As the nation’s A-List bloggers, Chris Anderson in particular, wage a war of shock and awe on clueless PR people, tribal skirmishes and insurgent attacks are flaring up in some regions, leaving doubt as to whether peace will ever be restored to the region, bringing an end to this senseless war.

Silicon Alley Insider discloses an ugly conversation between Steve Blinn of Blinn PR, and Adam Handelsman and Ronn Torossian of 5WPR. According to Torossian, Blinn sent emails, including some to clients of other agencies, “bragging” that his company was not on Anderson’s blacklist.

If the e-mail trail is to be believed (and I am incredulous, but perhaps only because I am a babe in the woods) Handelsman responded by offering a bounty to 5WPR staff for stealing Blinn’s clients. Blinn later responded by suggesting that since “Ronn and his management staff obviously don’t have the PR skills or knowledge to teach the staff there how to intelligently pitch reporters,” he could drop by 5WPR’s offices and conduct a seminar.

I realize the Silicon Alley post is a few days old, but this is the first I learned of it (via the New York Times article on this topic), and I was so flabbergasted (my first use of this word on a blog ever), I had to comment.

I will admit that I sent internal emails to staff congratulating them on NOT being on either Anderson’s list, or the shorter list published by Marshall Kirkpatrick. I did this as a rhetorical device to say “looks like you guys are doing something right!” I’ll be sure to remind them not to send these to clients or prospects, but I think they know better.

5wpr, Adam Handelsman, blinn pr, Blogs and Blogging, Blunders, chris anderson, Communications, Ethics, flame war, marshall kirkpatrick, Public Relations, Reputation Management, Ronn Torossian, silicon alley insider, steve blinn

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I received a spam email today with the subject line: “A Huge PR campaign is under way and the price is going to skyrocket.” Duh.

Miscellania, Public Relations

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This week has seen a flurry of posts on bad PR pitches made to bloggers, and what should be done about it. Inspired by a comment from Eric Eggertson that the answer for PR people might be to “shrug it off, or get some t-shirts made up in the manner of ‘I was flamed by (name of blogger) and survived’, and move on,” I decided to make a generic t-shirt for this purpose.

You can purchase these from CafePress. All profits will be donated to the PRSA, earmarked for educational programs.

a list blogger, bad pr pitches, Blogs and Blogging, Blunders, chris anderson, Communications, flame, Public Relations, Social Media

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Yesterday, in a post in response to a piece by Marshall Kirkpatrick, I somewhat snarkingly pointed out that Marshall had reproduced a supposedly private one-to-one Facebook email conversation to illustrate what he thinks is wrong with many PR pitches. (I’m a big fan of Marshall’s blog, and his observations on the PR pitches in question were on the money. He and I emailed back and forth a bit on this and he was a very good sport.)

Today, Chris Anderson has upped the ante, with Sorry PR people: you’re blocked, in which he publishes the email addresses of all of the PR people he has blacklisted because they have sent him something “inappropriate.” I guess bloggers are good and mad about what they see as lame or misdirected PR pitches, but I really call into question this tactic. Not only is it unnecessarily personally embarrassing to the people and agencies involved, it’s obviously retaliatory in that it opens all of these people to an increased volume of spam as bots harvest these addresses from the page. If you have to publish the list, how hard would it have been to turn it into an image file?

Again, there are multiple lessons here for PR people. Think long and hard before pitching a blogger. Get to know the blogger and pitch him/her based on the blogger’s preferences. Develop and maintain real relationships based on mutual trust and understanding. Or end up on a list like this for all to see.

chris anderson, marshall kirkpatrick, pr people, pr pitches, Public Relations, Social Media

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In Marshall Kirkpatrick’s recent post, 5 PR Pitches: The Good and Bad, he takes a handful (five, predictably) of PR folks, by name and agency name, to task for incorrectly pitching him on behalf of clients. Despite the premise of the post, some (not all, to be certain) of these examples more accurately offer advice on how not to pitch Marshall Kirkpatrick — advice which is worth listening to but which may not apply to all bloggers.

