My World

Coast Blogs

2012-01-21T13:54:00.007Z

Coast Stores has switched its blog from Wordpress to Tumblr. I don't know it why matters but I find this upsetting.

This is their blog on Wordpress:

And this is their blog on Tumblr:

It's like they switched because all the cool girls are into Tumblr, not because they thought about it. I guess I think of Tumblr as an artsy space. My fave blogs on that platform are the minimalist, one photo/ video post, with a brief, perhaps one sentence only, caption. The Coast blog violates that principal, and that irks me (I have issues I know).

I would revive the Wordpress blog, and treat it as if it were an online magazine. They could do all the Look for Less, What I Wore, and Behind the Scenes posts we love with the long text posts that Wordpress favours. Besides Wordpress makes it so easy to crop long posts for display on your homepage.

I would use the Tumblr blog to show the artsy side of Coast. There are a series of gorgeous illustrations in this Little Black Dress post that is the stuff of dreams. They could do an entire blog using illustrations of their collection. Interspersed with abstract shots of key pieces from their collection. That would be lovely. I bet that would go down well with their followers and with their attempts to reach a younger customer. It certainly would be the type of thing that Tumblr users like to re-blog, Lord knows re-blogging is a big deal on Tumblr.

I don't know why this matters. I get all weird about content sometimes.

For inspiration, read:

Blogger, Wordpress or Tumblr for your fashion blog?

and

The 10 best Tumblrs by Fashion Industry Insiders

also

I'm loving Ebony Magazine's Tumblr

plus

JCrew's Tumblr Included because they break my rules and adhere to them at the same time.

ZoneOneRadio

2012-01-15T20:17:00.005Z

I've started work as a producer/ presenter on ZoneOneRadio a brand new community radio station for Central London.

I will be working on our Charity profiles; discussing volunteer opportunities within the Capital etc.

But I also wanted to share some of the work I've done so far. These are the drops that will air throughout the day on the station. I'm voicing with the amazing Jamie. If you like what you hear, it's thanks to the superb coaching skills of Mr. Matthew Layton, ZoneOneRadio's evil genius.

ZoneOneRadio - Our First Training Session by Matthew Layton.

Compare with the results of our first workshop. Bare in mind for this one, the group members had only just met and had to work together to create some content.

ZoneOneRadio - Our First Workshop by Matthew Layton.

Honestly, I think we did well.

Anyways, tune into ZoneOneRadio; It's up and running. Like the Facebook page, follow us on Twitter.com/z1radio and don't keep the goodness to yourself. Please share.

Caribbean Axis Student Blogger

2011-12-07T16:36:00.005Z

OK remember when I discovered that Caribbean Axis has posted my blogs. Well that link is now down (haters). Fortunately I took some screen shots of the my blog posts (vanity). Here they are for you to read and comment on.

Click on the image to read the blog posts.

The Truth about Media

2011-12-03T15:22:00.008Z

Journalism could be nasty. Let's not let the unpleasentness of the phone hacking drama blind you. The 4th Estate is essential to our democracy, because it uncovers the information our decision makers would rather stay hidden. The information we need to ensure they are doing their jobs. To uncover this information sometimes our journalists need to engage in some blatantly illegal or immoral things. Fact!

The real tragedy of drama that has lead to the the Leveson Inquiry is that it has become a celebrity parade (says the girl who was geeking out over Nick Davis's testimony). The phone hacking wasn't the worse thing to have happened. The real crime is that journalists were abusing the cover of the 4th estate to find out who Hugh Grant was sleeping with. Now that's rubbish!

If you're going to break the low, and use the fact that your are a journalist as your excuse, I'd rather you be uncovering money laundering at some Fortune 500, or how charities really spend your money. Something like that. Everything the public is interested in isn't always in their interest.

As for the celebrities, we know that they are fake; turns out when the media's detective work turns up nothing, they write fiction as news. Their punishment would be the loss of publicity, and perhaps then we'll get our journalist back.

Personal Branding Tips from Dita Von Teese

2011-11-25T08:12:00.003Z

Video of the burlesque star discussing feminism, her work, art and how having a personal brand worked in her favour. When she started, strippers were of the rock chick, Mötley Crüe styling. Dita realised that she had something different to offer, and created her act based on that. Now she's an international phenomenon.

This stripper now has her own clothing line, she's been the face of Cointreau for years, and women (not men) are waiting for hours to see her shows and buy her books.

Today's job market might be tough, but looking at what you have to offer might be the key to your success. Especially since it makes you unique. That's the take away from this post.

Caribbean Axis Blogger

2011-11-20T08:40:00.008Z

Guess who has published blogs? Me.

Yes, that's right. When I was in London studying for my MA, I saw a request on Twitter for Caribbean bloggers. I responded to the ad and started to write about my life as a student for Caribbean Axis.

Yesterday, I discovered my posts for the first time! I explain it all in the video below.

If you want to read my posts yourself, click here.

Oh, I sent my friend, the copy-editor, the link and she likes them. Of course she mentioned the errors, but then she suffers from a G.O.D. complex.

Message to PRs: don't become the news

2011-10-27T22:07:00.017+01:00

Remember Sharon Lee Assang?

Well yesterday I posted a video of her at the police press briefing on the 13th October. What I missed was the trouble she got herself into at another briefing.

The condemnation of Mrs Lee-Assang has been fast and furious. But I liked this article from today's Express. In it, Sgt. Anand Ramesar, who is the President of the Police Social and Welfare Association, commented on the irony that it was the PR department that was giving out incorrect information.

"I want to say that it was a great disappointment having heard that from the Public Relations Department in the police service. I think it was one that has the capacity to antagonise a large section of the population and further widen the gap between the police and the community."

Sgt Ramesar says that the Director of Public Affairs has all the tools at her disposal to get the correct information about the SOE and the work of the police service. He is also right when he says that she shouldn't be doing the briefings in the first place.

"It should be the Commissioner of Police who should be making statements during the State of Emergency.

Now Mrs. Lee-Assang has commented on the issue itself, which serves to prove my point. When the PR professional becomes the news, you have a problem. In this case the bright lights of the TV cameras are preventing Mrs. Lee Assang from seeing all the work that she ought to be doing to ensure that the facts are shared with the public. Not good.

If she is concentrating on presenting, she isn't concentrating on what is being said. Also if she gives out wrong information, she is tarnishing HER image, and that limits her ability to be seen as an effective communicator.

Why? Well, as a journalist, I know that I would question anything that she says from now on. She has already made an error so huge, that it had to be addressed in the parliament. I would want to know who has verified what she is saying before I can print it as fact. As it stands her future pronouncements could be prefaced with a reminder about her past transgressions.

And that my friends would be a major problem for a PR professional.

World of PR

2011-10-26T20:27:00.018+01:00

I love this video. It's DKNY PR's girl Aliza Licht tackling Fashion Week. She's the SVP of Global Communications for the brand, and based on this video fashion week is serious business.

As you just saw PR is stressful as hell. But it isn't always as glamourous. ASP Joanne Archie found that out the hard way. Ms Archie used to front the police press briefings since the start of the SOE in T&T. She hasn't recently because she's been on sick leave.

Unfortunately ASP Archie has been replaced at these press briefing by Sharon Lee Assang, the Director of Public Affairs of the Police Service. Jah knows I am not impressed with her one bit, and I'm not the only one. Just this morning 96.1fm's Paul Richards was ranting about Ms Lee-Assang's tendency to smile while discuss serious issues at the Police press conference.

See what I mean? Someone should stop her.

I love this Heinz campaign. It's a brilliant way to use social media in a truly organic way. I mean who doesn't drink soup when they're sick? Even if you don't, this is a awesome campaign. Go Heinz!

Gawker uncovers shady blogging for $$$s tactic.

You Can't Be Slack with Your Social Media Security

2011-09-22T16:47:00.006+01:00

We can argue about hiring a ghostwriter to write your tweets (OK, I hate it, but whatevs). How could you not change your password? Madness. That the account is of a so-called Internet Sales and Marketing Professional: not good. Click here to see.

Update: This Mark Davidson saga is really weird. There's some talk that it might an elaborate spoof or a hack.

Update of the update: Mark Davidson is real, and he is very idle. It was an elaborate prank, that reinforces the journalist vs blogger dynamic. The journos were the only ones who tried to contact him for the truth.

Lesson learned, though to be fair, that's not the point of my blog.

The week in PR!

2011-09-19T12:34:00.003+01:00

Anya is still going strong on Project Runway (support). I was totally blown away with her responses to the questions in this interview. Smart, careful and totally likeable, especially her thoughts about her sex tape scandal. Loved, loved, love it!

The local Roman Catholic church ordined coadjutor Archbishop Joseph Harris (Father Joe). I'm so happy we have a local Archbishop, and who better than Father Joe. Did you know that he was the first priest ordained by the late Archbishop Pantin? I didn't before his ceremony. Plus he's a wonderful inspiration for us all by overcoming an impediment, and heading to greatness.

Darren Joseph discussed internet trolls and his changing consumption of media in his Sunday Guardian column. I was interested with the community TV station he mentioned: Kelly Village TV. They can be found on YouTube.

State Farm has an Empire State of Mind

2011-09-12T01:11:00.001+01:00

Really? You're going to ask IF it made me cry?

Epic PR win for Nike, Back to the Future, Michael J. Fox and Parkinson's Research

2011-09-11T12:50:00.002+01:00

Nike has put the Nike Air Mags from the Back to the Future movie into production. It is a limited run and the proceeds from it's sale on EBay go to Parkinson's research.

I actually think that the shoe is hideous, but I love the idea. Plus I'm old enough to have seen the movie when it came out sooo....

Check out Michael J. Fox's Letterman appearance with the shoe on Gizmodo.

TV6's Dominic Kallipersad interviewing A.G. Anand Ramlogan

2011-08-24T13:48:00.003+01:00

The interview everyone is talking about.

The interviewer is veteran journalist Dominic Kallipersad. He is also the Head of News at TV6

The interviewee is the Attorney General of Trinidad & Tobago, Anand Ramlogan.

Sigh...so much to say I hardly know where to start. SMH.

Talkcity Interview

2011-08-19T23:13:00.006+01:00

I was recently interviewed by Raymond Edwards about the work of The Heroes Foundation for his show Saturdays with Ray on Talkcity 91.1fm.

Raymond woke me up at 6:30am to surprise me with this interview. In my defense I was sleepy and nervous which accounts for my breathlessness. That's my defense and I'm sticking to it.

Day at Work

2011-08-15T22:02:00.006+01:00

On August 12th was International Youth Day. So the United Nations Volunteers teamed up with The Heroes Foundation to create the Day at Work initiative. In short some 18 students from The Heroes Foundation's Youth Development Programme were placed in 7 companies to work for one day.

Each company had to created a detailed plan, starting explicitly what they had planned for our students. They also had to assign each student a professional mentor, who would guide them throughout the day's activities.

My job was to handle the media for the initiative. On the social media front, it was pretty simple. Create a facebook fanpage and use it to supply the background to the event. Featured on the page were the participating companies. If they had a facebook page I hyper linked to them (in an organic manner, of course). I uploaded their logos and included a small bio of each. Pictures from past events and a meeting were also uploaded to the page.

I also had a chance to shoot video, specifically for the page. We had a meeting with all of the stakeholders, and my amazing co-worker Kristy was drafted to explain the initiative to the group.

(Shooting without a tripod is such a pain)

We also utilised traditional media with an appearance on First-Up, the CNMG morning show.

On Friday we were interviewed by the Newsday newspaper.

Not that it was a bed of roses, but that's what postmortems are for. We should be having one by the end of this week.

This Week in PR

2011-08-02T11:39:00.009+01:00

Publicity Wins and the World in PR (mp3)

DC Comics is having a female problem. They don't have enough female artists, writers and other creative staff. They also don't have enough female characters.
When they were challenged on the issue by a cos-playing Batgirl, comic enthusiast at comic con things got hairy. It's really hard to deal with problems, when you are so close to them. Which to me is the issue here. Because the person who asked them THAT question suggested the following response:

Q: Are you committed to hiring more women?
A: Yes. (cheers from the audience, I sit down)

I think this, and other situations stress the importance of the PR person being the 'outsider'. You have to know what the public perception is, and you have to stay calm enough to construct the best response to any crisis. Check the article here.

Are you in Tech PR? These are the top communicators in your field.
Now all the rich kids want to be famous for no reason.
A Caribbean Airlines flight went down in Guyana on Saturday. I had to cover the page for an hour or two in the aftermath. So far I think that the airline is handling the crisis appropriately. Empathise facts, sympathise with customers and soothe fears. That this happened the same week their new plane flew in was unfortunate, so the full page ads in the Sunday papers were a little creepy, but may have helped in the wake of the social media blitz of video and photos of the crash. Their Facebook page is here.
Also our attempt to get people interested in the state of the Magnificent Seven is going well. Someone from the Ministry wants us to send a letter to the Minister, so that he isn't blindsided. Good point because one would have to be blind not to be concerned about the state of those buildings.

That's it for this week. See you next time.

I'm Important!

2011-07-20T13:30:00.006+01:00

According to Topsy I'm a top influencer within Trinidad and Tobago's social media landscape for a certain "searchable criteria".

Go me!?!

On closer examination it appears that I'm VERY patriotic...and why the heck not, "Trinidad is my land, and of it I am proud and glad."

Anya Does Project Runway

2011-07-14T12:26:00.003+01:00

Local Beauty Queen Anya Ayoung-Chee will be a contestant on the 9th Season of Project Runway.

Here's a little bit about Anya and my hope for her chances.

Good luck Anya!

To Do It Right, You Have to Get Nasty!

2011-07-13T21:45:00.003+01:00

Gawker goes right in and deconstructs the News of the World Scandal. However, John Cook does a good job of presenting his concerns about the implication of the scandal and how it could negatively affect our notions of a "Free and Fair Press".

His central thesis is best summed up in this Janet Malcolm quote that, "every journalist who is not too stupid or too full of himself to notice what is going on knows that what he does is morally indefensible."

Sometimes doing right means going against the status quo. Sometimes we let emotions blind us to the truth. Journalists have very difficult jobs, and we have to be sure that they are able to continue doing these, sometimes very ugly, jobs.

You can read the entire article here.

The Daily Show breaks down the News of the World Scandal!

2011-07-12T12:04:00.005+01:00

I simply couldn't bring myself to touch this scandal myself. I can't understand how 'journalists could have committed these atrocities.

Of course The Daily Show team address these concerns and the impact in their typically comic fashion.

