CustomScoop's PR Blog Jots

Tricky Blog Comments, Crisis Communications, and Other PR Blog Jots

Flacks Infiltrating Blogs?

BL Ochman

BL links to a story reporting that political bloggers fear that campaigns will set up fake bloggers and commenters to take advantage of social media for their own purposes.  The practice of faking grassroots support, known as astroturfing, is a major concern among bloggers of all stripes. “Many bloggers care very much when commenters mis-represent their affiliations. We insist that commenters have a valid email address, and many of us check IP address origins. The risk of getting caught astroturfing has grown exponentially because of blogs. In fact, candidates who try to stuff partisan comments are playing with fire.”

Turning Negative Comments into Positive Results

Altyrian View

In response to Kami Huyse’s Top 10 Risks for Corporate Blogs, John Mims points to the number one risk she notes, negative comments, and argues that it can actually be a good thing for the company.  In making the case for negative comments, Mims astutely points out that they are the perfect opportunity to respond to problems raised by a company’s consumers.  He also notes that if one commenter has a negative remark, it is possible that others are thinking it as well—including the mainstream media. “I’d much rather respond to a negative comment on a blog than a “surprise” question from a reporter. Again, other people are probably thinking it. I’d much rather had a heads-up on an issue from a negative comment than from a reporter who springs the question on my CEO.”

Crisis Management Tips from the Best

Bulldog Reporter Daily Dog

With PR crises dominating the news lately, from the JetBlue incident to Taco Bell’s "rats gone wild" YouTube video, the Bulldog Reporter gets advice from the best crisis communicators for weathering a PR nightmare and rebuilding brand image.  The advice includes mostly tips on preparing for a crisis and accepting that in all likelihood, a crisis will indeed occur at some point.  Experts recommend installing a crisis plan beforehand, and implementing it when a crisis hits.  “The bottom line: It's not enough to plan ahead and talk about what you might do during a crisis. As every athlete knows, you must practice, practice, practice to achieve the results you need during a crisis. Arrange weekly or monthly crisis drills with employees, including meetings with key executives and spokespeople to rehearse messages.”

Risky Business, a C-SPAN Coup, and Other PR Blog Jots

Risky Business(blogs)

Communications Overtones

Kami Huyse lists her top ten risks of starting a corporate blog, assigning each possibility a rating in terms of the likelihood the risk will become a factor for the blogging company.  Some of the risks, such as loss of control over the message (a big corporate fear), she deems as extremely likely, while others, such as legal liabilities, are deemed unlikely to be an issue.  One of the biggest risks, as noted by the panelists of the PRSA Boston event I attended last night, is one that may not immediately come to mind but can be a major problem. “Neglect. Starting a blog and letting it languish might is a risk of blogging. The time needed to maintain a blog isn’t insignificant.”

PR 2.0 and Web 2.0 Not Necessarily the Same

PR 2.0

In a long yet thoughtful post, Brian Solis argues that ‘PR 2.0’ was actually created as a result of the first web revolution of the mid-90’s, not in conjunction with the recent surge in Web 2.0 technology.  Solis worries that marketers and PR and marketing professionals are attempting to sell services relating to PR 2.0 without first fully grasping its true nature.  He further argues that social media and Web 2.0 have become impossibly blurred, when they are in fact two different phenomenons. “But, PR 2.0 isn’t Social Media. And Social Media isn’t Web 2.0. These are also distinct movements that can complement and inspire each other. PR 2.0 does, however, can incorporate the tools that enable the socialization of media, providing smart folks with the ability to reach folks directly.  Social Media frames “media” in a socialized context, but it doesn’t invite PR (as it exists today) to market through (or to) it. However, worthy individuals can participate in conversations.”

A C-SPAN Coup?

Buzz Machine

C-SPAN (interestingly enough considering their programming is almost entirely made up of events and meetings open to the general public) is one of the fiercest protectors of copyrighted material.  Jeff Jarvis notes they even went so far as to demand that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remove their footage of her floor speeches from her blog.  Jarvis calls for a citizen revolution of sorts, wondering why citizen journalists, public radio and other groups don’t take to videotaping government proceedings on their own and broadcasting them online.  “Unleash an army of us with audio and video recorders to capture public meetings and then host what we come up with and give us the tools to edit these recordings down to their essence. The next time you go to your school board meeting, take along a video camera and put it up on YouTube. And watch how your elected representatives behave then.”

Public Relations and Honesty (and Other PR Blog Jots)

PR: Honesty the Best Policy?