There are definitely meta-lessons, however, to be learned here:

1. When pitching bloggers, there is no correct way for all bloggers. There is a correct way for each blogger. Bloggers are just like everyone else. Some of the pitches Kirkpatrick mentions aren’t too bad, if they were sent to the right blogger under the right circumstances. Apparently, they were not.
2. It’s called media relations, or blogger relations, for a reason. It only works when there are trusted relationships. Don’t pretend to have a relationship with someone when you don’t. You need to actually have one, and maintain it, and apply the rules of relationships. (Be honest, respond on a timely basis, give the other person communications with value, don’t manipulate, or if you have to, admit to it.) Mentos may be the freshmaker, but Facebook and LinkedIn are not the relationship makers. To get to know a blogger, read his or her blog thoroughly and often, comment on the blog/link to the blog, go to industry events, look at the companies the blogger DOES cover, and how, take the blogger out for drinks. Do the homework.
3. Don’t think your Facebook messages to individuals are private correspondence, even when it says “Between You and [Person’s Name]” above your message.

Lastly, I draw a quote from an internal email I sent to the agency in response to this post. “Congratulations to all Eastwick staffers for Eastwick not being featured in Marshall’s post.”

bad pitches, blogger relations, Blogs and Blogging, Ethics, marshall kirkpatrick, media relations, pitching bloggers, Public Relations

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Tom Foremski joins the legion of bloggers foreshadowing the imminent death of the public relations industry. Foremski makes a number of interesting points. And I won’t say it’s linkbaiting to declare the industry on its death bed, but it sure stimulates “conversation”!

Foremski uses the “resignation” of Strumpette’s Amanda Chapel to frame a discussion of how the PR industry is “about to plummet from a great height,” this despite that “in the PR world, unlike the media world, the companies are hiring like crazy and still doing business the old fashioned way: press releases, white papers, case studies, media (dwindling) relations, etc.”

I have always been a huge admirer of Strumpette for its transparency, for its willingness to call the industry on its missteps and for its sense of humor. On occasion, I’ve felt that its attacks have been a bit harsh. For example, while we may all know people in the industry who are douche bags, I think it’s unkind to identify them as such in a public forum. (I also wrote a piece in July for Strumpette on some of the issues facing the PR industry.)

I think Tom is right that the industry needs to wake up to the realities of new media or social media or whatever you call it. But that does not mean trashing everything we’ve done well before, like messaging, writing and media relations. Why the irrational fear of messaging for example? Everyone is so afraid messaging will impede authentic communications, but arguably, even the smallest, most nimble Web 2.0 start-up needs messaging, even if it’s uncool to admit it. If the founders change the way they describe the company’s strategy with every blog post, for a while that may be seen as creative and adaptive, but eventually, potential investors will see that as a lack of focus and an investment risk. Sorry folks, that’s messaging.

And what about the greatly exaggerated death of the press release? In August, I attended a Social Media Club event with a panel that included senior Wired editor Evan Hansen. Someone asked Hansen, as if catching him being inauthentic, why posts on Wired’s blog sometimes link to company press releases. He responded that he urges all bloggers to point to original sources, and often the most authoritative of these is a press release. Press releases serve as a matter of record. They are perfect for providing a date-stamped record that a new product has been launched, that the company has achieved certain financial results, that a new executive has joined. The problem arises when PR amateurs confuse the press release with a pitch, with media relations, or with a compelling story.

The big epiphany here is not that the press release is dead (even as Foremski called for its death in February 2006). But it is undergoing serious reconstructive surgery. Maybe it’s in the witness protection program. Even Foremski recognizes this in his post about Silicon Valley Watcher sponsor Edelman’s Storycrafter social media press release builder, in which he notes that “many in the PR community have been working to create a more useful press release, which is wonderful. I applaud all efforts to make my job easier.”

And many of us in the industry are building social media-enabled newsrooms to help clients get their message out in a form that is more palpable and convenient for journalists and bloggers. The social media newsroom, for example, is a big part of Virgin Megastore’s online strategy, and helps companies of all sizes in all industries bridge the gap between traditional media relations and the social media world.

