Posts tagged agency
June 12, 2010 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, blogging, business, Carol Levine, communications, Counselors Academy, energi PR, Esther Buchsbaum, Martin Waxman, PR, social media, Twitter
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’s musings 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.
(Disclosure: I’m the conference co-chair.)
June 4, 2010 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, business, Canada, Carol Levine, communications, CPRS Toronto, energi PR, Esther Buchsbaum, Gini Dietrich, Joe Thornley, Martin Waxman, McMaster course, PR, social media
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!
You can read Joe’s post or listen to Inside PR.
You’ll hear my take in podcast 2.07.
June 2, 2010 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, agency/client, business, Canada, Carol Levine, communications, energi PR, Esther Buchsbaum, Martin Waxman, montreal, Palette PR, PR, social media, Toronto, working
Are you ready? I’ve got some really exciting Palette news.
On July 1 Palette PR, the agency I co-founded with Louise Armstrong, is merging with Communications MECA to form a brand new agency – energi PR – we’re calling it Canada’s PR and digital/social media powerhouse.
And we are jumping up and down thrilled!
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.
I’d love to hear from you, but may be a bit difficult to reach on Wed and Thu – I’m teaching a two-day social media for business course at McMaster from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
And please bear with me as I update all my social network profiles. That may take a little time…
April 27, 2010 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, blogging, communications, Inside PR, PR, social media
This post was originally published on the Inside PR blog.
Well, the torch has been passed and Inside PR’s two creators, Terry Fallis and Dave Jones have decided to hang up their Zoom recorders (well for this podcast, anyway). I think that for all the listeners of Inside PR (including me), this signaled the end of an era.
When Terry and Dave started in 2006, social media (and podcasting) was still quite new and many PR folks had yet to embrace it. Their chemistry, wit, caustic humour and insights helped guide us along the way.
Fast forward. Episode 101 featured three new co-hosts, Julie Rusciolelli, Keith McArthur and me.
Fast forward again. It’s episode 2.01 and now it’s time to introduce our new helmers: Joe Thornley and Gini Dietrich. Welcome!
I’m sure many of you already know Joe, he’s the founder of Thornley Fallis, the agency that created and produces the podcast. Joe is one of Canada’s social media pioneers and leading practitioners. He blogs at ProPR.
Gini is the CEO of Arment Dietrich, a Chicago PR and social media agency. She’s a smart, outspoken strategist who blogs at Fight Against Destructive Spin blog (aka Spin Sucks) and never minces words.
We’re still looking at PR and social media from an agency perspective, and adding a tri-city POV.
What’s next? A lot of that is up to you. I hope you’ll listen to Episode 2.01 to get a preview (and our new voices).
Apologies if it sounds a bit disjointed – we had to record in two tries due to a glitch with one of the tracks.
We’d love to hear your ideas and hope you’ll continue to listen, find value in our discussions and share your thoughts. Thank you again for taking part!
And now: on with the show…
April 19, 2010 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, blogging, business, communications, Counselors Academy, gift blog, Martin Waxman, PR, social media
OK, there is… there is…
But the business part of running an agency is often considered second to the practice of PR. It’s been said that communicators don’t understand the intricacies of business goals and this lack of knowledge has been one of the things that’s relegated the industry to a seat at the kid’s table (as opposed to the grown up table in the C-suite). And perhaps this is reinforced in PR schools, where the emphasis is on communications (of course) but few, if any, classes cover business.
So where can we find the expertise we need to successfully understand our client’s businesses and run our own?
I get it from PRSA’s Counselors Academy’s annual spring conference, happening May 21 to 23. I’ve blogged about the organization before and am the Canadian rep on the executive committee. Counselors is my annual PR agency business summit – three days of learning, sharing and socializing that provides me with the tools I need to improve my firm.
