PR Horror Stories

We recently came across this PR horror story -- is misstep by MCA Records back in the '80s. There's nothing like sending out fake cocaine to get your organization noticed, right?

We need your help identifying other horror stories from the profession. These aren't just to elicit schadenfreude, but to help the next generation of practitioners learn from others' mistakes.

We'll be sharing the best at the Western New York College Media Convention at SUNY Brockport in late February.



So bring them on... the more grimace-inducing, the better!

PR for PR: Why?

Earlier this week, PR News published the transcript of its Advisory Board roundtable, on which I happen to serve. One topic that quickly arose was redefining what public relations is, as well as increasing awareness of the profession.

These have been common refrains since I entered the industry two decades ago. PRSA gave the topics new life when it decided to launch its "PR Defined" campaign in 2011, and it's rare to see a panel discussion that doesn't touch on the subjects.

It would seem we're missing a critical point, one that we'd be remiss for not having in hand with any other program: a compelling, clearly-stated, actionable objective.

Like a group of occupiers in a park somewhere, there seems to be a rash of lukewarm reasons for this questionable behavior. We want a seat at the table. The profession has changed. The average person doesn't know what we do.

Talk is cheap. If you deserved a seat at the table, you'd have it (and quit wasting your time looking for the table; spend it delivering results, and your chair will appear). The profession is of course evolving, and you should be keeping abreast of its advances without thinking your colleagues care about the nuance. And for the love of Pete, just explain what you do; as a communicator, if you can't do this without assistance, don't ever pass a resume by my desk (and maybe think about a new career altogether).

Do I think we should go about our work quietly, or even obfuscate our role in shaping opinion? Hell no. Why else would I give time to leadership roles with PRSA and a range of other organizations that advance the profession? Why would I speak with students about reputation management career options? Why would I have left a corporate marketing role to return to the communications field? I love what I do... what we do.

But at the same time, it would seem many of my colleagues are trying to tell and sell a story to the mass market when they should be focused on more highly-targeted audiences. In an industry where -- in many cases -- we're making magic happen behind the scenes, they want more visible credit and platitudes. They want their Toby Keith moment.

So here's my challenge. Convince me why the man on the street should be able to define public relations any more than he can define actuarial science or materials engineering. Better yet, make be believe that a CEO would rather understand the particulars of what you do versus the results you deliver. Show me that, and we have a ballgame.

CES 2012: Celebrate Discovery

The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show begins next week, much to the delight of the tens of thousands of attendees who will flock to Las Vegas to see the latest and greatest devices that have come to enrich (or dominate) our lives.

I've been fortunate to be part of this throng for years, representing clients such as Yamaha and Turtle Beach as well as driving the show media strategy for Kodak during its digital heyday. In many ways, the work my teams and I did added to the madness, highlighting various technologies and products for members of the international press corps, and in more than a few instances dominating media coverage (no small feat for an event that draws more than 1,000 reporters).

One such device was the Turtle Beach AudioTron, the first-of-its-kind networked home audio player. It was the precursor to Roku boxes, Sonos speakers, Apple TV and other dedicated devices that stream content from the Web to the living room. Holed up in a small conference room, we literally had a line out the door for three days as journalists saw the future of streaming audio... more than a decade ago.

Making room for a new home theater device today, I came across my own AudioTron (which still works flawlessly) and recalled how much buzz the product generated. Why? Because it wasn't developed by an industry giant such as Sony, but a smaller company who had taken a chance on building a better mousetrap.

So here's an inside tip from a CES veteran -- pass through the booths of the industry juggernauts, but spend more time exploring new territory. Walk a bit more slowly among the six-foot tabletop displays that upstarts have paid dearly to obtain. Ask other attendees what's excited them, especially from a conceptual point of view. Purposely seek out prototypes ahead of their time, which can be found lurking in an off-strip hotel suite doubling as a meeting venue.

In an age where there's seemingly little surprise left at major trade shows, thanks to pre-announcements and online leaks, become a hunter. When that little idea explodes onto the market a few years from now, you can claim to have been on the inside from the early days. Therein lies the true excitement of CES -- discovery.