Foremski also points out that many newer companies are launching without PR, but I think that’s a matter of semantics. They may be launching without hanging all their hopes (or blowing their budgets) on a grandiose press release and a multi-million dollar hotel ballroom extravaganza, but you better believe they are doing “PR.” Call it new PR. They’re doing the planning and the strategy. They’re doing the messaging. They’re reaching out to influencers. But they’re doing it through new media. Let’s not confuse the tools for the underlying discipline.

And speaking of tools, is it really time to turn all media relations over to the social networks? How many stories have we read about “clueless” (and these people truly are) PR people randomly shot gunning pitches via LinkedIn and Facebook? It’s called public relations because of the “r word,” relations. No social networking tool will ever take the place of established, trusted relationships between communications professionals, whether on the corporate or agency side, and journalists, whether print or online. If you can’t pick up the phone and talk to a journalist about industry trends, then you’re not in media relations.

Those of us in Silicon Valley tech PR forget that we are in our own special bubble. Even as Foremski aruges that he doesn’t like the term “social media,” how many hundreds of millions of Americans have no idea what it is? And why should they? It’s like thinking they would be interested in what kind of printing press their morning paper is produced on. And let’s not leave traditional media out of the discussion. Japan’s two largest newspapers alone, Yomiuri Shimbun and The Asahi Shimbun, boast a combined readership of over 26 million. If you’re trying to reach Japanese consumers, a mention in either of these two newspapers beats the hell out of a mention on an “A-List Blog.”

What needs to happen, and many agencies, like Eastwick, Voce, SHIFT and others, have recognized this, is that corporate clients will need to integrate social media into their communications strategies where it makes sense. Clients still perceive risk in some social media undertakings. CEOs worry that they don’t have the time to blog. Corp comms teams worry that the CEO will find the time to blog, and worry about what he or she will blog about. Budgets are strained in both Web 2.0 start-ups and Fortune 500 companies alike, and they will always be looking for more bang for the buck. In fact, many of them decided just a few years ago to move dollars out of advertising and into PR because they perceived that PR would give them more for their money. And now they see social media, blogs, video, podcasts, viral marketing in the same light. Smart agencies, and they do exist, are bringing these technologies into the PR mix. The successful ones will be those who neither stay rooted in the old ways, or think that a blog and an RSS feed will take the place of solid media relations.

Business Communications, Communications, death of PR, eastwick, Public Relations, shift, Social Media, Social Media Newsroom, strumpette, tom foremski, voce

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I’ve been invited to join Jerry Ceppos, Tom Foremski, and Jon Greer for a panel titled Navigating Uncharted Waters: How The Internet is Changing PR and Media Ethics, sponsored by the Silicon Valley chapter of the PRSA.

“The rise of bloggers and other Internet-based social media, are roiling both the PR industry and the media. In the process, new ethical questions are emerging regarding how the Internet is changing the traditional roles of both journalists and PR professionals. Do online journalists adhere to the same ethical standards as their colleagues in traditional media? Do PR professionals have heightened ethical obligations when communicating directly with the public through blogs and other social media? What standards are emerging and which are still open for debate? We will hear from a panel of media and PR experts and probe ethical issues through real-world case studies.”

Confirmed panelists:

Jerry Ceppos, former Executive Editor, SJ Mercury News; currently a fellow in media ethics at Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.

Tom Formeski, editor, SiliconValleyWatcher.com

Jon Greer, media trainer and editor, 21stCenturyMediaRelations.com

Joel Postman, EVP, emerging media, Eastwick Communications

Tuesday, October 30 , 2007 | 8:00 - 9:30 am
Cooley Godward Kronish
3175 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, CA

Register

21stCenturyMediaRelations.com, Ethics, Jerry Ceppos, Jon Greer, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, media ethics, PRSA, Public Relations, SiliconValleyWatcher.com, Social Media, Speaking Engagements, Tom Formeski

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Back in April, Eastwick introduced its Social Media Newsroom. We implemented it on our own site to have something real to show clients and to take advantage of the benefits of posting client and agency news in a social media environment. We’ve also implemented the newsroom for clients. Along the way, I have had a couple of enlightening moments that have caused us to change our thinking about how we explain the benefits of social media.

