When we created energi PR, we brought together the leadership and expertise from two successful agencies, as well as a roster of great clients. And one of the benefits for me was that in addition to consumer and corporate, we now had a healthcare practice. Anyone who’s worked in that sector understands its complexities and how different it is from consumer PR.
Add social media to the mix and there are even more hurdles and yes, many opportunities too. Patients are sharing resources on research and treatments, asking questions and voicing concerns, bloggers are presenting their perspective, communities of interest are forming. And pharma/healthcare organizations are looking for an Rx to navigate this challenging environment where the exchange of information extends beyond regulatory environments and national borders.
energi is pleased to be one of the sponsors of the first eye for pharma – eMarketing Canada conference, coming to Toronto on November 1 and 2.
The two-day event features thought-leaders from the healthcare industry, experienced marketers, physicians and regulators with a social media/digital super panel moderated by PAAB commissioner Ray Chepesiuk.
Sessions include:
Identifying top digital trends for 2011
Code of ethical practices that extends beyond compliance
Using social media to effectively connect with consumers
Establishing behaviour and needs of the online pharmacist and nurse
Reaching physicians and switching to online CME (continuing medical education)
Revolutionizing the way pharma events in Canada are planned, recruited, managed and tracked
I’m looking forward to the case studies and best practices and to gain an understanding of the social media healthcare landscape. Hope to see you there.
This is the beginning of ’the tweet in review’, a regular feature on my blog that highlights some interesting, helpful or amusing tweets I’ve read in a given week. Essentially, it’s my twitter notes. Have a look and let me know what you think.
Sometimes, the volume of data that passes before us is a bit daunting. Here’s a 10 month compendium for ’10: @lorirtaylor 50 of the Best Twitter Guides, Stats, Tips and Tools of 2010 (So Far) - http://ht.ly/2UbSj
Has anyone Googled google-ization: @Alltop_Social Amazing List Of Every Google Product And How Much We Depend On Them http://bit.ly/aJsbbd.
Publish books by pressing send: @caroljsroth Barnes & Noble releases PubIt! Ebook tool. What are your thoughts? http://bit.ly/cA6gEq.
Creation by curation-a new approach to journalism: @jayrosen_nyu One of the most optimistic signs in journalism is the evolution of people like Storify’s Burt Herman http://jr.ly/5g5a.
I think my journey on Twitter has been similar to that of many folks. I began perplexed and frustrated until I gave it a second (or third or fourth) try and then bumped around a bit till it started to make sense. That happened around the time I was able to conjugate the verb ‘to tweet’ in public.
On Inside PR #2.23, Gini, Joe and I talk about Twitter, how we use it, which platforms we’re on and the value it brings to communications.
And, as much as some thrive on the ego-boost of new followers, balanced, of course, by the reality check of those who fall by the wayside, Twitter is more than a quasi-religious experience. For me, it’s the people I subscribe to and the insights and information they share, the things I can pass along to others and how I’m able to keep up with certain topics and late-breaking news.
So how do I manage the ebb and flow? Hootsuite is my base for Twitter and a few of the other social networks I’m on. I still use the main Twitter platform, which has improved of late. But it’s more like a starter home; the one you soon outgrow and then move onto a 3,000 sf third-party app (with attached URL shortener and AC, no less). On my BB, I use the Twitter App and sometimes UberTwitter.
Will Twitter replace my RSS? I don’t think so. It’s more of an RSS add-on. The big difference is that RSS doesn’t pass by in an instant, while Twitter is like a watching a never-ending parade.
Have a listen to the podcast and let us know what you think.
What’s the ROI? That ubiquitous question is on the minds of brand managers, PR folks, marketers and business people everywhere. Of course, it comes up a lot in social media where we still haven’t stumbled on that one surefire way to measure our programs’ success.
Last week, Third Tuesday Toronto held a full-day session on social media measurement featuring panel discussions with industry thought-leaders, supplier presentations and an insightful opening keynote by KD Paine. (She also wrote a great post about the panel she moderated on future trends.)
