Archive for the 'The Biz' Category
August 11th, 2010
In college, I took a class on modern and contemporary American poetry. At some point over the semester, the unofficial slogan for the class became “make it new,” the Ezra Pound directive to the Modernists.
Questionable character though he was, I keep Pound’s advice close to my heart whenever something I’m writing—for work or for myself—seems a little stale. And I thought of Pound once again two weeks ago when I “attended” a day-long Vocus webinar on social media in marketing and communications. During his presentation, David Meerman Scott spent some time discussing “The Gobbledygook Manifesto,” for which, among other things, he polled several journalists to see what “buzz words” they’re tired of seeing in pitches and press releases. According to a slide Scott incorporated into his talk, the number one word, with over 51,000 votes, is “innovate.” (This would also include the derivatives, such as “innovation,” “innovator” or “innovative.”)
Well. Talk about a kick in the pants.
What about when your clients, like ours, are working on real, honest-to-goodness, innovation? What if your clients use “innovation” in their names or their boilerplate language? What if we can’t help but use “innovation” when we talk about them? Are we automatically going to reporters’ spam filters? Is there anything we can do?
Scott moved on to his next slide pretty soon thereafter, but I didn’t. I thought about that slide the rest of the day, and into the next, until it hit me: “make it new.” Don’t talk about innovation the way everyone else is; don’t use the word lightly. Say innovation, but mean it. Don’t just say that something is innovative, explain why. And if the story we’re telling is interesting, but not exactly innovative? Use a thesaurus. Rewrite the sentence. Something, anything, that keeps me from sending the same tired old language to reporters who are tired of receiving it.
I’m a writer by training, so I strongly believe that words carry weight. It was hard for me to realize that I might have been using the wrong ones. But this kick in the pants might have been exactly what I needed, not just to improve my writing but also to make the people I’m writing to take notice. And so, reporters of the world, take note: I’m going to try for a little more Modernism, a little less clichĂ©, and a whole lot of clarity. I’m going to take the communications tools we use every day … and I’m going to do my best to make them new.
March 9th, 2010
Image: Flickr user Ivan Walsh
Oh joy—another PR Tools discussion! Last we spoke, I argued for the importance for the press release in the PR industry. I still stand by my statement that “the press release is the foundation of any earned media campaign,” but just as one must adapt to live, one must also accept change to survive in the PR industry.
In the last eighteen months, Twitter and Facebook and other social networks, such as Chatroulette, have taken off. In order to exceed the status quo we (and other PR professionals as well) have had to adapt our styles, techniques and tools to maintain our audiences’ attention.
So how long do we have to maintain someone’s attention? According to Wikipedia, the average adult will only focus on something for eight seconds unless the person engages in a sustained focus—the act of actively concentrating on an object or task at hand for twenty minutes or more. This means that we have less than ten seconds to seduce our readers into an uninterrupted focus on our press release. Catchy headlines and sub-headers are nice and dandy but what better way to tempt our readers than to include pictures, slideshows, etc. in the press release? Websites like PitchEngine (an ELISE favorite) allow for graphics and videos to stream while the viewer reads or skims the release. Since publishing our NCIIA March Madness for the Mind 2010 release on PitchEngine it has been viewed over 300 times.
As society begins to rely more heavily on visual news rather than the written word, the PR industry must be malleable and willing to conform to new practices and techniques that will emotionally entice the reader and motivate them to read about the story. It isn’t enough to have a well-written story any more; graphics and visuals are necessary. How will you incorporate them into your next PR campaign?
February 12th, 2010
Wow, it’s been awhile since last we covered a PR Tool. Between planning for Tech4Society, March Madness for the Mind 2010, the opening of Marvels + Ciphers and signing new clients, we at ELISE have been very busy. Part of the reason for our busy schedules has to do with the amount of press releases we have been pumping out lately.
Speaking of press releases, I have been hearing lately that press releases, like print media, are dead. I am going to argue otherwise. Since the general public is still relying on journalists for their news, journalists are still counting on press releases—and related targeted pitches from their trusted sources— for the most concise information.
