Not all PR agencies get it wrong

June 4, 2010June 4, 2010 / Angelo Fernando / 1 Comment

I received one of those dreaded pitches this week from a PR firm in London.

It had the trademarks of having being picked from a list of bloggers and freelance writers: It started Press Release….

But this one was different. It didn’t have “no-reply’ or some garbled name as its sender. It also had a headline that made me want to open it and read. It was about the PR firm’s client, BBC World News.

You might wonder how relevant is that? I could have signed up for all manner of things on the World Service. But the topic was a series of shows Hard Talk On The Road –on Sri Lanka. It may sound dead simple, making sure the subject was in line with the reader. But let me frame it this way. I get so many of these PR pitches that it sometimes makes me wonder where we have taken this form of communication.

This is an industry (PR and Marcom) where everyone is screaming Web 2.0, every consultant, conference presenter and digital marketing agency is throwing out terms such as ‘Social Media Release” and RSS in every slide deck, and every book that has been published on the subject since Cluetrain Manifesto advises that ‘markets are conversations.’ In other words, stop spamming and start talking.

But all my colleagues at ValleyPRBlog, for instance, say the same thing. We are getting drowned in ridiculous PR Spam. We only complain off and on, and that, too when someone really ticks us off, or someone like Chris Anderson issues a fatwa, and everyone nods their heads and says ‘serves them right.’

But in the past 10 days I got two pitches that were spot on! Two! As such, rather than outing the bad ones, I like to hold up the good agencies and the great PR folk who do one simple task -take time to understand their audience.

The first was so good, from Gutenberg Communications, I have agreed to interview the CEO of the company –on Monday. If you’re interested, stay tuned!
And there was this from Parys Communications whose pitch was so simple, I could have hit the delete button.

As a writer I give every pitch a chance. If you take the time to filter, we will take time to read!

Is your company ready for a private social network?

June 2, 2010June 1, 2010 / Angelo Fernando / Leave a comment

Mixed signals. That’s what’s out there when it comes to social networks.

A few weeks back some UK companies approved of banning social networks in the workplace. A few years back organizations such as the CIA embraced such collaborative spaces. They created their own private network called A-Space, and another information sharing hub, Intellipedia.

But did you know that despite the rush for ‘corporatized’ LinkedIn or Facebook groups, many institutions have adopted private social networks?

Sometimes called ‘walled gardens’ these networks are created using free of paid platforms where smaller communities can share their ideas and –to use that overused word again -engage.

Two examples of this trend:

ResearchGate. This social engagement hub for scientists built by scientists may not be as well known as other networks, but it’s quite a hangout. Population 400,000! While groups on Facebook plan boycotts of oil companies or befriend brands, these specialized networks discuss topics such as the Human adenovirus A-31 genomic sequence, or neural networks and artificial intelligence. Groups range from American Society of Plant Biologists to a one discussing Zebrafish husbandry.

Pluck is one of the popular platforms used by media, insurance and marketing companies. It offers more than the bare template, lending editorial support – for what it calls a “curated, professionally produced content library.” I find it interesting that Pluck is not standing around building fortifications around its clients’ private social network, but making it easy for them to provide pass-through integration with Facebook, for instance.

You know your organization is ready for a private social network when you see the following signs:

You mention a document posted to the web site and you get 80 percent blank stares. You mention a statistic about your competition, and 95 people already know about it –via Facebook.
People complain that they can’t find anything on the company Intranet. They whine that “the search engine is so nineteen-ninetees.”
You overhear that there are unauthorized LinkedIn groups within the company because they hate having to share ideas via email
Someone in HR complains that someone has created a FriendFeed room in which designers are chatting; the guys in Marketing are equally ticked off.

Egg on its Facebook, why doesn’t Zuckerberg learn?

May 27, 2010May 27, 2010 / Angelo Fernando / Leave a comment

The moment I heard Mark Zuckerberg say things like “When people have control over what they share, they are comfortable sharing more,” I knew that (a) I had heard it before and (b) this was a desperate to distance Facebook from the keyword “privacy” to the other seven-letter keyword, “sharing.”