There was much discussion, both in the room and online. Here’s a snapshot of my twitter notes from the event:
#ttmm @KDPaine Most trad ad measurement models were flawed because they didn’t measure earned media
#ttmm @KDpaine you need 3 tools for measurement: listening tool, research to find out what they’re thinking, web analytics
#ttmm @igrigorik @postrank 80 pct of engagement w/ content happens off a content generator’s site; 50 pct happens within 1st half-hr
#ttmm @igrigorik to spread an idea, you need to look beyond highly connected networks and find people at the edges for cross-communication
#ttmm @dbarefoot – influencers often don’t usually start innovations online, they amplify them
#ttmm @pierreloic-5 Rules to measure online influence: frame problem, be multidimensional, complexity as needed, be flexible, share insights
#ttmm @pierreloic ‘land grab’ between mkt & PR for soc media; each could emerge as leader as a driving force
#ttmm @davidalston when do you snap the ROI in soc media? Relationships are an asset that you can continue to build on
As you might imagine, there were more questions than answers. But there were actionable takeaways for communicators, too. Now it’s up to us to encourage our clients to look beyond impressions and those big shiny numbers we all love and start thinking about how we can engage people, entertain, inform and help them in a way that’s meaningful and encourages them to help us. Measurement through reciprocal behaviours.
Given that the session was so relevant to PR folks, I was surprised how few agencies sent representatives. I hope this isn’t another example of PR being slow to react and missing out on an opportunity to help lead the conversation.
As an industry, we need to stop thinking about who we were and focus on who we want to be. For me that’s content creators/producers, curators, community-builders. And, of course strategic thinkers focused on value and measurable results.
Will we get there? Right now I believe some of us will.
Special thanks to Joe Thornley, Canada’s social media community-builder for putting it all together (and for asking me to moderate a panel).
It didn’t matter that I’m the instructor, yesterday I had first-day jitters for my social media course. This was amplified a bit when, at 9:05, I looked around the computer lab and no one was there (we start at 9 a.m.). Turned out the class was listed in two rooms and the students were doing the same thing as me: patiently waiting and wondering what was going on.
Once we got settled, we reviewed the course outline and I talked about social media in general and the things we’d be covering and from the questions and looks on some faces, I remembered again how new social media is to most people.
It’s so easy for those of us who have been involved in social media for several years or more to take it for granted and assume it’s as commonplace as a news release, when in fact it isn’t.
And whether we’re talking to students, clients, bosses, colleagues or friends, we shouldn’t make assumptions. We should define the terms clearly and simply, explain how the various tools work and what their benefits are and answer questions with patience and good humour. Those of us conversant in social media need to step back and realize that, as with anything else, there’s a learning curve.
I know I had it – have it, really, because one of the things I like best about social media is how it’s still evolving and there’s so much for all of us to understand.
And really when you get right down to it, aren’t we all students of social media right now?
As we head into Labour Day and the annual Jerry Lewis Telethon, it’s a question that popped into my head.
Not because MDA was one of the early organizations to live stream a broadcast. Nor because their website features Facebook, emotional videos, Twitter and a tote board with a live countdown to the show.
No, this goes back further than that – to the way slapschtick comic Jerry Lewis took on a cause that was close to his heart and lent his celebrity, energy and time to build an engaged community around it. And the approach he used reminds me a lot of social media.
Here’s why:
He started small and built a community – the telethon began in 1955 and raised $600,000 (I got that from the MDA twitter feed). From there it grew to a ‘Love Network’ that spanned North America.
He’s in it for the long haul – Lewis says he’ll keep raising money till they find a cure – and 55 years later no one would question his commitment.
He understands relationships – look at the way he kibbitzes with the doctors and researchers, sponsors and celebrities. And more importantly, look at the respect he gives the folks (mostly kids and their famillies) who are affected by neuromuscular disease.