This year’s theme, ‘Looking Up: Lessons and Conversations to Move Your Business Forward’ explores strategies we need to do to emerge from the recession and once again build businesses focused on innovation and growth. And it fits in well with the locale – the Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville, North Carolina.
Here’s a link to the program. There will be keynotes by PR 2.0 author and thought-leader Brian Solis and leadership expert Randy Hall; a pre-con session geared to creating a smashing social media plan by Jay Baer; and many first-class sessions and roundtables including how to grow leaders within an organization, a panel on the new listening and monitoring, strategies to successfully add social media and digital capabilities to your agency mix, Darryl Salerno’s fourth annual English as a Second Language (you really aren’t smarter than a fifth grader) and much more superb content. It’s also a wonderful time to network, get answers to tough questions, and meet and become friends with an incredibly sharp, insightful, friendly and open group of people. I’ve said this before but it’s the highlight of my PR year and I come back energized and excited to be in the profession.
Here’s where you go to register. Hope to see you there.
Note: My Ex-Comm buddies Abbie Fink and Roger Friedensen suggested I also include Counselors’ Facebook and Linkedin pages to give you a bit more flavour. (Thanks.)
March 7, 2010 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, business, communications, Counselors Academy, CPRS, Martin Waxman, PR
On March 5, about 75 leaders from the Canadian communications industry, representing CPRS, CCPRF, IABC, Global Alliance, College of Fellows, the HCPRA (and yes, Counselors Academy, too) gathered at the Old Mill Inn in Toronto to look at PR today and imagine our future.
The event was the brainchild of Terry Flynn, director of McMaster University’s Masters of Communication Management program and national president of CPRS.
For me, one of the best parts of the session was working in small groups on a ‘Force Field’ analysis of our industry. Essentially, this is a decision-making exercise that helps analyse the forces for and against change in a core proposal.
Ours was: ‘To advance the PR/communications management profession in Canada to a reputable and requisite professional discipline in the eyes of organizational/business leaders, managers and scholars.’
As you can imagine, there was much debate – the noise level in the room hit 11 more than a few times. After we were done, some common themes emerged that will no doubt form a blueprint for the way ahead.
Here are a few highlights.
Forces for change:
Social media/technology/evolving media landscape. This is, of course, one of the strongest (and most obvious) reasons for us to evolve in a way that will enhance the profession and its reputation. We need to embrace social media, continue to educate ourselves in best practices and add case studies across all sectors that demonstrate measurable results.
Trust, credibility and ethics. The ever-transparent world provides a great opportunity for our industry to take a leadership role and, through our deeds, show unequivocally that we’re no longer spinmeisters. There was talk of a need for a single accreditation designation, as well as the development of a body of knowledge, one of the hallmarks of any profession.
Business savvy. We must become more knowledgeable about business goals, strategy and operations and align our PR recommendations to that. We should master ways to clearly articulate the value we add to an organization. One group suggested that we reposition the profession from being PR managers to chief communications officers in order to get a seat at the ‘grownup’ table.
Forces against change:
Fear. It’s too easy to sit back and rely on the same tools that always worked in the past. Tried and true doesn’t cut it. We need to become strategic risk takers.
Education. What are our programs and institutions teaching young people? Is the curriculum focusing on relevant topics? Are we teaching about the newest tools and where they fit into an overall strategy? What about adding an understanding of business to the mix?
Developing an inter-generational understanding of relationships. For some senior PR folks, phone contact may be key. The younger generation is embracing online as much as IRL. There’s merit to both positions and the industry needs to come up with an understanding of what constitutes a relationship and what makes it lasting and strong.
There was a great energy to the Summit; the kind of intensity you get when you bring a group of smart people together and challenge them to look ahead and share insights. Toward the end, it was suggested that we should consider meeting on a yearly basis to discuss the state of the industry. And I’m all for that.
Maybe in the meantime, as the organizers pore over the responses and craft recommendations, they could keep us informed and involved by setting up a Wiki and open it up to the greater community to maintain the flow of ideas.
