Honestly…|an honest take on the world of PR and other things by Cindy Ronzoni

Today’s post is for executives who hire public relations/corporate communications personnel and agencies, especially for those who hire the heads of the department. If this is you then I have some advice. The first of which is stop what you are doing and immediately read last week’s BUSINESS WEEK cover story about blogs. The article is an updated story written three years ago by writers Stephen Baker and Heather Green. It’s an absolutely fantastic read that will help you understand the blogosphere and educate you about the new social networking tools. Below is a link to the article to make it easier.

Beyond the Blogs (Business Week)

This article was extremely interesting and provides me with a ton of ideas to blog about, but today’s post is about the need for supercommunicators in PR departments. Baker and Green used that term in the article and I just love it. It’s perfect summation of the role that the head of communications needs to play in this day and age.

Who’s a supercommunicator? Supercommunicators are those people who are utilizing all the means readily available to communicate either personally or professionally with others. Words like Twitter, Facebook, applications, plugins, meebo, mashups are all part of their daily lexicons.

Traditional PR just doesn’t cut it anymore. There’s no excuse not to be monitoring the blogs and hearing what your audience is saying about you or your company. With this being the case, it is IMPERATIVE that the head of communications at any company, no matter the size, has someone in the department who is monitoring and/or employing these tools. I would even go as far as to say that if the candidate doesn’t have a Facebook page, that you shouldn’t hire him/her!

When I was employed in a similar capacity I had alerts sent to my computer from a variety of services. Anytime anyone (either a journalist, blogger, consumer, photographer) posted anything on the Internet about my company I knew about it. And I can’t begin to tell you how valuable that was. Not only are you able to put out potential fires quickly or provide top-notch customer service, but you have a focus group instantly available.

Here’s an excerpt from the article which further confirms my point.

J.P. Rangaswami…runs technology at BT (BT), the British telecom giant, and is famous for an approach that blends inside and outside networks. We leave a message with the press department. A day passes. We wonder if we should try another number before it strikes us how silly we’ve been. We can go straight to the person! That’s what social media lets you do. We leave a comment on Rangaswami’s blog, ConfusedofCalcutta, and promptly get a reply. He’s flying to San Francisco, but he leaves his Facebook and Twitter contacts, along with a cell phone number.

I can’t tell you how often that still occurs. Reporters who call PR departments and never get call backs or get them at the end of the day when it’s passed their deadlines (another PR ploy.) I like being accessible. As a PR veteran, I personally take offense when a reporter contacts one of my executives because they couldn’t find me. That’s my job-to handle their needs. As such, I’ve become accustomed to including in my email signatures the fact that I’m on Facebook, Twitter and Instant Message. I was proud of the fact that if a reporter wanted to reach me immediately, he had these other options. Most of the time I received simple questions from them, but then there were the other times when I able to be included in stories I normally would have never been. But by being online, reporters had direct access to me. And being a smaller company, I welcomed any chance I could to be a part of a larger trend piece. And the reason why we got them…by being accessible.

I also tried an experiment last week. In an earlier post, I wrote about the frustrating experience I had as a customer of Verizon Communications. Since the only option I was offered to express my concerns was through a written letter vs. electronic email, I thought I might blog about it to see if anyone in Verizon’s PR department was monitoring the blogs. Needless to say, I haven’t heard from anyone yet. Not surprising though. PR departments who are steeped in the traditional PR methods will never receive the value of connecting with their customers utilizing these new tools.

If anyone reading this has a differing opinion I’d love to hear it. Please note that I do believe that a head a PR department should possess a million other skills, but new media should definitely be one of them.

Well, I got to go update my Facebook page and sign up to follow these Business Week writers on Twitter.

Signed,

An Aspiring Supercommunicator

I am not known to be a passionate follower of bands or for my music acumen…but there’s one band that I have loved through the ages and that band is Journey. Imagine my surprise yesterday when one of the most searched terms on Google Trends was the band Journey. As I clicked deeper into the news stories…I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes! My ears could believe. But not my eyes. Journey has a new lead singer that ah…sounds exactly like the original Steve Perry and sort of uh looks like him in hair and build comparison….but their nationalities couldn’t be more opposite.