He interweaves local and global – whether it’s a grassroots fundraising event or a high profile charity concert, a small business donation or a corporation’s big cheque, hometown TV personalities or Vegas stars – everyone feels a part of the story.
The organization has grown, created ambassadors and helped many people. And it’s not surprising they’ve embraced social media too. In many ways, they were there from the start. I hope they beat their goal again and find a cure for muscular dystrophy. So tune in, laugh, cry and think about giving to this worthy cause. And follow the conversation #MDATelethon.
By the way, the telethon is also one of my favourite TV experiences. You can read about that here.
Most of us learn about social media from the school of hard clicks. We Stumbleupon sites…download apps…subscribe to blogs…read and bookmark cases…tweet out links…test our ideas…and gain a working knowledge along the way.
And now there are also academic courses if you’re looking to understand social media in a more formalized environment (plug alert).
This fall on September 11 (not the greatest date to begin anything) and continuing for 14 Saturdays, I’ll be at McMaster University teaching a course in social media for PR. It’s the second time I’m offering it.
The class combines communications theory with practical instruction in social media tools in order to get a strategic grounding in them. We learn by listening, sharing, tweeting, discussing, collaborating, analysing and doing.
First day starts with an overview of where we are in the social space including getting the whole class on Twitter (under the hashtag #macsocmed). I’ll also be introducing the students to the blogs of some of the more influential PR and marketing thought leaders.
The core assignment for students is creating a blog about a subject they’re passionate about and then researching, writing and editing posts, adding links, visuals and video and building and engaging a community. Last year reading and discussing the blogs, which ranged from local politics to corporate social responsibility to moving into and renovating your first house to finding a job, was one of my favourite parts of the course.
Once the students have found their blog voices, I’ll introduce them and share some of our collective learnings and observations. I’ll also be asking you for your thoughts from time to time.
Here’s where you go for more information on the class and how to sign up.
It’s Saturday morning (9 am to noon) and worth the drive to Hamilton (I hope).
On Inside PR #2.17,Gini Dietrich and I talked about ghost blogging, a subject that has been haunting the blogosphere for a long time. Much has been written about the ethics surrounding it. It’s a debate about authorship and authority. If your name appears on a blog, you should be the person who writes it. Of course there are exceptions, like clearly identified guest posts, but other than that, the ‘rules’ are pretty rigid.
At the risk of unleashing the ire of ghost busters, I wonder if this approach has become too simplistic.
Blogs have moved beyond digital journals to become an effective publishing format. Seth Godin’s recent views on shifting from traditional to electronic publishing tie into this. Social media newsrooms are essentially blog platforms designed to distribute and share content and news without a single author’s point of view. With the confluence of portable digital devices, all-access Wi-Fi and the need to conserve scarce resources (i.e. trees), it’s easy to see how ‘blogger’ could become synonymous with ‘publisher’. A blog house could be the 21st century version of publishing house, home to commercial and non-commercial fiction, non-fiction, humour, travel, cooking, business, text books, anything really – even nameless instruction manuals. Now imagine we add video and real-time conversation to the mix…
I’m not saying we should abandon personal voices and ideas. Far from it. That’s where innovation begins before heading on its circuitous path from indie to establishment.
We should all strive for transparency and authenticity, yet maybe the blog-of-old has outgrown its initial framework and ghost blogging is no longer the issue it once was. Like the printing press, blogs could evolve into the catalyst that reshapes and redefines publishing. Now that’s a bestseller I wouldn’t want to miss!
I’ve never been a big fan of Apple products. I tried a Mac a year ago and discovered that maybe I’m not that intuitive. I use an iPod at the gym, but haven’t attempted the sophistication of playlists. I’m a shuffle kind of guy.
I guess that’s my way of saying I never had iPad envy. Sure the device looks good, but I’d struggled with the iPhone’s keyboard and thought iPad would be more of the same. Besides I hate lining up for anything; it’s too much like those old images of Soviets waiting for hours for a roll of toilet paper.