Enlightening Moment #1: Some People Think Social Media is Some Weird New Technology That Has No Relevance to Their Business

A couple of months ago we had a new business meeting, and the agenda included a social media capabilities pitch (my job). Even as my first slide came up, I sensed I was losing the room. The VP of marketing suggested that we skip the social media portion of the presentation because the company “didn’t really need any of that,” a sentiment echoed by a couple of other people in the room. The vibe I got was “Get that social media guy outta here!”

I ended up doing a three-minute version of my presentation, and by the time I finished, they were genuinely interested in having a more dynamic web site where they could easily post audio and video, create and deliver RSS feeds, and update content quickly without needing to know HTML.

Enlightening Moment #2: Some People Have Never Heard of Social Media

We recently implemented the Social Media Newsroom for a client. Our principal contact at the company said he didn’t want to call it a Social Media Newsroom because no one would know what that was. He suggested instead Digital Newsroom. When we did onsite training with the client’s comms staff, we called it the Digital Newsroom, and immediately, everyone in the room understood what we were talking about.

Social Media is an ill-defined term and doesn’t mean that much outside a small circle of self-appointed (to which I will plead nolo contendre) social media cognoscenti.

Enlightening Moment #3: We Need To Talk About Features and Benefits In a Language Clients Understand

In the training, we walked through the capabilities of the newsroom and the admin interface, and as the people in the room began to understand its capabilities, they got very excited. “You mean I can embed Flash AND Video?” “I can update the content myself without calling the web designer?” “I can link to anything I want?” “This is going to make our site much more lively and interactive.” “This so easy!”

These two experiences, and many others, have reshaped our thinking about how we talk about the client value of social media. We’re a Silicon Valley agency with a number of Web 2.0 clients, past and present. We live in a social media bubble. We have to remember when we are talking to clients and prospects that they are generally not interested in “joining the global conversation” or “letting go of their brand.” They want to achieve communications and business objectives. With online communications, a goal we are hearing over and over again is driving more traffic to the web site and generating leads. Social media does have value to clients.

digital newsroom, Public Relations, Social Media Newsroom

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My piece, The Costcofication of Media, on the increasing integration of PR, social media, advertising, and web marketing, and its effect on PR clients and the industry as a whole, is posted on Strumpette as today’s Leader’s Perspective.

advertising, integrated marketing, integration, media business dynamics, PR, Public Relations, Social Media, strumpette, web marketing

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PRWeek reports that a recent study, co-authored by Eastwick alumni Giovanni Rodriguez, found that a majority of 55 PR agencies surveyed “have competed with advertising and interactive agencies for social media campaigns, and occasionally, even for traditional PR functions.”

Giovanni terms it “a crisis of identity” for agencies, and I completely agree. I’ve been at Eastwick for just six months and I’m stunned by the range of communications services our clients and prospects are asking for that go beyond the traditional notion of public relations. These have included social media (blogging, wikis, podcasts, communities), viral video, SEO (search engine optimization), blogger relations, web site design and content development, direct mail, email, contests and promotions.

Last month, I attended an excellent session on integrated marketing in PR at a Public Relations Society of America get-together. The session was led by Kerry McClenahan, president and CEO, of McClenahan Bruer Communications in Portland, Oregon. Kerry presented a case study of some communications work the agency did for a client. This was predominantly in marketing collateral, advertising, direct mail, and e-newsletters, all things that I do not often hear our clients asking for, but I am sure it will happen.

The reasons for this trend are not so hard to fathom. In some large corporations, the drive for a single vendor of communications services is often led by business people. One vendor = one number to call, one statement of work, fewer purchase orders to manage, etc. Maybe that’s cynical, but I have been inside the belly of the beast and I can tell you it’s true. There are other benefits, the ones we media folks like to pitch to clients, like having one team with deep knowledge of the client’s business and marketplace, and one set of messages that is consistent throughout every vehicle and project. Then there are the things we like about providing additional services, like improved margins and account control, that we don’t pitch.

What business do you pursue in the interest of client service and revenue/margin, and what do your turn away because you’re not good at it, or because it simply doesn’t make sense.

Watch this space for announcements regarding Eastwick’s dry cleaning and catering services.

advertising, Giovanni Rodriguez, integrated marketing, Kerry McClenahan, McClenahan Bruer Communications, PR agencies, PRWeek, Public Relations, Social Media, study

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