The Daily Show - Have No Fear, England's Here
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Anna talks about Vogue Digital

2011-06-17T22:32:00.001+01:00

Facebook Squatting

2011-06-14T12:50:00.015+01:00

I never got squatting. A bougie statement for sure, but it's true. Of course I sympathise with people who have no other choice as it regards to their living accommodations; you don't have to tell me that poverty is hell. However, I am not so sympathetic when it is done online.

Wherever people are, organisations with follow. Nowadays having a Facebook page is a requirement for all entities. But it's not enough to have a page. Companies are compelled to actively encourage people to 'Like' their page, because Facebook has a counter prominently displayed on the page wall which broadcasts your online popularity to anyone who visits.

In the pressure to build fans, some companies opt for the squatting route. What do I mean? Simple: piggybacking on a more established page's fanbase in an open attempt to draw attention to yours. Consider the examples below:

Eg 1

In the example above a television station choose to capitalise on (what I hope is a sponsorship derived relationship) by hyperlinking to the Facebook page of a popular brand. I actually love this feature. But what I dislike about this particular usage is how sloppily it was done. The linkages were added to the bottom of the message like an oversight. There was no organic blending of the brands' pages with a natural reference to a real use for their products. The end result is a really vulgar attempt to get your message on someone else's page.

It would have been so easy to link the mentioned brands. Surely the author could have crafted a message about having a viewing party with a menu that included KFC and a variety of drinks? They could have also proposed hosting the after show lime at Woodford Cafe. The end result would have been so much better for all of the parties involved.

Eg 2

This message I dislike because business deals shouldn't take place in front of the customer. It's rude. You provide a service, and negotiating price and supplier arrangements shouldn't take place while I am partaking of your products. I have always liked how luxury brands are pedantic about developing and maintaining their brand identity. It adds to the fantasy, and let's be honest we spend lots of money on things we want, not need, therefore the fantasy element is very important here.

That said I am all for the informed consumer; I like to know my service providers in detail. I'm probably going to do that before I decide to make a purchase. If I'm going to spend my money, don't ruin the experience for me. Take your meetings to the office, don't do it on the Facebook wall.

Eg 3

This is just squatting plan and simple. No need to elaborate. Click on the image to enlarge, and you'll see what I mean.

Eg 4

This is another example of squatting plain and simple. While example three was from a young 'not-so-established' brand, example 4 is from a well-known brand. I was surprised to see them trying to siphon Facebook 'Likes' in this way. Without revealing their identity, this is a home-goods brand squatting on a tech-based homepage. And as you can see, they didn't even try to make a link with the page's owner. I mean they could have crafted a message extolling the benefits of their techy hardware, and how it made their home-goods business better. They didn't, they choose to spam, and I had to delete the post.

Dear brands, your clients, your suppliers, and your customers deserve better. Don't spam others pages. It isn't right to piggyback on others' hard work. That's called cheating, and we all know that that's wrong.

You've now been informed.

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema turns the tables on rude Customer

2011-06-08T02:20:00.009+01:00

Here's the thing. On one hand I think that it's sooo funny to turn the tables on obnoxious customers (don't front some of you are insufferable). Yet, while I was watching the video I kept thinking, perhaps service providers are obligated to take the high road.

Still the Alamo Drafthouse has made a name for itself. It has generated tons of publicity for its brand (blog based in Trinidad is talking about a Texas cinema by name).

The video reinforces their brand identity fabulously. Which is what we want.

SEvans's Favourite Free Social Media tools for PR

2011-06-05T14:30:00.003+01:00

Our favorites: Sevans Strategy social tools

View more documents from PRsarahevans

Source

Best URL ever!

2011-06-01T12:06:00.004+01:00

This made me laugh so hard. The UK Independent's URL for a story about a Kate Middleton jelly bean. In case the text is too small for you to read it says: utter-PR-fiction-but-people-love-this-shit-so-fuck-it-lets-just-print-it.

Unfortunately this wasn't true. It was a "too good to be true" fake.

Ads I love!

2011-05-18T16:20:00.007+01:00

Cadbury goes viral in this lovely no CG ad.

That song is We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off" by Jermaine Stewart.

I LOVE Flash Mobs! We're so overdue for one right here in T&T. But I love how this AT&T ad plays with the concept.

So funny!

And for a late addition to my favourite ads of the moment, yet another AT&T advertisement.

Hahahaha! I swear I'd hurt someone if they did that to my phone.

Oh dear Facebook/ Burston Marsteller

2011-05-17T01:37:00.012+01:00

By now you've heard the old news and have read all of the articles and opinion pieces about the Facebook/Google/Burson-Marsteller scandal (look at the url when you do click across). At the end of the day public relations got another scandal that made the profession look bad. Why does this keep happening and what must be done to prevent things like this from being repeated?

I think professional bodies need to stop talking about improving codes of ethics, and start focusing on enforcing penalties for obvious breeches.

I've mentioned designations before. The PRSA already has one; the Accreditation in Public Relations or APR. The the UK based PRCA has recently introduced designatory letters for professionals who are committed to the code of conduct. Designations also suggest that you've received sufficient training in the profession as a member of a professional group. More importantly if they were to violate the codes, they could be reported to the appropriate body for sanction.

It's been said before but is worth repeating; something must be done. How can a profession that dares to help others improve their image continue to have such a crappy reputation?

Facebook Pages

2011-05-15T11:35:00.014+01:00

This past few months I've found myself on Facebook much more than I'd ever thought. It isn't for fun and play. Nope. I work with a company managing the pages of some 29 or so corporate/ retail entities throughout the Caribbean.

Jumping from page to page coming up with engaging status updates and responding to reader content is hard. I've found that stepping away from the computer is a necessity for my creative-thought process. But getting followers the organic way isn't easy.

I'm not a big fan of sending a mass-message to my friends asking them to "please LIKE my page" but I've done that. I do try to edit who I send certain messages to, so the request is somewhat relevant to their stated interests.

Of course certain causes are more sexy than others. Remember that when you read a article about Facebook marketing and you see a quote from someone whose business received 100+ FB Likes almost immediately. Cosmetics, retail clothing, beauty brands, celebrity involvement almost guarantee instant Like.

Privately I am focusing on three pages; two were created this week alone. The first is for a home garden store an acquaintance owns. I've been hired to set-up and manage the page. Unfortunately gardening isn't sexy so we are crawling with 5 fans. Not enough for a custom URL, but I'll persevere. I've already requested photos, but I suspect a mini-facebook marketing session may be needed to get the necessary support from the client. You can check out that page here.

The other group is for a cause my friend was inspired to support (or create). This one is much easier to get fans for because the subject is one that most people can relate to. That is the state of a series of old early 20th century buildings that can be found around the Queen's Park Savannah in Trinidad. Save the Magnificent Seven is already up to 17 friends (at this writing) and may soon reach the 25 necessary to get a custom URL from Facebook. It's funny because I'm not being paid to manage this page, users can and have shared content with us. We informally linked to Conservation Group, and they've embraced the cause.

That's the type of involvement I'm trying to secure for my third page which is for The Heroes Foundation. That page was created before I joined the NGO. When I was made admin we had approx 140 fans; it's slowly moved to 161. What's helping me with this page is the generation of content. We recently held an event and received lots of coverage. So I've been posting the news reports on our page. Also, I've started taking lots of pictures, while getting staff to tag themselves has been a pain, we are seeing the results. Granted it's been oh-so-slow, but some is better than nothing.

My work these days is trying to master the Facebook thing for the not-so-sexy brands. The pages with no budget; which is funny because in my professional capacity I manage the largest FB fanpage in T&T which has over 95100 fans; our goal is to reach 100,000 (poss by June). That page is owned by a company that has channeled a lot of resources to its success. That kind of success would be really difficult for the pages I mentioned above except the Save the Magnificent Seven page. The nature of the cause lends itself to that kind of national support.

At any rate this is what's keeping me up recently. Well that and trying to figure out how to get myself a Standing Desk.

Get Up! Sitting will Kill You!

2011-05-11T20:35:00.001+01:00

The irony is that I'm sitting while I type this. In fact this job, like all of my jobs, have involved me sitting for hours on end. I knew it wasn't good for me, but this new line of thinking that suggests that sitting is REALLY bad for your health is shocking.

In recent weeks, I've started fantasizing about standing desks. Before that I was eying those balance ball chairs (go figure). Anyway I came across this infographic via LifeHacker. Here it is, let me know what you think.

Via: Medical Billing And Coding

Run a PR Agency Like a Pro

2011-05-02T12:39:00.009+01:00

I'm not even going to try to post a pithy or fun preamble, because Bright One did all the work for me. I've linked to their post about David Brain's slideshow which offers valuable advice on how to run a Public Relations Agency. And he should know because he's the CEO of Edelman Asia Pacific.

Here's the slideshow and the Bright One post, or you can just watch the slideshow below.

The Ruthless Application of Common Sense - or How to Run a PR Firm

View more presentations from Edelman APAC

Happy reading! Here's the link to his blog.

The Royal Wedding

2011-05-01T14:26:00.007+01:00

A Prince took a Commoner to be his bride on Friday while the entire world watched. I can't tell you how much this events make me love Social Media. I woke up late, so I missed the entire ceremony. I turned the TV on in time to see the newlyweds heading to the castle in the golden carriage.

As soon as I logged onto Facebook, the fun began. The status updates told the stories I missed so well. The shameless romantic was up and at 'em, the undercover Royalist came out; it was great.

Just so you know my Royal name is Lady Keziah Blackie-Carnation, and I really want Rihanna to marry Prince Harry; if only for a truly Ginger Royal wedding.

I've overdosed on fashion; the British do love their hats. I've noted the memes (sulky flower girl and Princess Beatrice's hat) and discovered that Pippa Middleton has a Facebook fansite.

Now if we could just get back to the PR business at hand, read this article about the behind the scenes PR business.

NPR looks at PR

2011-05-01T14:19:00.002+01:00

US based National Public Radio is looking at Public Relations.
source

Celebrity PR: Protecting adults from internet infamy

2011-04-18T11:39:00.009+01:00

I have a twitter account. I love the micro-blogging platform. I started my Twitter account to complement my blog. So when I started I followed fellow bloggers, and a few celebrities.

Now I follow my former classmates, beauty experts and media professionals. I have never followed a lot of celebrities on Twitter, because I didn't see the point. I still don't. But If I was a fan of Chris Brown, I probably follow him, because he seems interactive. I do follow Abiola Abrams, and she talks to everybody, as does Bunji Garlin. So I don't hate on those who follow celebrities, unless they are uncool with it. I don't support fanism (new word alert).

For the PRO, the level of interaction between a celebrity and their fans is both a pro and a con. A stupid tweet, or a series of them, can damage a career.

The internet age has made it difficult for celebrities to mold a carefully crafted image. We know that it is artifice. We know that she really doesn't have style, but that her stylist does. That the Hermes bag was sent to her for free, and that the globetrotting playboy might be gay. But we'll play along because celebrities sell fantasy.

What we don't like are serious breeches to this world of make believe. And when it comes from the celebrity himself, repairing it, while not impossible, is made all the more difficult.

So here's to the celebrity PRs, publicists and image consultants. Social media and your clients' need to be real just made your work even harder.

Time's article: When Publicists say 'Shh!'

Social Media as a Science

2011-04-17T02:28:00.007+01:00

Go pass the dazzle and fireworks to get to the facts.

The Science of Social Media from HubSpot on Vimeo.

The lecturer is Dan Zarrella, who is the social media scientist (what?) at HubSpot . He gave this lecture at Harvard on January 24th 2011.

Advantage!

2011-04-07T21:01:00.005+01:00

Heh haa!

Samba Girl gets her Wish

2011-03-15T19:27:00.007Z

You may have seen her video. You know the one with the costumed lady dancing to Machel in the snow. Diane Bucker calls herself Samba Girl, and a few weeks ago this Puerto Rican American made this video.

In the month since it has been posted on YouTube, the video entitled Samba Girl vs the Chicago Blizzard has attracted 12,323 viewers.

That fact that Mrs Bucker wasn't from Trinidad, and had never been to the island struck a code with citizens. Her video went viral on Facebook, and many citizens hoped that she would get her wish.

Well, Caribbean Airlines answered the call.

I hope the airline makes the most of this opportunity. I haven't seen much of Mrs. Bucker's visit from the local media. Caribbean Airlines wasn't the first to post the new video on their Facebook page, a fan did.

However, the potential is there for some much needed international coverage. Possibly just a brief clip on the major US Networks. They definitely should add it to their in-flight video schedule. I'm just hoping that they made the most of this really cool PR win!

PR Conferences for 2011

2011-03-14T11:22:00.006Z

As a recent PR grad, I'm still going though my love affair with academia (tons of PhD and scholarship porn in my browser history). However as a new professional, conferences are the way to go. So I decided to search for my options. As is typical the prices are way too high for my TTD$, but one never knows. These are the few that caught my eye.

Hispanicize 2011 - April 6-8
School of WOM: The Art and Science of Creating Talkable Brands - May 9-11
International History of PR Conference - June 6-7
IABC World Conference - 12-15 June
Internal Communications Conference - October 6
PRSA International Conference - October 15-18
World PR Forum - November 19-21, 2012

Duh....WINNING!

2011-03-07T12:09:00.007Z

PR dilemma! How do you solve a problem like Charlie? The multi-millionaire star of Two and a Half Men is having an epic meltdown. Thanks to Twitter, Entertainment news shows, blogs, and the worldwide web we can track his crazy descent.

Like Lindsey Lohan before him, Charlie Sheen isn't just having an obvious break with reality, full with the most quotable expressions of denial ever. Oh no, Mr. Man seems to have totally embraced his madness.

Oh yes the ABC interview that pushed his frustrated Publicist to his limit. Stan Rosenfield finally had enough and quit.

In his wake, his former client has amassed over 2 millions followers on Twitter, has released his own video interviews, and has inspired a temporary satellite radio station called, Tiger Blood radio...duh.

How does one solve a problem like Charlie? You can't. Rosenfield had no other choice. You can not help those who do not want to be helped. Until he accepts that he is in deep personal trouble, there's nothing that best PR person can do for him.

That said, I want this T-shirt.

Admit Your Mistakes to Move On

2011-03-06T11:53:00.007Z

Smart companies are discovering that it doesn't make any sense to try and put one over your customers. Mistakes will happen, and in this social media age, your clients (and enemies) are going to spread the news of your folly worldwide. It's better to embrace your error. A fast apology could diffuse the potential harm caused by an unacknowledged mistake.

Rumour and speculation could cause more harm to the brand than the actual error. People can make assumptions about your reasons for not owning up to the mistake. You certainly don't want your customers to start thinking, "What else are they hiding?"

