Desperate Measures by Facebook / Burson-Marsteller Raise All Kinds of Red Flags

One of the most exasperating phases new parents experience happens when their kids hit 3 or 4 years old and the parents get the dreaded call from the daycare or babysitter reporting that their precious child has bitten another. It happens when the little ones are angry or feel powerless, and they don’t have the tools or maturity to know how to respond. Eventually, children grow out of this stage pretty quickly. They begin to understand right from wrong and that they shouldn’t hurt someone else when they themselves are upset or are feeling threatened. Parents get to stop saying, “No biting” and “Play fair.”

Apparently, someone at Facebook and Burson-Marsteller never learned that lesson.

Here’s a rundown on recent events.

• Facebook hires Burson-Marsteller for a particular job and says not to reveal their name (Red flag #1).
• Burson-Marsteller launches a “whisper campaign” to get news stories and editorials about Google’s Social Circle feature in Gmail claiming privacy infractions (Facebook pot calling Google kettle…).
• Burson-Marsteller offers to ghost write stories for bloggers (Red flag #2).
• One FTC blogger asks who the client is, Burson-Marsteller replies: Nope, can’t tell (Red flag #3).
• Blogger publishes email exchange (na na na na boo boo).
• USA Today investigates the stealth claims about Social Circle and finds them false.
• The you-know-what hits the fan.
• Burson-Marsteller releases a statement blaming Facebook, admitting the actions were against Burson’s own policies and they should have “declined” the assignment. (Note the policy about not undertaking work “intended or designed to mislead”).
• Facebook releases a statement Burson-Marsteller, claiming “No 'smear' campaign was authorized or intended.” (It’s not me, it’s you.)
• Burson-Marsteller deletes negative comments from its own Facebook page (Seriously?).

A firestorm of stories and commentary has erupted online and in the mainstream media. Here are some highlights.

• USA Today: “Google deflects PR firm's attack of Gmail privacy”
• USA Today (asks “by what standard does this episode show any sign of adult supervision?”): “Update: Facebook says no 'smear' campaign intended”
• PRSA Chair, Rosanna Fiske: “Haven’t We Learned Anything About Disclosure?”
• Neville Hobson: “How Burson Marsteller can emerge from its Facebook PR fiasco”
• Dan York: "The Facebook/Burson-Marsteller Debacle, Google - and the World War For (Our) Information"
• PR Newser blog: “The Many Layers of the B-M/Facebook Smear Story”
• The Hobson and Holtz Report – Podcast #599: May 16, 2011 – includes commentary on the Burson Marsteller / Facebook kerfuffle: the basics of the story, how the companies responded, ethical issues, what to do: the roles individual firms and the professional associations should play, our roles as communicators and opinion-formers in the social spaces. Discussion starts at about 6 minutes 26 seconds into the recording. You can download the MP3 file (29.5Mb).

Ironically, the same week Burson-Marsteller won the Holmes Report award for U.S. Agency of the Year. And it doesn’t even look like the two Burson-Marsteller employees involved in this mess will even get a time-out.

New Pew study looks at online behavior on news sites

The Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism has released results from an in-depth study of the top 25 U.S. news websites to examine audience behavior, specifically how users get to the top news sites, how long they stay during each visit, how deep they go into a site, and where they go when they leave.

Jim Romenesko summarized a few highlights that I found interesting from the Navigating News Online report:

* While Google search, Google news, and other aggregators are the top way into news sites, “social media is rapidly becoming a competing driver of traffic.” Facebook drives almost 8 percent of the traffic to the Huffington Post and between 1 and 7 percent to the other 24 studied.

* Eight of the top 25 sites attracted more women than men, including the Huffington Post, which also had the greatest proportion of young adults.

* At all the sites, casual users who come only a few times a month account for most of the visitors. “On average, 77 percent of the traffic to the top 25 news sites came from users who visited just one or two times.” At USAToday.com, for instance, 85 percent of visitors came one to three times in a month; three quarters only once or twice.

For more information, you can read Jim’s post, “New Pew report confirms truisms about online behavior, has surprises too.” Read "The 5 must-knows about how readers navigate news online, drawn from new Pew study,” by Rick Edmonds. Or go directly to the PEW report, Navigating News Online.

PR News Round Up ~ May 5, 2011

From PR Daily News Feed
The 5 most widely circulated newspapers in America
The Audit Bureau of Circulation released its newly revised audit, and it includes a significant change in the way circulation is measured. Read more.

From PR Daily News Feed
Is NPR unclear about the definition of public relations?
The network is airing a monthlong series on PR. So, why is its latest installment about ad campaigns that are directed at Asian-American audiences? Read story.