But…all that aside, I saw people I know and respect using iPads, heard them extolling its virtues, exclaiming what a breakthrough device it was. So I succumbed. I put my name on a list and waited. And after I got the email telling me it had arrived, I went to the Eaton Centre bought it, took it out of the box and was immediately struck by buyer’s remorse.
And then, I loaded my first apps (is that also short for Apple?) – Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, WordPress, Kindle – and each effortlessly appeared. At first, I felt like Neil Armstrong on the moon. I was moving in a direction I wanted to go though it sure felt cumbersome.
Once I stopped looking for the start button and mastered some Apple idiosynchracies, things got a lot better. Though I’m still not great at selecting and moving text – I opt to retype.
But when @thornley told me about Reeder, the RSS heavens parted. All of a sudden I could catch up and manage my blog feeds in a way I hadn’t been able to for a long time. The interface is fun and functional and the portability of the iPad means I can read them wherever I have a few minutes and don’t have to feel laptop-bound.
Do I need an iPad? Do I need a latte in the morning? Not really. Both are guilty pleasures, I suppose.
I do have to hand it to Apple for taking Internet portability to a new level and coming up with a visual-verbal-content-device. It reminds me a bit of the Moleskin notebook in its utility and minimalist-cool design.
I remember the first time I bought a Moleskin, took it to a cafe and started writing. I felt like a real expat author, even though I was still in Canada and wasn’t wearing a beret.
I get a similar feeling with the iPad. I’m just glad it didn’t come with a hat.
Note: this was written and most of the links added on the iPad WordPress app and then cleaned up with additional links added on a laptop. If anyone can tell me an easy way to add links on the WordPress app, I’d really appreciate it.
And I want to say a big thank you to both of you for thinking of me! It’s much appreciated.
And… if you want to hear more (watch out for the plug), I hope you’ll check out Inside PR, the weekly podcast where Gini Dietrich, Joe Thornley and I talk about what’s happening in PR and social media.
I feel privileged to be of the Toronto folks selected to spread the word about Virgin America’s new TO/LA or SF flights. Actually, when I first got the email offerng a ticket, I thought it was a scam. It wasn’t!
So here I am, in-flight, and posting from 30,000 feet (or so). OK, I know this is no moon walk, but it’s feels pretty amazing being connected up on high.
Well, they’re friendly and helpful – from check-in to the gate to the plane – and they have a more casual and humourous attitude than some of the other airlines I fly. You see it in the FAA-required info video, produced as a quirky animation (‘if you’re one of the .00001% of the population that doesn’t know how to buckle a seatbelt, here’s how you do it…’). From a design perspective, the interior reminded me of an old house renovated and modernized with stylish colours and accents. I liked having the option of chatting with people in other seats via the AV system – not that I did. And of course, there’s the wi-fi… Would I fly it again? I guess I should really wait till we land before answering, but I so far absolutely. Would I recommend it to people? Yes.
As I was sitting in the airport waiting to board and thinking about my post, it occurred to me that it would be the result of being pitched and, like a media person PR firms invite to an event, there was a reciprocal, if implicit, expectation in place. I would receive the free trip and, in exchange, hopefully be motivated to share my experience.
I first heard about this concept of reciprocity from author and psychologist Robert Cialdini. The essence is simple: if I give you something, you will feel an obligation to give me something in return.
And really that’s the core of media/blogger relations. We provide a story/information/news and hope that we get editorial coverage. I also wondered whether the reciprocity might make me (or anyone) a little kinder in my review (they gave me something after all). Probably.
Because so many PR people are blogging, we often find ourselves on the other side of the request. (We talked about this on Inside PR 2.13.) And this gives us an opportunity to experience what a pitch feels like. I always suggest that young practitioners try their hand at being published (and yes blogs count!) so they can gain an understanding of a journalist’s perspective more clearly. And hopefully, by empathizing and learning we will improve our approach.