The press release is the foundation for any earned media campaign.  It helps frame the argument and position the story for a reporter—and the general public— whether or not it is put on the Wire or even used in its entirety. No media campaign is complete without a well-written press release.
As you know, the times have changed, and our PR Tools have evolved to meet current technology and communication needs. The next PR Tools post will talk about the natural progression of the traditional release into social media press releases, a contemporary and useful PR tool.
December 4th, 2009
Each time it’s my turn on the blog, I like to write about the things I’ve been pondering.
Maybe it’s because I recently began re-reading my sociology text-books, but lately I’ve been thinking a lot about popular culture: its roots, its meaning, how it shifts over time. Culture doesn’t change overnight. Shifts are often reflective of historical movements and societal attitudes that have adjusted in kind. However, amidst the ebb and flow of trends and themes in pop culture, one thing is constant: the media is the driving force behind it. Being in public relations, we interact with the media on a daily basis and are acutely aware of its influence.
News, technology, music and movies, we take cues from the media for everything from the latest fashion craze to when we should buy and sell. The media influences our behavior as consumers, and one of its most powerful tools for doing so is advertising, subtly and not–so-subtly woven into commercials, magazines, the fabric of our lives. (I’ll bet you started thinking about cotton. See?) While we in PR certainly work frequently with the media, advertising and marketing are more directly vehicles of media itself.
One trend that has become more noticeable in the last few years is customized marketing. Increasingly, products are hitting the market that are intended for consumers to fit to their personalized preferences, and ad campaigns have followed suit. We have the iPod, Pandora Internet radio and even Build-a-Bear for the younger set of shoppers. The focus is on choice, and having many options to select what resonates with you.
Burger King and Starbucks, two of the most recognizable consumer brands are prime examples of this customized marketing. BK has long encouraged you to “have it your way.” And while standing in line at the latte mecca to fuel up for Black Friday, I read a sign that said: “Your drink should be perfect, every time.” I agree with Starbucks, but the skeptic in me wonders whether this pervasive trend in marketing and advertising is just a clever ruse designed to make us think we’re in control of our purchasing power (when really it’s simply encouraging us to buy more stuff)—or are times a-changing? Are the tables turning in favor of a society that is influencing the media, instead of the other way around? It seems that user generated content and the filters that allow us to search it are the wave of the future.
It is worth acknowledging that America has always been a culture of individuals. From a young age we are encouraged by parents and teachers to “be ourselves” instead of going with the crowd. Is it possible that this trend in advertising is not so much a trend at all, but evidence that the media is bolstering that autonomous American sentiment? Or is it all a clever trick?
Personally, I’m on the fence, but what do you think?
November 25th, 2009
ATTENTION! VERY IMPORTANT!
I guess I don’t have to cyber scream it, but it grabbed your attention didn’t it? Much the same way the the media alert would.
What is a media alert? A media alert or media advisory, is a tool used by PR professionals to interest media about an announcement or upcoming event. Media alerts are to-the-point and answer the questions who, what, when, where and why in less than a page. They are effective because they draw the journalist in without losing them in the extra verbiage that press releases and media kits tend to contain.
Recently, I have noticed that some PR professionals are using Twitter and Facebook statuses to promote their clients. I understand where this trend is coming from, but I would suggest that these methods and practices are not as effective in securing TV and print coverage as the media alert. As far as I know, journalists are not going to hop on their Twitter or Facebook accounts to find their next story. Just look at how little journalists use other social networking sites, such as LinkedIn. Our trip to the Philadelphia Inquirer a few weeks ago reaffirms my belief that journalists working at traditional media outlets just are not ready to fully embrace the 140 character trends sweeping the industry. Yes, the journalist enjoys bite-sized information but sometimes 140 characters just isn’t enough and clicking the provided Web link is an extra step not worth taking. Journalists are busy, and the more work we do in advance the greater the potential for positive results. We are nothing if not thorough at ELISE.