From Ragan's Daily Headlines
Can you really measure a speech?
By Angela Sinickas
Did your speech impact your audience? Three ways to find out. Read story.

From PR Daily News Feed
Students: The 9 things that matter more than GPA
Sure, your grades are important, but once you graduate and hit the office, these skills far outweigh your grade from stats class. Read story.

From PR Daily News Feed
6 alternatives to sending a press release
Instead of blasting a release to the media, trying winning coverage with one of these techniques. Read story.

From PR Daily News Feed
10 useful and inspiring websites for writers
You know about Grammar Girl and Copyblogger, but are you checking out these lesser-known destinations for wordsmiths? Read story.

From PR Daily News Feed
The 8 reasons I love #Twitterchats—and why you should, too
Three benefits, four tips, and one indispensible chart about Twitter chats. Read story.

From PR Daily News Feed
The 10 hottest magazines, according to Adweek
How many editors and contributors do you know at each publication? Read story.

Fascinating TED Talk: Jane McGonigal on How Gaming Can Make a Better World

NPR’s On the Media podcast recently focused it’s weekly episode on the World of Gaming. Now I’ve never considered myself a gamer, so I almost skipped it. But I always learn something when I listen to On the Media, so I stuck it out. And I’m so glad I did.

One of the stories played an excerpt of a TED Talk by Jane McGonigal. She talks about her research into the game-world. She says, “In the best-designed games, our human experience is optimized: We have important work to do, we're surrounded by potential collaborators, and we learn quickly and in a low-risk environment.” She concludes that if we could harness this gamer power, we could improve the way we learn, work, solve problems, and lead our real lives. And she’s talking about solving big real-world problems.

She lists four “super powers” of gamers, meaning what these games are making people virtuosos at:

Urgent Optimism – Gamers have extreme self motivation. The have the desire to act immediately to tackle an obstacle combined with the belief that we have a reasonable hope of success

Tight Social Fabric – Gaming builds strong bonds, trust and cooperation

Blissful Productivity – Gamers are happier working hard than by just hanging out

Epic Meaning – Gamers love be attached to awe-inspiring missions

Jane says that gamers are “super-empowered hopeful individuals.” They believe they are capable of changing the world. Right now, they mean the virtual world. Jane wants to transfer that to the real-world.

After her talk, I may be a believer.

PR News Round-Up ~ April 6

From PR Daily News Feed
Presentation tools: 9 ways Prezi will refresh your next speech
This social media tool is a digital canvas that knows no bounds. So, how much do you know about it? Read story.

From PR Daily News Feed
7 common pitfalls of PR campaigns
Don’t spoil all your hard work by making these mistakes. Read story.

From Ragan's Daily Headlines
How to minimize gender bias in your writing
by Deborah Gaines
These gender-neutral terms will lessen the likelihood of offending your audience. Read story.

From Ragan's Daily Headlines
7 speechwriting techniques to grab audiences—and call them to action
By Russell Working
A speechwriting pro offers tips to open and close with: Look to the Cowardly Lion and Malcolm X. Read story.

From PR Daily News Feed
PR industry exposé lands major literary award
Former health-care PR exec Wendell Potter’s book Deadly Spin captured the 2011 Ridenhour Book Prize. Read story.

From PR Daily News Feed
3 blogger relation blunders to avoid
Reaching out to bloggers for coverage? Better avoid these gaffes. Read story.

From PR Daily News Feed
Scoring coverage: Anatomy of a successful email pitch
A PR Daily contributor, who slammed a PR pro for a lousy email pitch, highlights one that worked well, including lessons that you can apply to your job. Read story.

From PR Daily News Feed
FTC issues $250,000 fine for fake online review
The Federal Trade Commission took decisive action against a company that paid affiliate marketers to write positive reviews of its product. Read story.

PR New Round-Up ~ March 21, 2011

From PR Daily News Feed
Big change in AP style announced: E-mail is now email
The Associated Press hasn’t seen a change like this since it changed ‘Web site’ to ‘website.’ It’s huge—for reporters, AP style-abiding PR pros, and language nerds. Read story.

From PR Daily News Feed
10 writings tips from the Associated Press
The AP Stylebook on Twitter offers a steady stream of advice for writers of all stripes. Here are 10 of the best to help improve your craft. Read story.

From PR Daily News Feed
10 incredibly useful Facebook search tips and tools for PR pros
You never knew your social networking life could be so easy. PR Daily contributor Adam Vincenzini shares a plethora of tools you need to check out—today. Read story.