December 15, 2009 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, Martin Waxman, PR, sales, working
I think we are. And I say that with complete sincerity. (Pause for the sound of people throwing things.)
I actually think our profession has a lot more in common with sales than with marketing.
For the record, I grew up in sales. My dad owned a couple of fabric and drapery stores in Winnipeg. And watching him go about his business, I learned that the best sales people, like the best public relaters, are all about two-way relationships. Listening. Helping. Telling a story well and truthfully. Being social. Engendering trust.
Now that’s not to say we’re completely altruistic. Like any business we’re goal-oriented. But we don’t create visuals that do nothing but dazzle, sweep you off your feet with sweepstakes or deliver direct mail directly to the circular file.
Sure there are stereotypical images of high pressure salesman – hucksters - who see you as nothing more than a commission. The same holds true for certain PR people – call them hypesters – who’ll stoop to anything to get their client’s name ‘in the press’. Both types give their respective professions a bad name.
But have you ever sat in a room full of great sales folks and listened to them swap stories? You really get a sense that they like and respect their customers/clients, and will go out of their way to help.
And if they’re really good, they know they won’t always win or hear the answer they want. But that doesn’t matter. They’re in it for the long haul.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it.
So… sales and PR – cut from the same cloth, as the son-of-a-fabric-man might say. What do you think of that?
December 10, 2009 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, Martin Waxman, media, PR, social media
When I started in PR, I worked in arts and entertainment and called myself a publicist. And I was proud of the title.
Then I switched to the corporate agency side and became a PR consultant who practised media relations. It didn’t take me long to realize those two were pretty close to the same thing. In fact, while we offer many types of communications counsel, media relations/publicity has, for a long time, been the cornerstone of what we do.
But these days with MSM in transition, it doesn’t take an Amazing Kreskin to predict that our comfortably familiar landscape is fading. And great chunks of it are just plain disappearing; morphing into something new.
So with PR in rapid-evolutionary-mode (REM), perhaps it’s time to dream big and rethink what what we do and where we’re heading.
And for me (and many other people) that means a shift to social media. I have to say direct-to-influencer connecting has re-energized the profession, encouraged us to learn (and enabled me to teach) and caused us to look at what we do through a less-filtered lens. It’s also given the profession a voice and helped us step out of the shadows.
But in order to truly change, we need to rid ourselves of our shackles – notably our reliance on pure media relations. Sure, that will always be a part of our repertoire. But if we want to survive and thrive, we need to do so much more:
- Really start listening (that means opening our minds)
- Get better at telling visual stories
- Become less text-reliant, while still being the guardians of grammar and voice – we can’t ever forget how to write with clarity and style
- Master new techniques – video/audio production, designing and coding a website
- Join communities, participate and connect
- Issue a full-on challenge to marketing and advertising. Maybe I’m biased, but I feel we really are the naturals to understand and get around in this space.
So what should we call this new entity? Truth is, I’m not sure.
Social media? I like it, but there’s a day where that could seem faddish. Digital relations? Sounds like PR for the AI set. Social relations? A bit too much like someone who plans parties for the DAR. Social networking? Too much like self-help. Networked relations? Are your cousins on Facebook too?
Part of me still likes the term public relations – that is if we go back to its original definition.
Or maybe we need a completely new moniker. And if so, do you have any ideas what it should be called?
September 14, 2009 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, Martin Waxman, media, PR, social media
Not too long ago I got an email from a person I didn’t know with the subject line: ‘I was just on your blog’.
Well, naturally I was curious. I opened the note only to read how much the woman liked my blog (flattered) and, how she felt it was an ideal place to promote a giveaway for of a pair of Ugg boots. She even offered $100 if I could drive enough traffic to her site.
Well, thanks but no thanks. It was clear she hadn’t read my blog or bothered to engage me other than by offering a vapid compliment that was easy to see through.
