Tag: communications

A PR Apps Wishlist

Posted on by Cliff Maroney

“There’s an app for that!”

We have become dependent on the best apps for Smartphone and other mobile devices in both personal and professional life and look forward to the latest and greatest. Here are some promising new apps to make our lives a little bit easier in 2013.

Asana
Ideal both for individual users and groups, Asana allows users to not only stay connected to their colleagues but to the tasks they are working on as well. As an added bonus, it’s a free app (for groups under 30), and offers an invaluable service offices small and large can well use.

Parking Panda
I rely on public transportation for my commute, mostly because parking in New York City is a nightmare (as in most major cities.)  Mobile navigation and GPS apps which help us find everything from restaurants to laundromats are fine but without parking tips, some people may never reach them! Enter Parking Panda which provides users with daily and monthly parking options (including rates) that are close to their destination, thus alleviating (some) of the headaches of city driving.

Buffer
A huge time saver, Buffer allows you to schedule all of your social media content through one place. In addition, it also enables you to schedule to your content at the ideal time of day via their spiffy algorithm.

CloudOn
Running Windows on a mobile device can be a very trying experience. Thus, CloudOn is a necessity for any professional, as it seamlessly integrates Excel, PowerPoint, Word and even Adobe Reader with your devices’ keyboard.

Divvy
Like eating in big groups, but hate getting stuck footing the biggest part of the bill (which I usually do)? Divvy allows you to scan, mark and calculate just your orders for both ease of payment and peace of mind, about who is paying for which piece of pie. Just snap a photo of your receipt, mark it according who ordered what, and keep your friends honest.

Battery Stats Plus
While a dead battery may offer a much appreciated respite from the trials of work, no one likes the subsequent feeling of alienation, or the drop of an important conversation caused by the untimely demise of your battery. Battery Stats Plus provides you with more than just a visual icon of how much battery you have remaining, it gives you detailed stats on which apps or processes drain your battery the most. Meaning you can have your battery cake and eat it too.
Know of any other great apps that can help make 2013 easier? Leave them in comments section below.

Make Your Blogger Relationships Work Harder

Posted on by Kaitlyn Kotlowski

Bloggers aren’t just an online source anymore. The big ones, the “super-bloggers,” are expanding their media empire from small screens to large ones and virtual relationships to “real world” with tremendous PR potential for your clients.  You can tap into this power by following some timely tips.

Effective blogger relations can expose your client to bigger and better audiences, making them part of meaningful conversations that ultimately translate to increased awareness. This is particularly true now that certain bloggers own more of the media landscape than ever before. Many broadcast outlets book local bloggers as contributors, and top-tier newspapers accept contributions from regional bloggers.

To help leverage relations with the “super-bloggers,” take advantage of these timely tips:

It’s not about you. Bloggers don’t care about your brand’s agenda, period.  Their main focus is their audience. So when pitching an idea or product, get to know that audience – what do they want to hear about, what product might be useful for them, etc. You can’t always tell who the audience is by the blog’s name. Do the homework — it’s never worth ruining your relationship with someone over a lazy pitch.

Keep track of everything! Keep accurate records of the following: which of your story ideas a blogger has covered in the past, the last time you spoke, what approaches have worked well and what fell flat. When it comes to family / parenting bloggers I find it’s helpful to know personal details such as if they have children, and the children’s ages – this information is particularly valuable when pitching toys and other children’s products.

Think beyond the blog. Make sure that whatever idea you’re pitching is not only appropriate for the blog – but for expanded opportunities as well. Visualize the potential broadcast segment or event inclusion and outline ways to make it work. Blogger promotions and partnerships should also be taken into consideration – these are mostly pay to play, and it’s important to do your research and keep in mind that not every blogger is right for a paid promotional partnership.

Keep talking (and helping). Keep the conversation going! Check in on editorial calendar opportunities that may be a perfect fit for your client(s), upcoming events that might be worth attending or sponsoring, any Twitter chats that you and/or your clients should participate in, etc.

With a little homework and a solid strategy, these regional superstars could help elevate your client’s brand.  What are your tips for developing relationships with bloggers?

How Working Women Win At Work

Posted on by Marijane Funess

The popular expression “half the sky” refers to the female half of the population and its equal share of responsibility in the world. And this has never been truer than today as Marissa Meyer takes over Yahoo and Hillary Clinton continues to navigate difficult diplomatic waters.

But I have to ask myself, why, amid the great strides this “half the sky” continues to make, women still sabotage themselves in the office. We do it with words. Certain speech habits can undermine our authority and make us appear less competent.

