Conquering Your (Boss's) Fear

I had the fortune to be invited to speak at the PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference in Aspen, Colo. last week. What is an eye health PR pro (and former technology PR pro) doing among a gathering of communicators more interested in hospitality than ophthalmology?

Well, it would seem we have quite a bit in common. In my case, and with my co-presenters Tom Hoehn of Kodak and Cathy Dunkin of Standing Partnership, it was about ways to pair social and traditional media for top-notch outcomes.

But what I didn't expect to hear from attendees was their challenges in getting their supervisors, executives, or others pulling higher pay grades to agree to take some calculated risks with regard to PR. Isn't this the industry of Virgin's Richard Branson? Of Southwest's Herb Kelleher? Of "What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas?"

Yup, I was (temporarily) flummoxed. Currently working in a conservative, highly regulated industry, I would have thought that the travel and leisure segment was a veritable playground of PR experimentation.

Now back to working at a more reasonable altitude (Rochester's 505 feet, vs. Aspen's 7,900 feet!), my head is a little less cloudy. So what can PR pros in this industry -- or any industry -- do to push the envelope a bit?

First, assess how far you can reasonably push, and how fast. Then find a way to get a small win within those boundaries, and then roll that into something a bit bigger (rinse and repeat).

Second, look to others who are having success, and showcase their results. It may be a similar group in another geography, or a competitor just down the road. Or it may be an organization in another industry altogether. As much as I like to pioneer new PR techniques, I always remember that many of my cohorts would prefer that someone else blaze the trail, allowing us to follow close behind.

Third, ask what's at the core of your executive's hesitancy. Could it be that he/she was burned before? Perhaps they don't understand the approach or technology? Or maybe they're working with incorrect or incomplete information? Get to the root of the problem before identifying the solution.

I'd be interested to hear others' experiences and tips as well. Leave a comment here, drop me a note, or help out the travel industry and book a flight to tell me in person!

PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference

The slides from "PR Mashup: Blending New Media with Old" can be downloaded as a PDF by clicking here.

PR News: Vendor Procurement Musings

The Blackberry buzzed the other day, and I found a message from PR News asking to chat about vendor sourcing and relationships. A few of my thoughts made it into this story (although I'm not sure how Gartner got in there... maybe I had a relapse to my tech days).

One point of clarification... as a former agency new biz director myself, I'm a crusader against RFPs when they're not formed and managed intelligently by the client. I can share the war stories -- as many of you can -- about bungled RFPs, cattle calls, winning the business only to find there's no real budget available, etc. But that's a topic for another post!

Where have you been?

Anywhere but on this blog, quite frankly! It's been a whirlwind spring, with the pot only further stirred with the announcement of a new chairman and a new CEO at Bausch + Lomb (which has kept me busy with professional pursuits).

As of next week, though, I can claim to have visited Palm Springs for the 2010 PRSA Western District Conference. It's a quick trip -- an afternoon in B+L's Surgical headquarters in Orange County, a morning in the desert speaking with colleagues, and then back home.

For those visiting the blog to pick up my slides after the conference, you can download the PDF from here.

Demystifying that New Employee Communications Tool

As a seasoned practitioner, you're probably hearing the "I'm-trying-to-kill-this-but-playing-along-for-now" questions from your colleagues who are a bit wary of that slick new item in your proverbial employee communications toolbox.

"Won't this increase our liability? What about discoverability?" come the rapid-fire inquisition from the caffeinated folks in legal.

"How do we know that people will use this appropriately? Can we control what they say or don't say?" come the queries from the compliance team.

"Do we really want to give disgruntled employees a forum like this? Won't they be able to get to everyone in the company?" inquire the human resources professionals.

"How can we make sure that people don't use this all day instead of working? Are you sure there's any real business benefit to this?" pass the lips of line managers.

With the advent of internal/employee-focused social media tools, these "new" questions and dozens more like them are being asked every day. But are they really so new?

In short, no.

You may recall that little technology affectionately known as e-mail. I recall first using it in an office setting in 1995, on a fishbowl-looking Mac terminal dedicated to the task behind our agency's reception desk that had an astonishing 28.8 Kbps dial-up capability. Fast-forward 15 years, and e-mail is a part of (if not controlling) our everyday lives. Oh, the dangers...

Or look back to the introduction of instant messaging. My God, you could reach a colleague five desks away and not even need to get up. IM killed the water cooler.

Of course, that World Wide Web thing was just a fad, right? Imagine being able to go anywhere in a virtual universe at the touch of a few keys. It's amazing there's any productivity left in the world.

Don't even get me started on that wonder known as the facsimile machine... I could make that thermal paper zing and sing at the end of a squealing line thousands of miles away in a remote branch office, spewing out anything I could fit onto a scannable sheet.

And of course, the evils of pen, paper and stamp are well known. You mean I could write to anyone about anything, and have it arrive uncensored? You betcha, and with that newfangled photocopier, I could even make copies of letters I received and tack them to the office bulletin boards.

OK, I'll stop before I get to slate tablets and smoke signals. But you get the point. The questions being asked today by your colleagues are -- in many ways -- the same that have been asked for decades as new communications technologies have been introduced. Sure, there are some differences here and there, but the basic principle is the same:

"What I don't understand, I fear. And what I fear, I seek to kill."

