Last Jot on the Anderson Debacle, I swear! (And Other PR Blog Jots)

More Reaction to the "Long Wail"
Phil’s Blogservations
Okay, so we’ve all heard enough about the infamous Chris Anderson incident, but Phil Gomes was away getting married when the whole thing went down, so we can probably take the time to hear his very smart thoughts on the debacle can’t we? Sure we can, especially considering this is one of the best responses I’ve seen thus far. In a level-headed approach, Phil rejects the methods Anderson used to make his point, but is grateful that his post has brought the issue of handling PR in a social media era into the mainstream. He is critical of the ire many journalists are spouting for the PR profession (noting rightly that because of their job description, PRs can hardly respond to any journalist critically and hope to maintain good relationships), but notes that certainly PR folks could do better. “And that's why, aside from serving as linkbait, these occasional flare-ups against PR people are destined to go absolutely nowhere: PR people are cowed into believing that the path to success means choking on their critical opinions, and the media considers public relations a risk-free target of scorn and ridicule. The relationship between media and PR will not improve unless everyone is honest with each other. Inevitably, this means that 1) PR as a whole will not only have to get smarter, but conspicuously so, and 2) the media will have to learn how to ‘take’ as well as ‘dish out.’

Coca-Cola Joins the 'Sphere
Paul Gillin
In a “refreshing” move (very bad pun intended), Coke has announced it will be joining in on the blogging fray in the coming months with its own corporate blog, authored by someone outside of the public relations team. I’m pleased to see another major company adding its voice to the blogosphere in a way that doesn’t seem canned and legalesed beforehand. The blogger will be an employee in charge of the company archives, and will grow to include other voices as time goes on. Paul Gillin reports that the company is interested in hearing from a variety of voices at various corporate levels. “In taking that approach, Coke is adopting a tactic that's being practiced by an increasing number of corporations, including Southwest Airlines, Eastman-Kodak and Chrylser LLC. It spreads the work around and exposes the ideas of interesting individuals in a corporate venue.”

Accepting the Unexpected
Online Public Relations Thoughts
In another post that reacts to somewhat “old news,” Jim Horton examines the recent fracas caused by the Clinton campaign inserting a pre-planted question into a planned Q&A session. When I heard about this story, I was amazed that anyone was even reacting to it so strongly; sadly, this is just how politics sometimes works, and the Clinton campaign is hardly the first to use this method to control the scope of a rally. Jim argues that over-controlling communications teams desperate for message control and avoidance of the unexpected are only building a wall between the public and the candidate/company/organization that they are trying to protect. Eventually, however, the truth emerges. “The unexpected intrudes, and one learns to deal with it. Voters and the public look for how individuals and companies handle change because it shows character beneath the mask. When one shields an individual or organization from the unplanned, the result is an artificial wall, which will break over time. Usually an individual or organization that has lived within the wall is unprepared and unequipped to handle what pierces defenses.”

Think Before You Fan
Web Strategy by Jeremiah
Responding to an article touting the benefits of creating Facebook “fan pages” for your company or website, Jeremiah Owyang cautions marketers to put the brakes on for a moment and think about how the fan page fits into your overall communications strategy. Jumping in headfirst without truly thinking through what you want to accomplish is an easy social media trap, and Jeremiah warns companies away from the “shiny object syndrome.” He offers seven useful questions to ask yourself before joining in on the Facebook fandemonium. “How do you measure success? Nothing is free, nothing. Using free tools require time, which equals dollars. Unplugging a free system may cost far more than building it. How will you know when this is successful? Have you already dedicated resources to manage and maintain this site? What happens if your detractors flame your wall up? Do you have a plan?”