I guess yesterday was Journey’s coming out party for the new singer. They appeared on ELLEN and proudly introduced their new front man. Roll tape.

He’s Filipino singer Arnel Pineda of the cover band The Zoo. He was discovered by Neal Schon when he saw him on YouTube singing covers of Journey songs. Can you imagine? How cool is that. Man, Arnel must still be pinching himself…his dream came true. He’s the singer for the band he has always loved. And his voice…he’s a dead ringer for Perry. If you close your eyes while listening to the above clip, you’d think it was him. At first I was bothered by his maneuvers on stage. This is guy is all over the place swinging his microphone stand and jumping and strutting. It first bothered me…but then I thought again. This guy isn’t Steve Perry….so l’m going to let Arnel find his own way and bring his own brand to my favorite band. Will I go see them in concert? Heck ya. Will I still sing along. You betcha.

As the song so aptly says I need to break those chains that bind me - but you know that I still love you. Journey continues to rock and we have the new social networks to thank for it. Go Arnel!

-CR

You know that old saying, “never under estimate the value of your friends” - well, that certainly has been ringing true for me as I transition from a six-year 40+ hour work week that included 20 hours of driving. For followers of my web log life, I have been walking a pretty wobbly path these first few days, but along the way I have been given so many moments of beauty. My heart is probably the warmest it has ever been…it’s getting filled up with incredible conversations and opportunities with friends, new and old. I was telling someone today that I think all my senses are brighter and keener since this change. My listening skills are much sharper as I have all the time in the world now to hear how they are doing. My vision is brighter too. I can look them in the eyes and see them without rushing off. Oh and the hugs…those are my favorite.

I have a strong faith and so wholeheartedly believe that my brushes with friends are not coincidental but gifts from God. I think for the first time in my life I’m tasting freedom and I like it. I can’t seem to wipe the smile off my face. I’m really happy.

I received countless emails and phone calls from colleagues in the press that have warmed my heart. I’ve had old work acquaintances contact me out of the blue to say hello and wish me well. I’ve been taken to dinner, been checked up on, given sound advice, lounged in a friend’s pool and given love. I attended a childhood friend’s wedding yesterday and had the opportunity to catch up with some of my dearest friends in life. These have all been truly unexpected gifts.

Most of this couldn’t have been accomplished without the new tools of the trade. I first posted by job change on Facebook and instantly started receiving notes and well wishes. And then there’s Linked In which brought in my second wave of activity. I’ve been hearing from so many people who my path has crossed during my life and without these tools, I would have never known how to contact them. Simply remarkable.

Even with these new advances, I am bit worried about how am I not going to lose who I am becoming once I join the workforce again. Will my senses get dull once again? And how can I keep the smile on my face and spend quality time with friends?

This has been a real eye-opening change for me - one certainly for the better. For all those who said this will probably end up being the best thing that ever happened to me are appearing to be right. I don’t fault my job in anyway, I’m the one to blame for allowing my life to get out of balance. But, I think back then I hadn’t known what freedom felt like…but now that I am beginning to…I want to keep it the rest of my life.

If anyone reading this has any suggestions regarding life balance…I honestly would love hearing your thoughts.

Keep smiling….

and remember our soliders not only on Memorial Day but everyday.

Wanted to personally thank my colleagues at Cable Fax Daily for the nice comments about my work. (See below). I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the press (especially the editors/reporters at Cable Fax Daily and Cable 360) and will miss them too. Let’s hope that this current sojourn is a short one.

We’ll miss working with GSN pr chief Cindy Ronzoni , who we hear has left the network. And we know we aren’t alone. When the PR folks at TCA ’s press tour are announced, none of the crusty critics ever applaud—except when Ronzoni’s name is called. Best of luck.

