Five Communications Lessons from the Summer Olympics

Posted by: Kirsten Taylor // July 30th, 2012

As Lindsay Whalen, one of my hometown athletes, is competing in this year’s Olympics, I’ve been following this global summer event more closely. And lo and behold, I found five PR lessons we can learn from these captivating games:

Ragan’s PR Daily suggests that we keep these things in mind when conducting communications:

  1. Find unique ways to attract attention.
  2. Prepare for all situations.
  3. Provide information audiences need.
  4. Use the Web effectively.
  5. Tell great stories.

How did the Olympics accomplish each of these things? Click here to find out! And, watch the Olympics to see examples for yourself!

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Can you hear me now?

Posted by: Kirsten Taylor // January 18th, 2012

Verizon announced last Thursday that they will begin issuing a “convenience fee” in mid-December to customers who choose to pay their monthly bills online or by phone.  As news of the $2 fee spread, Twitter, Facebook and blogs were bogged down with negative feedback.

According to an article in PR Daily, little had been done to address the negative commentary flooding their social media profiles. However, they did offer “a cheery post about gadgets and pets” and a post suggesting that “the deals keep getting better and better”. The company missed a vital opportunity to converse directly with their customers, probably leaving many to wonder, can you hear me now?

@KirstenETaylor

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Twitter allows companies to take control of their page

Posted by: Liz Mortek // December 14th, 2011

To better compete with its Facebook and Google+ competition, Twitter is offering new brand pages allowing for greater customization and engagement, according to a recent article in PR News. This new overhaul will enable two features that differentiate them from standard user pages.

The first is the opportunity for brands to add a page-wide banner underneath the profile information in the header.  Second, brands will be able to spotlight a tweet at the top of their feed.

Why all the changes? The main takeaway from the redesign is that brands will now have the opportunity to take more control of their identity as well as how their messaging is consumed on Twitter.  Both features are free. Currently only 21 initial brand partners have access to these changes, including Pepsi, JetBlue and Heineken; others will receive access in the coming months.

@EMortek

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PR vs. Advertising

Posted by: Liz Mortek // November 14th, 2011

Any PR professional can tell you that they have struggled with trying to explain to their friends or family what it is exactly that they do.  We write articles, but are not the author, we organize interviews but are not on TV and as the Bad Pitch Blog points out, a common response to why we are doing this is “why don’t your clients just advertise in the publication because: PR and advertising are the same, right?” Wrong.

Many share these misconceptions because advertisements are familiar to them and PR is not.  As the article states, our friends and family definitely see that when a company wants people to know about a product or service they buy an ad in a magazine or piece together a TV commercial.

PR however paints a bigger picture of the product, service or issue at hand, feels more organic, and is about education.  Our job is to teach the media and the consumer about a differentiator they are not aware of. We communicate with editors and reporters and bloggers and podcasters to get them to tell our client’s story, provide knowledge so our target audience can make decisions without explicitly selling to them, versus the goal in classic advertising.

@EMortek

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100% Wired

Posted by: Liz Mortek // November 7th, 2011

It may come as no surprise to hear that nearly 100 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds use social media.  According to PR Daily, a study released last week proves that among all online adults, 91 percent use social media in a typical month.  That equates to 129 million people – or about 41 percent of the U.S. population.  Furthermore, 98 percent of 18-24 year old use social media in a month, investing in Facebook, Twitter and the like, while a still large 82 percent of 55-64 year olds visit their favorite social media sites each month.  The reason, you may ask?  No, this usage is not for work or to check up on brands, rather it is to primarily communicate with friends, citing secondarily, to stay in touch with family members.