Five years from now the traditional media alert might be totally extinct, but as for now it still reigns as king with us.
November 6th, 2009
Image credit: Flickr user Matthew & Jenny
If you check out our Web site, you’ll see a quick note on ELISE communications’ location in Philadelphia. We love our Old City office; we love that we’re two blocks from Penn’s Landing, three blocks from the Liberty Bell and almost directly behind Betsy Ross’s house. We love seeing tour guides in colonial garb leading groups of schoolchildren through America’s most historic square mile and the sound of hooves as horse-drawn carriages carry tourists right past our front door.
But as much as we love Philadelphia, we’ve found that outside of South Jersey and the Five-County Area, we’re not in the majority opinion. This week, two major Philly-related events—the 2009 World Series and the Transit Workers Union strike—have once again cast Philly in a less-than-positive light. This isn’t good PR for the city, but it’s even worse PR for the people in the spotlight in these stories. So I thought this could be a good opportunity to look at the individual situations from a PR perspective and address how to make the situation more positive. Not by putting a “spin” on the situation that already exists, but by looking at next steps going forward.
Cole Hamels “Can’t Wait” for the Season to End
After the Phillies won the 2008 World Series (the first in nearly thirty years), Cole Hamels was named series MVP. Baseball fans from all over the Delaware Valley couldn’t wait to ride Hamels’ coattails back to another championship. And we very nearly made it there—but no thanks to our former ace. Hamels had an inconsistent season at best, and the Phillies 2009 NLCS victory seemed won more in spite of the pitcher than because of him. And after an inauspicious start in Game 3 of the World Series, in which Cole Hamels blew the Phillies 3-0 lead against the Yankees (final score was 8-5, Yankees), Hamels told the media: “I can’t wait for it to end. It’s been mentally draining,” sending Phillies “phans” and sports talk radio commentators into a tizzy. Although he clarified that, should the series go to the full seven games, he’d still work hard to deliver a win, the damage was done. Even Hamels’ teammates were allegedly upset by his remarks.
Analysis: There’s a song in Damn Yankees—a musical about baseball and a statement I agree with after the World Series—called “You’ve Gotta Have Heart.” Cole Hamels does, and he was wearing his on his sleeve at that press conference. Hamels has remarked that his words were taken out of context, but that’s a risk everyone takes when talking to the media. If ELISE was in his PR team’s shoes, now that the Series is over, I’d see to it that our client gets plenty of rest and gets to spend time with his wife and newborn son, who was born the same day Hamels threw a losing game in the NLDS series. And above all, I’d make sure everyone knows how excited our client is for the 2010 baseball season, and how hard he’s working to have a better year than the last. Hamels can still show he’s got heart—he just needs to prove that it’s in the right place.
TWU Local 234 Walks Out of Contract Negotiations and Goes on Strike; All Bus, Subway and Trolley Service within Philadelphia City Limits Suspended
Very few issues in Philadelphia can get more heated than our sports talks, but this is definitely one of them. Philly’s a very pro-union town, but few people outside of Local 234’s administration are backing the union on this one—even, I’ve heard, many union members themselves. The union first threatened to go on strike while the World Series was in Philadelphia, the Eagles were hosting the Giants and Pearl Jam was performing a four-night stand at the Wachovia Spectrum, but held off until Tuesday of this week—which was election day. Rumors and reports on the strike have abounded since, but one thing is clear: people are angry. Not at the city or SEPTA administrators for not working with the union, but at union leaders for being so out-of-touch with the current economic climate. Even Governor Rendell said that the union was crazy not to accept the deal they were offered just before the strike. TWU Local 234 President Willie Brown hasn’t helped himself any by referring to Mayor Nutter as “Little Caesar,” a statement that’s been met with both ridicule and confusion. As I write this post, Local 234 remains on strike, and the El station a block away remains shuttered. I’ve been driving to work since Tuesday. Although the latest reports indicate that the union is considering a revised offer, the general feeling in the Philly blogosphere and beyond seems to be that whatever the offer is, it’s more than the union deserves.