He has said that “The key here is that we always listen to what people say and the data.”
Translated: “we are always being forced to respond to react to the outcry.”

In his state of the backlash address yesterday (video) he spoke of his belief in a more connected, world powered by sharing. Hard to fault him on that.

But you can sense that this 26 year old idealistic web visionary (who was only nine years old when the first Web browser arrived on the scene) has not quite understood the true human motivations that make his application so popular. He and his team may have a critical feel for the market forces they are engaging, but they are constantly misjudging the people who populate Facebook.

Check some earlier problems here (the EU was upset then)
And here (remember Beacon?) and here.

Almost every Facebook user I speak to (friends, clients and colleagues) admit they have no clue as to how to tweak the convoluted privacy filter settings.

Three years ago a security firm, Sophos, warned of how too much sharing would backfire. They did that again last year. They found that the sharing gene in people lets them give away too much information.

By invoking what he called the “simple master switch” Zuckerberg is trying to woo users by saying that they will be more in control. He has also said that:

“The trust you place in us as a safe place to share information is the most important part of what makes Facebook work.”

Where have I heard this before?

Zuckerberg didn’t say it yesterday. He said this in February 2009!

Three things to do before you ‘sell’ social media to anyone

May 26, 2010June 4, 2010 / Angelo Fernando / 2 Comments

I hate using the word sell in a way that really means ‘influence’ or inform. But there are some times when you as a communicator need to sell the idea upstream because, frankly, no one seems to have the courage to broach the subject.

I was talking to someone in an association the other day and he sort of shielded his mouth and lowered his voice to tell me “our website sucks.” I’m sure you have had that kind of experience. Then he went on to say that most people agreed that the content was so badly laid out, and the delivery was soooo not in keeping with new media, that the higher-ups had decided to revamp the site. But still, no one wants to be the first, or loudest, to say that ‘we need to plug into some social media strategies – fast.”

How do we tell them and prove to them these are the things we need to do, he asked? I was tempted tp say make a list, but I held back.

I came across a “Five things to do” article (on executive buy-in) at Ragan Communications that was one of those. It is a great list and I happen to agree with the steps. But I worry about numbering these, and even putting a finite number to it.

I know, I know! I titled this post “Three things” but you will discover why in a bit.

The writer, Frank Strong, asks you who dare to sell the idea to the big guys to take these steps:

Get the facts
Identify customers and prospects
Review the competition
Know your ‘Use Cases’ –a buzz phrase that means what-if scenarios. Among many other things!
Manage expectations

To which I would add:

Identify related topics and conversations that the company ought to be addressing. He covers part of this in#3. But apart from responding to queries, senior management might like to know the blind spots and what might not seem obvious, and why this ‘chatter’ could be responded to.

Provide a plan of action. Sounds simple. But most people tend to want to wait for the green light to provide the steps that might be taken. By outlining, however basic, the road map you will might take, makes the executive more confident that this is not just another “let’s throw something and see if it sticks” idea.

Work the back-channel. Execs often have their ear to the ground and randomly check the pulse of people who have opinion credibility. Get to these first if you can. See if you can have their buy-in even at a basic level, so that they may not be the ones who make of break the deal.

So here’s my list of things to do.

Seek out the blind spots
Sketch your road map.
Get lower heads to nod
Ask permission later

On that last point, sometimes you need to get things moving before you can bring the heavy lifters in. Social media always lets you try-before-you-buy. (Can’t see that happening with say, a TV campaign or magazine inserts!) Start a Twitter account even if no one has approved of one. The worst they could do is shut it down. This gives you the up-seller a way to reach deep and wide and check the pulse, so that you can then say you have dabbled in this thing and have acquired … (provide numbers and details here.) Same with other channels whether it is starting a LinkedIn group, a Flicker account, or guest blogging for a friendly vendor or alliance.

So yes, there are four suggestions in my “Three Things.” The point is, there could be four or fourteen; they can (and should) vary for every situation.

Make your own list! Don’t follow mine, for goodness sakes!