From PR Daily News Feed
10 everyday decisions that will lead to social media success
Looking for a little inspiration on a Tuesday? Who isn’t? Here’s some advice to help motivate your social media efforts. Read story.

From PR Daily News Feed
Consulting firm paid college profs to write positive op-eds about Libya
Scandal rocks prestigious universities after reports surface that professors were involved in a PR scheme on behalf of Muammar Qaddafi. Read story.

From Ragan's Daily Headlines
10 things to include in your company’s social media policy
By Priya Ramesh
Inflammatory online updates can land your employees—and your organization—in hot water, so set a clear protocol. Read story.

From Ragan's Daily Headlines
Infographic: The next 25 years of emerging technology
What’s the tech industry going to look like in 2036? Here’s a sneak preview. Read story.

Get a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Communicating the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Don’t miss this interview of Gerald Baron, founder and director of PIER, and Neil Chapman, a BP communicator. In a conversation by the For Immediate Release podcast, they discuss the communication efforts since the event and consider the lessons for crisis communication. It’s a fascinating conversation where you’ll hear what really happened in communications.

The For Immediate Release podcast is hosted by Neville Hobson, ABC, and Shel Holtz, ABC. Here is a little more about their guests (as posted on the FIR website for the show).

Gerald R. Baron is the president and founder of Baron & Company, a marketing and public relations firm in Northwest Washington, USA, and authors the Crisisblogger blog. He created the PIER System, the only completely integrated Internet-based communication management system for crisis communications, issue management, and ongoing press and public information management. A frequent speaker at conferences, he has served as a strategic and marketing consultant, corporate communications director, publisher, college professor, and entrepreneur.

Gerald is the author of three books on business and marketing, including Now is Too Late 2, one of the best books available on crisis communication in the digital era. More recently, he wrote the white paper, "Unending Flow: Case Study on Communications in the Gulf Oil Spill," available for download as a PDF (free) or as a Kindle ebook ($6.99).

Neil Chapman has worked on high profile public affairs issues in different parts of the world for more than 25 years. He has responded to major crises in the US and UK including the Deepwater Horizon event, legal cases, helicopter crashes, trading scandals, hostage taking and natural disasters. From January 2011 he will run his own communications consultancy, Alpha Voice Communications, focused on crisis communications readiness and presentation/media training.

Neil has been on the communications front line for controversial industrial projects, company takeovers, restructuring and lobbying campaigns. He also has experience working on developments for growing business in Latin America, Africa and Asia. As an oil company executive, he was PR chair for three energy associations - the US Natural Gas Supply Association, Center for LNG and the UK Offshore Operators Association - when they each faced some of their most difficult communications challenges. He has trained and counseled scores of business people at all levels on honing their communication skills, particularly when delivering hard messages or facing hostile audiences.

Neil was a journalist in the UK, working for newspapers, TV and radio.

Ready to Try QR Codes?

More and more people are accessing the web through their mobile phones and tablets (see a cool infographic). Enter the QR Code (aka quick response codes). While they’ve been in use big-time in Japan for several years. They’re just now catching on here. You’ve probably been seeing them around a lot lately. They’re in magazines and direct mail promotions. They’re also popular on posters at events.

With a QR Code reader on your smart phone, you can scan a code and be taken to some content on your phone. It might be a coupon, a video, a mobile website, or something else.

You can get a bit of a crash course by listening to Eric Schwartzman’s On the Record Online podcast where he interviews Wayne Sutton, (@socialwayne) business development and marketing specialist at TriOut, and Master Sergeant Donald Preston of US Forces, Japan. They talk about their experiences using QR Codes for organizational communications and they point to resources for you.

They also point you to a post by Mark Sprague, “QR Codes: Are You Ready For Paper-Based Hyperlinks?” that provides you with an excellent overview along with a list of QR Code readers and generators.

New Report on the State of Podcasting

Edison Research recently released it’s latest report on the state of podcasting for 2010. It studied “behaviors, attitudes and consumption habits of the podcast audience in America.”
The study indicates that more than 70 million Americans have listened to a podcast and that podcast listeners have moved out of the early adopter phase and are now more in the mainstream.

Get more of the findings and see the Blogworld presentation where the results were released.

Four Things My Students Taught me about Blogs

I just finished my first semester teaching Introduction to Mass Communication at Northwest Vista College. As part of an exploration on new media, students were asked to pick one blog in the Technorati 100 and follow it for three weeks.

While several of the students regularly read blogs, most had little experience reading them. As part of their final grade, they presented their findings to the class, comparing the spirit of the blog to the spirit of the Cluetrain Manifesto and to our examination of media literacy.