Setting the record straight has may benefits. You take control of the crisis. You dismiss speculation, if it has already started by replacing "what ifs" with "what is".

In some scenarios, you may find that, without the scandalousness of conspiracies and fantasies of corporate evil-doing to write about, the news media will soon lose interest. Likewise the general public.

In a truly bad situation, being up-front about your mistake and appearing conciliatory could help you retain your base. You may win support with your transparency and grace under fire. Of course, you must expect to lose some customers, but human beings have a capacity for forgiveness that many corporations forget once they are in the middle of a crisis.

The tone of your response should be true to the scale of the error and the image of the corporation. As a fine example of what to do when you find yourself in a jam, I've linked to a brilliant recount of a recent Twitter flub by the Red Cross. In their case humour worked. But, the real lesson here is that they took control of the situation, rather than allowed it to control them.

Redirection

2011-03-05T12:17:00.007Z

Desperation is a great motivator. Watch this video about a GRAACC's social media campaign that simultaneously built awareness about the brand and boosted donations to the organisation.

Sometimes a little redirection isn't a bad idea.

GRAACC Donate Your Website from OgilvyInteractive Brasil on Vimeo.

SOURCE

Real Cool Media News

2011-02-27T10:56:00.013Z

I love Twitter! It totally gets me fired up about my chosen career path, and keeps me connected with the latest developments in the industry. I haven't found Facebook as inspiring, but my friends shared a link yesterday that reminded me how important research is to the practitioner.

TechCrunch isn't that tolerant of PR activity, especially if it interferes with their editorial plan. This week they took mig33's PR rep to task for challenging their lack of interest in his story. This story is great on many levels. It's important for PROs to know that some media outlets can't be bullied. They should also remember that social media is making it easy for people to be exposed to a worldwide, albeit limited, audience. This means they should be aware that their mistakes could be broadcast on the WWW. They should also know that some people with try to take advantage of the medium for evil (hating on PR is a sport for some). The article in particular is a treasure trove of articles from TechCrunch about their unpleasant encounters with PROs. There are lessons to be learnt, not just for Tech PROs, but all of us.
There's a new website that will calculate how much of the news you receive comes straight from PR. Churnalism.com was created by the Media Standards Trust as a part of their public education tool.
As a rebuttal to the website Heather Yaxley wrote a really good article, and she pointed out that the Media Standards Trust may be guilty of some of the very activities it decries. We had a little discussion of it over twitter, because I didn't like her third point that a good release could be "quoted" verbatim. I think that it's a practice that could damage both professions. She disagreed and ultimately we both decided, to each his own.
The Lonely Planet didn't include Trinidad Carnival in its list of "World's 10 best festivals". Some are wondering if the TDC is at fault.
Here's a list of the top 100 paid for magazines in the UK.
Modus Publicity got itself into trouble when boss Julian Vogel admitted that unpaid interns provide a vital service to the agency. Many PR heads reacted in anger to...honestly I am not sure. Some seemed upset that he outed the practice. Others that he was exploiting the interns. I sense hypocrisy all around.
Exploitation isn't the only criticism of the UK's PR intern problem. It has been argued that the system favours middle class students and it contributes to the lack of diversity in the industry as a whole. Enter the conservative party into the debate.
Last week I found myself right smack in the middle of an ethical debate. The use of fake profiles in social media. I was asked, I refused. I was told that the creation of fake profiles is endorsed by the mega social media companies. My research lead me to the Internet Advertising Bureau and the Word of Mouth Marketing Association. So I have some reading to do, but great advice from friends who know better helped me feel better about dodging this ethical bullet.

I am currently working on a communications plan for my NGO, so I'll be a bit busy. Plus it's Carnival!

PR Employed

2011-02-27T10:12:00.004Z

It's been awhile. I know, I know. But, I have a truly good reason for being so tardy; I have joined the ranks of the employed.

I am now what you can call a freelance Communications Specialist. I work as a blogger with a local advertising agency. I am also working as a Communications Consultant with a local NGO. Fortunately I have managed to combine social media with charity comms. Ironically, my masters offered modules in each and I declined.

My workload is heavy, and as a freelancer I have discovered that balance is very important. So I'm taking each day at a time and trying to do my best.

I have, in the last week, come across some issues at work that would make great fodder for this blog. So my plan is to keep updating it as I go along. This blog has always been a great place for me to solicit ideas, link to great online resources, and discuss the industry in general.

I have also started doing Spanish again. Intermediate level, I'm struggling with preterit tense. It's hard, the workload is heavy, but it is also a lot of fun. I hope to share this entire journey with you. Enjoy the ride.

Fox to lose it's teeth?

2011-01-11T12:30:00.003Z

Fox News' CEO Roger Alies says he's told his staff to turn down the rhetoric. Following this weekend's shooting in Atlanta which left 6 people dead and several others wounded, including Congress Woman Gabrielle Giffords.

In an interview with (of all persons) Russell Simmons for Global Grind, Ailes also says that the left is just as guilty as the right of using violent imagery. A reality that is conveniently ignored in mainstream media coverage.

You could read the entire interview here.

I prefer seeing that message come from someone, who I think, really means it. Stephen Colbert's statement at the state of his show argues for a mature response to this crisis in the media. That if there's blame to be had, it lays most definitely with the individual. The truth is that his motives may never be clear, and it is too early to point fingers.

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Pundits Lay Blame for Senseless Arizona Attack

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>

Video Archive

What's New?

2011-01-04T14:16:00.005Z

Well it's 2011, so Happy New Year to you all. Sorry this is a hectic season, so I haven't been posting regularly. I'm really going to try and do better; no, that's not one of my resolutions.

As for PR related matters, I've re-discovered the Media Bistro website, and the related blog Media Jobs Daily. There I found this article which resonated with me, because my MA dissertation looked at media relations in Trinidad. While the literature generally suggests that UK and US PROs rarely move to Journalism, Brian Tierney, formerly of the Philadelphia Newspaper Group, apparently did. Unfortunately, the love affair did not last, and Tierney is returning to PR.
A Celebrity on the cover used to be a guaranteed sales boost. That no longer seems to be the case. Lady Gaga and Rihanna did well, by generating better than average sales, others like Blake Lively and Taylor Swift (somewhere Kanye is laughing) scored record lows. Perhaps the magazine industry would be better served bringing greater creativity and diversity to their covers. That to me seems to be the lesson from these sales figures.
According to some, 2011 will be the year that PROs will really start to come to grips with social media. Hopefully that would result in a truly inclusive campaigns that combine social and tradition media outlets effectively. Practitioners will have to understand new media metrics, because more clients will demand (and rightfully so) proof.

As an aside, am I the only person who thinks that PR can help save journalism? I highly doubt it, but it's an issue I hope to explore personally and on this blog in the coming weeks.

The week in Public Relations

2010-12-08T11:59:00.009Z

F1 boss man Bernie Ecclistone isn't a softy. Recently bandits put down one hell of a cuttail on the 80-year old, robbing him of hundreds of thousands of £ or $ worth of goods, and leaving him with the nastiest black eye I have ever seen.

Not one to take things lying down. Mr Ecclistone is now showing off their handiwork in a print ad for the watchmaker Hublot. The robbers stole his Hublot watch (estimated value of £200,000) in the attack. Bernie is so gangsta, he called the company and pitched the ad himself. Wow.

Hip Hop star Kanye West has been having a hard time of it; I want to say recently, but I really think that it's since his mother died a few years ago. Granted, that's a pretty presumptious thing to say, since I don't know the guy. It just seems, that you can track the deterioration in his public appearences from that. His music, however, continous to grow and I remain a fan (only of the music).

Between the Tyler Swift, his bust-up with Matt Lauer, etc, etc, Kanye is rapidly becoming someone who always jumping from one media drama to another. Chris Lee and Todd Martens examine his DIY publicity model in this article.

Though his methods seem to work well for him, my caveat is that Kanye appears unstable and fragile. That to me has the potential to invite scrutiny, that isn't wanted, into areas of his life, that could affect the reception to his music. For instance, I find myself wondering about his mental health, I don't think as a fan, that aspect of his life is any of my business, until he makes it so. Even then it should be limited to a frame of reference that allows him his privacy. In short, I think Kanye's is lucky he's so damn talented, so that the foolishness he does, doesn't distract from his art. Or does it, I think he was overlooked by the Grammys.

In other news, I loved this article about the fraud some social media consultants are committing on their unsuspecting clients. Milo Yiannopoulos is uncompromising in his attack. I highly recommend you read this article, and click on all the links. It's the type of advice you know, but could do with hearing again.

Granted you may still need to hire a consultant, and there are many good ones. Hell, I know a few. But don't go into the meeting blind, you need to ask them not only, what they can do for you, but how will you measure their work. Darko Johnson has put together five simple questions, that should help you separate the sheep from the goats, therefore preventing you from making a bad decision.

I'm going to wrap-up with the PRWeek podcast which features Dan Sands of Bite Communications and Robin Hamman of Edelman explaining why companies need to create a social media policy for staff.

I think that there's no question that the communications department needs to lead the creation of such a document. That's what they do, they already recruit co-workers from other departments while managing the company's communications needs, so HR, Legal etc etc won't be left out of the process.

I like the idea of a Wiki page, and the use of staff sessions to introduce the idea to staff, and hash out any issues they may have with a social media policy, that could be seen as infringing on their freedom of speech.

Dress for Success

2010-12-06T12:15:00.005Z

Beating the case may take more than the best Johnnie Cochran money can buy, or and being innocent. It may depend on what you wear. The NY Times' John Schwartz looks at the practice of styling clients for court appearances.

Not surprisingly, it's not as unethical as it may seem. Hell, you dress better for job interviews than you do for the actual job, right. Guess this is about the same. Or maybe it isn't; you decide.

Govt Cooks Stirring Caribbean Media Pot

2010-12-02T11:42:00.006Z

Fazeergate 2010 isn't a new phenomenon in Caribbean Media. Government has always tried to control the news media. All Trinbagonian Governments have been guilty of this. Several Government around the region also do the same.

My former boss, and long-time media professional Tony Fraser has placed the current situation in some political perspective. By drawing on history, he reminds that this situation isn't new.

"The history shows that our political culture has thrown up politicians who are intolerant of political opinions which are opposed to theirs and are absolutely hostile to those who are critical of them. When in opposition, politicians urge on the media when they are critical of the government of the day. But the moment they are elected, they find every reason to seek to delegitimise media and damn a few of the very journalists they praised the day before when they were in opposition. But curtailment of journalistic freedom is only the most public transgression. Over the decades, the management of state-owned media has been bullied into making them the exclusive tool for government use. On occasion, air time has been corruptly commandeered during an election period: Stations are instructed to pre-empt scheduled programming at the desire of parties/governments to put ministers on the air with the thinnest of excuses that the subject is of national importance.

At another level, party hacks are hired to do the bidding of governing parties disguised as governments: People who have little understanding of media and even less capacity for serious contemplation of the functions of media are placed on boards merely to look after the interest of the party and the government in the narrowest possible conception of that term. Towards the privately-owned media, politicians/governments deny non-compliant media houses of advertising revenue, even refuse them foreign exchange to purchase newsprint. Conversely, heavy massaging is applied to media whose managers are willing to compromise journalistic principles. Incidentally, this is not a T&T phenomenon. In many Caribbean states, media owned by the State are converted into “government-owned;” no pretence here."

Tony Fraser 24-11-10

He concludes this week with a column that argues that State-owned isn't Government-owned. Though that is how is it perceived and used here; he asserts that that usage is wrong.

Fraser's analysis was preceded by one from a another former consultant at the State-owned entity, Ms Sunity Maharaj. Far less complementary in her attack, she goes for the jugular. painting the media house as a very expensive waste-of-money. It is vision-less, rudder-less and is rapidly becoming a front for the Government.

The solution for the media house if it is to attempt to transform itself into a viable entity, would be to have a clear vision. As a former employee, I mourn it's move from seeking to create original local and regional content. The first word in the company's name is "Caribbean". Jamaica produces a tremendous amount of content. But the argument for falling back on non-regional productions is that they almost always cost much less.

I say the investment is necessary to create brand value. Otherwise CNMG is more of the same. We already get North American content en masse from TV6 and CNC3. With Government interference CNMG becomes a less viable option for the discerning viewer. So the key is to offer quality programme the likes of which we're not accustomed to. It is, in my view, their only hope.

Cartoon Your Facebook Profile

2010-11-29T02:14:00.005Z

According to the status update I saw, this trend is a campaign to promote awareness of an increase in violence against children.

Change your facebook profile picture to a
cartoon from your childhood and invite your friends to do the same.
Until Monday there should be no human faces on Facebook, but an invasion
of memories.This is for violence against children, a great cause...pass
it on.

Nice!

Haven't seen the agency that supposed to be behind this campaign, but as soon as I know more I'll let you know about it.

FYI, I chose The Powerpuff Girls, cause they're awesome.

Another Week, Another Drama!

2010-11-19T11:52:00.004Z

What a week!

A Prince announced that he'd picked the one who'd be his bride. BBC, and most other stations switched to Royal Watch, and the usual nonsensical predictions by the "experts". I'm just really happy for the Fashion Magazines, cause they'll be in their glee in the upcoming months. Expect a lot of fancy princess bride photo shoots.
On a sad note, a noted Hollywood publicist was shot and killed just hours after she's attended the premiere of the movie Burlesque. Ronni Chasen was described as the last of a dying breed. Co-workers said she was tough but gracious, and her death raises more questions than answers. Beverly Hills police are investigating.
Another week, another host for First-Up, CNMG's Morning Show. This week it's Hema Ramkissoon. Yesterday she interviewed her boss, who is also the Works Minister. Why co-host Jessie May Ventour didn't take the lead in the interview, I don't know. I thought that in the aftermath of the Fazeer drama, First-Up would be looking to re-build its creditability rather than destroy it with that farce of an interview. Clearly they thought otherwise.
On a lighter note, 10 Yetis has created the Crapps Awards to celebrate the special relationship between Journalist and PROs.
One Show host Jason Manford quits overs text scandal.
I love this instructional guide for foreign correspondents reporting in Haiti. Sometimes journalists find it really hard not to repeat cliches in their reporting. Also, it can be really difficult to report on a foreign culture without bias. This article just reminds how important it is for journalist to remember this traps, so they could avoid them in the future.

So that's this week, I wonder what next week holds?

The PR Round-Up

2010-11-09T11:41:00.003Z

Just a few links of the things I'm interested in this week.