Here are some tips to avoid these “crimes of conversation” and keep your career on track.

Strike “actually” and “just” from your vocabulary
As in, “I was just thinking off the top of my head” (before offering a good idea) or “Actually I had a question” (as if your having a question is a surprise or a problem). Adding these and other disclaimers amount to pre-emptive apologies and condition those in the room to take you less seriously and what you have to say of less value. Your opinions matter, never shortchange yourself.

Never “Uptalk!”
Nothing dumbs down a woman (or anyone) more than raising your pitch at the end of a sentence as if you’re asking rather than telling someone what you think. This bad habit gives the impression that you are unsure and tentative at best or stupid, at worst! One way to help overcome this tendency is to listen to women speakers whom you admire – Diane Sawyer, Cokie Roberts and Rachel Maddow are some good examples.

Pause and take breaths
When nervous, women in particular tend to talk in rushed, rambling sentences and actually fear pausing since any gap in conversation is naturally awkward. It is much more effective, however, to get your thought out and put a period at the end of it. Your audience will now find your points more thoughtful and consider you more confident and professional. Plus, the ball is now in “their” court, helping to bring the meeting to a (hopefully) satisfying conclusion.

We’ve all been guilty of the above “crimes.” Any advice you would like to add?

PR Lessons From The Mars Rover Curiosity

Posted on by Dorothy Crenshaw
Guest post by George Drucker

As communication practitioners, we often talk about the importance of goal-setting, expectations management, and risk management. A large part of our success can come down to making sure clients understand what should reasonably be expected if everything goes right, but also knowing what could go wrong.

By all accounts, the engineers, scientists and communications pros associated with the Curiosity Mars project did a superb job of preparing “the clients” – the 300 million American taxpayers who funded the $2.5 billion space exploration – for what success would look like. They made it clear that the mission’s goal is not to discover life on Mars, but to search for habitable environments.
They also supplied critical information and caveats each step of the way to prepare them for what could go wrong. Possibly they had to, given the mission’s cost, and its uncertain history. But it was apparent that preparing for the success or failure of each phase was built into the program.

From its initial launch two years ago, to the 154 million miles it had to travel to its eventual slowdown and parachute descent over Mars, “clients” were “in the loop” of what should happen, yet prepared for what possible malfunctions could occur as well. From the winnowing of potential landing sites, to landing on the site itself and then to the functioning of every possible mechanical system in Curiosity, the NASA/Jet Propulsion team seemed to cover all possibilities. As Program director Doug McCuistion said, “A failure is a setback. It’s not a disaster.”

As the designer and engineers explained the supersonic parachute that would slow the vehicle as it entered Mars’ atmosphere, they noted it would be the largest parachute ever designed and used.

There were many risks with its deployment, not the least of which was it had never been done before by an apparatus of such size! It armed us with fascinating information while offering caveats that what we were watching was unprecedented, and risky.

They played up the potential success, yet always with a degree of caution.  They spoke and appeared optimistic, yet offered a realistic assessment of what might go wrong.  They used inductive reasoning, i.e., if this, then that, to explain and prepare us. And, ultimately, they ushered in the new era of Mars exploration, and a renewed pride in American innovation.

As we celebrate this incredible feat of engineering and innovation, we communications professionals can also take a few lessons from Curiosity, along with the hope that its success to date has inspired math and science geeks who are still in school to apply their own curiosity to the challenges of the future.

 

PR Agency Job Titles We’d Like To See

Posted on by Marijane Funess

A recent post by journalist David Henderson posited that PR agency folk, famous for creating highfalutin’ titles, or “uptitling,” are actually running out of original (read: crazy) job names for employees. I mean, where do you go after “Director and Media Strategist, Global Consumer and Brand Marketing Practice,” for example? And is it vastly different from being “Executive Vice President/Global Strategy and Insight?” Whew, I’m tired just saying the titles, let alone knowing what they actually mean.
These flagrant examples of “title-fluffing” sent me on a search for interesting job titles in other industries and I found some that I believe better capture what many agency people really do.

Head Worm Wrangler.  Kind of requires no explanation! In actuality, a worm wrangler is part of a “vermicomposting” operation – an ecologically sound waste disposal service using worms to do the work.

Director of Chaos.  Ever been part of a new business team on deadline? Every agency could use an expert in this field. A beer brewer claims to employ one.

Remedy Engineer.  Nice way to describe a “crisis counselor” in PR parlance but it actually refers to civil and environmental engineering.

Overseer of Order.  An individual with this title would come in handy at major events or during a client or employee meltdown of some kind. Right now it belongs to a professional organizer, of course!