Here’s what they found:

Some blogs are a complete waste of time. This was true for blogs which just re-posted content and links from other sites. It was also true for many of the celebrity-driven blogs and one blog about national security.

Blogs can be reputable sources. Some of the students examined the phenomenon of sites like TMZ.com which are now reputable sources of “breaking news.” This was also true for tech blogs they examined.

Blogs are no more than one person’s opinion. This was the conclusion from several students who followed blogs authored by a singular individual; it is also evidence of the increasing difficulty of separating fact and opinion in the blog medium.

News can spread like wildfire because of blogs. Each student was monitoring a different blog, but during the course of the project, they easily compared crossover stories like the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the military, the TSA “pat-down” phenomenon and, particularly distressing for San Antonians, the impending divorce of Eva Longoria and Tony Parker.

It’s interesting to note that while one of the main theses of Cluetrain Manifesto was transparency in organizations, many students could not find “ownership” information for many of the blogs studied. Even in new media, there is a long way to go for outlets to be transparent.

Register for PRSA San Antonio's February 10 Luncheon Today

Our chapter website is having a little trouble and isn't letting us update our homepage (our web host company is working on it). In the meantime. Information about our next luncheon is below as well as on our website "Events" page. Please note the date is the 10th, not the 3rd.

February 10, 2011 – PRSA Chapter Luncheon
Leadership Gold: PR Life Lessons from the Tex Taylor Award Winners

We've gathered some of the greatest minds in the businesses to share years of learning into one jam-packed luncheon! Join Kay Floyd, APR; Bob McCullough, APR; and Paige Ramsey-Palmer, APR as they reveal their biggest wins, losses and lessons from their "lifetime" in public relations. Their insights into the agency, nonprofit and corporate worlds are sure to enlighten and delight all level of professionals.

When: Thursday, February 10; 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: Bright Shawl, 819 Augusta, San Antonio
Price: Members $25 (early bird $20); Prospective Members $30 (early bird $25); Students and retired professionals $15

During the luncheon, you can participate in the 50/50 raffle to benefit the Marilyn Potts Endowment Fund.

Register now! Walk-in registration is not available at monthly luncheons.

Meet the new PRSA CEO & Chair Rosanna Fiske, APR

PRSA's new CEO & Chair, Rosanna Fiske, APR, was interviewed for Eric Schwartzman’s excellent On the Record Online podcast by guest host, Sandra Burrowes, to outline ways PRSA will support PR professionals in 2011. You can listen to the podcast interview here.

Also, in case you missed it, she Rosana sent the following letter by email to the national member listserv.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

As we begin 2011, I wanted to update you about an important process we undertook last year — the research and development of the PRSA 2011-13 Strategic Plan — which we are unveiling to members and the broader profession as part of a special PRSAY blog post today.

I would like to give you some background about the process that went into developing this important strategic plan. I also feel it’s important to thank each and every one of you, as without your leadership and guidance within PRSA, our organization could not fulfill its mission of advancing the profession and the professional, nor would it be as strong an advocate for the value of public relations.

Last year as chair-elect, I had the honor of leading PRSA’s strategic-planning process, a process that takes place every three years. We began with a review of the competitive landscape, looking at the varying opportunities members have to support their careers through different educational and professional-development channels. Along with Bill Murray, CAE, PRSA president and COO, I led discussion roundtables in five cities across the United States, specifically targeting senior professionals to better understand their needs and gain valuable insights on the profession’s future as a whole.

As our findings began to crystallize, I presented highlights to the 2010 Leadership Assembly in Washington, D.C., and later, distributed a survey to our leadership to confirm that we were on the right course.

Input from these opportunities was collected and incorporated into the final document, which was approved by the PRSA Board of Directors in its last meeting of 2010. I encourage you to take a few minutes and read the PRSA 2011-13 Strategic Plan. I invite you to review the full plan, as well as read the blog post on PRSAY that describes its goals and objectives, and how it will position PRSA for future success and growth.

In the meantime, I invite each of you to let me know your thoughts, questions or concerns about the PRSA 2011-13 Strategic Plan.

I look forward to working with many of you throughout the year to help make PRSA a strong and successful professional resource for our members and the profession.

Sincerely,
Rosanna M. Fiske, APR
PRSA Chair and CEO

PR News Round-Up ~ January 18, 2011

From Ragan’s Daily Headlines
PR In Your Pajamas
10 ways to repurpose your media coverage
So you just scored some great media coverage for your client or your company. Now what? How do you give that coverage some real shelf life? PR pro Elena Verlee offers 10 tips on helping you move beyond just clipping them and sticking them into your media kit. Great advice. — Matthew Royse. Read story.

