What's New is Old Again

Back in the days before social media, most PR types tried to coordinate their efforts with the marketing folks because PR campaigns will have better traction if they are tied to when ads in a variety of media are airing.  It's the bombardment theory: direct mail advertising, ads in print and radio and TV happening all at the same time will have a greater impact.  Makes sense doesn't it?  Especially when you know that it takes at least seven ads before people actually "see" the ad.  To me this is an indicator that if you can't spend a wad of money on ads, you can at least try to hit as many PR places as possible. 

In this age of social media, the folks over at PR Newswire have come out with a "White Paper" which shows what is old is new again.  I guess one can say that certain human behaviors haven't changed - even when it comes to social media.  I'll bet that other keen observer of human behavior - Shakespeare - would agree.

Social Media - Marketing or PR?

Marketing and Public Relations seem to mingle more on social media.  Sometimes campaigns that companies devise will have elements of both in efforts to expand their customer base.  Here are five
 smart ways that social media helped to boost brand awareness using social media and interactive techniques.  Perhaps they will give you some ideas to more actively use social media in your PR planing.

I'm off on hiatus for the next week and a half.  When I get back, I'm going to be doing some consulting work for the brand new Portland Performing Arts Festival!

Seeing Pink

If you've been reading this blog, or perhaps some of the links that I've posted, you probably know what bad choices The Susan B. Komen Foundation made in their announcement of not funding breast exams at Planned Parenthood.  I'm sure someone told them if they just made the announcement with teh Super Bowl and Presidential primaries getting lead positions in both electronic and print media,  no one would notice.  If my guess is true, you can be sure this person doesn't know much about social media.    Another thing that can be said about this bad, sad PR snafu is that Planned Parenthood was ever gracious in the way they accepted the eventual apology.

The Meaning of Definitions

Sometimes I think there's a little too much  'blah, blah, blah" in our world.  People talking or writing just to hear/see their voices.  Looks like the PR Society of America is also guilty of that according to an article in the New York Times.

I'm not sure that trying to crowd source a definition of  PR is the best of ideas.   Seriously if those at the helm of the only existing national group for PR professionals doesn't even know what they're supposed to be doing because of the influence of social media, maybe it's time for them to go into advertising?  what do you think?

Social Schedules

Mea Culpa my friends for ignoring my PR blog, but I've been in an art frenzy!  Since the end of September, I've been working on art for the Windows show at E Street Gallery in October and for the Center for Contemporary Art Sacramento's satellite gallery at Lumens Design for Living on K Street at 21st Street.  I've been hereat in Sacramento for the closing reception at E Street plus the opening and 2nd Saturday receptions at Lumens.

Now that the heavy lifting is over, time to refocus on other interests - namely PR Insights.  One of the most important things about a good PR campaign is to develop a good schedule and to stay on track.  Not only does that apply to the traditional PR outlets, but to social media as well.  However you really should revamp your schedule to include social media sites as described in this article from entrepreneur. com.

Social Media Branding Nirvana: Transparency

When I come across a phrase like that I have to steal it,  use it with attribution (Thanks Todd Wasserman).  I ran across it in an article from one of my most consistent sources - Mashable.  I think we all remember the Toyota snafu when millions of cars had to be recalled.  This shows a high level of awareness of remembering that a company must communicate, especially during bad times.  I never saw the interview mentioned in the article and it seems as if they engineered it to look more "transparent".

But that said, it shows that when bad things happen, one must be on the spot with releasing news to the public as much as one does when good things happen.  It's all about communication and being honest.  There's a new buzz word for honesty these days - authenticity.   You'll hear business folks go on ad nauseam about it.  If one is being authentic, one is being honest, right? 

But when good things do happen to you or your business, or you're involved in innovative projects, there's nothing like a good, old-fashioned news release sent out to media to draw interest in an article, in addition to getting your message out with social media.

Here are a couple of places where you too might be able to reach a small, but targeted audience in this article.

My, What Lovely Fox Paws !

Yes, here I am committing a faux pas, or committing bad humor.  Which do you think dear reader?  Nonetheless, the PR blunder is the topic for this month's second post.  For most groups, organizations and companies, it's a question of when rather than ever having committed a PR blunder.  A small slip of the tongue near an open microphone, a mis-Tweet or what someone thought was a funny post on Facebook can turn around to slap you right in the face.  Cheap Shot Alert - Unless of course you're Charlie Sheen.

So is dealing with those kinds of mistakes any different in cyber space than in the physical world?  In a word, no.  The same things you would do here, you carry over to the social media sphere.  As a matter of fact, I think it's easier to react quickly, honestly and with humor in social media.

Thanks to my friends at Mashable for sharing this link to AMEX's forum for small businesses about recovering from a social media fox paw.