Best of the Holiday eCards

'Tis the season for electronic holiday greetings. We've posted our own "smashing" video card below, along with links to a few other favorites.



Check these out for some more holiday joy!

• American Airlines 
• Haynes and Boone
• World Famous Inc.

Lessons from a Bell Ringer

Ring-a-ling, ring-a-ling. "Merry Christmas!" So went the refrain this morning outside Macy's at Eastview Mall in Victor, N.Y., where McDougall Travers Collins manned a famous red kettle.

Aside from raising a considerable amount of donations for the Salvation Army, we were struck by how much some simple bell ringing -- when done with conviction -- can provide insights into marketing any product or service. 

1. Vary your volume. See those prospects in row 15 of the parking lot? Amplify that ring... make them notice you from afar, so they're ready to give (buy!) when they reach the destination. As they draw near, turn it down a notch, giving them a break from the otherwise earsplitting cacophony. 

2.  Mix up your rhythm. Who wants to hear the same ring pattern time and time again? Throw in a little variety to keep the message fresh, and to prevent your audiences from tuning out. 

3. Find a prop. Sleigh bells? Nah, we went with an old school dinner bell from home. Its silver plating, deep wooden handle, and loud (LOUD!), deep tone made quite an impression versus the standard issue equipment. That, as you might expect, led to more than a few questions, which allowed us to...

4. ... Engage in conversation. Bell ringing is the 18th-century version of social media -- you're not just asking for a dollar or some coins, but trying to strike up a discussion. Once your audience knows there's some substance behind that smile, they're more like to give a little more. 

5. Say thank you to everyone. Everyone, whether they give or not, receives a heartfelt thank you. They've taken the time to listen, whether they wanted to or not, and maybe -- just maybe -- they'll make that donation at another time.

Jumping out of the metaphorical world for a moment, consider giving of your own time or good fortune this week as the Salvation Army makes its final Red Kettle appeal. Click here to learn more!

Chat with us live!

We've just added a new slew of MTC-led presentations and discussions to our calendar for the end of this year and 2012. Glance to your right, and join us in Rochester, Chicago or Austin over the coming months!

Loser (How to Throw an Awards Competition)

ADDYs. Silver Anvils. Tellys. A Lion or two. Winning awards sometimes seems to be an agency discipline unto itself. I know of at least one large firm who employs a full-time awards coordinator. It’s serious business (well, in the minds of some, at least).

I have one question: With all this firepower, with all of this creativity, with all of these resources, why in the name of all things good and great are the majority of awards entries so lackluster?

OK, you’ve caught me climbing onto my soapbox. But stick around for a moment; as a long-time judge for a number of global, regional and local competitions, I’m trying to help.

Just yesterday, I had the opportunity to serve as a judge for a national competition focused on a conservative but somewhat creative industry. The first few entries were duds — the luck of the draw, we figured. As we dug deeper, the entire lot turned out to be just mediocre or less. This marked the second time in recent months where my fellow judges and I deemed no entrant worthy of an award. There was a trend afoot.

Ignore best practices — no one seems to care. Instead, how about I share a few ways to guarantee that your awards entry is tossed aside? With real examples included, yet masked to protect the not-so-innocent, here we go...

Intrigued? Read my full column at AgencyPost.com, which launched today to to equip communications professionals with information and insights that allow them to innovate and drive their own success.

Look Before You Leap: Social Media Around the World

We welcome Katie Corbut, account coordinator, in her first post for The Schism.

It’s no secret that social media use is growing exponentially. It seems as though new platforms pop up every month and at times it’s hard to keep up with this ever-changing medium.

Some say it started with AOL and instant messaging, others say they jumped on board with MySpace in the early 2000s. Regardless, it’s easy to see that any company wishing to engage with key audiences today, must do so on the Internet in some fashion. The same holds true for international businesses.

Organizations wishing to reach audiences in foreign countries, whether the company has roots there or not, must be guided and encouraged to follow the documented and undocumented rules.

We all know there are certain nuances that are not appropriate here in the U.S. It’s not okay to hold up your middle finger at someone, and people will always look at you funny if you say words backwards. So you wouldn’t go to the Middle East and give the “thumbs up,” or go to Saudi Arabia and say “hello” to a man if you’re a woman.