In other words, an irrelevant pitch. Something the PR industry has been accused (and guilty) of again and again.
And, it’s true. As it’s been said many, many times, we have to go beyond form letters and lists gleaned from databases and offer journalists something of value to them. We have to read what they write, understand their point of view and show them why our stories might be of interest to their readers.
However, there’s a flip side to all of this. Sometimes, we do target the right journalists and bloggers, read their articles/posts (often look forward to them), feel we grasp what they’re after and tailor what we think is a perfect story for them. Only to hear someone say: ‘You don’t have a clue about what I write about.’
This can also be a canned message. And possibly a knee-jerk response to all the bad pitches they’ve received.
So maybe all of us – journalists/bloggers and PR – need to step back and realize we’re on a two-way street in the same community and try to have a little more respect – on both sides of the fence.
July 30, 2009 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, blogging, PR, social media
I first learned about social media, blogs, RSS, Wikis, streaming and podcasts from
Giovanni Rodriguez, in a breakfast roundtable at
Counselors Academy a few years back. And I left his session excited, energized and with my head swimming. I’d tasted the ‘forbidden fruit’ (content creation) and knew there was no turning back.
Over the years, I’ve gotten to know Giovanni, personally and professionally. He’s a soft-spoken thinker, insightful and highly intelligent. And he’s able to connect some very disparate concepts in a way that not only makes sense; he helps you see things in a new light.
That’s why I’m so excited about Giovanni’s newest blog,
All Things That Rise. It’s focusing on ideas that impact ‘culture, commerce and consumers’. You will find informative links and ephemera combined with longer pieces. In many ways it reminds me of the kind of content I used to anticipate in certain general interest, literary magazines.
Here’s how Giovanni describes it:
A broad inquiry into the physical, intellectual, and emotional limits of human beings at the dawn of “the age of intelligent machines.” I will look at how people, businesses, and governments are using a range of intelligence-enhancing technologies — from consumer gadgetry, to the full panoply of social technologies, to the new frontier of artificial intelligence and robotics — to rise above those limits. My hypothesis is that the socializing effects of these technologies is driving the evolution — evolution with a little “e” — of smarter, more competitive, and, ultimately, more ethical organizations and systems. But I will be looking at the negative effects as well — information overload, public safety, cultural divides, etc. Evolution is a complex affair, and it pays to look at winners and losers — and saints and sinners — all around. Hope you will join me on this little journey. I’m just getting started.
One post of special note is Giovanni’s take on the evolution of a new kind of PR agent. I agree that we have to look at the new landscape and develop a more relevant and social model.
And while you’re at it, have a look at Giovanni’s other blog, The Hubbub and especially the in depth series he wrote on characters in marketing/ads.
July 20, 2009 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, business, economy, Martin Waxman, PR, social media
I am just plain tired of the recession. (I know, who isn’t?)
But I’m not simply talking about the state of the economy. I’m sick of the negative attitudes and the fact that good news has come to mean news that’s not as horrible as anticipated.
Now, I don’t say we should run headlong into the lend-to-spend world that got us into this mess. But do I feel it’s time for us to instill a renewed confidence in ourselves, our businesses and the economy.
I’m going to start by listing three things I’ve learned from this adventure and how they changed my view of the world:
- You get very different advice in good times and bad. Basically you go from from spend, spend, spend to cut, cut, cut. Pendulum thinking, really. Personally, I think we should fall somewhere in between and adopt a philosophy of ‘risk and sensibility’.
- There are no guarantees. Contracts may disappear. Clients may cut back at a moment’s notice. Someone who calls you in for a new business opportunity one day could be laid off before the meeting ever occurs (this actually happened). What that means for business and individuals is that we need to honestly assess every situation and be prepared to turn on a dime. If you’re an entrepreneur, it’s a bit like being in perennial start-up mode, familiar, fun, yet occasionally a bit exhausting.