A few weeks ago I reviewed the E! show The Spin Crowd. In my review I wondered about the hackneyed expression, "Any publicity is good publicity." Well, Mango Media linked to a New York Times article using the Gap logo drama as an example. Read it and let me know what you think.

In an apparent bid to regularise the Public Relations sector in the UK, the PRCA has introduced designatory letters for members. A good first move to monitoring and measuring ethics in the profession.
Football pundit John Barnes opts to stay on for the entire match, rather than leave early to meet his newborn son. So many nasty comments, so little time, plus I'm trying to be good for once.
My prime minister put her foot in it after Hurricane Tomas, but looked gorgeous at Glamour Women of the Year awards.
And my former employers just fired a popular morning show host under suspicious circumstances. The Media Association has released a statement on the issue, but the official reason given for Mr. Mohammed's dismissal is that it was part of a cost cutting measure.
MSNBC talk show host Keith Olbermann was suspended for donating money to political candidates, an apparent violation of the station's policy. However, many have come out in his defence pointing out that Olbermann isn't a journalist, and isn't bound by journalistic requirements to be neutral, and therefore the suspension is mute.

What a week, I wonder what next week holds?

Got the MA!

2010-11-01T11:01:00.009Z

It's Official!

I now possess a Masters of Arts in Public Relations from the University of Westminster with a Merit!

Congrats to my amazing classmates, you are wonderful people.

I, however, still have to decide what I'm drinking. Will it be the Champagne Taittinger Prelude or the Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Demi-Sec? Help me by voting in the poll below, I can only pick one.

How to Boost Declining Magazine Sales

2010-10-29T05:10:00.010+01:00

Piss the hell out of people.

Two magazines I read, and have some affinity for seem to be using this as a sales technique.

Earlier Essence Magazine hired Elianna Placas as their fashion editor. Ms Placas is white, and Essence is a magazine that targets the African American community. Critics said that by hiring her, the magazine was turning its back on its demographic. One of the reasons given is that there are many qualified black professionals who could have been hired. This was deemed especially important since in the magazine world, there very little variety, and the only opportunity for black editors was with the magazines like Essence. It was felt that a magazine that explicitly caters to black women, should hire a black fashion editor.

Naturally there was a firestorm from the bloggersphere. What struck me most were the comments that editor Angela Burt-Murray, knew that hiring Placas would be controversial. That it would spark commentary, and it did. That this is an attempt to drum up much need publicity for a suffering magazine. The discussion about the hiring and of the magazine moved from social media to mainstream.

Likewise, when Marie Claire asked Maura Kelly to write about the sitcom Mike & Molly, a similar firestorm was ignited. Why? Ms Kelly wrote a less than favourable article about the sitcom which features an overweight couple. Critics (rightly) pointed out that Maura's article was very offensive. She later apologised for her actions. The magazine and its editor Joanne Coles were less forthcoming with their apologies, so on 29th October, there'll be a protest in front their offices. Cue mainstream media attention for the magazine.

I am doubtful of a tactic that involves pissing off your demographic. As a chubby girl, I'm not sure I would feel comfortable buying Marie Claire. Suppose I put on more weight, would I enjoy reading a magazine that might be prone to publishing articles that make me feel awful about myself? As for Essence, I am more forgiving, but really suspicious of their motives.

However, the publicity could work in their favour. People curious about the magazines may be motivated to pick them up to check them out themselves. Both magazines had better be sure about their content, that their articles are worthy of reading or they won't convert browsers into readers.

Essence would have an easier time of it. Placas has worked with the magazine before. She knows their look, if should be easier for her to win over fans by producing amazing fashion spreads that prove that she understands African American style. Also their customers are predisposed to forgive them for this "betrayal" many products aimed at the African American community are either managed or owned by people who aren't black.

Marie Claire's blog post is a more devastating blow. It contradicts a brand that has positioned itself as the smart woman's fashion magazine. Proving themselves worthy of their readers, after this hypocritical slip, would be hard.

Finally we come to the case of Shape Magazine. In a private letter to readers, editor Valerie Latona apologised for putting "husband-stealer" LeAnn on the cover. Oh snap!

Ms Latona later recanted saying the letter wasn't meant to go public, and that she's happy with the controversial cover.

It'll be interesting to see what these magazines will do to win back their readers. I expect to see some suck-up articles and photo-shoots in the upcoming year. Maybe it'll be enough. But with magazines sales at an all time low, and getting lower, they need to stop playing the fool with their readers and work to attract new one, rather than pissing off the ones they already have.

Manners Maketh

2010-10-18T13:12:00.011+01:00

Unsolicited promotion alert!

The Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality Institute is hosting a Protocol Master Class that will run from the 25-26th October.

The price is too high for me, but maybe you can afford it.

I think knowing about protocol is a skill we need to develop in the Caribbean. One of the problems I feel we have is a tendency to be overly deferential to foreigners. We associate it with etiquette, even though it so obviously isn't. Not surprising for a country with a Colonial past, but time has come for us to play a more significant role in defining our world. That requires a commitment to increasing our international engagement and, therefore, a knowledge of protocol.

Cross cultural communication is a challenge, and the risks of insulting potential partners is increased. Behaviours are culture specific, so to avoid embarrassment on either side one must invest the time in learning the basics. Emily Post says that, "Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use." Unfortunately, good intentions aren't enough, the higher the stakes the greater the risk of committing a faux pas. Therefore you have to know your stuff.

What good manners does is create balance for both the host and the guest. It saves the host from sniveling and the guest from being a burden. Since we are sorely lacking for the will to enforce others to respect us, we need to consider the issue of etiquette, manners, protocol, or whatever you wish to call it very seriously.

The Spin Crowd

2010-10-15T13:13:00.007+01:00

Oh dear. I've just watched 3/4 of an episode from the E! Reality show The Spin Crowd starring Jonathan Cheban and Simon Huck as the principals behind Command PR.

So after the show, I went on their agency's website and watched the entire welcome video. It says that Command PR's ethos is: Create, Strategize, Execute, Implement, Product, Publicize. All set to the tune of Madonna wailing about the bittersweet lure of America's media mecca.

According to their website, this guys know their stuff, but one wouldn't think so by watching the last episode. Why would they let themselves be portrayed like buffoons, on their own show? Surely they know better?

I know people love the hackneyed expression that "any publicity is good publicity", but that can't be true. I can imagine a potential client recoiling in horror at the thought of being represented by these guys after watching their show. I think they've made proving their worth harder. So really, what was the point?

I also hate that they've managed to showcase every negative PR stereotype in the episode I saw. I wonder how much damage a full series would have done? I have to agree with Mark Borkowski, we need a PR version of Mad Men, stat!

Media Monitor

2010-10-13T12:54:00.002+01:00

The question is how does one rescue failing fashion magazines? Do they need to take more risks, or should they be playing it safe? Lorraine Candy of Elle, and designer Katherine Hammet address the issue by focusing on fashion photography.

Also from the Guardian, the BBC's Andrew Marr's critique of bloggers as pimpled and inadequate struck many in Social Media world where it hurts. While his put-down was petty, at the heart of it is a valid critique of the self-described experts that dominate the world wide web. That the anonymity of the space gives courage to those who lack it, for good reason, their thoughts are reprehensible. But to assume that most bloggers offer nothing more than vitriol isn't the type of comment one expects to hear from a respected journalist like Marr. It's a comment that is so lacking in balance, he erased the value of his core message.

Also check out this profile of Ben Matthews of Bright One. Don't feel old, jealous or bad about yourself in anyway when you realised he's only 25. Just be inspired and go out there and do your best.

This Failed Mission

2010-10-13T03:41:00.009+01:00

By now you're are probably well acquinted with the epic PR Fail that Mission PR created while trying to carry out a PR campaign for Nokia. According to blogger: Muireann Carey-Campbell, Mission contacted her to participate in a half marathon, so that she could record her experiences on her blog for their client Nokia. She was to use the Nokia phone to make vlog posts about her experience. Unfortunately things didn't go according to plan. After a navigating a minefield of mistakes, Muireann took to her blog to vent her frustrations. That post is here.

Naturally the Social Media world exploded, I found out about it on Twitter. Lots of people commented on the original post or Tweeted about it.

Mission was heavily criticised for how it handled the situation which, if correctly described in the blog post, was truly atrocious. To their credit they apologised to Muireann privately, and publicly for the situation.

I think many agencies should be aware that their standard operating activities could cause them to make these mistakes too. Throughout the entire process, it was the blogger who kept reaching out to the agency for information. Not the other way around. It really does seem that there was no plan in place for this campaign, or that it wasn't confirmed. It also seems that the blogger's contact at the agency wasn't empowered to make any decisions.

The UK is still going through a recession. PR agencies are still suffering. I could imagine many are overworked and understaffed because they are reluctant to refuse to take on clients. Therefore their resources are stretched to the limit. It's a situation that just begs for a disaster.

Also many agencies claim to understand Social Media but they really don't. Bloggers are a confusing lot to deal with. Anyone can blog. Some are really good, but there are those who see it as a path to their "15 minutes of fame". They are the ones who contact agencies demanding freebies, and threatening to write unflattering posts about their clients if their demands aren't met. Unfortunately, PROs don't understand internet metrics, so they can't make an informed decision about which blogger they should engage with.

Rather than gloat at Mission's public shame, professionals would do well to learn from their mistakes. I'm quite sure many agencies are this close to making these errors themselves. You have to treat bloggers the way you would your clients, freelancers, or a member of the public contracted to work on a campaign. Much like a disgruntled customer would go out of their way to share a bad experience they had with a brand, so would a pissed-off blogger. So treat them with respect, and be clear about all areas of their participation.

If you aren't familiar with social media, you need get involved. Read blogs on a topic you love, Tweet, use Facebook, etc, and think about the ways you can use these sites for your clients. David Meerman Scott and Shel Holtz have written great "how-to" books. If you ignore the specifics about the technology described, the basics about creating content are essential. Truth is, you know this stuff already, and PR has always been about embracing new media (telegraph, radio, TV...) so get familiar!

Also don't gloat, just learn from the experience, even if it isn't your own.

Muireann updated her blog to address the hoopla.

Catholic Communications

2010-09-19T08:55:00.008+01:00

This week ended with the Papal visit to London, so this lapsing Catholic was braced for unpleasant stories and comments coming from her church and directed towards her church. Surprisingly, most were soft balls, so it was easy to tolerate, and no I didn't go to see Pope Benedict drive through London. I'm simply not one for crowds.

Fittingly enough, I spotted this article on Twitter, about Church's communications problem. It's a subject, I've thought about writing, but never sat down to put it into words.

In the article, John L Allen Jr. interviews Austen Ivereigh, co-founder of Catholic Voices, which is a media response group. They're designed to add balance to the commentary about the Church from informed, practicing Catholics. This was deemed necessary because some of the best comments about Catholicism comes from persons who aren't Catholic; are perhaps atheist or agnostic, are intellectuals, and may be quite hostile to the faith. Their comments tend to be a combination of well thought-out facts, or witticisms arguing against the faith. That these are the views that dominate the media portrayal was seen to be a problem. Catholics Voices has a mandate to add another dimension, by introducing the thoughts of regular people, who are active in the Church and offer some perspective on doctrine and why they still believe.

I've linked to the article: "Trying to solve the church's communications problem" here.

CIPR TV

2010-09-08T21:33:00.006+01:00

Aren't you lucky? Two blog posts in one week!

Short and sweet today, but I've just finished watching the first episode of CIPR TV. First guest was president-elect Paul Mylrea, who is also the Head of Press and Media Communications at the BBC.

Great show, which aired live, so you, the viewer, could participate via Twitter. Just use the hashtag #CIPRTV, and you could have your name and question mentioned on air.

To summarise: that internship drama won't go away. Diversity is a problem: Black Caribbeans are represented, but like women, they dominate at the bottom. Asians are underrepresented, and persons with disabilities are practically invisible. PR companies who represent "questionable" regimes aren't necessarily engaging in reputation laundering, because this isn't a black and white issue. Also many critics forget that PR is great at getting their clients to face the truth about their reputation, which could help many of these suspect regimes to improve their policies.

Great first show, should be an interesting year at the CIPR, perhaps I'll join.

A Degree in Public Relations

2010-09-05T19:47:00.007+01:00

Well my academic year is ending. I've submitted my dissertation and some of my classmates have already hightailed it home, but I'm officially a student until the end of this month, so I'm milking it for all it's worth.

It's been an eventful, 10 months or so, and I've met some of the coolest people ever. Learnt quite a bit about Public Relations, and myself in the process.

I won't know my results until October, but God is good, and I've worked hard. So here's hoping for the best for all of you recent grads, but especially for my classmates at Westminster University.

Above is a pic of some of my classmates and I (towards the left of the picture, green sweater, avoiding the camera) in class.

To Intern or Not to Intern?

2010-09-05T12:07:00.013+01:00

It appears that degree or no degree to get a Public Relations job in the UK you have to do an internship. Which seems fair enough, except that isn't always the case. Companies that accept interns have to make sure that they aren't breaking any laws, and interns need to know how to protect themselves from being exploited.

This PRWeek video podcast addresses those issues.

I suspect the real issue is that too many people want to work in the sexy media industry, and there aren't enough jobs. While I have no doubt that there are lots of ethical PR agencies in the UK, they can't hire every body. As for the tiny micro-consultancies, they are even more constrained by their limited earnings.

So what's the recent graduate to do? Honestly, I have no clue. I'm just working hard at my internship, I'm actively job-hunting, and keeping my eyes open, so that I can make the most of my options.

What's in a Name?

2010-08-30T09:28:00.018+01:00

I have a lot to learn about British humour. Under the stiff upper lip is a passion for slackness, and double entendre. I must say, I do find their undercover love of the perverse very amusing.

The world of PR is no exception. Nowhere is this more apparent than a listing of the top PR agencies. Bottle, Touch and Zero2one are some of the more unusual names to top a search for UK Consumer PR agencies. Lets be honest, this is the sector that allows the most room for agencies to brand themselves in a truly original way.

But I urge you to go deeper. That search would lead you to agencies with names like Cow, 3Monkeys and OneChocolate. While most names seem cheeky and fun, I found one agency, that calls itself Eulogy. Morbid references aside, I get the analogy, but still. That anyone who remembers their childhood fondly could relate to the name Mischief is a given, but the winner for me is Media Bitch. Seriously, how could you not love it? Time now for my first entry to the "Why didn't I think of that before?" agency name, which goes to: Man Bites Dog.

If you go into specialised Consumer PR agencies, you will find names like GoshPR, and the eponymous: Travel PR. Luxe PR isn't shy about it's poshness, and yes, there is an online, social marketing PR agency called POSH.