Neville Hobson

Several PR bloggers are discussing the recent debate at the UK’s University of Westminster regarding public relations and truthfulness. As in, does the practice of PR require practitioners to be truthful at all times?  Neville Hobson thinks so, citing Britain’s Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) code of conduct and noting that while honesty isn’t a “rule,” the purpose of PR is to serve the client’s needs, something that wouldn’t be achieved with dishonest tactics. Others, such as Martin Moore, who covered the event, disagree, arguing that the PR exec’s main responsibility is to their client. “Here’s the thing - while the ‘duty’ of PR might not be to tell the truth, the duty for you as a communicator is. Telling the truth and serving your employer’s/client’s interests are not mutually exclusive.”

Free PR For a Post Crisis JetBlue?

PR Communications

In a quick but interesting post, John Cass wonders if JetBlue’s recent handling of a PR crisis may end up working for them.  Noting a local news anchor reporting cancelled flights due to snowy weather, the anchor specifically mentioned JetBlue without mentioning the crisis, indicating that their name recognition has risen in the aftermath.  “I was thinking that the news anchor did not mention the earlier problem but did single out JetBlue, whether you know about their earlier problems or not, as long as the company does not mess up in the long term the incident could be a boost for the brand.”

TJ Maxx Should Take a Cue from JetBlue

CanuckFlack

Colin McKay criticizes the online response from TJ Maxx and its subsidiaries following its announcement of a massive security breach that may have caused thousands of customers’ personal data to be compromised.  McKay compares their efforts to JetBlue’s noting the latter was far more effective in terms of reputation management. TJ Maxx’s online resources, according to McKay, aren’t going far enough to quell customer fears and provide the needed information.  “Now, TJ Maxx has been extremely detailed and open about how they are reacting to the breach and have called in some powerful consultancies to drill down into how the company handles personal data. Still, their online presence doesn’t reflect a corporate spirit to make information about the breach front and centre.”

Blogosphere Peaking--In English, at least

901am

Basing his arguments on population and the potential for growth and linking to recent study on the subject, Duncan Riley believes that blogging growth in the English-speaking world has reached its peak.  He notes the statistics on Internet usage in countries with huge populations but less access to technology, such as China, making the interesting argument that the Asian blogosphere may be on the verge of an explosion. “Expect to see more research this year showing the English speaking blogosphere has passed its peak, and more evidence that in the same way China is set to have more internet users that the United States this year, that Asia, with China at the top will be the powerhouse of international blog growth.”

Mini-Media Kits, Results Measurement, and Other PR Blog Jots

Measuring PR Results

Strumpette

In his weekly guest-blog, PR vet Phil Hall underscores the importance of properly measuring the results of a public relations campaign. He urges a focus on quality over quantity when it comes to results measurement, noting that hundreds of useless news clips are not as effective as a few high-quality placements to most clients. Hall highlights some main concerns most PR pros have when it comes to measuring, and stresses how important it is to a campaign’s success. “How serious is this issue? If you believe some people, it is on par with global warming. I’ve waded through the numerous articles, blogs and conference sessions devoted solely to making sense of measurement, and the subject is viewed with an acute seriousness that you’d think the fate of the industry depended on the ability to measure PR activity.”

New Spin on Media Kits

Making News

David Henderson offers a fresh spin on the media kit, a tactic he considers nearly obsolete in the age of PR 2.0. Pointing out that most reporters will tell you they toss media kits away without even reading them, Henderson suggests using customized USB flash drives outfitted with all the information a reporter would need, delivered in a format they would not throw away as casually (after all, USB drives can be reused and are always useful to have around). “For about $10 or less each, you can order a quantity of thumb drives emblazoned with your logo. Lots of places sell them. Just Google ‘usb flash drive.’ This will enable you to create customized media presentation materials, and here's the best part -- this is not something a reporter would ever pitch in the trash.”

Most PR Professionals Forgo Blog Monitoring

Communications Overtones

As a PRSA article recently noted (link courtesy of Crisisblogger), nearly three-quarters of public relations practitioners are not monitoring blogs as part of their campaigns.  Kami Huyse links to the study the article cited, from Kent University School of Journalism’s Bill Sledzik.  Some of the more interesting aspects of the results were a fear of losing control of the message by engaging in the unrestrained, more free-wheeling blogosphere as a communications approach.  Huyse sees this attitude as a symptom of big-business resisting change. “While the results from this study can’t be extrapolated to all public relations practitioners, it is very interesting to see the overall attitudes about blogs and blogging. I think that those of us that do engage in monitoring, and feel that it is important, will continue to face huge corporate barriers to change.”

"Swaying" Social Media (and Other PR Blog Jots)

"Sway" by the Rules?