@EMortek

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Keeping Quiet Can Get You in Trouble

Posted by: Liz Mortek // November 4th, 2011

At least that is the case for retailer, Urban Outfitters, according to a recent article from PR News. On Oct. 10, guest contributor Sasha Houston Brown wrote a scathing open letter to Urban Outfitters on the blog Racialicious about the clothing company’s new fall fashion line of Navajo-patterned apparel.  Citing the company’s “blatant racism and perverted cultural appropriation the store features this season as ‘fashion,’” Brown argues the lack of support of traditional Navajo arts and crafts made by actual Native Americans by instead choosing to sell knock-offs.

Amidst controversy, Urban Outfitters stayed silent.  For three days the company said nothing until releasing the following statement: “The Native American-inspired trend and specifically the term ‘Navajo’ have been cycling thru fashion, fine art and design for the last few years. We currently have no plans to modify or discontinue any product lines.”

Many have chosen to join the lashing about the new line, siding with Brown, while the lack of response made by the company has caused greater conversation and criticism of the retail shop.  Sometimes keeping your mouth shut can keep you out of trouble, but in the case of PR the only thing worse than saying “no comment” is to have no comment at all.

@EMortek

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On Twitter, Where Does PR End and Customer Relations Begin?

Posted by: Andrew Meyer // July 27th, 2011

On Twitter, Where Does PR End and Customer Relations Begin

Steve Goldstein points out on the PR News blog that Twitter has blurred the once-clearer line between public relations and customer relations. Goldstein interviews Paula Berg, a former digital media leader at Southwest Airlines, who said that any customer service advocate who has access to an organization’s Twitter account is, in fact, practicing public relations and should have a basic understanding of PR fundamentals.  He also notes that a close partnership between the two disciplines ultimately benefits everyone’s ability to best serve a customer.

@ALouMeyer

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Frankly, I just don’t believe you

Posted by: Liz Mortek // July 11th, 2011

Frankly, I just don’t believe you

According to a new article by Michael Sebastian for  Ragan’s PR Daily, phrases such as “to be perfectly honest” and “frankly” could be ruining your credibility as a spokesperson. Referred to as verbal crutches or throat-clearing statements, the use of these words can raise suspicion and cause listeners to consider the user inauthentic or dishonest.

To support his case, Sebastian describes an International Association of Business Communicators research study where a journalist interviewed individual spokespeople for 40 minutes and a PR assessor rated their abilities across 12 key skills. Among the areas examined was whether journalists considered the spokesperson “open and honest.”  Those that tended to rely on verbal crutches almost always had lower scores.

@EMortek

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Four Ways To Make Sure Your PR E-Mails Aren’t Spam

Posted by: Neil James // May 12th, 2011

Four Tips To Ensure You PR E-Mails Aren't Spam

You’re not selling Viagra or fake Rolex watches. You’re just trying to let a journalist know about a story that might be of interest to them and their readers. Unfortunately, as the size of a journalist’s “deleted items” folder indicates, your PR e-mail is treated with the same lack of consideration. What can you do to ensure your PR e-mails aren’t perceived as a beloved Hormel product? Jason Falls offers four tips in his new article for Social Media Explorer, The PR Guide to E-Mail Pitching. Falls believes to avoid spamming, e-mails should always have an opt-out message for journalists and should never be automated. In addition, Falls argues that  initial cold e-mails should never strive for more than a basic introduction.

@NeilAndrewJames

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The PR Pro’s Guide to Getting People to Like You

Posted by: Liz Mortek // May 9th, 2011

The PR Pro’s Guide to Getting People to Like You

As PR professionals, we all know the value Facebook can provide when it comes to building our clients’ online reputation.  From initial set-up to increasing fans, Mashable’s PR Pro’s Guide to Facebook offers tips on how we can help our clients connect with their communities.

As in life, the key to online success is getting people to “Like” you.  To get off on the right foot, build your base by starting with your client’s most loyal fans – the ones that already exist.  Getting started is the easy part; it is sustaining that success that takes work.  Remember, Facebook is about sharing and transparency.  Companies and brands have a wonderful opportunity to participate in this gave and take, and engage in real conversations with their customers and fans on Facebook, but fans must know you are listening.

@EMortek

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