From Socialmedia.biz via Ragan’s Daily Headlines
Top 20 social media monitoring companies
A big question among PR professional is which social media monitoring vendor is the best fit — for the services provided and the price. J.D. Lasica and Kim Bale at Socialmedia.biz sought to answer that question with this list of the top 20 social media monitoring companies. The list includes 10 lower-priced options for nonprofits. Take a look. Read story.

From Ragan.com
7 things you need to know about mobile communication
The consensus is that mobile will be the communication trend of 2011. “Everybody has to get into mobile communication,” Shel Holtz, of Holtz Communication, told Ragan.com. “If you’re not developing a strategy now, you’re late.” Are you prepared? Ragan.com’s Matt Wilson compiled seven tips for reaching your audience with mobile devices. Read story.

From BurrellesLuce
Common misconceptions to know before pitching bloggers
PR, meet BR – blogger relations. It’s the latest addition to the ever-expanding list of necessities for the corporate world as companies dive deeper into social media. Your audience, consumers and reporters, read blogs, so you need to reach out to them. But before you go pitching a blogger, check out BurrellesLuce's list of common misconceptions about blogger relations. Read story.

From Ragan’s Daily Headlines
10 alternatives to sending a press release
By Heather Whaling
Choosing the right medium for your message requires understanding the content and your audience. Consider these possibilities. Read story.

From Reuters via Regan’s PR Daily Newsfeed
Magazine sales up for first time since 2007
Good news for one segment of the publishing world. Last year, the U.S. magazine industry saw a 3 percent increase in ad revenue, equivalent to $20 billion, according to rate cards compiled by the Publishing Information Bureau. It marked the first increase in ad revenue in three years. Reuters said People magazine pulled in the most revenue with $1 billion. Auto advertisements represented the largest rebound in magazine ad sales. Meanwhile, newspapers continue to struggle for positive ad revenue, according to Reuters. Read story.

From SmartBrief on Social Media
How the National Wildlife Federation measures social success
The National Wildlife Federation's approach to monitoring social media evolved as its social media presence developed, says Danielle Brigida, the organization's digital marketing manager. Brigida says she began by manually tracking social media mentions, but soon switched to a combination of services including Thrive, SocialMention and IceRocket. Using a variety of measurement tools allows Brigida to gauge the organization's reach and gain a sense of the ways in which users are engaging with their content, which can help the organization better allocate its resources, she says. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media (1/12) Read story.

From The Huffington Post via SmartBrief on Social Media
Social tools help marketers reach Hispanic shoppers
Marketers have a golden opportunity to reach out to Hispanic consumers via social sites, Joe Kutchera says. Hispanics are flocking to social media faster than any other demographic, and they're often attracted by tailored campaigns that acknowledge their needs and their heritage. "Social media is often the gateway to Hispanics. ... Marketers need to address what content on their websites is helpful to their Hispanic consumers," Kutchera says. (1/6) Read story.

From Ragan’s Daily Headlines
13 ways to keep your pitch from getting deleted
By Jeremy Porter
Follow these tips and you’re sure to get better results the next time you pitch a reporter via e-mail. Read story.

From PaidContent.org via SmartBrief on Social Media
Court upholds copyright on images posted to TwitPic
A federal judge has ruled that the Agence France-Presse news agency violated copyright by reprinting, without permission, a photo posted to Twitter via TwitPic. Other news agencies also used Daniel Morel's Haiti earthquake photos without paying him, even though his Twitter feed mentioned that they were available for purchase. The judge struck down AFP's argument that TwitPics images can be considered public domain. Read story.

Express-News Editorial in Error about PR

Yesterday, the San Antonio Express-News published an editorial, “BexarMet needs more than PR,” that frankly gives a pretty dim view of our profession. I have no issue with the headline. BexarMet does need more than public relations. We’ve long known that public relations campaigns cannot fix operational or leadership problems.

The editors are also right to question any expense taken on by the board. I wouldn’t argue that the BexarMet’s days are likely “numbered.” I don’t claim to know anything about the (non-San Antonio) PR firm or the contract it’s been hired to fulfill. And clearly, BexarMet’s history in the PR department has been – shall we say – questionable.

I grant the Express-News editors all of that.

In fact, let’s set aside that this is BexarMet at all.

My concern is the implication that public relations is singularly interested in making someone “look good,” or burnishing a “bruised public image” or casting someone in a “positive light.” I can honestly say, none of these goals are in my job description.