The Flack

In response to the release of a product called “Sway” from a British marketing company, which purports to monitor and influence online conversation about its clients’ brands, Peter Himler wonders if such a product would have an ill effect on social media.  He notes that monitoring the online conversation is essential to conducting public relations, but that any effort to spin or control that conversation loses the trust of the public. “At a time when digital has blurred the lines between PR, marketing and advertising and the rules of social media relations are still being written, it's dangerous (if not disingenuous) to tout one's ability to manipulate the cacophonous world of social media.”

New Social Media PR Guidelines Released

Neville Hobson

After announcing plans last fall to release a set of guidelines for PR practitioners dealing with social media, the UK organization Chartered Institute of Public Relations has officially added the new guidelines to its code of conduct.  Neville Hobson argues that while most of the suggestions are merely “common sense,” he thinks that they will be useful, particularly to those PR professionals still new to the idea of social media. He also praises CIPR for coming up with a very good “official” definition of social media. “It’s good to see a strong emphasis on other emerging issues (as the guidelines call them) which include some clear guidance on areas such as astroturfing, pitching, ghost writing blogs and contributing to wikis. All of such points are firmly linked to the CIPR’s overall code of conduct.  It’s a good document, in my view, one which will be of use to PR practitioners everywhere, CIPR members or not (if you do use them, remember to attribute your source of reference to the CIPR).”

JetBlue Not Going Far Enough

BL Ochman

BL Ochman praises JetBlue for its use of social medial crisis communications, referencing CEO David Neeleman’s recent YouTube appearance, but doesn’t think the apology or the recently publicized compensation plans goes far enough. She recommends more free tickets to the inconvenienced passengers, and the creation of a customer blog where they can share their experiences and get more information. “If they're really serious about keeping their customers and getting new ones, they'd give every customer who was involved several free round-trip tickets to the destinations of their choice, whether they were on the tarmac or in the airport for three hours or thirty. It would cost JetBlue a lot less to prove their promises have teeth by actually providing great service than by trying to advertise or promote their way back into our hearts.”

Defending Social Media (and Other PR Blog Jots)

Is Blogging Worth the Effort?

Communications Overtones

Kami Huyse links to a swan song post from Dee Rambeau of the Adventures in Business Communications blog, who is bowing out of the blogosphere with five reasons why blogging is actually a waste of time.  Huyse lists his points, some of which have a little merit (in particular that clients should be focused more on monitoring blogs than authoring their own), and offers counterpoints.  She believes that if a blogger (corporate or otherwise) has achieved what they set out to do in starting a blog, than moving on is the right decision. “I think that it is important to put more critical thought into what and why we are doing what we do, and more importantly in how we advise our clients about proceeding in this area. I personally am still moving forward in my goals for this blog, and I have also developed business through it, or at least because of it.”

Is Social Media Really Media? Is it Really Social?

PR 2.0

Linking to recent posts on social media from Robert Scoble and Doc Searls, Brian Solis continues to defend the categorization of Web 2.0 media tools (blogs, wikis, RSS, etc.) as “social media.”  He agrees that labeling all these new advancements under one large umbrella is not necessarily the ideal situation, but questions how else to define them.  “For example, how else do we describe the difference between someone simply reading a newspaper article and someone reading the story online, commenting on it, then in turn, writing their own post about the story which then reaches a different set of people, thus potentially sparking a new thread? Do we call it media, new media, or do we consider this media at all?”

JetBlue Should Recover from PR Crisis

The Flack

After criticizing JetBlue CEO David Neeleman earlier in the week for apologizing and making promises before the crisis had even ended, Peter Himler believes the company ought to recover from their PR nightmare nicely, and be a better company in the end. He compares their issues to Dell’s recent poor customer service publicity, and thinks that JetBlue, particularly Neeleman, seems believably concerned with fixing their problems and avoiding similar crises in the future. “JetBlue still has more work to do, like introducing some tangible reforms to prevent this from happening again. But David Neeleman, in spite of having jumped the gun without all the info at his fingerprints, came off as contrite, honest, and committed to his customers. That's what we'll remember as JetBlue lands safely then proceeds to soar to new heights.”

JetBlue CEO on YouTube

A Shel of my Former Self

After some PR bloggers criticized JetBlue for not using social media (namely their CEO blog) as part of their crisis communication plan, Shel Holtz praises the company for posting a video of Neeleman on popular video sharing site YouTube.  Holtz notes that Neeleman is clearly not reading from a script, and thinks it makes him seem human and honest as he apologizes to the consumers affected by the massive upheaval of JetBlue’s service.  Holtz argues that their response could almost be a case study for proper crisis communication if it weren’t for the slow response time of updating their website. “It leads with the YouTube video and includes Neeleman’s video apology. Nice work, if a little late. (Remember, we’re functioning these days in the 90-second news cycle.) And the pseudo-blog still hasn’t been updated (or turned into a real blog).”