Fashion has agencies like Push, Snow, Boudoir and Bright Light. Time now to mention the second entry in the "Why didn't I think of that before?" agency name Gossip PR. Forget what you first thought, Surgery PR, does fashion darling, not medical.

Third Sector communications can be novel, heart-breaking and heart-warming. A sense of humour might go far in motivating creatives who need to remind us about decidely unsexy causes. It's here we find Black Sheep Public Relations. I like the simplicity in the name Paperclip Communications, and love the Englishness of Corker Communications. If you're going with a communications agency it'll be difficult to ignore Passionate Media Relations.

For many of these agencies, the fun and games stops with the name. Most are top award winners, represent big name clients, and are very successful. Maybe it is possible to mix business and pleasure? Whatever the answer, London is host PR agencies with the weirdest names.

Your turn. If you know a PR agency with an unusual name, put it in the comments with the country where it's based. I think London may be the quirkiest, but maybe Australia, or the US of A has your vote. Let me know.

Kelly Cutrone Speaks

2010-07-15T13:51:00.006+01:00

Short and sweet today cause my life is a bit hectic, and a little sad at the moment.

The City star and People's Revolution impresario offers some great common-sense advice on life and career. A unique perspective on the future of media, and remains a tireless advocate for original activity.

Found on Jezebel, is an interview with complex magazine. I like her take on the future of print.

"Kelly Cutrone: Let me clear that statement up. What I meant by that was that print media as we know it, and knew it, will inevitably change and transform. Twenty years ago, nobody would believe you’d get your news instantaneously and for free. Now you get your news for free. You used to have to buy something called a newspaper. The whole thing about magazines is that for me, magazines are going to become deeper and more tutorial, and the nature of the magazine is going to change. These little blog sites post: “Halle Berry loves Shimmer Me Pink Lipstick at $1.69,” they’re instant hits and they’re going to move product. [What I meant was that] perhaps we would return to the source of the type of publishing that had larger, deeper, more Life/Vanity Fair-esque well stories."

Apparently this idea isn't new, but it's the first I'd heard of it. The best magazines are the ones that have a great voice. They either nurture or hire writers with something relevant and interesting to say. Uncover things we'd rather leave hidden, and shed light on worlds we'll never see. Magazines have a great opportunity to add to the literary landscape, and too many of them, especially women's magazines don't, Marie Claire being one of the rare exceptions to that rule.

Her advice to job-seekers and new job holders in this interview is priceless. Enter at the bottom and "work like you own the place...with pride and grace."

Loves it!

PR Books from the West Indies

2010-07-05T14:57:00.010+01:00

Actually Media and Communications books from the West Indies would be more accurate, but I was going for flash and bias.

Thanks to my father I have the Roy Mitchell book. But I was also interested in the one from Elaine Commissiong, which long held the title as the only Caribbean PR Text book.

The National Library says it has two and that they're available for loan, but I've yet to see them on the shelf. One of the librarians suggested they may in fact be away for repairs. So I was left hunting for Elaine's book in stores. I know UWI's library has a copy, but I'm yet to join the alumni association (delinquent I know).

My last option was my fav bookstore for browsing, because you find all sorts of lovely surprises there. And surprise, surprise there it was in the bottom corner of the shelf closet to the store room.
That's why I love Classic Book Services. You have to be willing to browse, cause it's disorganised as heck, but for me that's part of the charm.

While hunting for The Practise of Public Relations:A Caribbean Perspective, I found these two books:

The Practice of Persuasion by Courtney Blackman
Which is based on a Bajan Perspective.

And Communication Intention and Reality by Trinidadian author Darryl Naranjit

I'm actually quite proud of my stash. Because I wanted to add a Caribbean perspective to my Literature Review.

My father has been harassing me to read Ken Gordon's autobiography Getting it Write for the longest while, and I've always resisted. Now I'm using his absence to sneak his copy into my suitcase, cause it's been added to my reading list. Mr Gordon is a media pioneer in the Caribbean, and worked up and down the islands promoting press freedom and self-expression for West Indians.

Since I've just come off of a Skype convo with my dissertation supervisor, I have quite a bit of reading and scheduling to do. So that's all for now, bye.

Rumour Mongering

2010-06-26T12:29:00.007+01:00

The managing director of Frank PR found himself in a mess one would think a PR pro would not find himself in. But he did, and with one tweet Andrew Bloch started a rumour about the demise of the marriage Beckham.

Once the rumour, got out it was quickly shut down and the story became about the rumour itself. That it started in a PR agency didn't help. Of the marketing disciplines, PR is the one that deals with media management, communication and image management. This incident is the result of a failure to consider these issues. Bloch says he was just repeating stuff he heard from clued-in sources, and that he had posted the comment on his "personal twitter". But lets be frank, how personal is Twitter anyway? Unlike Facebook, everyone can access your tweets unless you close your profile, which few people do because this particular social network prefers universal access. And if you are a managing director of a company, you have a public image that is linked to your organisation, therefore your personal Twitter isn't really personal. He of all people should know that! I'm sure that what he tells his clients; shame he didn't follow his own advice.

David Beckham's publicist Simon Oliveira scolded Bloch about spreading incorrect information, so he eventually posted a retraction and a clarification, but the damage was done.

Ultimately the changing media landscape is making it difficult for some to figure out how to navigate the terrain. But treating Twitter, Facebook, etc etc as a billboard on the side of the highway is a good rule of thumb. Also exercising restraint is key, we're over-sharing online (so guilty). One lesson many of us will have to re-learn will be how to keep somethings to ourselves.

Unexpected Books and Fun in Paradise

2010-06-14T01:44:00.012+01:00

Flew home on Thursday, the flight was great, can't complain. Truth be told I missed this place. My father surprised me by buying me a gift; his way of showing his support of my studies.

Isn't that sweet? I actually planned to buy it because it's important to my research, so I was pleasantly surprised. He left it for me on my desk.

The author, Roy Mitchell is a Trinidadian PR veteran (and a friend of my father's). He's also founding member of The Public Relations Association of Trinidad & Tobago, P.R.A.T.T. This book is an account of of the development of the profession in Trinidad and Tobago from his eyes. It covers matters of ethics, culture, politics and education, it manages to be, according to this review by Sunity Maharaj, a patriot's manifesto, which will make it a really interesting read.

The book Public Relations: A 40-Year Journey by Roy Mitchell was printed in 2009 by Paria Publishing, and is available in bookstores nationwide (Trinidad & Tobago). International readers can get it from Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

Elephants Invade London

2010-06-08T09:49:00.008+01:00

My new favourite PR campaign has to be the Elephant Parade London 2010. An absolutely gorgeous collection of model elephant calves colourfully designed and placed all over the city. I work in Fulham, so it took me weeks to spot some. When I did for the first time, two Sundays ago, I was walking along Southbank, WITH my camera, so I started snapping away.

They are a kiddie magnet. You'd be hard pressed to take a picture without other people's children all over the statues. Not that adults are much better. There's no question that the campaign has captured the interest of the public. Whether that interest will translate to action is another story. Asian elephants are on the brink of extinction, victims of human development. This project hopes to raise two million pounds, to contribute to their protection.

Why do I like it? Because I honestly didn't realise Asian Elephants were endangered. For some reason I though they where either OK, or their population was being managed. That they aren't was a surprise and is now a concern. So kudos for informing me (and the public at large) of their sad reality.

The campaign is a fun and memorable way to get this information into the public. That it's particularly attractive to children, sets the potential for the long-term predisposition towards support from future generations. Also, when dealing with a depressing reality, pulling on the public's heart-strings isn't the only option for a charity campaign.

This campaign is also great for London's Tourism. There's a map of where the elephants will be placed, so you can try to spot them all. Locals and foreigners alike could have a lot of fun elephant spotting. It's not just free entertainment, it has generated some really nice coverage for the charity.

If you want to participate you can, The Elephant family is looking for volunteers to man their call-centres, repair the models and move them. There's also an auction, but if you're poor like me, you probably can't afford it, but donating is always an option. Get involved!

Ooh la la Lingerie and a crazy schedule

2010-06-05T08:10:00.010+01:00

On Thursday we organised the media for Lingerie Francaise's Performance Showcase and Lingerie Gala. Lingerie Francaise is the association of premium French lingerie brands. We got the brief, nine days before kick-off, took it and ran.

I was beyond thrilled with the coverage, and the consensus in the office is that we would have done much better if we had more time (hello monthlies). However we did get the grand dame of UK fashion journalism to come down and do a report.

It was a long day we learned a lot, and made some construction workers happy. Thank goodness the weather cooperated.

NB: Donna Air is wearing a Damsel in a Dress suit, and a Simone Pérèle basque

The Ben Matthews Interview

2010-05-30T12:47:00.007+01:00

This post was originally posted for an internal class blog on the 8th December 2009. It was part of an assignment to research different sectors in the UK market. My group choose to look at the charity sector.

My examination into the market for Charity Public Relations continues with this interview withBen Matthews of BrightOne. While Ben works at33Digital, he volunteers at BrightOne, which is an agency he created to help NGOs meet their communications needs. So who better to talk about the sector, and his passion for the Charity Communcations sector.So here we go:

Why Charity Public Relations? I read that you started your career at Waughton, which is a financial and corporate communications agency.
Waughton was my first job after graduating from uni and was a fantastic place to learn the rope of PR. Since then, I've moved on to 33 Digital, an online PR and marketing agency. Bright One is the volunteer-run communications agency I founded, which gives PR and Communications consultancy to charitable organisations. I'm interested in charity public relations as I believe that some simple, basic communciations activites and support can make a huge difference to charities and the people they are trying to reach.

On a daily basis what gives you the greatest satisfaction about doing PR in the Charity sector? Also, what upsets you the most, can you give examples?
The parts that give me the greatest satisfaction are seeing Bright One's volunteers give much needed support to charities, then seeing those charities improve their communications activities as a result. Often we even get a nice thank you message in return! What upsets me the most isseeing budgets and resources being spent ineffectively, knowing that some simple adjustments could make a big difference.

How would you rate the strength of the Charity Public Relations Market? Is it strong, weak, etc, could you justify your rating?
I would say it's getting stronger - with donations down across the board, charities are being forced to communicate the impact they have in order to maintain the support they receive.

Who do you consider the key players in the Charity Comms market? You can use NGOs, Public Relations professionals and/or agencies in your reply.
The key players I see are the CharityComms (a trade body), the Media Trust (a joint initiative between major media companies such as the BBC and the Guardian), and Bright One of course! Individuals are Jon Bedford of Just Giving, Rachel Beer of Beautiful World, and Rob Dyson ofWhizz Kidz.

How do you think the recession will affect Charity Public Relations?
The recession is a great opportunity for Public Relations practitioners, as it is a marketing tool that is more cost-effective compared to advertising or marketing, but still provides substantial returns. Charities will also need to communciate more than ever why people should choose to support them ove rother, often 'competing' charities, to ensure that they continue to recieve donations and support. Public Relations is arguably the most effective way of achieving this.

In your opinion, how can Public Relations increase its effectiveness in the non-profit sector?

Measurement is a big area where Public Relations needs to improve on. Other areas of marketing can prove to their non-profit sector clients that value of the services they have delivered, but PR is often to vague and 'soft' to demonstrate its value. By making measurment a central part of its offering, PR can demonstrate its effectiveness and show how vlauable it is in comparison to related marketing activity.

Why did you start Bright One? How is business going?
As with a lot of ideas, Bright One started due to frustration. In this case it was the frustration that there a lot of people and third sector organisations out there doing some amazing work and helping a lot of people, but for some reason – whether it is through a lack of expertise, time or resources – these organisations haven’t been able to communicate what they do as effectively as other charitable organisations.

Bright One is going fantastically well! We held our first-ever Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Monday 30 November, celebrating the impact Bright One has made in its first year of life. Bright One also presented its first Annual Report, now publicly available at www.bit.ly/AnnualReport2009

We measured our economic impact by calculating the amount of resources that charitable organisations have been able to access thanks to our services. A remarkable total of over 1,500 hours of communications work was donated by Bright One’s volunteers this year, which equals an astonishing £180,000 worth of expertise that smaller charities have been able to enjoy, boosting their PR and communications activities.

Thanks Ben, my group members and I appreciate you taking the time out to answer these questions

The Norma Johnston Interview

2010-05-30T12:41:00.015+01:00

This was first written and published for an internal class blog. It was for a group project and we were researching the charity PR sector in the UK. It was originally posted on 8th December 2009. I have re-posted that interview below.:

Last Friday I had the pleasure of talking toNorma Johnston. Ms Johnston is a communications practitioner with over 20 years experience in the communications industry. She is the director of Good Cause Communications and the chairperson of CharityComms.

Of course my mandate for this project was to examine the strength of the sector. Namely, is it strong, weak, growing or shrinking? Well after my discussion with Ms Johnston, I can say, the future for Public Relations Practitioners in the Third Sector is bright.

Of the 1000s of people who work in the UK Communications sector, quite of few of those are Public Relations professionals. Unfortunately like their counterparts in other sectors, they often work with people who don’t quite understand or appreciate their role. In fact, Ms Johnston says this is one of the more difficult parts of her job. Too often PR people are only expected to write press releases or deal with the media. While she doesn’t dispute that this is indeed an important part of their functions, NGOs that limit their communications needs to having someone to write their press release are limiting themselves. She says that Public Relations professionals can and should do so much more than that. They can help the NGO with its strategic planning, conduct risk assessment and work in crisis communications. The other challenge Charity Communicators face is that even if they work in an NGO that understands the role and scope of their function, they do so with an army of one.

As for the short answer to my question about the strength of the market, Ms Johnson says that it is strong. Of course Britain is in the middle of a recession, so growth has slowed. But she asserts that this recession has highlighted the need for NGOs to have a comprehensive communications strategy. Issues of trust, and the need to compete for dwindling resources would constitute a crisis for some in the third sector. To maintain existing donations, communications practitioners need to creative yet transparent in their affairs.

In an earlier post I posited that CharityComms is proof of the industry’s strength, and Ms Johnston agrees. She says it became evident that other disciplines had a support system of professionals to turn to, but Public Relations practitioners didn’t. So in 2005 Joe Saxton started CharityComms which not only gave Public Relations professionals a place where they could meet with others in the Third Sector, it also gave them a voice and helped them improve their standards. Now CharityComms offers seminars led by industry professionals, and it’s website has articles discussing matters that relate their challenges. Their goal isn’t just to support, but to raise the bar.