But back to the matter at hand. I’m ready for more pitches and I sure do like cars .
I fly fairly regularly – not enough for the perks of super-elite status, but enough to be bumped around through the maze of disappointing service that is Air Canada.
Sometimes I’m surprised by a staff member who is helpful or friendly. Mostly it’s a mildly irritating experience at best.
However, I’m tired of complaining about the airline as they don’t listen or seem to care. So, this will be my final gripe. After that, I’m resigned to accept that lacklustre service is part of the brand.
But…on a recent visit to California, a couple of small things stood out as further examples of AC’s failure to communicate.
The first happened at the Toronto airport when the airline ‘changed equipment’, we discovered we’d lost our seats and, like many others, were no longer guaranteed a place on the flight. I pleaded for clemency as I was part of a wedding party and would have missed the ceremony if they didn’t let us on. In the end, a kind young man stepped forward and offered his seat. But much of the angst might have been avoided with a quick email informing passengers of the situation, the potential SNAFU and our options – we know they have our email address.
On the way home we were on-board and ordered snacks. The menu advertised a 10 per cent discount on purchases over $10 in June and July. However, when I got my receipt, it was for the full amount. Now, we’re not talking a lot of money here, but when I mentioned this to the flight attendant, he said the machines must have been reprogrammed and wouldn’t allow the discount or a refund, but he could make up the difference in snacks.
This seems like a case where the AC bean-counters turned a promise into something as worthless as a ‘hill of beans’ (that you could probably buy from them for $3).
A little later, the FA said AC almost never informs staff when equipment is changed and they only find out when passengers grumble. Here’s a thought: how about spending a little more effort communicating with flight attendants and front-line reps; empowering them with information that they, in turn, could share with the passengers. Pretty basic stuff.
I’m just glad to hear Virgin Airlines is now flying out of Toronto. Thanks to Klout, I get a chance to sample the service later in the month. From what I’ve heard, this will be a welcome change. I can’t wait.
Last year, after live-tweeting from Counselors Academy’s annual conference, I noticed my Twitter feed had become my notes for the sessions. So I used them in a blog post to capture the flavour of the event.
Counselors is, as I’ve said many times, my PR highlight of the year. If you run an agency, it’s a gathering like no other. And, if you haven’t been there before, it’s hard to describe the exhilarating energy of being in a room with so many bright people, most of whom share your interests, challenges and entrepreneurial dreams.
I’ve made some of my best friends in PR at Counselors. In fact, that’s where I met my new business partners, Carol and Esther, and first had a chance to get to know them. Long before she and I had an inkling that we might be working together, Esther put my name forward as the Canadian rep on the executive committee. So, I guess, energi PR has its roots in Counselors.
Here are 10 Twitter highlights from CA2010 in Asheville (in no particular order):
@bgindra: We learn visually, not by words; video stories are becoming more and more important.
@jaybaer: Many mobile developers have platforms that you can tweak and customize; you don’t need to start from scratch.
@jaybaer: Social media success factors: broaden your horizons, sell ingredients, not entrees, embrace math, adjust to 24/7.
@darrylsalerno: If the 1st and last letters of a word are in the right place, it’s hard to tell if it’s misspelled.
@darrylsalerno: 500 most used English words have 14,000 meanings.
@ambercadabra: We over complicate social media; it’s just communications. Need to get over our obsession w/ tools & focus on intent.
@ambercadabra: B/c social media was labelled media, we want to apply trad media metrics, which don’t work.
@elisemitch: When you’re building a biz you need to consider how you deal with change, both up and down.
@briansolis: Try writing story in 120 characters so it can be RT’d.
@briansolis: Today PR agencies function top to bottom; need to have most senior people on the frontlines.
Of course, there was so much more wonderful talk and ideas that weren’t captured in 140 or less – like the after-hours drinks and conversations, the Sorry game, the 60s banquet, prom-night in Ashville and, the wonderful southern hospitality of Justin Brackett. You can also read Gini Dietrich’s thoughts here, Abbie Fink’smusings or Dana Hughens‘ post for some other perspectives.