Analysis: SEPTA struck for a week in 2005 and for over a month in 1998. Three strikes in eleven years isn’t a great track record, and it’s certainly not a way to get into the public’s good graces. If ELISE was handed the public relations responsibilities for the Transit Workers Union Local 234, there are a few things I’d suggest our client do to help with public opinion—beginning, first and foremost, with asking that they consider an essential services clause in their contract. Such clauses are already in the Philadelphia Police Department and Philadelphia Fire Departments’ contracts, and basically prohibit or put restrictions on the ability of a union to strike because the job done by the union is necessary to the functioning of the city it services. This would be a good-faith gesture on the part of the Union, making it clear that they respect the citizens of Philadelphia enough not to leave them stranded again. Additionally, I’d propose that the union suggest SEPTA give free rides within city limits every weekend for a month. It would be a good way to get press to cover Local 234 in a positive way, and it would help make up for some of the cost and inconvenience of the strike to the public. Finally, I would also strongly encourage Local 234 President Willie Brown not to seek re-election when his term expires in a few months’ time. He already understands that he’s the “most-hated man in Philadelphia,” and it’s hard to overcome an obstacle like that. New leadership would give the TWU a fresh start, and if the new president worked to build bridges with Philadelphians rather than burn them, then perhaps he or she would find a more sympathetic public the next time the union’s contract is up for renewal.
What about you, ELISE friends and PR pros? If you were doing PR for one of Philly’s more controversial denizens, how would you make sure that things go from bad to good, instead of from bad to worse? Leave us a comment and let us know your strategy!
October 28th, 2009
Ah, the media kit— a clever, creative and oftentimes colorful way to convey your message in a concrete fashion. Many agencies have shied away from such marketing collateral in an effort to participate in the more cost-efficient and trendy 140-characters-or-less banter, but we at ELISE love the media kit and welcome them with open arms. In fact, we pride ourselves in bringing traditional press kits back into popularity.
Why? Because when most people are overwhelming your inboxes with poorly researched pitches and press releases, we are reconnecting with an old friend through a delivery from UPS or FedEx.
The media kit pulls the journalist into the story the same way the journalist pulls the reader into their stories—artfully juxtaposing words and images. Marketingterms.com claims “there are no static rules, and media kits vary greatly.” One campaign could be advocating for social change and an end to poverty, while another is informing the media of an upcoming event in San Francisco. But all are designed to ultimately grab the attention of the recipient and inspire them to ask questions about the enclosed message.
A journalism professor of mine once said: “as much as I used to loathe getting information from PR professionals, I always took the time to open their press kits because there was a certain radiating passion that went into the composition of that particular package.”
Speaking of college days, let’s take a trip down memory lane. Every college memory starts with one piece of mail—the acceptance package. There is a similarity between the intentions of a college acceptance letter and a press kit. Colleges and universities are still mailing out acceptances every year because they understand the significance and the perceived intimacy that goes along with receiving a piece of mail.
Media kits convey the same messages. Though not always life changing, the PR professional has chosen you, the reporter, to receive this particular package because they know that you will appreciate the gesture and that you also care about the messages, facts and suggestions hidden inside this piece of art. It is a personalized, professional way of saying “I thought this might interest you.”
October 21st, 2009
My new favorite thing to read is The New Yorker. It always surprises me. Case in point, this past weekend I read a story about Kroll, Inc. Coincidentally, I was talking to an old client last Friday from Marsh Inc., a sister company to Kroll and part of the family of Marsh & McLennan Companies. I was managing the Marsh Portland account around the time it purchased Kroll from Jules Kroll, its founder.
Jules, I learned from The New Yorker article, is an interesting fellow and his opinions only add to the intrigue of Kroll—a risk-mitigation firm that functions as an investigator-meets-crisis-communications partner for mostly private companies. Sounds a little like Law and Order, my favorite show.