So, as you go about launching your internal social media platform, take a few moments -- or more likely a few weeks or months -- to reintroduce your colleagues in legal, HR, compliance and elsewhere to the communications "technologies" they now take for granted. Get to the core of their fears, and help them see social media tools as evolutionary, not revolutionary (yes, my fellow PR pros, tone down the hype already!).

And if that doesn't work? Well, I know where you can get a deal on some slightly used fax machines and reams of thermal paper! Just tell your employees it's "vintage" social networking.

Will the Sr. Executive General VP Please Stand Up?

"But she's a vice president," a company marketing manager gasps. "So I just assumed she was senior enough to handle this. You mean she's just a few years out of college, and probably hasn't faced this sort of issue before?"

Yup, yes, you got it, and double-yes. That's exactly the case. Welcome to PR agency title inflation.

Sure, exaggerated titles in agencies have always been the norm, and generally overlooked by those in the know. Anyone who can go from "intern" to "account executive" overnight isn't an executive, but it sure looks good on a proposal or business card (and makes clients feel... for a moment... as if the trembling person across the table may just a bit less green).

So the saying goes, you can't be a vice president at a major firm without at least five years experience (yes, a whopping five years... maybe four if you show promise!).

But lately, it seems, titles are growing more and more disproportionate to actual expertise. What is a general manager when there are multiple GMs in an office? Does a senior vice president trump an executive vice president? How about the managing director title for the Brit you lured in -- equivalent to a GM, or below the junior partner?

I'm now waiting for what's to come... workgroup president, associate chief listener, senior equity partner, and I-Only-Show-At-Pitches-So-Don't-Expect-To-See-Me-Again-Owner/Player/Manager.

Title inflation is a fact of agency life. But, if you're bestowed with one of these monikers, or are responsible for handing them out like candy to needy employees at every turn, ask yourself now and again if you may not be drawing snickers (or worse, creating false confidence) beyond your agency's walls.

PRWeek Awards Finalists - Compliments to My Team

PRWeek (the U.S. edition) has announced the finalists for its 2010 awards. Among this distinguished group is my team at Bausch + Lomb, in the In-House PR Team of the Year category. We're in good company, competing against Ford Motor Company, Virgin America, Cisco, and Scholastic.

Congratulations to all the finalists, and we look forward to seeing you on March 11 in New York as the winners are announced.

Ragan.com Profiles B&L Communications Team

Ragan.com today profiled the Bausch & Lomb communications team, a pleasant outcome of a few passing remarks that I made while speaking at the PRSA Conference a few weeks ago. I'm fortunate to have the best team in the industry!

Click here for the full story.

A Success Story 60 Years in the Making: Ad Council of Rochester

On Dec. 2, 1949, the annual Rochester (N.Y.) Advertising Dinner honored Waldo "Pete" Potter, Eastman Kodak Company's director of advertising. During his remarks that evening, Mr. Potter suggested that in light of the work being done by the national Ad Council, there might be the opportunity to do something similar in Rochester. He asked the group to take up that charge, and the organization was incorporated the next year.

Tomorrow morning, 60 years to the day of its conception, the Ad Council of Rochester will kick off a year of reflection and outreach with a professional development session (which I have the honor of conducting) as well as a celebration of all it's done in the region over six decades.

This non-profit organization is like no other in the U.S. -- it is not part of the national Ad Council, and only focuses on programs in the greater Rochester region. It's built on a "pay it forward" model -- communications professionals, media outlets and businesses all come together to strengthen non-profits and in doing so, strengthen the entire community.

If you've been among the thousands of Ad Council of Rochester volunteers, drop me a note, and we'll make sure you're listed during the 60th year festivities. If you're a lapsed volunteer or a interested in making a difference using your professional skills, click here to become involved.

Thomson Reuters Wire Service Poses Challenges

Earlier this week, vendors serving the public relations industry were stacked side-by-side in the PRSA Conference exhibit hall in San Diego. Among them were some familiar names in the news industry -- the AP, Dow Jones and Thomson Reuters.

AP was serving up access to its extensive photo database, and Dow Jones its research and database services... pretty common fare, with no raised eyebrows. However, a slug on the Thomson Reuters pop-up sign drew my eye... "news wire."

The esteemed Reuters news wire, right, served by (usually) objective journalists spanning the globe? Not quite.

A few weeks ago, Thomson Reuters acquired Hugin Group B.V., a provider of news distribution services. Yes, Thomson Reuters has entered the paid wire service market, up against the likes of PR Newswire, BusinessWire, Market Wire, et al.

Out of sheer curiosity, I asked a couple of Thomson employees how the company plans to avoid consumer confusion between its editorial and paid services. For now, paid distribution will continue to carry the Hugin brand. The team didn't know how a transition to the Thomson Reuters brand would occur, or when for that matter.

Will Hugin's new parent preserve the original but less well-known brand? Will it christen its newly-acquired wire service with the Thomson brand? Or will the lure of the Reuters brand be too strong to ignore, drawing customers but confusing readers in the process?

Herein lies a branding and transparency challenge that will be fascinating to watch play out.