It is paramount that organizations be effective at communicating – especially those that serve the public interest directly. And communication is more complicated than it may seem. There's a whole body of knowledge are research in this area. Communication requires not just speaking, but listening as well. Organizations that are in trouble typically need counsel in this area. There is no shame in getting help where it is critically needed.

Naturally, as in all professions, a few bad PR apples have gotten the spotlight. But these don’t represent our profession by any stretch. If we’re doing our job well, our successes are our organizations’ successes.

Take a look at the code of ethics and professional standards that guides our work. All PRSA members pledge to abide by this code. Any PR practitioner worth his or her salt would of course counsel an organization to do things like, as the Express-News editors call for, end scandals, improve service where it’s been weak, and work with lawmakers constructively, among other things like being in dialog with constituents and customers. And I'm pretty sure that, deep down, the editors know this too.

PR News Round Up ~ December 14, 2010

From Social Media Examiner
How to Develop a Social Media Content Strategy
Do you have a social media strategy? Does it involve content? Should it? The other day I drove past a local convenience store that makes most of its profit from beer, Slush Puppies and beef jerky (not that there’s anything wrong with that). A big sign out front asked passers-by to Like them on Facebook. “It’s official,” [...] Read the rest of this article...

From Convince and Convert via PR Daily Newsfeed
6 new-fangled social media tools worth discovering
Social media strategist Jay Baer has a quick roundup of new social-media tools that haven’t hit the mainstream yet. All of these tools must meet the same criteria to become household names: Utility is always first — and these meet that requirement. “The torrent of new digital tools and gadgets makes Sharper Image, SkyMall, and Hammacher Schlemmer look like an Amish electronics store,” Baer writes. Of course, we'll see how many of them are around next year at this time. — Claire Celsi Related Harvard Business Review Edelman’s David Armano breaks down six social media trends for 2011. Read story.

From Mr. Public Relations via PR Daily Newsfeed
35 Twitter hashtags for PR pros
As a PR professional looking to extend the reach of your message, it isn’t enough to just talk the talk anymore. You’d better be able to tweet it, too. And perhaps one of the easiest ways to take advantage of the Twitterverse is through hashtags. But are you using the right ones? If you’re not sure, here’s a list from the blog Mr. Public Relations of 35 every PR pro should know. So now lets all say #Thankyou, Mr. Public Relations. Read story.

From Social Media Examiner
26 tips to spice up your Facebook page
Have you made Facebook an integral part of your communications strategy? If so, you married to a beast that needs constant tending and feeding. Can be a bit of a pain, can’t it? Social Media Examiner offers 26 ways to help you take care of the beast. Read story.

From All Facebook via PR Daily Newsfeed
11 Facebook pages PR pros should follow
This list from All Facebook blog features 10 pages; Ragan Communications’ Facebook page is not among them. That’s No. 11. Here’s the link. Take a look at the rest.

From PR Fuel via PR Daily Newsfeed
10 directories to list your blog
We all want to grow the visibility of our blog. A directory is a great way to help. Mickie Kennedy at PR Fuel has come up with his 10 best blog directories to help you increase your blog’s exposure. — Matthew Royse Read story.

From Higher & Higher via PR Daily Newsfeed
13 Twitter chats every PR pro should follow
“PR chats on Twitter are a helpful way to connect and communicate with PR specialists from all around the world, to build relationships and personal network, to meet new [and] interesting people, and to learn the current tendencies in the field,” Bulgarian PR pro Petya Georgieva writes on her blog. She summarized 13 PR chats every pro should consider following. — Jody Koehler Read story.

From Social Media Examiner
21 Ways Non-Profits Can Leverage Social Media
Like their for-profit brethren, many non-profits understand that using social media can help them reach and engage their audience, create momentum and build community. However, there’s uncertainty around how to create a sustainable social media campaign, although the tools are plentiful and often free. Here are 21 ways non-profits can leverage social media: #1: Use a blog to [...] Read article

From Tripwire Magazine via PR Daily Newsfeed
30 e-mail newsletter designs to inspire you
Thinking about redesigning your e-newsletter — or maybe launching one? Might be a good idea. “Many Internet marketers consider e-mail list building one of the most important elements of making business online,” Dustin Betonio wrote for Tripwire Magazine. “Reason is that once you have a large list of targeted subscribers you can generate traffic yourself and this means your business is less vulnerable to changes in Google rating algorithms.” Take your inspiration from these 30 e-newsletter designs, Betonio advised. Read article

From PR Daily
57 lessons and tips about PR agency life
What was life like when you couldn’t share lessons and tips as easily as you can today? I’m glad those days are behind us because we wouldn’t be able to collectively learn as much as we can today. Here are two great examples. The blog renaissance chambara has 27 lessons from agency life; Earlin’ PR Abuse has 30 ways to survive and thrive in PR. Together, they add up to 57 lessons and tips. Enjoy! — Adam Vincenzini Read story.