Offering Advice to JetBlue (and Other PR Blog Jots)

Grading JetBlue's Crisis Management

Crisisblogger

Crisis communications expert Gerald Baron analyzes JetBlue’s crisis management in the wake of its PR nightmare, created last week when the company’s poor response to the icy weather left thousands of travelers stranded.  Baron’s review of the company’s management of the crisis is mixed when he compares it to his gold standards for regaining trust.  He recommends companies accept full responsibility, offer appropriate restitution and agree to make changes to prevent future problems.  He appreciates CEO David Neeleman’s apology but thinks it could have gone further, and notes that it might be too early to tell if JetBlue will be able to recover their reputation.  “What is not completely clear–and needed to be to come out of this with a higher likelihood of regaining credibility and confidence–is whether it will be a better company. Mr. Neeleman and his communication team still have some work to do to convince the public and passengers of that in my opinion.”

JetBlue's CEO Blog May Have Been Useful

/Message

Stowe Boyd joins the JetBlue fray by pointing out that the company’s CEO, who has been making the mea culpa rounds this week via traditional media outlets, actually has a blog.  Boyd wonders why the blog, which has not been updated in three weeks, was not used as a perfect way to communicate with—and perhaps apologize to—JetBlue’s many irate customers in recent days.  Boyd argues that the company’s public relations agony could have been at least somewhat alleviated had they attempted to reach out through the CEO’s blog.  “The company has this one-lung approach -- the sock puppet CEO blog, probably written by the marketing communication people (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) -- and meanwhile the chance to head off the PR disaster is lost because the blog setup is so phony they don't even consider it as a meaningful way to talk to the community of Jetblue users.”

Another Social Media for Dummies Primer

Scobleizer

Several PR bloggers are weighing in this week on what has been deemed the “Social Media Meme,” many in reaction to this post from Robert Scoble that lays out the basic elements of Social Media.  Scoble underlines the importance of audience participation, instant feedback, interaction with other forms of this new media (examples: bloggers posting comments on each other’s blogs, message boards, topic memes, tagging), and syndication as the crucial elements of social media. “When I say “social media” or “new media” I’m talking about Internet media that has the ability to interact with it in some way. IE, not a press release like over on PR Newswire, but something like what we did over on Channel 9 where you could say “Microsoft sucks” right underneath one of my videos.”

Journalism, the Blogosphere, and Jet Blue (and Other PR Blog Jots)

Using a Journalistic Approach to the Blogosphere

PR Communications

Remarking on a recent essay from Craigslist founder Craig Newmark that delved into the implications of online community building for mainstream media, John Cass explores the relationship between citizen journalism and professional journalism.  He notes that trust seems to be the largest issue between the two, as the Internet seems to have a more tenuous hold on building trust with its audience.  Cass believes that using the tools of journalism (editing and fact checking, for example), bloggers—particularly business and communications bloggers—can improve their online reputation and gain the trust of their readers. “Should business bloggers be more like journalists? Do we have a role to play in our community of being watchdogs of institutions and business? I personally think the answer to that question is yes, and the reason why is because as people we owe it our conscience, payback to our profession and the general community to be involved.”

The Three C's of "CM"

PR 2.0

Brian Solis examines the three “CM” tools of social media: “Conversational marketing,” “comment marketing,” and “community marketing,” and wonders whether public relations will ever truly master this social media marketing tactic.  He advises firms to be especially careful with comment marketing, the practice of placing strategic comments on high-traffic blogs meant to stir up conversation relevant to a client’s issue/product/etc.  Solis argues that joining the online conversation can be dangerous for an industry that is used to staying behind-the-scenes.  “For far too long, PR has operated behind a wall, spamming media with generic emails and press releases, without taking the time to understand why their news matters to the community they’re trying to reach. And now with the tools to reach communities directly at their fingertips, many will fail, while a few smart, immersed, and passionate professionals will converse transparently.”

Journalist Tips for Emailing News Releases

Making News

In a helpful post for those struggling with media outreach in the Web 2.0 world, David Henderson offers tips on how to email journalists a news release effectively.  He notes that most news organizations block attachments, and that most email users are wary of clicking links from people they do not know.  What is required then, according to journalists Henderson has questioned on the subject, is personalization. He recommends a short headline in the subject line, a personalized note to the journalist, followed by a brief excerpt of the release and a link to click “for more information.”  “It will work like magic. Why? Because when I wrote the book on today's trends on media releases and New Media -- Making News -- this is the style that countless reporters said they prefer. Ask a journalist.”