In the U.S., we enjoy a level of freedom of speech that some countries do not allow – and this must be taken into consideration for countries with strict speech laws.

In a New York Times article, the Chinese government was quoted saying: “Companies that do business in China must follow the laws of the land.” China recently set in motion legislation to further regulate the “spread of harmful information.” Such harmful information will be banned by the government immediately – so be sure to tailor your client’s messaging without using the list of banned keywords.

Christian Arno of Lingo24, a translation services provider, recently wrote a blog post about how to be successful when venturing into the social media realms abroad. Here are his top five tips, plus my commentary against each:

1. Choose the right social networks.

Facebook has over 700 million users (up from 600 million in 2010), but there are still other social media platforms used globally. In China, Qzone is the biggest network for teens and is popular with casual users, while Renren is used primarily by college students. Kaixin001 is like LinkedIn, but for the Chinese network. V Kontakte is also similar to LinkedIn, but is used by Russian professionals – and this network reportedly dominates all other social networks in the country. Orkut, owned by Google, is the biggest platform in Brazil and is also used heavily in India.

2. Find out what people like.

According to Arno, Asia uses social media primarily for sharing and downloading music and videos. In India, games and music sharing dominates social media use. Western Europe mirrors North America the most, as social media is used to share content and information.

3. Develop a [localized] strategy.

Is it more cost effective to develop and execute social media strategies yourself, or would hiring a specialist who lives in the demographic area in which your client is trying to market make more sense?

4. Localize your content.

This is what I was talking about earlier. Don’t walk into a black and white party wearing polka dots and plaid. Read the news, know where you’re going and who you’re talking to. For example, when American fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken opened their first restaurant in Beijing in in 1987, they accidentally translated KFC's famous slogan, “Finger-lickin' good” to “We'll Eat Your Fingers Off!” in Chinese.

5. Interact.

The purpose of social media doesn’t change on different continents. Platforms might be different but the idea remains the same: two-way communication is key.

When it comes to using social media around the world, it's important to really do your homework. Sometimes cultural norms are determined by years of tradition, and other times by a legislative entity. As the old saying goes, look before you leap.

QR: Quick Response or Questionable Reasoning

It was 5:30 a.m., and I'd just settled into a chair near by gate. Stifling a yawn, my eyelids opened just enough to see a cheery airport staffer headed my way with a stack of cards in her hand.

What could she be so eager to pass out at this time of the morning? Maybe a Dunkin' Donuts gift card? Some airline miles? None of the above. Instead, it was an invitation to take a short survey about the ROC airport experience, accessed via a QR code with your smart phone.

After seeing QR codes pop up overnight on all sorts of items, here was a well-thought-out application. At a time when the sun hadn't even crested the horizon, the last thing I want to do is punch a URL into my phone, or -- God help me -- speak to someone in person to provide insights on business travel. This was a better, and dare I say reasonable, request -- scan the bar code, answer a few mobile-optimized questions, and I was done.

My faith in QR codes restored, I boarded the plane. With the cabin door closing, I turned off my iPad, my Droid and other various devices, then grabbed a copy of the inflight magazine. I flipped a few pages before finding it...

There before me sat a beautifully designed, full page advertisement for something (I honestly can't remember the product). The copy then invited me to -- you guessed it -- scan a QR code for more information.

So let's think this through... chances are I'm reading this at 30,000 feet, on an airline that has no WiFi capability on its entire fleet of aircraft, and I'm not likely to take the magazine with me when I deplane. What in the hell was QR code doing on that ad, except frustrating the tech novice three rows behind me who kept scanning it only to receive a "page not found" message in her phone browser?

QR codes have their place, right alongside some of the other wah-wah pedals of our profession. Used creatively, they can turn interest into action. But placed in the hands of a team who only sees them as a cool accessory without understanding how they function, they too often miss the mark.

We want to hear from you. What are the best and worst uses of QR codes you've stumbled across over the past few weeks?

Our Sister Blog: Smarty Rants

Now and then, we like to cross-promote the great work being done by our Buffalo office -- Travers Collins. But don't wait for us... head over to the Smarty Rants blog for an inside look at what makes our colleagues to the west tick!