If you run an independent PR agency, it’s not too early to start thinking about Counselors 2011.
It was a funny feeling – announcing our merger, creating a whole new energi, so to speak, and then having to rush off to Hamilton for two days; 15 hours of lectures/instruction at McMaster to a group of smart, local business people who wanted to learn about social media.
And while I enjoyed the sessions, I felt a bit dislocated being away from the action after the initial burst of merger excitement. This week, neither Gini Dietrich nor I were able to record Inside PR. (Gini was injured on her bike but is OK; and you know about me.)
So I want to thank Joe Thornley, the other member of our triumvirate, for zooming solo and interviewing my new partners, Esther Buchsbaum and Carol Levine and giving them a chance to talk about our new venture and plans!
Today we told staff and clients. We’re posting a news release on our respective sites and on our new site – which really is ‘under construction’ till early July. And tomorrow morning, we’re live on the wire.
So what does this mean? All Palette and MECA staff is coming to the new company and everyone will have more opportunities to work on new projects and take on fresh challenges. We’ll be an independent, national and bilingual agency with offices in Toronto and Montreal. Palette will be move into MECA’s Toronto office. And I’m really looking forward to getting to know and working with all my new colleagues.
We’re specializing in PR, social media/digital and corporate communications and building traditional and new PR/social media into our agency right from the start so we’ll be able to seamlessly integrate the two. I’m going to be the Toronto managing partner and will lead the firm’s digital practice.
I’ve known my other two managing partners, Esther Buchsbaum and Carol Levine, a long time through Counselors Academy, CCPRF and from working together on projects. I have long admired Communications MECA, the firm they created, their approach and industry leadership. They’re smart, talented and have a lot of business savvy and most important, the fit is right!
I have one other piece of news and that is Louise is stepping away from the business to spend more time with her kids and on her writing. This is something Louise has been thinking about for a long time. We built Palette together and I want to wish her all the best. I’m going to miss working with her! And, if she wants, there will always be a place for Louise at energi.
To everyone who helped and supported Palette over the years, including staff, all our wonderful clients, our industry partners and friends I want to thank you! I hope you’ll all come along for our energi-filled ride (OK, I’ll try to keep the puns to a minimum). We’ve got lots of amazing plans!
Watch for more news leading up to July 1 and beyond.
On a morning flight to Winnipeg, I was anticipating my delicious Harvey’s ham and egg breakfast sandwich. But when I handed $5 to the flight attendant, she informed me that Air Canada no longer accepts cash for snacks, beverages or anything purchased on flights.
They don’t take debit cards either.
The transition happened May 1. But I was as surprised to hear about it as the woman seated next to me.
One flight attendant explained that FAs often had a lot of cash at layovers, which would sometimes be stolen. And they were responsible.
So this was AC’s attempt at a fix. But do you think the airline could have come up with something a little more customer-focused: say a portable terminal on airplanes to keep track of sales and a place store the cash which could be picked up and deposited when the airline landed? Takes the burden away from FAs and might be a better way to manage sales and inventory.
I asked the FA what happened to kids or teenagers traveling alone who didn’t have a card. Would they not be able to have anything to eat? She hesitated and said they sometimes gave them food for free. But what about people who don’t have credit cards? There was no answer to that.
I talked to another FA who said the airline had been informing people when they purchased tickets, but admitted her Mom, a travel agent, didn’t realize this was happening until two weeks ago. She also said that people were ringing up $3 charges for headphones; $5 for snacks, etc. and the FAs didn’t have a way of keeping a tab open (or letting people take advantage of the 10 per cent discount for $10 or more). Some FAs were using their own credit cards and then taking cash from patrons. She didn’t like the change at all.
To be fair to the airline, I checked my e-ticket and there was a mention of the need for credit cards, but it wasn’t called out. On the AC homepage, it’s simply one of the news items and not highlighted at all.