How to track warm bodies flocking to your site

May 24, 2010May 26, 2010 / Angelo Fernando / Leave a comment

A few days I saw how one organization is using what’s known as a ‘heat map’ to track visitors. It’s called Crazy Egg (a name that gives you no clue about the neat service) and lets you see what links on your web site are glowing, and what parts of the site in general are on fire, so to speak.

The beauty of a heat map is that it shows the intensity of those warm bodies clicking on links in real time!

It sounds more creepy than it really is.

All it does, a bit like Google analytics, only more visually, is to give a communication manager a quick snapshot of what content (links) visitors are attracted to most, the sites referring to this link, the browsers used to get there etc.

So let’s say you create a micro-site for an event or a new program. You could basically beta test a variety of layouts for a few weeks by inviting people and watching the glow in real time. Then you could pick which layout is achieving the desired actions, and adjust the placement of those links.

Because it is a visual thing, this connection between data and navigation makes it is easy for people with different backgrounds –product marketing, e-commerce, web design, content creators – to respond to.

The service can be used on a month-to-month basis. Give it a try!

With info-graphics like these who needs words?

May 21, 2010 / Angelo Fernando / 1 Comment

Once again I turn my attention to info-graphics.

This one by Fast Company is really neat, even if you aren’t particularly interested in the shake-up between Blackberries, iPhones and the attack of the Androids.

Do your pictures embed a story?

May 17, 2010May 20, 2010 / Angelo Fernando / Leave a comment

Last week I had the opportunity of assisting 7th grade students studying photography –Black and White photography. It involved dark-room techniques as well.

Yet, it was not what you might think. The students did not use digital cameras. They were using pin-hole cameras made from … cookie tins!

Analog? Why would this be exciting to a generation we like to typify as digital natives? Why would young people who only know –or so we think –instant gratification give a hoot? Why would a camera with no lens, no aperture setting, and no buttons appeal to someone who loves iPods and Flip cameras?

I wondered that too. But it turns out that the technique –‘art’– of taking a picture inspires them. They were fascinated with the subject, not the tool aimed at it.

So with a rudimentary, very temperamental camera, they realized that framing the context for that subject was suddenly very valuable. Black and White also forced the picture taker to seriously think about lighting and contrasts . When there is no white-balance adjustment it concentrates the mind! And finally it taught each one of them what they could not learn from the handbook or a how-to YouTube video: patience. Shadows and clouds move, people in the background suddenly dart across, the wind stirs things up …

I like to put it this way. The photographer needs to find his/her ‘story’ within the picture and try to convey it at the moment he/she clicks. In their case, the click involved flipping open the magnet that covered the pin-hole, counting the seconds and replacing the magnet. Tedious? Not for this always-on generation.

And to pull back a bit, I found a great example of how a photographer must have had to frame, study and wait for the moment to get this story. What might otherwise have seemed a very mundane observation of a woman walking on a lonely stretch of road.

Hoipolloireport

Angelo Fernando's blog since 2004

Egg on its Facebook, why doesn’t Zuckerberg learn?

How to track warm bodies flocking to your site

With info-graphics like these who needs words?

Do your pictures embed a story?

Ian Schafer in Advertising Age about the dawn of Facebook currency

Mike Klein, responding to Steve Crescenzo‘s post at IABC Exchange, on the three kinds of writing communicators need to know.

Doron Kritetz, on the four subject lines that grab readers

Najibullah Malik, secretary of Pakistan’s ministry of information technology, on why Facebook was banned this week in the country.

Seattle cartoonist Molly Norris, who called for the ‘day’ to draw a cartoon of the prophet.

Gary Pierce, Arizona’s Corporation Commissioner in an empty threat to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The spat was over several states and counties calling for a boycott of Arizona over its new immigration law. The law has promoted many cartoons and punch lines.

Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi Eorldwide, on his about turn on the vakue of the iPad

Gary Severson, senior vice president of entertainment for Wal-Mart’s U.S. stores

BT Chief exec, Ian Livingston on a device said to rival the iPad

Verizon Wireless’ Lowell McAdam commenting on the high speculation that it is soon to launch a Google tablet that will take advantage of its new network and new pricing plans.