From The Comms Corner via PR Daily Newsfeed
11 (mostly) FREE social media tools to try in 2011
Adam Vincenzini, PR Daily Europe’s contributing editor, has spent the last few months testing social media tools. He created this list of the tools he plans to use next year. Best part is all of them are either free or offer a free version. Read story.

Media Relations and HIPAA

One of the major functions of my work in the communications department of a large health system is media relations. Although I’ve always worked in non-profit public relations, I had never worked in healthcare before my current job. I’ve been in this position for three years, and I love it, but it was a big adjustment for me.

We have fantastic stories to tell: new procedures that let patients stay close to home for care, physicians with specialties that are desperately needed in our area moving to town, new treatments that are literally lifesaving. And don’t forget the always fun First-Baby-Born-in-the-New-Year story! There are, however, a lot of stories that can be difficult to tell.

We are a faith-based health system, and we are very protective of our patients. Even if we weren’t protective, we are also bound by HIPAA to protect our patients. HIPAA is the “Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.” This rule offers protection of individually identifiable health information. The rule is written so that it permits the disclosure of personal health information needed for patient care and other important purposes.

Much to the frustration of many journalists, and to those of us in the healthcare field, “other important purposes” doesn’t cover giving out information on patients. Every patient has an expectation of privacy and, if they choose the option, we are often unable to even confirm that a person is a patient in our hospital.

Because HIPAA can be so restricting in the information I can provide a reporter (even on fun stories), I find it even more important to have a good relationship with my media colleagues. They have to understand – to really know – that I will tell them everything that is within my power to share. They have to know that when I don’t have information on a person that they *know* is in one of our hospitals it’s because that person has asked for privacy and not because I’m not being forthcoming.

The flip side of working with HIPAA is that if a health system is accused of misconduct by a patient or former patient, and permission is not given by the patient to discuss the case, the health system is unable to answer the accusations. The patient has all the freedom to discuss the situation while the health system can only talk in very general terms.

As a potential patient, I am very appreciative of HIPAA and the policies many hospitals have in place to protect the privacy of their patients. I don’t want anyone in my medical business! As a media relations person, it can be a frustrating policy; but, it has forced me to work on my relationship-building skills with journalists. Luckily, most of the moms of the New Year babies are happy to sign the consent form to have their photos taken and to do interviews on their happy day.

What challenges have you faced when working with the media & a delicate situation? Thoughts?

This is a cross-post from The Root Report.

Intel Sponsors Social Media Scavenger Hunt at Moms Event in San Antonio

I finally got to participate and the annual Manic Mommies Escape when it was held in San Antonio this last weekend. In case you haven’t heard, the Manic Mommies are a couple working moms who have been hosting a podcast pretty much ever since podcasting was invented. I’ve written about their amazing online community building before. The Escape is a kind-of moms’ retreat.

Because of their large listenership and community building (one is a full-time PR person), they’ve gotten some big sponsorships. Let me tell you about a couple.

Intel used social media tools like Twitter and Foursquare with Escape participants. First, an Intel rep led a presentation with tips on how to choose the right computer for your needs or your family's needs, in this case. They have a handy tool for this online.

Then they had participants form teams of four for a social media scavenger hunt in downtown San Antonio. They had a list of 10 locations where teams would go, check-in using Foursquare, follow the instructions that Intel had set up in the Foursquare Tips section, and post a photo on Twitter via Twitpic. Teams that went to at least five spots were entered into a drawing for free laptops that were awarded the next day.

Key to this promotion was that it was integrated into the goals of the event for moms to network with each other and meet other moms as well as to experience San Antonio. And they learned a bit about Intel in the process.

Another big sponsor is Chevy. Moms were able to test drive different models, including the new Cruze and a Corvette Grand Sport (there was a big line for that one). The test drive route took the moms to see a San Antonio mission and they were entered into a drawing for free tickets to a suite at the Spurs game that evening.

Finally, there was a hospitality suite where moms could test out the new XBOX with Kinect that lets you get on your feet to play without a remote control.

So if you’re wondering how to integrate social media into a promotion strategy. Intel provides a great example.

Open Leaders Give Up Control

This was the loud and clear message from Charlene Li, founder of the Altimeter Group and bestselling coauthor of Groundswell, the keynote speaker at the PRSA International Conference.