Thank you Ms Johnston for talking to us. I spoke to her last Friday, because she'd just returned from a trip to Geneva. I wanted to end with this video of her talking about her work with the International Fundraising Congress (IFC).

Theory versus Practical

2010-05-29T11:12:00.003+01:00

You sit in class, read all the books and think you know lots about the subject. Then you get a job. It turns out that all you know theory, and now you have to learn about real life. Truth is that real life is messy and not well ordered. You know that saying about hindsight being 20/20, that's school.

I sit in the office, grateful for my education, but trying to be realistic about what my job is asking of me. Some of the key skills, can't be taught, and I'll have to develop them on my own.

So about the future of PR, and whether education is important. I still say yes, because though when you first start, you may not get to display your skills, and you're stuck taking orders, you have a foundation that will serve you well the day you get your chance.

How to Improve your Writing

2010-05-23T10:17:00.007+01:00

This is part 2 to my previous post discussing why I write. In it I reveal my tips, and reference texts. I acknowledge that I don't always follow my own advice, but hopefully you are more disciplined than I am.

A list of the books I referred to:

The Penguin Guide to Plain English by Harry Blamires
Usage and Abusage by Eric Partridge
The Knots in English by Merle Hodge (You could get it in the UWI bookstore)
My dictionary of choice is the Oxford English Dictionary (I can't spell so I have a mini-OED that I carry in my handbag)

I think in the audio I said that I liked The Aspern Papers by Henry James for demonstrating how to handle long sentences correctly. That's an error, I meant The Turn of the Screw.

I'm not an expert, just someone with an opinion. But I hope it helps.

On Writing

2010-05-16T19:55:00.009+01:00

I was chatting with a old friend on Facebook yesterday and she mentioned loving my blog. Then she had to bouf me for not telling her about it. I explained that I made it public under duress, because it was an essential part of my course, otherwise it would still be private. My reason: I'm still not too confident about my writing, and just wanted to have a fun experience playing with words.

As a child I was an avid reader. I loved Enid Blyton, Greek Mythology, Little Women, the Sesame Street and Charlie Brown anthologies, and a series of local folklore my mother bought. I studied literature in school and learned to see beyond the obvious, and really explore human behaviour.

English Grammar and Literature were my favourite subjects in school. I can now admit, though I had a natural aptitude for them, they were easy because I was passionate about them. Words mattered,but not in a creative sense, I never thought I could write, so I never tried. I just really loved great stories and well-constructed sentences.

What I love about English Lit is that I had to read books from all over. Toni Morrison, author of my favourite book 'The Bluest Eye' also wrote 'Song of Solomon'. The first time I read it, I was just grateful I had finished it. I needed to read that book with a pen and a ruler, to highlight key points. That attention to detail made me appreciate Morrison's tale. By the second and third reading, I was defending it to my classmates. Thank God I had to read it because it encouraged me to read her sad, sweet tale about Pecola Breedlove.

I don't read as much as I used to. But you know that cliche that it helps your writing. It's true. You can't help but absorb some of the techniques the greats use. I couldn't get over C.L.R. James' punctuation in 'Beyond a Boundary'. I would read a sentence and would need a second to compose myself before I progressed to another. It was that good. I'm having a similar experience with 'The Turn of the Screw' by Henry James. The latter is a master at writing these long sentences that keep you focused and draws you into the picture he is painting with his words.

I'm at a point now where I think I need a refresher, but at the moment, other priorities need to be addressed. So I'll keep writing, reading great books and articles, and being receptive to constructive criticism. Maybe someday, I'll be really happy with my writing, and maybe that someday is soon.

Career Plans

2010-05-15T09:00:00.008+01:00

I've been working my way towards a PR job for some time now. Mid-way into my first degree I happened upon this career that just seemed so me. And decided that that was what I was going to do.

I got into media deliberately. I felt that I needed to know the newsroom if I was ever going to pitch to them, or write stories they could use. Of course I was bitten by the media bug. Never let anybody tell you being on TV isn't addictive, it is. I used to smile walking home after working, and listening to my voice coming out of my neighbours' television sets as they watched the news.

But I am an organiser at heart, I like the planning, the creating of the communication strategy. The helping of a client to figure out what they should say, to whom and how. As much as I loved being a journalist, especially when I got to do my special features, I really wanted to work on CNMG's communications plan.

If I could combine the two, I'd be the happiest person in the world. Which is why my dream job would be in the PR department for a media house. And yes, television over radio, though, I'd work in radio in a sec (but I digress).

As my academic year is winding down, I have to say it's been great. I've had some amazing experiences, meet some wonderful people, and hopefully I'll be having more great experiences in the near future.

My short-term career plan is to get a job. Ideally here in the UK because I feel like I need international experience on my resume. So that's my new goal. I've just started my internship with a boutique fashion pr agency, and so far it's been great. Hopefully in some form or another it will lead to something more permanent, and paid. We'll see, and I'll keep you posted when I can.

Can a Social Media help Jimmy Choo?

2010-04-28T08:52:00.002+01:00

Jimmy Choo has launched some trainers (sneakers) with an innovative, Catch us if you can campaign using Four Square. Love the idea, cause I'm not that impressed with the shoes, but it's a brilliant way to promote the product and generate news coverage. If you're hunting for treasure all over London, you should have some comfy but chic on your feet.

How do you take your coffee?

2010-04-25T11:32:00.006+01:00

Nescafe is relaunching its Gold Blend commercial romance. The original advertisement aired in the 80s and starred Anthony Head and Sharon Maughan as neighbours who fall in love over coffee. The relationship was developed over a series of TV spots and captivated viewers with its soap opera format. Each ending with a cliff-hanger designed to spark your curiosity by forcing you to wait for the resolution.

Fans loved the couple, and hopefully the coffee too.

Now it seems Nescafe is thinking of reviving the commercial. While bringing back a much loved commercial can generate lots of publicity, there is the risk of turning people off with, what looks like a desperate ploy for their attention.

Mooncup

2010-04-20T08:47:00.008+01:00

My favourite campaign of recent memory has to be the "Love Your Vagina" campaign from the makers of Mooncup. The company makes menstrual cups, which I'd never heard of until late last year. I'd come upon the Diva cup brand, and was dually intrigued and grossed out by the concept. I also wondered how would one try to make the product palatable.

The Mooncup campaign is inviting English women to submit their names for their vagina. The website is funny, the design is welcoming and a bit tongue in cheek with its flowers, ribbons and black lace side-columns. You are introduced to the product in a way that addresses newcomers' concerns directly. It's lists the positive facts about the product clearly and then you scroll down to the fun part, the names.

So far Moot is number 1. My favourite: The downtown dining and entertainment district is at number 3. And there's this option: My super wondrous extra special pink lady with the flora and fauna that brings all the worthy gentlemen to their knees in worship of her most holy of holies. With around two thousand names and multiple votes, the company has received a lot of initial traffic to the site. I think that is because it's interactive and fun, so I suspect it also receives many return visitors. It has certainly captured the imagination of the participants, as you can see from the names.

They have also benefited from great media coverage. Ed Gillespie wrote about it being good a model for green campaigns. Others have furthered the environmental theme with their Mooncup articles. It was also mentioned on Jezebel; they found out about it from the CopyRanter.

It'll be interesting to see if they can maintain the media interest, and what effect it has had on their sales.

The Leaders' Debate

2010-04-19T09:14:00.009+01:00

The UK hosted it's first ever political debate. The leaders of the top three political parties were brought together to address the nation's most pressing concerns.By now you've read the reviews, and seen the polls that put Nick Clegg as the winner of round 1. David Cameron secured second place and Prime Minister Gordon Brown the third.

I have to say, I was really impressed with Gordon Brown's performance. He seems a dour, unattractive man and wholly unsuited for the pretty-boy race that is UK elections 2010. But in this debate, he seemed funny, and relatable. Which I think is important.

Clegg was amazing too, but he won't win. He's not in the running as far as I can see. He has the newcomer advantage for securing positive press, he is a breath of fresh air. But he also has the air of the neophyte, and I feel like the reality of dirty politic might crush him. I think the viewing public senses it too. But he is building an impressive resume, for future elections.

So far is seems this election is Cameron's, perhaps Brown can grab it from him, but Tories have been leading in opinion polls even before the date was announced. Not much has changed since them, and Labour has been acting more like a wounded bear, than an attack dog. If Labour wants to remain in government, their campaign strategy needs to change, because the Tories want to win, and they are working hard to achieve that goal.

Funnily enough my country is also in election mode. D-day is May 24, and I'm hoping I can vote in the embassy. If you knew my prime minister and his antics you'd understand why not even oceans couldn't stop me from wanting to red-up my finger to vote he tail O-U-T!

Last elections Mr Manning refused to talk to the media. He did ONE interview for an entertainment channel, the host was part of the duo that one this year's Road March with Palance (hey, even Beyonce does it).

Unfortunately, that anti-media stance didn't hurt the PM one bit. He did continue with a rigorous rallying schedule, speaking up and down the island, so to be fair people got to hear him. What didn't happen is that he wasn't made to respond to challenges about his policies. He simply promoted his views, dismissed criticism or covered it up with witticisms, and then won.

Of course, statistics showed that his party benefited from facing a fractured opposition. More people voted against the PNM, than for it, but in the end a win is a win.

I've heard the criticism that the debates aren't fair or balanced. That they are a manufactured production. But I disagree, they are proof of a understanding that politics is supposed to be about service. And our officials are servants of the people. Maybe proof is a strong word, maybe I should say they represent an understanding of this ideal. At any rate, if you want to be my leader, I need to grill you. So present yourself to the public and ask our permission to be our leader. So don't flaunt your disrespectful entitlement, and take advantage of the system to win. That's undemocratic!

Bittersgate!!!

2010-04-17T11:53:00.008+01:00

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow is a fan of Angostura Bitters. I first saw her refer to bitters when she made a cocktail for St. Patrick's Day. Then last week she discussed it again to explain the behind the scenes going-ons of that first segment. The most important being that they couldn't source this essential ingredient anywhere. Well, the problem has been solved, you can now get your bitters.

Giselle Laronde-West and Geneveive Jodhan joined Maddow for that segment to explain what happened. You know what; great for them. The brand was promoted by a true fan, who sprouted facts I didn't know. For instance, that bitters is an essential ingredient in any cocktail.But I did know that only five people know the formula.

The Angostura Communications team were smart to gift Maddow with boxes of liquid gold (her term), and deflect the misconception that the economy of Trinidad is sustained by the Angostura company. It is a major company, but energy is our thing. Though her statement might be true for the emotional economy of T&T, I have friends who swear by Vat 19.

This segment lead to a mention on the Huffpost; which posted a list of cocktails you need to know, and Slate.

Just so you know, bitters isn't only for alcoholic drinks. I love a dash in any glass of citrus juice, especially the tart ones like lime and grapefruit.

NB: And Mrs Laronde-West is a former Miss World. She won in 1986, beating Halle Berry in the process.

What you missed: PR Edition

2010-04-13T10:08:00.013+01:00

OK I needed to take a break for the Easter. But I'm back, and here's some of the stuff I missed.

I've only just seen this article (I'm not really a Gawker reader) about the decline of the celebrity flack. Apparently Brangelina use their's much less now than they used to. While celebrities have started making the publicist position in their entourage redundant, I would argue they need good PR now more than ever.

The danger with the saturation of media is that some people are over-sharing and getting themselves into trouble (Hello Soulja Boy and Lil Bow Wow). Others are just proving how unfunny or contemptible they are. Their behaviour may be endangering their brands.

These days the publicist may be dead, but true PR is needed more than ever. Tweet the wrong thing and you could be in a whole heap of trouble. It may seem tedious, but you really need to consider how you are portraying yourself online. How much are you willing to share? Be honest, I've read that you shouldn't tweet or post anything online if you wouldn't put it on a billboard. Can't say I'd argue with that advice.

And speaking of things to put on a billboard. My silly genes really loved the thought of an election campaign that went balls out. The UK Guardian created this slogan for an April's Fools article on a campaign idea for the Labour party. It would play on Gordon Brown's hot-head reputation and put class back on the agenda. The slogan: Step Outside Posh Boy, is the funniest thing I'd heard in weeks. But alas, it was only a joke.

The campaign that I thought for sure was a joke turned out to true. KFC introduced the Double Down. It's a cheese sandwich, made with chicken fillets replacing the bread. Basically the Colonel is selling heart-attack specials. I can't wait to find out the history behind it, but it is a gusty move to create and promote something so fundamentally unhealthy. I have no doubt this is a temporary menu item created to generate media coverage and boost short-term sales. And no I don't think it will hurt the brand.

My Twitter friend Kevin aka @kramtt sent me this link. It's Gary Vaynerchuk ranting about rival brands trying to take over each other's social network sites. I agree with Gary that it's a cheap way to get noticed, and very often it is tantamount to spamming. But I also think that there is a way to create a creative campaign that involves brand-jacking, but it would have to be planned properly. It's not a tactic I'd recommend, but I'm sure it's something we're going to see more of in the near future. Personally, I like it when companies play fair, but that's just me.

In other news, my friend Avi wrote this amazing post about the Fluffy PR bunny stereotype. I highly recommend that you read it, and yes it was partly inspired by my post on the subject. She discusses her personal trials dealing with those who think her daily routine is all champagne and stilettos. The problem here is that it's representative of the value some companies place on their communications strategy. We both caution, that they do so at their peril. But what do you think? Head on over, and join the conversation.

And last but not least, Alicia Keys is looking for a blogger. Are you interested? If you are head over to her website for the details. Don't say I didn't give you the heads up. Good luck, and I'm out.

The Most Powerful PR Agents

2010-04-01T14:59:00.006+01:00

The list of the most powerful PR Agents is out, and Matthew Freud has come out on top again. Though he seems to be as much of a headline grabber as his clients, it's his corporate and consultancy skills which have put him on top.

The infamous Max Clifford grabbed the number three spot. Mr. Clifford's old school spin doctor tactics may rub newbies the wrong way, but it has kept him in high demand with his clients.

What a charmer.

Worryingly only one woman has made it into the top ten of this year's list. She is Tesco's Lucy Neville-Rolfe.

Ethical Battles

2010-04-01T10:31:00.014+01:00

If I were to ask you who is the more ethical public relations practitioner between two persons: one employed in a For-Profit Organisation, the other for a Not-For-Profit. Who would you choose? I suspect for many of us, you'll pick the person working for an NGO. Their daily routine may involve trying to get an important bill passed or to provide clean water to an area that desperately needs it. We assume they are altruistic souls, unlike their counterparts in the For-Profit sector.