-CR

I loved Mary Richards and wanted to be Mary Richards when I grew up-just like millions of other gals. And you know what. I did follow in her shoes pretty much. I wasn’t like Oprah and go as far as dress like her, but my career path and singlehood are similar. For those reading this post who are not aware of who Mary Richards is or was…she was the character the award-winning actress Mary Tyler Moore played in the seven year TV series “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” If you would like to know more about the series, DVR or TIVO the show and you’ll see one of the best comedies of all time. Few other shows were as well-written; well-acted; or well-produced-the show had it all.

For those of you with jobs in offices, you maybe wondering why I’m bringing up Ms. Richards. Well, Oprah featured the series today and the entire main cast came along. Not only did we learn that Oprah wanted to emulate Mary too, but that it made her Saturday night. It was wonderful seeing the show clips again and seeing the smart writing and acting, but the reunion was disappointing to fans of the show. We wanted more of the cast and less of Oprah! Silly me for assuming that could have happened. My bad. Well enough about Oprah and back to Mary.

Now that I’m thinking about it…Mary taught me about work. From an early age, I knew that I wanted to work in television. And now that I think about it as an older and wiser person, I probably felt the most comfortable following Mary’s lead for my career. I saw firsthand how much “fun” there was to be had in news. No one in my family was in the entertainment field…so my desire came out of left field. In college, I knew that I wanted to learn everything I could about news and television and as such, my first job was in a local newsroom. Mary was my inspiration and showed me the way to be a successful single businesswoman. And my first job was “fun.”

If a TV character influenced my career and life decisions, who are the young teens emulating today? I get so sick everytime I pass by one of those new niche young girl make-up party stores. These poor girls are believing that make-up and lip gloss are important for popularity. Who do they want to be like? Paris Hilton? Miley Cyrus? Jamie Lynn Spears? They need a MARY RICHARDS!

My advice to 6th,7th, 8th grade girls is make THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW part of your daily TV viewing. Look at her poise, politeness and diplomacy. Pattern yourself after her and not LC or another reality TV star. She’s the real deal. I know I owe a lot to that show. This shy, quiet girl grew up to be a diplomatic, polite woman who works hard at work and play. For these very reasons, this series still is definitely a show worth watching.

Here’s the girl who made it after all -she made it to Oprah! My hero Mary Richards.

Until tomorrow…

Honestly when did the customer get taken out of customer service? Did it happen without any fanfare? Who allowed this to happen? And why is it okay?

Today, I kid you not I spent FOUR hours with IT Reps from Verizon’s DSL and Wireless phone divisions. I thought I had a simple request and that it would take me 10 minutes tops for my resolution. Boy, was I mistaken. My request, I thought was simple…silly me. I purchased one of Verizon’s new whiz bang mobile wireless USB Internet cards. This was going to replace my home DSL. When I purchased the new contraption of course they said that my Verizon email account would still be in place. But, no. When I called to cancel my home DSL, I was instructed that I had to keep it in some way or fashion. That didn’t bother me. What BOTHERED me was that I spoke to 11 separate representatives, five of which were supervisors. Each rep and supervisor told me a different story. And to top it off, I could never contact the previous rep that I just spoke to. They would vanish and there was no way EVER to track them down.

As someone who is in charge of customer service, I was astonished at the methods that Verizon employs to ensure that they can’t be held accountable for customer service. It’s all very clever and polite, but is the most inefficient service I’ve seen to date. Here’s the inside track to help you in case you get caught in the labyrinth of Verizon’s customer care.

• To appear polite, the reps consistently say “I apologize.” They say it every other sentence. Here’s what I kept hearing. “I apologize that I must put you on hold again.” “I apologize that you can’t speak to head of customer service.” “I apologize you keep getting misinformation.” This apology loop tape reminded me of when the Ritz Carlton Hotel staff would also have to say good day each time they passed you. At first it was nice, but after bumping into several staff just walking to the lobby, it became annoying.
• The Verizon recording says that each call is being recorded. Big deal..I just wanted help and wanted to speak to the head of the department. But there wasn’t a head! I had a hard time understanding who the boss was for the reps. The only place that I could issue a complaint was in writing. I was told that I had to mail a letter to customer service. For a company that boasts about its high-speed Internet options, I couldn’t even use them to send an email about their customer service. We all know where letters go - in that good old circular file.
• Another clever tactic that they effectively used was that you could never get a phone number, location, rep number anything to help you get back in touch with the person you just talked to. They would give me their first names and that was all. And they swore that they couldn’t get you back in touch with that person. I spoke to a Chris, Daniel, Marilyn, Guarna, Keith, Clinton, Karuraker, Greg and a wireless woman too. Talk about a run around. And each person offered a different price. I was frustrated to say the least