- Don’t wear rose coloured glasses, but don’t lose hope either. This isn’t easy when you’re exposed to dire news at every turn. But that’s a time to step back and put things in perspective; be thankful for what you do have and appreciate the truly important things in your life. And try to be cautiously optimistic amid the turmoil. At the risk of sounding schmaltzy, I’d like to invoke Jerry Lewis and his telethon finale: ‘When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high…’
Oh, and for PR people there’s a fourth thing too. The recession has accelerated a change in the communications industry. And while no one knows exactly where we’re heading, there’s no denying we aren’t going back. Social media is part of our landscape. And it’s going to continue to grow in importance for our practice and profession. Whether we become leaders or followers is entirely up to us.
What have you learned?
July 2, 2009 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, CPRS, Martin Waxman, PR, social media, Twitter
If you’re following me on Twitter, you’ve probably noticed my recent propensity to live-tweet at events. I’ve tried to take my cue from Joe Thornley, who sets the bar high. And while I do like being an ersatz ‘reporter’, I know there’s a trade off between filing stories in 140 and full concentration. (I’m sure some psychologist will conduct a study to measure it.)
Here are some of my Twitter highlights from the CPRS national conference in Vancouver (or search the hashtag #CPRS2009):
@thornley Old PR is dying, our eyeballs are moving over to social media; the world is changing, media is evolving
@briansolis Press release just over 100 yrs old; journalists and bloggers have yet to get as excited about it as PR folks
@briansolis Reason why PR is in a state of crisis – we act like publicists, not evangelists
@dbarefoot: Social media sin 3: foist not thine spam upon yon rabble
@julieszabo: Social media sin 6 abandon not thy blog (try not to lose steam-that is easier said than done)
@terryflynn: 74 pct of Canadians felt Maple Leaf CEO had credibility during crisis; higher than Obama had on inauguration day
@maggiefox: In Social Media it’s important to focus on relentless innovation; the internet never sleeps
And finally…
@martin waxman: How much to we miss by live tweeting? I like doing it, but have to admit some trains of thought do leave the station without me. Just asking
Special thanks to the On The Edge organizers and to the student bloggers, @LesleyChang, @apparently_so, @mikedefault, @ashletts, and @stephleung who really added a lot of content and energy as they chronicled the event.
July 1, 2009 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, business, Martin Waxman, PR, social media, trends
It’s hard to believe that question was seriously debated by companies not that long ago (OK, in the ’90s). There was this newfangled worldwide web thingy and many organizations were just not convinced it was going to last.
I actually worked at a PR agency at the time where the senior partners felt it was too forward for a communications firm to have a website; they didn’t want to give away ‘proprietary’ information like the fact we did media and investor relations.
No kidding!
I even wrote a site for the agency (on my dime) and bartered my hours by doing pro bono work for a design firm who brought it to life. And even when I showed the principals the finished product, it was still shot down (post Y2K, no less). Bitter? Not anymore. But I don’t mind saying the lack of a website put us out of the running for a number of great accounts.
So why do I bring this up? Well, my very good friend, Gini Dietrich, wrote a post yesterday where she convincingly disputes a Newsweek story that contends there’s no value in social network if you’re a CEO.
And it took me back to the fearful, wrong-headed, backward-thinking, anti-internet agency I once worked at – and (thankfully) left.
Granted, change is difficult for many individuals and organizations. But ignoring an emerging trend is worse. Especially when that new technology can help you build and strengthen relationships.
Yes, it’s important to be strategic, think critically, make smart choices, not fall for all the pretty, shiny things. But wouldn’t we, as business leaders, want to embrace meaningful ways of engaging with our customers and actually having an honest and open dialogue with them?
I think CEOs are missing out on many potential opportunities if they’re not listening, understanding and participating in social communities of relevance to their businesses and them.
Who knows what we might learn?