The problem with this thinking is that it's flawed. It's based on a stereotype that assumes all charities are good and that all businesses are bad. The truth is some organisations are good and some charities are bad, and most are a combination of both. Lush, Body Shop, New Look and Sainsburys have been labeled ethical at some point. Likewise PETA, Greenpeace and the Yele Foundation have all been accused of misconduct.

In fact I'd be tempted to argue that the NGOs have a greater tendency towards using "unethical" public relations tactics to get their point across. To gain media attention some would organise protests and encourage their supporters to assault their opponents. It's a tactic PETA uses very well. In the past they've thrown paint or pie on fur-wearing celebrities. to great success. They've leveraged that media coverage to become the go-to charity when one is thinking of animal rights.

But the question is not about sector, but rather about public relations ethics, period. In the absence of a generic code for professionals, who determines what is or isn't ethical? There are several professional organisations, all of whom offer optional membership, and their codes of ethics vary. But one could easily function as a non-member with no professional training what-so-ever.

The danger in this is that it leaves the determination over what is and isn't ethical to the individual. Without formal training, the practitioner's access to guidelines on how to rate his behaviour is left open, barring societal norms of course. But just as each professional has a set of operating characteristics, determining ethics within a specific discipline goes deeper than general law.

Since PR is a fairly young discipline, this is where the benefits of a professional society comes in. Professionals can gather to discuss current issues with their peers and share skills. More importantly, where the development of an ethical public relations practise is concerned, they can agree to be bound to a standard code of ethics, created by their peers. An act which will aid in the standardisation of public relations activity and allow for the monitoring and sanction of unethical behaviour.

Of course one of the criticisms of PR is that not only is membership into the professional societies optional, punishment is rare and difficult to enforce. The other priority for the professional is to enforce the codes of conduct, otherwise it becomes irrelevant.

Here's the link to the Patricia J Parsons' book I referred to.

The truth about Politics

2010-03-31T10:21:00.017+01:00

Consider the history-making US elections, which Barack Obama won. A member of an ethic-minority accomplished a feat few expected to witness in their life-time. Let's be honest, for Mr Obama to win, his team had to make his message the focal point to distract from his ethnicity. So enter the campaign themes of hope, change powered by social media.

His win was amazing, but the reception to his Presidency has been anything but. His approval ratings are way down, and his public is complaining that he hasn't delivered on any of his promises. (Except for health care: whoop, whoop!).

The Obama campaign, like Tim Bell's re-packaging of Margaret Thatcher years prior, or the hype about New Labour are being cited by some as examples of what is wrong in political PR. That public relations creates hype that obscures the truth, and the hapless public is being lead astray by the flash.

Now, let's get real for a sec. If you have a whole lot of stuff to say, you have to think about what's most important, and how you're going to present it. This becomes all the more important when you have to deliver this message to the masses. Truth is communicating badly isn't an option at this stage.

In a very real way, the information needs to be managed or it could be lost. A glut of information is difficult to process, because it causes information overload. Basicially we can't deal with too much data, so our brains limit access to new data until it can cope.

That our politicians spin is no secret. It's the lying that is really an issue. But it's a stretch to assume that all PR is facilitating dishonesty. Spin is what made some Americans forget that Barack Obama was half-black long enough to listen to his message and then vote for him. If it can do that, then it can't all be bad.

PR Bitches or PR Bunnies

2010-03-28T12:50:00.021+01:00

There are lots of stereotypes in Public Relations. The liar, the fluffer, the shameless spin doctor. For the women in the business, much like their counterparts in other industries, the image seems to be either you're a PR Bitch or a PR Bunny.

PR Bitch -Your role model is Kelly Cutrone. The People's Revolution founder who is tough, and anti-fluff. Her motto is forever inscribed in the title of her new book "If You Have to Cry Go Outside". She is the personification of the female PRO as the anti-girl. Problematic because the implication is that being a woman is bad for business. Good because it stresses a substance over style approach to Public Relations.

PR Bunny - Your role model is any one of those girls on The Hills/The City. You are a pretty, fashion conscious PR girl. Working: maybe; partying: definitely; and doing it all in really high heels. Good because everyone should be free to enjoy the benefits of hair and make-up if it makes them happy. Bad because the impression that style trumps substance is what people get from these girls.

Here's the deal, labels are for clothes. It's high time people tried to break out of the impulse to put things in compartments. We're more complex than that. Some women may be a combination of the two, others have created a whole new niche for themselves. They too, deserve a seat at the public relations table.

This redefinition is important because the profession and it's staff are at risk of being devalued.

"Because PR is mostly female, the negative impacts associated with being female also impact negatively on PR"

Larissa Grunig (2001)

It's one of those situations where, one really has to try to not fall into a cliche trap. As much as it's difficult, awareness is important. Also as PR becomes more professional, and its' skills become more clearly defined, the gender bias associated with the profession will, if not disappear, be greatly reduced.

Beauty PR and Social Media

2010-03-25T09:21:00.007Z

This should be considered the summarised audio version of my other ruminations on how social media is forcing the beauty industry to relinquish control of it's image. These issues are relevant to all businesses, but I went with the best example I know.

So what are your thoughts, what are the implications of this world wide web sharing of your product by people who may or may not be fans of your brand? Are you happy with the way social media is changing beauty PR? Let's discuss.

Corporate Identity and Social Media

2010-03-21T19:14:00.011Z

An interesting week for those interested in corporate communications and the use of new media. Quite interesting we have two examples of a company in crisis and how they've turned to social media to handle it. First the bad.

No surprise the winner (loser) here is Nestlé.

This is my favourite part in the whole mess. This is how they respond to criticism on their Facebook page:

"Thanks for the lesson in manners. Consider yourself embraced.
But it's our page, we set the rules, it was ever thus."

It was ever thus; are they kidding? Over on his blog Sam Ismail labeled the scenario: A Lesson In Douchebrandification. By the way, that's my new favourite word.

Lest we forget another company is also in crisis. British Airways has been fighting off a staff strike since Christmas. This week talks failed and the union voted to go ahead with strike action. BA has taken to YouTube and Twitter to get their point across.

BA has also been using it's twitter page get it's schedule out and thank the people who've retweeted their message. Smart move.

Here's the lesson. You can't control everything, especially in this new media era. You have to respect your audience, their creativity and you have to share info with them. But if you plan to get on your high horse and speak down to people expect the wrath of the public to come down on your brand hard.

Update: BA liked my post!

Behind every great man...

2010-03-18T20:13:00.020Z

Funny how some think PR is for girls, yet the who's who in the business looks like a boys' club. Back home other than the perception that the job is about spinning, I think they expect it to be staffed by former beauty queens and bored socialites. Yet when we look at the division of labour and sex: PR is staffed by women, who are overwhelmingly lead by men. Why is that?

It's 2010, so I'm loathe to think that there's a glass ceiling preventing women from rising to the top. Sorry, prevent is the wrong word, but there is something that's limiting the ascent of women to the top of the business.

The class debate raised some interesting arguements about the issue. The group that believed that women will never run Public relations spoke of how hard it is for women to balance motherhood and professional ambition. They say many are no longer trying to achieve the unachievable so they are pulling back. The impression is that today's woman knows she can reach the top if she wanted to, but she no longer wants to.

"The feminist myth that women can have it all is doing harm to women and should be replaced with an emphasis on living a balanced life."

Jennifer Roback Morse (1995) Beyond "having it all."
(Feminism , Sexual Distinction and the Law)
Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy

Sadly the opposing group resorted to fiction to argue that women could rule PR. They weren't concerned with whether or not women could have it all. They argued that she could do anything she wanted, just like Samantha Jones of Sex in the City.

But that's not reall true. It's no secret that men and women are socialised differently, and both are penalised for not conforming. Women are expected to defer to household matters once married, especially when there's children involved. The real issue remains a feminist one. Can you have it all: no; should be allowed to pick whatever path you choose: yes.

The glass ceiling reference I alluded to won't disappear. Are men leading because they are the best ones for the job, or is it still unheard of to let women run the industry? I think the truth is women are, for whatever reason, less likely to display the approved leadership skills. As a result they are less likely to be promoted. I also think they may not value success in the office as highly as their male counterparts. In part because they have more interests outside the office, so success there may not be the goal. But that thinking isn't true for all women.

Numbers suggest that perhaps women will dominate, sooner rather than later. My post-grad class of 34 has 4 men, and the undergrad enrollment isn't much different. Public relations has always poached people from other disciplines to formt the top-tier. As it becomes more common for staff to have professional degrees I expect this to be less likely. Perhaps them we'll see a top-tier that is reflective of its base. Not that men aren't welcome, it's about getting the best people for the job at all levels.

This is what's wrong with T&T

2010-03-18T11:40:00.007Z

Apparently if you criticise the Government you will be banned from speaking at public events. Leader of the Lydian Singers, painter, supporter of the Arts Pat Bishop was invited to speak at the opening of an exibition at the National Museum. The artists wanted her there, the Culture Minister did not. Pat's invitation was withdrawn, and LeRoi Clarke was asked to speak instead.

That the person who made the decision was stupid twice is without doubt. Why silence Pat, because she's harshly critical of the Performing Arts Centre? You prefer she say it behind your back? That was the first stupid decision: you should let the women speak.

The second dumb move was to use LeRoi has her replacement. I'm not in the T&T Arts scene but even I know he and Pat real tight. Idiot move that! So he'll sell out your plans and voice Pat's ideas. The resulting story in the papers isn't just that she'll say the centre is rubbish, but now it's also about the fact that the Government went out of its way to silence dissent. Nice!

Obviously if they'd let the woman talk it might have run a smaller easier-to-ignore story. Even if she gave a scandalous piece that made it into a major story format, so what! What are you afraid of?

Wait a minute. What are you afraid of?
The Andre Bagoo story that set me off: Govt gags Pat Bishop

NGOs and Public Relations

2010-03-17T14:27:00.020Z

Of all of the Marketing disciplines, none fits Third Sector communications as perfectly as public relations does. Pseudo-events, press releases, advertorials, pitching stories, are all important to NGOs. It's how they add balance to conversation on any issue. It's these activities that have given them leverage. Now multi-national organisations like the United Nations places them on the same level with businesses and governments.

NGOs may not like the term public relations, preferring titles like campaigner, communications officer, but that's window dressing. The job title may differ to that of their counterparts in the For-Profits, but they share the same functions.

PR in NGOs has 3 characteristics:

Close relationship between PR expertise and the dominant culture of the NGOs. Most NGO directors and other staff are very familiar with PR skills, because they've done them throughout their career.
Limited resources of NGOs leads to a very innovative culture. The PR tolerant culture of NGOs allows for experimentation. They are quick to adopt new technologies, sometimes before mainstream.
Competition between NGOs is very high, but they are also very willing to cooperate with others in order to achieve their goals. Innovation spreads between Third sector organisations rapidly. Much of it is done under Creative Commons.

What's really great about NGOs is that their communications strategies almost always reflect the essence of their organisations. As such their communications campaigns tend to be truer to their character.

This is essential to their ability to build and maintain trust. Many NGOs are dependant upon donations for funding. Being transparent, producing material that accurately reflects the organisation are key to building lasting relationships with the public. Organisations in the For-profit sectors could do well to follow this example.

NB: This post was inspired by Benedict Southworth, Campaign Director for Friends of the Earth, who gave a lecturer on this topic to my MA Public Relations class. I've tried to attribute his ideas the best I can.

Sorry Shouldn't be the Hardest Word

2010-03-16T20:18:00.005Z

We had a visit from Eddie Bensilum from Regester Larkin in class this week to discuss Crisis and Issues Management. Apart from being the first female guest speaker we've had in this entire course (thanks to Marlena for pointing that out) it was just a very good, eye-opening discussion on how to keep your head on when everyone around you is losing theirs.

In the first instance, Regester Larkin found its purpose working with clients from the Oil and Gas industry. Makes sense when you think that their mistakes have the potential to negatively affect hundreds at a time. Now they are the leading authority in how to plan for changes in the environment (political, physical and social) that can affect the company. They are also the go-to firm when a crisis happens.

But what I really liked about her talk was how common sense it was. That the company learned from getting it wrong. They made mistakes in the past, but now they are more likely to get it right.

Hence the emphasis they place on Issues Management. When times are great, just consider the potential for a problem or a change in the weather. Everyone knows hindsight is 20/20, well so is thinking ahead. How many of us have seen a problem brewing and chose to ignore it rather than nip it in the bud? That's what issues management is all about, not that issues are problems. It's like the Scouts motto: "Be prepared".

That brings us to the crisis management plan. Have one, not in a dusty manual, but an easy to access software version that is updated regularly. In short when you are in a panic it should spell out the key personnel who will take charge of things.

But my favourite piece of advice! Say sorry. No amount of planning necessary for that. Say that you are sorry for the problem. Let the people know what you are doing to regain control and emphasise that you are committed to solving the problem. Oh, and please mean it.

Basically crisis management tips are the same things your mother tried to teach you while growing up.

Wordle

2010-03-08T20:11:00.005Z

Fun with words and Rasta colours. This is my blog on Wordle.

Loves it! Click on the image for detail.

What's that Buzz?

2010-03-06T10:37:00.025Z

What's buzz? Buzz is that thing that makes you try something new to sate some urge. It's what starts trends, fashions and habits. Everybody wants buzz, but not everyone has it.

Malcolm Gladwell examines the phenomenon in his book the Tipping Point . He found that it's the small things that matter. Under the right circumstances the stars will align and one seemingly inconsequential act will set off a chain reaction. Before you know it ghetto fab nails have gone main stream, everyone and their mother are sporting crazy colour manicures and you find yourself needing matte lacquer more than life.

Businesses like buzz because it creates an immediate demand for their products. Shoes they couldn't pay you to take off their hands will become the new must have. So what happened, why has your mind has changed?

Gladwell explains it as thus, there are three types of people in this world who can create buzz:

Connectors - they know everyone
Mavens -they know everything
Sales people - they can sell anything to anyone.

These people under the right circumstances can be the trigger that starts the revolution. Each one of these personalities has the ability to share an idea, and a combination of two or more of their key characteristics can make that idea sticky. Next thing you know you have a hit on your hands.

Buzz is great cause it feels natural. It makes consumers behave in the ways companies wished always they did: "I need this, I want it, I have to have it!"

Because it's so effective, many of them want buzz worthy campaigns. Many are creating web-only or mostly campaigns to achieve the desired results. That's right: Buzz 2.0 is Viral!

Virals don't care about decorum, they're aiming for one response: visceral. Think about it, nothing is stickier than a shock to your system. For something to surprise you, it either comes from a completely unexpected place, or it triggers a particularly poignant emotion. If it surprises you, you'll remember it.