I have always been a huge fan of Verizon and its products…but the care I received from customer service was anything but impressive. For being a major communications provider, Verizon’s customer service needs to over build their customer service department.

I’m hoping today was the last of it…but somehow I have a sneaking feeling that it’s not.

Today was spent having short chats with many of my press friends who are wrapping up their upfront stories or jetting back from NY. Hearing from them brought back a bushel full of memories of a time when I used to be apart of those all-important meetings when I was at a broadcast network. The Upfronts were, up until this year*, the most crucial event and the number-one priority of the year. All work all year-long pointed toward that third week in May. I remember planning for the next year’s event on the plane ride home from the event. There is so much work involved in the production of the event and yet so much work the eye will never see. Which leads to me to the title of this post, Cat and Mouse.

In the world of PR, it is often our job to make sure that we do not draw attention to plans that are underway. And, when that’s spoiled it’s our responsibility to dissuade the press when the plans have somehow become known. The Upfronts are the best example of the cat and mouse game. The network (mouse) has to go through incredible covert plans to make sure that the press (cat) does not catch wind of a show being picked up. Networks wait until the last moments possible to inform producers and actors that they need to be on a plane to New York the next day. Sometimes networks send these creative folks to NY anyway and then tell them two hours in advance that they have been picked up. Why all the secrecy? They want the information to appear fresh in the eyes of the audience (in this case-advertisers). They want them to be surprised and marvel at the great show. And believe me - being in the audience is incredibly entertaining and its impact is powerful. The nets want the advertisers to rave about their shows to their clients and also top their competition.

I will probably discuss the cat and mouse analogy more in upcoming blogs. It’s one of my favorite aspects of the job and although, I get frustrated when the cats find out where the mouses are…but at the same time I’m glad when they do. For they are only doing what they are meant to do…that’s their job.

Enjoy this Tom and Jerry image.
*Due to the writer’s strike this year, the Upfront presentations were downsized this year. Many nets threw smaller breakfasts and other gatherings as opposed to the traditional all out shindigs.

Greetings! Welcome to the “Honestly” blog by Cindy Ronzoni. I have been a corporate shill for my entire life and have absolutely loved it. As such, I’m a bit nervous and yet excited at the thought of having my voice heard now through this very means. The best way to describe it is that I feel “naked,” but in a good way - just as the Emperor who wore new clothes. Look at him in the image below. Proud as a peacock, but everyone else can see everything about him-his warts, cellulite and belly rolls. So to all my journalist friends, please bear with me as my strut is more like a toddle at this point in time.

My intentions with this blog are to write in the manner in which I try to live. I’ve prided myself in my career for being honest as much as possible when responding to members of the press - that’s all I know how to do and that’s what I hope to accomplish here. I will cover a myriad of subjects with heavy emphasis on content. I’ll also speak to life transitions, pet peeves, single life oh and of course sports and competitions.

So until tomorrow…

Okay for the two people out there wondering about my blog…hang tight…it’s taken me a bit longer adjusting to my new schedule.  Got carried away with trying to make all my services and systems more efficient yesterday and the day got away from me.  (Also, had to get caught up on my TIVO watching.)  I’m hoping the afternoon will open up so I can find some time to be creative.  Honestly, I can hardly wait to start this thing.  Thanks for the kind comments Bill and Brian. And Jess, I can’t thank you enough for everything!

I am extremely excited about this blog and can hardly wait to be broadcasting my own voice and opinions. I’ve got a few errands to run (er like buying groceries) and a ton of emails to compose, but I honestly promise I’ll be back and posting hopefully by tonight.