CustomScoop PR PodJots

Welcome to CustomScoop’s PR PodJots, our weekly rundown of the best of the PR and marketing podosphere.

It was a light week this week, I think a good number of our regular podcasters were on vacation. Luckily, a few stuck around to bring us some insightful and lively discussions.

Six Pixels of Separation #65 – Mitch Goes to BarCamp

Mitch Joel can’t heap enough praise on the just concluded New Media BarCamp Nashville unconference. A conversation with Dave Delaney and Marcus Whitney, the cofounders of the event sparks this week’s main focus, which revolves around the process of organizing a success unconference/BarCamp event. (Of course, it would not be a true SPOS podcast if the conversation was held in a sterile environment, and this one offers playful mariachi music that reminds listeners that the three are talking at a fun Mexican restaurant.) The interviewees point to a few key ingredients behind a successful event – vision, motivation, innovation, and an exciting environment. All three agree that the concept of new media is powerful enough subject to get people on board. After the discussion, Joel breaks down a quick checklist on how anyone can organize an unconference:

• Use your blog (or find someone else’s) to express interest and spread the word.
• Build a Wiki, and make sure to monitor it to weed out spam.
• Select a Realistic location, and “lock down” a contract.
• Recruit sponsors to cover the cost of food, drinks, etc.
• Promote online and via word of mouth.
• Brand yourself, have business cards
• Have fun! Be a part of the community.

Joel also discusses the idea of ghost blogging, and partially agrees with Inside PR’s David Jones, who suggests that the practice is okay, but only if it is disclosed within the post. However, Joel suggests that there appears to be a double standard when it comes to live speeches, which he disagrees with.

Also discussed:

• New SPOS Twitter feed
• Interactive Advertising Bureau – social media marketing seminars coming up in Canada

Inside PR #73 – Does Size Really Matter?

Terry Fallis and Dave Jones look at the factors that perspective clients look for in a marketing/PR agency. They note that “quality customer insights” tops the list according to a new study, while size also (barely) makes the list of the 12 most important characteristics of an agency from the client’s perspective. They note that there are six areas where clients perceive a difference between large and small agencies, and highlight what the perception is on each – three of which favor small agencies:

• Cost
• Responsiveness
• Senior Level Attention

While larger firms have an edge in three others:

• Resources
• Special Expertise
• Reach

The hosts suggest that there is some truth behind these perceptions, but argue that the generalizations are often wrong, and ultimately other factors determine the real value of a particular agency.

Also Discussed:

• Spelling matters.
• Inside PR on Facebook.

Marketing Over Coffee – Reaching Out the Right Way

John Wall and Christopher Penn talk about reaching outside of the “fishbowl” to promote events and/or causes and offer a few suggestions on how to develop relationships with more people. Both agree that picking up names out of the blue is not the way to go, instead they recommend cultivating lists from social networks based on logical criteria. Wall suggests contacting friends of friends, arguing that they are more likely to have similar interests, while Penn stresses the need to move forward with determination. One ping, he insists, is not enough. Instead reach out repeatedly, and ask your contacts to do the same in an effort to reach the magical number eight, which is said to be the point where people really pay attention.

The two also look at how far marketers should go when it comes to unsolicited contacts, arguing that spamming blogs never works and should be avoided, but ultimately, the line comes down to what tactics offer more benefits, both in the long term and short term, vs. those that could bite back in the form of bad PR or legal ramifications.

A key topic this week is evolving technologies used to improve trade shows. Wall notes that lighter, more attractive booth design has made it easier to set up shop, and handheld check-in devices or even radio chips are making it easier to get started. Wall also suggests that creating a comfortable environment for participants is probably smarter than giving away cheap gadgets. Only innovative giveaways, they say, will earn the type of attention exhibitors seek.

Also discussed:

• Podcamp Boston.

Around the PR Podcast Horn:

For Immediate Release #268 and #269 – August 20/23, 2007 – Shel and Neville delve into the topic of crisis communication following widespread reports that millions of Mattel toys have been recalled due to concerns about lead paint and lose magnetic parts. The toy manufacturer earns praise for its effort to decisively address the matter, but concerns relating to a new class action lawsuit are said to have the company in a “no-win” situation. The duo also takes a look at a recent crop of PR blunders, employee blogging, and the latest in PR news. Remember, they tell the PR community, to consider how public statements could play out in the blogosphere.

Probecast #29 – August 24, 2007 - Rob Capra, Adam Zand, and Todd Van Hoosear praise Skype for taking responsibility for the two-day service outage users experienced last week after it initially appeared that the VoIP company was trying to deflect blame to Microsoft. Facebook is also a hot topic as businesses begin to worry that the social network is hurting productivity. Meanwhile, many of those lucky enough to still have access are irked by the “bacn” phenomenon – a term used for email that is neither spam, nor personal.

Across the Sound #88 – August 19, 2007 – Joseph Jaffe continues to focus on, and defend, his experiment to monetize podcasts through highly customized sponsorships paid in the form of physical objects. Jaffe agrees that transparency and full disclosure are required for any sponsorship arrangement, but complains that many are determined to find fault regardless of the terms. Jaffe closes with a look at how social media tools were used during and after the recent Minneapolis bridge collapse.