Creative Public Relations for a Digital World

Well, we are, aren’t we?

A new book, “Alone Together: Why We Expect More of Technology and Less of Each Other” by MIT Technology Professor Sherry Turkle, posits the following. Although we have wondrous new ways of connecting, via smartphones and computers, texting and emailing, social networking sites where we update our “stati” several times a day, in many ways, the age of digital saturation has caused us to sacrifice conversation for mere connection.

I see this every day in our busy and buzzing PR office. It used to be that our phones would ring off the hook and you couldn’t hear yourself talk over the din of animated phone conversations with reporters and clients. Now, when I ask my co-workers, “did you talk to Joe at the Times?” the answer is something like, “Yes I tweeted him and he emailed me right away requesting more information,” or “He just texted me with a date for an interview.”

Speaking of interviews, these crucial opportunities to spread a client’s message used to be much more formal affairs, in person, over lunch or drinks, only occasionally as “phoners.” Now, more often than not, a reporter will email questions to the PR contact who will email them to the client and discuss responses via email memo or phone. Kind of takes the spontaneity and spark out of the whole process, producing a sanitized, message-controlled interview, — maybe just what a client wants, but lacking color!

As much as new technology and multiple devices have eased and sped up our ability to communicate, I advocate for face-to-face conversation when you can get it. Sherry Turkle fears that kids growing up “digitized” won’t learn the basics of social conversation. Yikes!

Therefore, I urge you to chat more with your co-workers, make time to see your clients in person on a regular basis and take a media contact out for drinks or coffee. Nothing can replace face-to-face!

Whether your client is a “PR Virgin” or a veteran of multiple media encounters, media and message training are vital to conducting successful interviews.

Media training can be defined as preparation for an interview, including counseling and rehearsal conducted prior to the interview or appearance on radio or TV. A media training session strengthens communications skills and helps develop a comfort and confidence for getting key message points delivered when talking with reporters. “Refresher courses” after interviews are also vital.

We recently worked with an author whose native language was not English and whose message was a bit complex. The training session included a professional media trainer and a cadre of PR professionals.

Here are some of the takeaways from that session:

Brainstorm every possible key message point. Then narrow down to three.

Of your three key points, state your most important one first. Don’t bury your main message.

Answer the question YOU want to address. But don’t dodge questions! Answer in eight seconds or less, then bridge back to your main point. Devise two or three segues to steer the answer your way. Practice them in role-play sessions.

If needed, repeat the interviewer’s question aloud to give yourself time to gather your thoughts.

Repeat your message often using different examples, phrases, and ordering.

Remember that a single vivid example is worth a thousand boilerplate message points.

All the media training in the world is worth nothing unless your client “buys” into it and practices. The proof will be in the ever-improving interviews he or she gives. What media training tips have been effective for you?

Crenshaw Communications’ employee blog, PR Fishbowl, recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, and we thought it a good time to look back and highlight what makes a blog readable and shareable. Here is what we found:

Find your voice. Whether your blog is snarky or sweet, find a consistent tone so “fans” know what to expect and look forward to your take on an issue or topic.

Be quick. It goes without saying to be topical, but today’s hot- button issue is tomorrow’s snooze, so filing the first blog post on a trending topic is a must! In the past year we have quickly posted the “PR POV” on breaking news such as the Susan G. Komen/Planned Parenthood Crisis, Paula Deen and her diabetes debacle and many more.

Be provocative. Take the less popular stance on an issue; point out industry foibles and expose myths. Some of our most well-read blogs took a controversial look at how a politician fared in public. (There’s no need to be partisan if your topic is the PR strategy behind the story.) Another focused on “gaffes and goofs” in PR resumes and cover letters.

Be fun. Our blogs are mostly lighthearted but when you can turn it into something fun and relatable, the audience is “in on it” with you. A good example of this was a holiday blog which took the 12 Days of Christmas and gave each “gift” a PR spin. We also produced a “Mad Libs” blog.