You might have read my post from a few weeks ago about how one of the good decisions that successful companies make is to hire females. And, it turns out that Jules Kroll echoed that same sentiment in this interview:
“I like to mix it up. You need at least one woman on any team. She’ll have a different view.”
It was interesting to see that his view concurred with the Pepperdine research. Interesting in particular to me, as he was part of a publicly-traded Wall Street firm in an industry which I found to be sorely lacking females and very male. It’s the type of environment that is more often than not about golf, drinking and swearing. And don’t get me wrong, I like some of these activities.
“A different view,” to quote Jules. Does that mean better? Unlike? Dissimilar? Or perhaps, it just completes the picture. And, he had other ideas that any entrepreneur and leader of a company (whether female or male) can learn from:
(1)        Build client trust: “You gain their trust, they’re going to want to try your soup and your dessert.”
(2)        Diversify your service offerings: “Once you’ve been invited to someone’s dining room to feed them, you want to have more than salad to offer.”
This too is similar to what we hold most sacred at ELISE: our contacts. Clients and contacts and operating a relationship-based business, that, oh yeah, has a few females. This is what we find is the recipe for success at ELISE.
October 12th, 2009
PR professionals have a few standard tools that we tend to utilize on a day-to-day basis—the press release, the media alert, the pitch and talking points. Everything else—the research, templates, internal tracking/monitoring documents, etc.—differs from agency to agency.
Over the next few weeks I plan to run a series of posts about the importance of some of the PR tools we at ELISE communications create and implement everyday.
Today, I would like to focus on the importance of talking points. Whether preparing for a meeting with a journalist or a major press conference, it is important for a PR firm to provide their clients valid and up-to-date talking points. Talking points are exactly what they sound like: a list of key messages that ideally would come up in conversation that are also relevant to both parties involved. Ample research and a firm understanding of the person you are representing are key when drafting a set of talking points.
I know there are many people in this world that think they are excellent at on-the-fly responses and do not need to do advanced work, but oftentimes those are the people that end up having to back-peddle and reword or stumble over their responses. I recently witnessed my brother play a phenomenal football game against the Air Force Academy and (not to brag) score the game-winning points for the Naval Academy. He was then whisked away to participate in a press conference (his first—hopefully not his last). After viewing the conference I realized how useful a set of talking points might have been in that situation. Yes, he had an idea of what they would be asking him about, but no, I don’t think he was ready for the curve ball question: “So when was the last time you missed a field goal?” Someone else had to respond for him to prevent the pregnant pause: “Two games ago. Next question!” Thankfully, the other questions that followed were not as awkward, and I think he did fabulously for someone I know to be very humble and shy.
Hours later I received the phone call from Joey and the first thing he said to me was: “Chrissy, man I really could have used some talking points in that press conference! Do you know of anyone who might be able to help with that?”
Image courtesy of Joe Buckley. (Photo is from a Navy game against Pittsburgh earlier this year.)
September 30th, 2009
I am a female entrepreneur. And, if you follow our blog or read our site, you know that this is the second company that I have founded.
I choose not to talk much about me and let my staff and clients’ voices ring much louder, but being a female and running a company in a horrible economy has compelled me recently to consider—more closely—why and how we are surviving. Yes, we are unique and working in a niche industry, but I am thinking that the recipe for our success might have something to do with, dare, I say it, gender?
When I founded my first company, my fifty–year–old male business partner observed that I do not use my “sex” to succeed. That would be correct. More than anything, I tend to “use” my mind and words and not body and actions to get ahead.
My mother-in-law sent me an article recently from the Utne Reader. The first sentence of the article asks “How do businesses gain advantages in tough economic times?”  The answer the article offers: “promote more women.” The story discusses Pepperdine research which concluded that there is a correlation between high-level female executives and business success. The basic reasoning of the study findings is as follows: profitable companies have top executives that make smart decisions. One of the smart decisions these executives who run these successful companies make is to hire women “…so that regardless of gender, the best brains are available to continue making smart, and profitable, decisions.”
Is it regardless of gender or because of it? I would be interested to hear your opinion, men and women, in the comments.
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