Yet for even a wrong-headed move like this, if our national carrier believed this was the right thing to do, they should have conducted a more open public information program via advertising, communications to travel agents, front lines, online, PR, social networks. You know, spread the word. But they probably didn’t want to deal with the opposition – and what are you going to do when you’re on the flight?
Trust Air Canada to find a new way to diminish customer service. We can only hope one of these days Dave Carroll is hungry or thirsty and doesn’t carry a credit card.
I actually found one not too long ago and wasn’t sure why it was there. (There was a good reason, though I’m not going to get into it.)
But it made me think that no matter how hard we try to be organized, humans are drawn to clutter. Or perhaps clutter is drawn to us.
We seem programmed to accumulate, collect and save. We want so we get. And we continue on this path ad infinitum.
Except for one thing: storage is ‘finitum’ – at least in this world! And pretty soon we run out of org space, switch into cram-mode and reach a tipping point where we just start putting things wherever there’s room. And that’s when stuff disappears and/or pops up in bizarre spots (like under the kitchen sink).
It doesn’t matter if this is at home or at work. In real or digital worlds.
Many people tackle the finer points of de-cluttering IRL.
So instead I’ll offer a few tips on how I ‘minimalize’ (as opposed to minimize) all the junk on my computer:
Organize and label folders for projects and then file appropriately. Periodically check to make sure that things are where they should be and delete unused folders and docs.
Save over documents especially when you’re working on multiple drafts. Then go a step further and rename the file by adding the current date. Think of how much looking time you’ll save.
Clear out your temp and cache and that weirdly named folder where PC attachments get stored after you open them. Defrag every couple of months at least (and if you don’t know what that is, you’re either a Mac user or really need to do it).
Put the date on each draft document. This is important for something that’s being revised or updated. (And while this isn’t really related, please remember to paginate, too.)
Spring cleaning should happen more than once a year. Start with your desktop. How many draft documents, spreadsheets and jpgs that you no longer need are just sitting there? Trash them.
If you can do this on a regular basis, you’ll be able to quickly access most of the things you need, make fewer mistakes (since the likelihood is you’ll be working on the most recent version) and not bombard your brain with all that useless stuff. Who knows, you might even clear enough room for that great idea or insight (or even a middling one, which is better than nothing).
I ask the question in my -30- segment on this week’s Inside PR (2.03). And it feels like PR people – and especially senior practitioners – ask it a lot. You’d think we’re all existentialists or something.
But the fact is, our profession seems like it’s always searching for its raison d’etre.
Let me ask you: how many times have you responded to the question, what do you do?, with: I work in PR; only to have people say, that’s a bit like advertising, right?
Well, no it really isn’t. And when you try to explain what you do, do you notice people get that smile of feigned interest as you expound on the subtleties of organizations reaching out to their publics? (Can you blame them?)
I think part of the reason people don’t get what we do is that we’ve put too much focus on tactics; the kids’ table where all the fun stuff happens. We are superb publicists, amazing organizers, detail oriented to the max. I’ve heard folks say if you have to get something done, call a PR agency.
And sure it’s nice to be that reliable friend; the one you can count on; the one you know won’t mind riding in the backseat. Perhaps we need to step out of our comfort zone, think big picture as opposed to pretty picture; and focus on out of the box strategic thinking rather than carrying the box at an event.
It’s my hope that with social media and our profession’s understanding of communities, real relationship building and two-way communications; we can blog, socialize and share our real value honestly, openly and with a little pizzazz.
And maybe one day simply saying our profession’s name will be definition enough.
I’m interested to hear your feedback.
Note: From time to time I’ll be posting a slightly revised version of my -30- segment from Inside PR with Gini Dietrich and Joe Thornley. In this episode, we also talk about privacy. Have a listen and let us know what you think.
@mdbarber Thanks! As the oldest child, I always wanted a big brother, but not like this. Hopefully, they'll listen & give an opt-out-option 19 hours ago
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