Be smart. Impart real knowledge and advice PR people can use as soon as they’ve finished reading. Tip lists, “do’s and don’ts”, especially those that incorporate “real life” examples, always fare well.

Finally, some practical blog advice (aha, a tip list!)

• Be aware of industry keywords and use them
• Link to other bloggers and websites (who will reciprocate)
• Push your blog out through all your social media channels
• Invite comments and always respond to those you receive

We’d love to hear any additional advice!

By and large, PR people love language – not just English, but any language in which a word or turn of phrase most perfectly captures what we are trying to communicate. Sometimes raison d’être is just so much more colorful than “reason for existence” or “arrividerci baby” more impactful than “goodbye.” Recently the German “kummerspeck” –excess weight gained from emotional overeating (grief bacon) –has entered the lexicon.

But the language that seems to contribute the most interesting words and most perfectly sum up a feeling for me come from the nearly dead, rarely spoken language of Yiddish.

In the last week alone, I received three emails that started with the word, “Oy,” just proving my point. Nothing sums up exasperation, disbelief, disappointment or pain quite like this two-letter word.

Here are some other favorites:

Tsotchke – Slavic for toys, it has evolved into the universal industry term for premiums given by companies to consumers, or other target audiences to promote brand recognition.

“Did you budget for client tsotchkes to give away at the next trade show?”

Schnorer – Originally “beggar,” it has come to mean anyone looking for a freebie at an event or taking advantage of an agency invitation by adding “plus 5” to an RSVP.

“What a schnorer! He actually wanted to take 10 extra goodie bags from the luncheon today.”

Putz – Onomatopoeia at its best! Sounds awful and describes a fool or an idiot. Has a verb usage akin to behaving in an idle manner or puttering.

“First he questioned every out-of-pocket charge, agreed upon in advance, and then he putzed around forever not paying, he’s such a putz.”

Chutzpah – Nerve, extreme arrogance, brazen presumption, chutzpah connotes courage or confidence and is often a compliment to someone whose bold move engendered success and praise.

“She asked the client to raise the retainer to 25k a month and he said yes, shows what a little chutzpah can do!” (And who can forget former presidential candidate Michele Bachmann’s “goyische” mispronunciation of the word when she accused President Obama of having some!)

I could go on but I would rather learn some new words or phrases from other languages to incorporate into my PR writing!

In today’s PR landscape, a high-profile article or interview can mean the difference between a happy client and a disappointed one.  Your clients have the inherent need to look stronger, smarter, and better positioned than the competition, and there’s no better way to accomplish this than by scoring a great feature in an influential outlet (i.e. NY Times, CNN, Mashable, depending on your client’s target audience.)  Here are a few tips to help you land the article of your client’s dreams.

Don’t pitch the big guys on every little announcement and idea

Be strategic with your pitching and make sure it’s the right fit.  Don’t pitch the big guys with every single little industry announcement your client is making.  If you want to eventually secure a Los Angeles Times briefing, make sure every pitch you send to that reporter is appropriate and relevant.  Otherwise, you risk getting lost in the inbox shuffle.

Be personal

Reporters are inundated with emails and phone calls from PR pros all day/every day.  Don’t just blast them the same message you’re sending to 500 other contacts.  Do your research.  Follow the reporter on Twitter and learn what they’re interested in and what they tend to write about.  Personalize the pitch and tailor it specifically to the individual as well as the outlet.

Use current events

I’ve discussed this one here on PR Fishbowl before, but it’s definitely appropriate for this situation.  Don’t hesitate to creatively insert your client into the conversation surrounding popular current events in the news.  For example, check out how client Silverpop was recently featured on Mashable by providing some unique insights into the race for the GOP presidential nomination.

Keep an open dialogue

“No” is not the end of the world.  If a high-profile reporter lets you know that a certain story isn’t right for them, start a constructive conversation to find out what they’ll be looking for in the future.  Keep it open ended, and be sure to follow up when you finally have that great exclusive to offer.

Tell us how you’ve scored a major win for one of your clients.