June 22, 2009 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, Counselors Academy, CPRS, CPRS Toronto, Martin Waxman, PR, social media
I don’t usually attend two conferences in two weeks – much less two PR conferences. However, that’s what happened early in June when I twice ventured west: first for Counselors Academy in Palm Springs and then for the Canadian Public Relations Society in Vancouver.
And I thought it’s worth noting some of the similarities and differences.
Both conferences focused on social media and its application to PR; both had knowledgeable presenters and tier one keynote speakers (including Robert Stephens, Steve McKee, Brian Solis and David Suzuki – to name a few); and both had PR students live-blogging/tweeting about the events.
I personally thought having the students actively involved added a fresh energy to the events.
However, and I don’t know if this is a U.S./Canada or an agency/client thing, but the general knowledge of and enthusiasm for social media seemed less prevalent at the CPRS event. Certainly there was interest, but not the same kind of passion I witnessed from agency heads (mostly from the U.S.). Or maybe Canadians are just a bit more resistant to change.
Now, there’s no doubt Counselors is all about the agency business and, if you’re an agency principal, there’s nothing that compares to it. And, as counselors, it’s incumbent on us to be up to be on top of trends in order to offer more intelligent counsel to our clients.
I don’t have the answer to this.
I did notice that there was a lot less live tweeting at the CPRS conference; a few people were active.
But maybe it’s the small number of agencies represented (from out East, I mean). And that could be due to the economy, but I think it’s a shame that there isn’t a bigger agency president at CPRS national and Toronto.
Which begs the question: why aren’t Canadian agencies more actively engaged in CPRS? I asked my friend Scott Farrell, president of PRSA Chicago and he said they were trying to get more clients to participate; they had lots of active agency members.
And, as the president of CPRS Toronto, I throw this question out to PR folks. What would it take to make agency people want to get more involved?
March 15, 2009 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, blogging, Counselors Academy, Martin Waxman, PR, working
When I started
Palette five years ago, I asked Pat McNamara, president and founder of
Apex PR, for some advice. And she suggested that I should join an organization called
Counselors Academy, which comprised agency owners and principals and had a not-to-be-missed conference every spring.
I wasn’t able to make it that first year, but I’ve been faithfully attending ever since and I have to say it’s one of the best things I’ve done in PR.
The conference is about all things agency with sessions on strategies for running and growing your business, finding and motivating your team, becoming more profitable, successful networking, emerging industry trends…
The people are smart, dynamic and open. You get into some amazing conversations that continue over dinner and drinks, long after the meetings are done. And because we’re all running agencies of various shapes and sizes, there’s a real common ground and it’s easy to make business connections, and more importantly, good friends.
There are superb keynote speakers like psychologist Dr. Robert Cialdini or Robert Scoble. I first learned about social media at CA from Giovanni Rodriguez, who piqued my interest in the blogosphere and started my head swimming.
Whenever I leave a spring conference, I’m filled with fresh ideas, energized by the people and excited about our industry. It’s the highlight of my year.
This year’s timely theme is ‘Your Business Matters’ and, in this or any economy, it’s well worth the investment. Here’s where you can go for
more information or to register.
Hope to see you there.
January 14, 2009 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, communications, etiquette, Louise Armstrong, Palette PR, PR
Ever wondered how to make a good impression on clients at a formal dinner? What about knowing where to draw the line between appropriate (or inappropriate) professional communications?
My colleague, Louise Armstrong, combines her expertise in PR and etiquette in a new blog: A Call for Class.
A thoughtful writer, Louise is setting out to examine the places where manners and modern communications meet. And you can be sure her posts will offer a keen perspective and useful advice.
Have a read and let me (or Louise) know what you think.
November 7, 2008 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, blogging, Martin Waxman, PR, social media, Toronto
OK, maybe you won’t have to pay for parking. You might be able to get a spot on the street or, you can always take the TTC… to Talk is Cheap, the second (annual?) ‘social media unconference’, Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at Centennial College in Toronto.