Her latest book “Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead” was at the heart of her keynote comments.

Giving up control is uncomfortable for organizational leaders because the outcome seems uncertain and organizational leaders have been sensitized to more controlled outcomes. Li’s first example was a now well-known news story about Dell laptops catching on fire. The company bravely chose to acknowledge the story and include a popular photo of an exploding laptop in its response strategy. Li asked the audience if, (four years later) “Would your organization have the leadership and fortitude to acknowledge something as serious as a product default in such a public way?”

Li believes that strategy, leadership and preparedness are the keys for leaders to give up control but still be in command. She offered four ways leaders can do this:

1. Discipline is the key to success. Programs to develop open leadership cannot happen on an ad hoc basis. It must become part of the business process.

2. Create a culture of sharing. It’s not just about particular social media tools or using a specific technology or service, it’s about learning to share – inside and outside – your organization.

3. Ask the right questions about value. Using a quote from John Hayes at American Express, she highlighted that we often undervalue what we cannot measure but overvalue what we can.

4. Prepare for Failure. No relationships are perfect, so Li suggests using the Google mantra “Fail fast, fail smart.”

“Open Leadership” was given to early registrants of the PRSA International Conference. The book is filled with case studies of organizations of all sizes and their journeys to embrace a more open culture. Beyond the case studies, Li’s book features models, assessment tools and metrics that add meat to the message and allow organizations to have action plans for openness. Even better, Li offers a robust companion website with assessment tools and downloads which organizations can utilize to benchmark their starting points against other organizations.

In an environment where businesses are struggling to understand openness and the concept of sharing, Li offers a blueprint that even the most resistant of organizations could find useful.

Grunigs' Update on Excellence in Public Relations

Drs. Jim and Lauri Grunig have been teaching and researching public relations for decades. Their research on the characteristics of excellent public relations has been widely published. At the PRSA International Conference last month, the two presented an update on their findings to an audience mixed with educators, practitioners and researchers.

Jim presented thoughts on the value of relationships in public relations. The relationship has always been central to the practice of public relations but now we are able to measure them, using indexes of trust, commitment, loyalty, satisfaction and mutual influence.

Refreshing their findings on excellence in public relations, the Grunigs offered these eight qualities of the practice:

1. Public Relations should be a managerial function;
2. Public Relations should be strategic;
3. Public relations should be integrated, but not Into Marketing;
4. Public Relations should be symmetrical–bridging the relationship between a corporation’s interest and stakeholder interests
5. Public Relations needs to promote social responsibility
6. Public Relations should advocate for diversity
7. Public Relations advocate ethical practice in organizations
8. Public Relations should be global.

In one of the best quips of the conference, Grunig stated that “not all public relations adds value. Some of it is quite worthless.” Not an unexpected observation, given that the Grunigs have been advocating for standards in the practice their whole careers.

They also shared two observations about changes in public relations practice today. The first change is a social responsibility crisis resulting from crises of confidence and trust in our society. Citing the collapse of the financial industry, the mortgage crisis and the BP oil spill from earlier this year, Grunig believes that the sustainability of organizations has come into question.

Second, the growth of digital media is another change in public relations practice. Digital media are more participatory in nature, which has led many organizations to mourn the loss of control of the message, but the Grunigs believe we never had control. Calling this the “illusion of control,” the Grunigs assert that the public is no longer constrained by what the media report, as the power to publish is shared by all.

This was a fascinating combination of theory and practice. I wonder how many practitioners in San Antonio feel that what they do is "excellent." What's excellent about your practice?

The Magic of Article Marketing

Robert Deigh of RDC Communication presented a session at the PRSA’s 2010 International Conference where he showcased a new tool for our communication arsenals. “Article marketing” is the placement of short articles on topic-specific websites that are looking for good content and then promoting them using Internet-based and traditional media.

This strategy, he says, can be beneficial for putting your expertise in front of millions of people, for getting you a higher ranking in Internet browser searches, and providing another value-added service you can offer to your organization or your clients. And best of all, it requires minimal time at almost no cost.

The process involves writing a short article (500 to 800 words) on any topic, posting it on the most appropriate web sites that accept articles and promote your work in all of your communication. The article can be new or repurposed from a speech, newsletter article, white paper or existing content on your website.

Robert explains: “The best article marketing web sites -- the ones that people read and take articles from – actually have people who review and edit the articles if necessary! They have a reputation for quality. The lesser sites will publish almost anything as long as it is not offensive.”

Another tip he shared is that these same article sites are a great source of free articles (written by other people) on any topic for your website or your clients’ websites.

Robert is the author of How Come No One Knows About Us?