Director of First Impressions.  Aren’t we all? I love that this is a title bestowed upon an office receptionist!

Finally, one of my favorites has to be the Snooze Director at Sleepy’s (the mattress retailer) especially since we created it and helped fill the job. Alas, in the always-antic agency world, I don’t know that we will ever see anyone with that moniker! Any favorite titles you would like to share?

Being A Good PR Mentor

Posted on by Liz

PR, like any other business, depends on its mentors.  Without them, incoming junior-level staffers have to leap into an atmosphere of industry lingo, established media relationships and ever-changing trends.  A good mentor is invaluable to a mentee, to an agency, and to the industry as a whole.

Seek out Mentees
While some people have the chutzpah to ask a senior-level staffer to be a mentor, most don’t.  Keep your eye out for talent and when you see it, nurture it.  Also be sure to seek out good opportunities for your mentees; give them the chance to shine at something they wouldn’t ordinarily get the chance to do.

Change Your Tactics
The same approach won’t work for everyone.  Some people prefer an almost-micromanaging approach, some people prefer just to come to a mentor with concerns.  Ask questions and really listen to the answers.  That way you’ll be able to offer the kind of direction that works best for your mentee.

Be Available
Offering to be a mentor during a company cocktail party is very easy; the tough part is following up on that offer.  You’re no good to your mentee if you’re not around, or if you’re the type who keeps your door closed.  Keep the door to your office open, and you’ll be keeping the door to communication open as well.

Give Honest Advice
The reason people value mentors is because they honestly help out those just starting out, so help honestly.  Don’t sugar-coat tasks, or organizations or – and this one is tough – your own experiences.  Share your dismal failures, as well as your resounding successes.  We all live in terror of very similar scenarios…did you give a press conference and nobody came?  Explain how you dealt with that, and how you made sure it wouldn’t happen again.

Set an Example
The biggest part of being a good mentor is being a good role model.  If you’re the kind to snooze through company meetings or check email during brainstorms, you’re not going to be a particularly sought-after mentor.   Being the energetic, thoughtful, forward-thinking type will get you noticed by potential mentees – and everyone else as well!

Crisis Management: Lessons From The Chilean Mine Rescue

Posted on by Dorothy Crenshaw

As the world watched, the government of Chile showed not only leadership, but remarkable PR and communications savvy as it sought to free 33 miners trapped underground for over two months. Its handling of the ordeal was like a mirror image of the BP disaster. Here are some crisis management learnings we can unearth from the management of the rescue.

Take responsibility

In stepping up to take over the rescue operation, Chile’s Sebastian Pinera took an enormous calculated risk. The decision could have been influenced by earlier criticism of his government’s slow response to an earthquake near Concepcion. Whatever the reasons, government action contrasted sharply with what we in the U.S. saw post-Hurricane Katrina, and after the BP disaster, where the government chose to leave BP in charge. For Pinera, it clearly paid off.

Manage expectations

Remember the initial estimates that the miners might be out by Christmas? Whether simple caution, or communications strategy, this was a masterstroke. It took some of the pressure off, enabled the government to succeed beyond all hopes, and made it look very proficient in the process.

Have a plan

Early on, the Chilean government communicated a Plan A and a Plan B for rescue in a clear, methodical way. It looked organized and in control. Compare their performance with that of BP, which lurched from one solution to the next, even crowdsourcing ideas for stopping the spill in a way that suggested uncertainty and incompetence.

Accept help, but maintain control

A fascinating aspect of the rescue has been the technical help and advice the government sought from private companies and experts at NASA and elsewhere. The authorities made it clear that no effort would be spared to ensure a safe resolution to the crisis. Yet, they kept tight control over communications, ensuring that the government was the chief source of updates. This is the first rule of crisis PR.

Sweat the small stuff

One of the biggest stories around the rescue operation has been the focus on the smallest details of the plan, from the construction of the tube, to the monitoring of each miner’s health. The government’s meticulousness conveyed not only competence, but caring.

Be transparent

The Chilean PR machine was proactive, consistent, and transparent in providing updates to the media. They never seemed to be obscuring facts or delaying disclosure, which often happens when the pressure’s on.

Be social

The government also used social media to support its communications, setting up a Flickr page of photos that documented every dramatic moment as the miners began to emerge into the light.

Be visible

Chile’s Minister of Mining was at the site virtually around the clock, and President Pinera appeared frequently as operations shifted into high gear. Sure, the head guy can get updates from his office, but when lives are at stake, optics really matter. Sometimes you just have to be there.