If it’s anything like last year, it will be fun and interactive and there are bound to be some scintillating sessions and just plain good talk.
The only caveat is you have to sign up by wiki (and I didn’t wreck the registration list this year).
I’ll be doing a ‘live recording’ of Inside PR with Terry Fallis, Dave Jones and Julie Rusciolelli and taking part on a panel organized by Joe Thornley with Trevor Campbell on the impact of social media on a career in PR.
Hope to see you there.
May 20, 2008 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, blogging, Counselors Academy, PR, social media
I sat in on a graduate level social media session today led by Josh Hallett at the 2008 Counselors Academy conference in Naples. (I was hoping to come away with a master’s degree in blogging – an MB, so to speak – but for now those letters will simply remain the province I am from.)
As I mentioned, Josh was one of my blogging mentors, though the last time I heard him talk, my head was swimming from all the new concepts I wanted to absorb.
Today’s presentation was no less provocative.
Here are a few highlights:
- On the benefits of blogging: You may not have a lot of readers but blogging provides you with ‘long-term search relevance’. People find you. As an example, try googling ‘beauty PR agencies in Toronto’; my blog post is the first entry.
- WordPress is Josh’s platform of choice. It provides users with the ability to insert replies right under a comment (so it’s easier to follow conversational threads) and can differentiate between commenters and the author. He likened Blogger to having an @aol.com email address. With all the little glitches I’ve been encountering on Blogger, I wonder if I could move my blog over to there (and if it will be worth the effort).
- Publish as many times a week as you want people to visit your blog.
- Blogging is a great way to seed a story by reaching the mavens, asking for feedback and starting to generate WOM. (Of course, you have to identify and get to know them first.)
- When you’re developing communications strategies, don’t forget the forums and message boards. That’s where you can find some of the most passionate and influential people on a subject.
To discover more about the conference, visit Matt Kucharski, Jeff Davis, Indra Gardiner or the CA blog. BTW, the conference posts were written by a group of students from College of Charleston.
May 18, 2008 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, blogging, Counselors Academy, PR, social media
…is Counselors Academy’s annual conference.
I’m here now, in Naples, Florida, anticipating tomorrow’s official start.
And I have to say that if you’re running an agency, this is one of the top resources around. It’s an annual gathering of agency principals who come together for three days of professional development, honest and open dialogue, camaraderie and fun.
This is my fourth conference and so far I’ve had the good fortune to learn about ethical persuasion from Robert Cialdini and hear about the world according to Robert Scoble. I’ve also taken part in informative and provocative sessions on topics ranging from PR industry trends and running a successful business to creating and nurturing an agency culture, developing leaders, managing for profitability, building client relationships, hiring (and firing) staff. The list could go on and on.
Not only that, I was introduced to social media first-hand by several Blogi-masters, including Giovanni Rodriguez, Josh Hallett and Joel Postman. They planted the seeds (the blog is strong in this one) and really helped me develop a strategic approach to and understanding of the new online landscape.
Plus I met PR agency consultant Darryl Salerno, who, with his seminar on English language usage and grammar helped me accept that I may not be ‘smarter than a fifth grader’. He is also working with us to position our agency for new opportunities and growth.
And best of all, Counselors is a chance to connect with and get to know some of the most talented people who work in PR, have similar challenges and issues and are willing to share their experience and expertise.
I always come away from these meetings with energy to spare. Pat McNamara introduced me to the organization and I’d like pass along the favour. If you’re running an agency (of one, five or 50) I urge you to check out CA. You can probably get some ‘as it happens’ info on the blog.
In any event, if you run into me in the next couple of weeks, and notice my unabashed enthusiasm for PR, my excitement and ideas for the future…well, now you’ll know the source.
April 9, 2008 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, blogging, gift blog, PR
I’m pleased to present the new, sleeker look of my(PR)palette, thanks to Andrew Glenn, our in-house designer. I say blogger never looked so good.
Let me know what you think.
