Friday, June 10, 2011

My Pro Bono Work

Maybe I'm just a crazy lady, but I feel that everyone needs to help others - be it donating money to worthy causes, delivering meals on wheels to the elderly or in my case, helping groups and organizations with PR. 

Two years ago I was helping the artists who do the NadaDada Motel Art Festival in Reno, Nevada when I asked to see the news release so I could send it to my contacts.  Remember yesterday's post about going back to the basics - the 5 Ws?  That's what I did with the "release" that one of the artists sent me.  I just re-wrote in a more conventional journalistic style.  Then I thought, why not send it to the NY Times?  So I did and this time Fortuna smiled in my direction and we got a reporter out to the event and got a hit.

I don't know if I'll be as lucky (because really PR is just a toss of the die), but  hope I will for my next Pro Bono project for the Professional Women Photographers (PWP)  (http://www.facebook.com/ProfessionalWomenPhotographers) who is hosting a very interesting panel discussion at the School of Visual Arts in New York City that I hope I can attend.  I can't tell you much now, but some BIG name folks from the New Yorker magazine and the Yale School of Art are on tap.

If you're amazed that I've posted three times in one week, I'm flabbergasted!  But this post was triggered by an email from PWP trying to figure out a time for me to consult with them via speaker phone in the meeting.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Basics to Remember

At many times in one's professional life, it's always good to go back to the basics.  I think this is especially true in Public Relations.  There are times when even I first write out the Who, What, Where, When and Why of a release.  The Five Ws are really the place where PR and Journalism meet.

I'll never forget the several times that I would receive a photo from a PR agency when I was a radio journalist.  It gave me a few laughs and was great as an on air joke, but that release was headed straight for the round file. 

Seth Godin, a guru of marketing advice, has touched on some really good email etiquette in his latest blog post.  He also deals with some common sense basics that all PR folks need to keep remembering.  Thanks Seth for this community service.
 

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Doing the Right Thing.

Sometimes PR professionals get too wrapped up in long range plans and promotions that they can't see the forest for the trees.  Sometimes the best PR is just to do the right thing.  Such was the case with a group of soldiers who had recently served in Afghanistan and were heading back home to their base camp. 

It's too bad the baggage person at Delta did not do the right thing, but clung rigidly to what they thought were the rules.  Come to find out they were wrong.  After all these men has just risked life and limb! 

Thanks to the folks at Mashable for bringing this to my attention.  The video has gone viral so you might have seen it by now.  Here's your link.