parks’ opening activities in 1988. So he knows the exciting challenges of telling the bigger story of Morgan’s Wonderland over the coming months.
“There are lots of different story angles,” says McCullough. “This is a special-needs story, a tourism story, a high-tech story, an architecture story, a design story. It lends itself to so many different story angles.”
As well, the $32.5 million dollar park is still in the process of raising funds to pay for the build-out. McCullough will also be involved in familiarization tours with community groups to spur them on to help contribute to the capital and operating costs.
Since grand opening, the park has received media inquiries from around the U.S. and overseas.
“This has been a truly heartwarming project,” says McCullough. “We’ll keep trying to spread the word and hope we will be discovered by Oprah and many others regionally, nationally and internationally.” In the meantime, the park has been discovered by families across the USA who have been waiting for a place like Morgan’s Wonderland.
Photo of the Hartman family at the opening of Morgan's Wonderland. Courtesy r.c. french photography, copyright 2010, All rights reserved.
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