Jet Blue's PR Boo-Boo

The Flack

As air travelers continue to feel the effects of last week’s snow and ice storm in the Northeast, Peter Himler argues that Jet Blue’s CEO did the company no public relations favors by appearing on NBC Nightly News over the weekend to apologize for the cancellations and delays.  Himler points out that while an apology from the company was deserved and well intentioned, it was made hastily, as the cancellations and delays continued for days after the program aired—angering customers even further.  Jet Blue could have benefited from some better crisis management following the storm (of both the snow and media varieties).  “Two days after the storm, local NYC media carried reports from disgusted passengers who traveled to the airport last night (Thursday) -- after JetBlue's website indicated some modicum of normality -- only to find their flights has been cancelled or delayed. David, did you really think that NBC News could solve the airline's operational problems?”

Social Media in Politics and Business (and Other PR Blog Jots)

Candidates Using Social Media

BL Ochman

Both Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton both employ bloggers are incorporating social media into their presidential campaigns; Obama has even launched MyBarakObama.com, a send-up of MySpace social media website for constituents.  BL Ochman wonders how heavily involved the candidates are with their online endeavors. “And therein lies the rub. Will either candidate have the time or inclination to be personally involved on their social media sites, or are they just marketing ploys?”

Social Media Newsroom Changing Communications

A Shel of my Former Self

Shel Holtz praises the Social Media Newsroom template from SHIFT Communications, and notes that it marks a true evolution of the traditional online newsroom, taking it in the direction of a conversation rather than one-way communication.  The online newsroom allows for multi-media information, company-specific del.icio.us tags and accounts, RSS feeds, links to media stories, and numerous other sources previously unavailable.  “In any case, the template and presentation offer a great starting point for companies who are ready to evolve their newsrooms to accommodate more than just the traditional press, and to make their traditional press offerings relevant to outlets that want their online content to be more valuable than their print content.”

Dell News Dominating Blogosphere

PR Communications

John Cass argues that the replacement of Kevin Rollins with Michael Dell as CEO of Dell was not necessarily what caused Dell’s domination of blogosphere news in recent months.  He notes that the company’s sagging profits and customer service issues, which resulted in Dell setting up a customer service oriented blog.  Cass praises their efforts but note the company has a way to go. “The story demonstrates that any company working in a competitive technology market must pay attention to the content customers generate online or otherwise face the danger of poor results. Though hard to bear at the moment Dell will benefit from responding to customer feedback, and in turn Dell customers will benefit in return.”

Viral Video, the Magazine Boom, and Other PR Blog Jots

Viral Video How-To

PR Squared

Todd Defren posts a write-up of an effective viral video by marketing exec David Applebaum, who successfully created a viral video campaign for a recent client.  He suggests investing financially in the effort, spreading it around to a dynamic list of sites (not just YouTube), and consistently tracking the results.  Defren breaks down his advice into a simple five-step plan for viral video success. Among his suggestions, he urges marketing and PR teams to, “Be clever --- show your company's true personality. If your video is not entertaining, don't expect that your upload to YouTube equates to a viral campaign.  If it doesn't get passed-along, it ain't "viral," folks.”

Newspapers Declining, Magazines Thriving

Micro Persuasion

Commenting on a recent set of statistics that shows that print magazines are thriving even as the newspaper continues to decline, Steve Rubel wonders if online content will ever hit magazines as hard as newspapers.  He notes that while the news magazine (such as Time and Newsweek) has also suffered at the hands of the online, 24-hour news cycle, magazines with other content are at their highest peak in years. Rubel believes the advertising in magazines, particularly fashion magazines, is a part of the content and contributing to their continued success. “Finally, a lot of the content is very visual and it's very difficult to create such an tangible and visually engaging experience online. Their increased use of video, however, could change all of that.”

Journalism Shifts to Integrate Web 2.0

The Flack

Peter Himler posts today on the evolution of journalism, and how public relations is shifting (or ought to shift) to keep up with the turning tide.  He lists examples of the ways that mainstream media outlets are working to integrate online video, consumer generated content and social media into their strategies, and argues that PR professionals need to embrace all manner of communications, both new and traditional, in order to continue to be effective.  “As PR professionals, we should not lose sight that our clients are newsmakers, and that we still have a strong hand in how that news is presented, delivered, parsed, amplified, spiked, received, believed, morphed, ignored, blogged, embraced and/or echoed.”