Here's the trick. The element in the viral that draws your interest needs to incorporate the product (or its ethos) otherwise all viewers will remember is the shock not the product.

There are many amazing ad campaigns that people love and remember, but did little for sales. There's are also many annoying campaigns that are amazingly effective. That's the advertising paradox, great ads don't sell, but annoying ones do! Viral campaigns have the potential to blend the two by being creative and memorable.

However, there is a but! Buzz is like charisma, everybody wants it, but very few have it.

CSR: Do Companies mean it; does it matter?

2010-03-05T00:43:00.014Z

Corporate Social Responsibility is something a lot of businesses talk about but few do well. It's supposed to blend two oxymoronic concepts: making money and philanthropy. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. This presentation will focus on motive. Does it matter if the company means what it says in its CSR programme, or is that asking too much?

For a primer watch this case study of Nike's approach to CSR.

CSR Case Study

View more presentations from Soyini Grey.

The L'Etang essay I referred to is "Corporate Responsibility and Public Relations Ethics" in the text Crtitical Perspectives in Public Relations. In it she discusses the evolution of CSR and of early arguments that businesses had an obligation to "give back" especially the more successful they became.

"Increased power should bring with it increased responsibility and an obligation not to exploit or take advantage of individuals and small communities."

(Jacquie L'Etang, 1996 p.85)

Additional Reading for this topic:

Perpetual Peace and other Essays - Immanual Kant (1983)
Utilitarianism and other Essays - John Stuart Mill (1987)
Three Essays - John Stuart Mill (1975)
The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits - Milton Friedman (which you can read here)

Organised Chaos

2010-03-02T21:33:00.006Z

A class trip (so high school) to Fishburn Hedges became a lesson in New Media PR for my classmates and me. Associate Director Judith Moore and former Graduate trainee Dave guided us through their approach to PR 2.0. For them it's about getting their clients to understand that control is a thing of the past.

Clients need to be taught to embrace chaos. To react quickly, get the facts out and them let the public distribute and colour it as they see best. As Judith said, "We don't deal in days and weeks anymore. We deal in hours and minutes." A scary concept for the client and some PRs to fathom, but it's the new truth. But blogger, twitter, facebook, whatever engagement is becoming increasingly important.

As the discipline evolves media mistakes will be made. PRs are going to have to work to build their clients' trust during this time. The smart ones are also going to monitor the actions of their peers to learn from their mistakes. We might have to embrace chaos now, but we're not going to live in chaos forever.

Dumped via Twitter

2010-02-23T23:45:00.008Z

UK Pop singer Cheryl Cole is going through a hard time at the moment. Speculation has been rift for weeks that the singer has had it with her philandering husband after reports of his infidelities made the papers. Today Mrs. Cole ended that speculation and announced that she was ending her relationship.

This isn't a gossip blog, so I don't care who did what and with whom. I'm interested in the PR implications of this break-up: namely how the information was made public. Initially the papers were reporting that Mrs. Cole texted her husband with the news that their marriage was over. By late afternoon, her PR agency had released a statement, on Twitter, that she had in fact decided to end the relationship.

I'll be interested to see if an official statement will be released to the traditional media, or if the new media response will suffice. It does appear that the entire statement was made on Twitter, and the papers ran with that.

Will Twitter replace the press release? I think it works and works well for minor scandals and celebrity affairs. The PROs could be sure that the message can't be misinterpreted because it's out in the open exactly as they worded it, and the news media have easy access to the information. I'd hate to think entertainment journalists would be annoyed at being scooped on Twitter because by its very nature gossip is a bit silly. Some of the traditional news outlets simply made it another part of this salacious story.

Beauty School Dropout

2010-02-18T18:32:00.040Z

If there's any industry that should be loving social media right now it has to be the beauty industry. These days you don't have to leave your home or buy a magazine to get beauty advice. Smart girls (and boys) log onto the Internet and read blogs, Myspace, YouTube or whatever social networking site to interact with the many beauty enthusiasts on the World Wide Web.

I can't tell you how many things I've learnt online. I now co-wash my hair rather than use too much shampoo and if I wanted polka-dots on my nails, there's a vid for that.

This creates an unusual situation for Public Relations & Marketing because amateurs are taking upon themselves to promote their brands. I didn't know about aPHogee, Zoya or OCC before I read about them online. Typically from reviews, the vast majority of which, I believe, were unsolicited. These "experts" bought the products themselves, tried it out and posted their reviews on the Internet.

Today more people than ever are using social media to research before they buy and for me there's no other industry where this is more prevalent than the beauty industry.

But I wondered how companies feel about outsiders encroaching on their territory. No longer do they control the way their brands are presented to the public. To be fair, no one ever has or had complete control. But the typical person-to-person conversation has been joined with person-to-people conversations via new media. Now amateurs are receiving lots of attention because they've taken their opinions online, and they're using this power to colour the way you see certain brands.

A quick online review has me thinking that the brands are enjoying the attention. They seem not to be too concerned with the promotional help and are happy to have these people try out their products for themselves (and their audiences). For example, while MAC is branded on Twitter, I've seen little if any official MAC videos on YouTube. The videos you do find are from people not explicitly affiliated with the company, if at all.

Likewise there are brands I've been introduced to by the tons of beauty video tutorials online. Zoya, Seche Vite top coat, OCC are some of the make-up brands I've discovered via YouTube, and Twitter. But here's the kicker, not from the companies' channel, but from the videos of enthusiastic amateur (some trained) Make-up artistes.

This dynamic will be quite interesting to watch. Unlike journalists who have a code of ethics to follow, the average blogger doesn't. In the United States the Federal Trade Commission has attempted to address this by publishing guidelines with regards to endorsements and testimonials. It's meant to protect the potential consumer who reads these blogs for an unbiased review and gets an endorsement masquerading as a testimonial.

Dealing with bloggers can be a bit tricky. PRCouture had an excellent article detailing some of more annoying aspects e.g. bloggers who demand free stuff. I like the solution they referenced from Style House PR who created a Blogger Consideration form that they've used to great success.

But there's potential here for the PROs to run afoul of the law as well. Consider the mistake Ann Taylor's Communication team made earlier this year during a launch party. The bloggers they invited were paid to attend, offered a special gift and a chance to win a gift voucher. To qualify for the voucher they had to email their posts to the company's publicist within 24 hours. You could read Jezebel's take down of the event here.

Lots of companies offer freebies to journalists and bloggers, I'm sure fashion magazines couldn't function without swag from the beauty industry. The problem comes when the company tries to dictate coverage rather than facilitate a better understanding of their product and its use.

The public relations professional is going to have to be more aware of relationships and how different media requires different approaches. If media continues to become more mainstream and less "professional" then the way we interact with them is going to change. As always transparency is key.

The above clip is of UK YouTube makeup maven Lauren Luke aka Panacea01

Help A PR Pro Out Day

2010-02-16T22:45:00.002Z

Hey peeps, Friday, February 19th is Help a PR Pro Out Day! Very basically it's a US initiative to help PR professionals to help their collegues. I think the concept can go international, but I'm not sure it has. I did mention it on Twitter.

Anyway, if you have job vacancies, tips, or can help out a PR person in anyway please do. Tag your tweets with the hashtag #HAPPO, and link to your blog with additional details. Good luck to all those who are job hunting, and thanks to those who are helping out.

Help a PR Pro Out Day: Feb 19th 2010.

News: Social Media vs Trad Media

2010-02-14T10:41:00.007Z

A few months ago I wrote a report which looked at the rise in social media news reporting. At the time, Twitter was being praised for pushing the "fair" coverage of the elections in Iran. Some felt new media success meant the traditional news media would lose its relevance.

This report was a first look at the emerging issues:

Mark made a really interesting point during our interview that I couldn't fit no matter how hard I tried. He likened Twitter to a conversation in the bar, explaining that you should judge the information you received based on it's merit and the credentials of the messenger.

He also took to his own blog to discuss the issue further. Twitter was able to succeed because it was new and unestablished, so it was able to hide in plain sight. The users of social media aren't easily identifiable; in some cases they can get close to the action undetected.

A few months later and I think his advice still stands. These days people are getting their breaking news from social media, but research shows they're still turning to traditional media for confirmation. Journalists are going to have to embrace social media more and more when reporting the news. As a journalist I would find that really exciting.

What are celebrities good for?

2010-02-13T16:26:00.020Z

Some of us have nothing good to say about celebrities. They think that people who read gossip mags are sad individuals who need the glitz of another's reality to make theirs bearable. The truth, however, is that we all like gossip and its central to our understanding of our world.

Famous people, for one reason or another, represent the best parts of our culture. They tend to be the best: looking , smartest, slimmest, richest. They become our archetypes. That's why they attract so much attention. We are are attracted to people who have excelled for lessons on how to act.

That's why they are fantastic for PR. The right celebrity can do wonders for your brand. For me both Gatorade and Nike's profiles were boosted by its association with Michael Jordan. Mr Jordan worked because the sports brands made products he could use in his line of work. He was at his peak at the time, and the association benefited both the both of them ( the product & the celebrity).

But it isn't just business that benefits. I like it when celebrities get involved with charities. As archetypes they can draw our attention to unpleasant but important areas of concern. Jade Goody's public death from cervical cancer reminded more UK women how necessary pap smears are to ensuring your health, than any public health campaign ever did.

"If I look at the mass I will never act. If I look at the one, I will."

Mother Teresa

Psychic numbing is a psychological theory that embodies the sentiment expressed by the late Catholic nun. When a crisis happens: the higher the number of victims, the less we care. If the problem seems remote, we aren't inspired to act.

A celebrity face can personalise the crisis, and it has the potential to encourage people to act when they ordinarily won't. If you don't have friends from Haiti, the singer/ producer Wyclef Jean may represent the country to you. When he cries for his country members (230000 of whom have died in the earthquake), you sympathise because you finally have a person who you can identify with, to show you have to respond to this tragedy.

Human beings need leaders, and for better or worse celebrities are our leaders. Don't worry, we aren't completely mindless, but we can't deny that they're a draw.

It must be noted that a celebrity endorsement isn't a guarantee of success, but more on that in a subsequent post.

BBC on Social Media

2010-02-11T18:36:00.006Z

The BBC's director of Global News Peter Horrocks says news journalists have to use social media as a primary source of information. That's how the Guardian is interpreting his missive to staff.

I hope that not what he said through, because that would be silly. You can't depend on social media for your news. That's just taking it to extreme.

If he said, and I suspect he did, that reporters need to make better use of social media in their reporting then fine. That makes sense. Wherever people are gathering, so to is the potential for news. But people don't only gather online, sometimes they aren't tethered to a computer or phone and are having old fashion interaction, and that's newsworthy too.

CNN has done much to embrace social media and incorporate it into its traditional news platform. But its the late-adapters who rule the electronic landscape. Second generation iPods are miles better than the early ones, and its the clone computers that dominate the PC world. In technology it's not who got there first, its who does it best.

I want to see more traditional media houses breaking news online. I want to see journalists using traditional and new media to report. They could file rough edits from the scene, and do a polished story from the set. Something like that. Journalists need to embrace new media, but they shouldn't let it consume them.

Debating CSR

2010-02-11T06:46:00.013Z

The class debate on this issue got really heated. Both teams had really strong points but in the end their discussion reflected the status of the issue called Corporate Social Responsibility. It sounds really good, and companies should engage in it more, but their motives may be suspect and even its effectiveness can be questioned.

So what is CSR?

At its most basic its a tenet that says companies have a social responsibility to the communities in which they are based, serve and profit from. To paraphrase Grunig and & Hunt (1984), "if an organisation does not need to be responsible to its publics, it also does not need a public relations function." Essentially, CSR is the deliberate inclusion of public interest into corporate decision-making, and the honoring of a triple-bottom line: People, Planet, Profit.

This is what I got from the debate.

Pros:

CSR is a great way for business to give back in ways that exceed creating employment. Companies ask a lot from employees, while they pay salaries and may offer benefits, some say the relationship is unbalanced. CSR can address this, companies can contribute to their community so that people can benefit from their expertise and charity without being direct consumers. These activities create goodwill.
Companies support many noble causes through CSR. The Ronald McDonald House Charities, Brita UK supports donates to a different charity ever 2 years, and BP has its A+ for Energy Grants. Some of these are original initiatives, others support existing charities, all provide much needed resources to worthy causes.
Companies can use their expertise to help encourage development. What could be better than a computer company supporting efforts to improve computer literacy worldwide? In 2004, Microsoft partnered with the UNDP to do just that.
Publicity! Companies can get their name out in legitimate news stories by engaging in news-worthy matters.

Cons:

Companies are supposed to make money. To engage in CSR the company must give away some of the shareholders' money.
Successful companies do great things for the community. By providing jobs and paying their employees fairly the company is boosting the economy. Citizens of countries with strong economies are healthier and happier. These people are less dependent on social systems, and are better able to recover from lean periods.
Window dressing, some companies engage in CSR after a particularly bad period. Others do it simply for the publicity while their general business practises are unethical. One apparel company is criticised regularly in the press for using factories staffed with children to make its products. In its most recent CSR report its OEMs admitted to asking (forcing?) staff to work an excessive amount of over-time in their Chinese operations.
Companies do it only for the publicity and could care less about the community.

The result:

The team arguing against CSR won because they were able to present their case effectively. But the truth is CSR is really complex. On paper, it makes complete sense: "good" companies invest in CSR; people like "good" companies; when people like you, business prospers. Unfortunately, that isn't true.

Some companies need CSR to improve their image and boost business, others can do well without it. Apparel companies offer a good argument against CSR. Apparently when it comes to clothes people don't care, low-prices and high fashion are so much a draw that reports that their products are made in sweatshops aren't enough to shut down their business.

Our lecturer added some comments that were missed in the discussion. While companies can aid development, governments are elected to serve the interests of the people, companies aren't. So it won't do giving them too much of a say in developmental decisions, because they aren't accountable to the public in the way governments are.

Some companies don't pay much tax. Governments use taxes to run countries and pay for the social services citizens need. When companies make huge profits, the government also benefits because that profit is taxable. Multi-nationals can get around this by placing their operations in tax-friendly countries so that they can avoid paying too much of their profits.

Some companies can use CSR to enter undeveloped markets and exploit them. Nestlé has been heavily criticised for the way in promotes its baby formula in developing countries. I found a UNICEF article from 2007 that called for stricter laws to prevent the manufacturers of baby formula from doing things like promoting the use of formula on infants under 3 months.

CSR has a lot of potential to live up too. The real problems might lie in convincing businesses to meet them.