Category Archives: Corporate Communications

A Direct PR Tip

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The idea for this blog came to while watching the Academy Award nominated Sony film “Moneyball” starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill. “Moneyball” is the real-life story of Billy Beane, general manager of the Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics. I highly recommend this movie if you haven’t seen it for there’s one scene in the movie that strongly resonated with me for its PR application.

Pitt and Hill are both students of each other's games in MONEYBALL.

There’s one particular section toward the middle of the movie where GM Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) teaches *Asst. GM Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) a lesson on how to fire or trade players. Beane tells Brand that the best way is the quickest way – to come right out and say it with no sugar coating. And after a few beats, I thought that this was great advice for us all.

LESS IS ALWAYS BEST!

I’ve always taught executives and students to say the least amount whenever questioned about a particular subject that is “sticky” like a contract dispute, layoffs, work stoppage or a late delivery and especially if what they say could be used in a court of law.

I also believe it’s best to get right to the elephant in the room and not beat around the bush. If a client was arrested, verify it. If damage was caused by one of your workers say so. Diffuse the situation at hand right away. Hemming and hawing in PR always backfires.

Here’s an example that might help you see exactly what I mean.

Scenario – A reporter called you about something you didn’t want known and now you have a “gotcha” moment. He/she found out something that you didn’t want the press to know. Let’s say that you are firing your CEO and it has leaked. 

Taking a page out of Beane’s book the best response would be…”Yes, Mr. Reporter, it’s true John Doe is leaving our company as CEO and will be pursuing other endeavors.  The separation details are still being worked out and there are no announcements as to a successor.” The Reporter will try to ask you a few more details, but you hold firm and reinterate what you’ve communicated. But, by coming clean and not going further into detail, you’ve diluted the story and taken the wind out of its sails. Therefore, the best approach is a direct reproach. In Beane’s world – a direct approach is just like a fastball pitch. It’s fast, on target and hard to hit.

So practice throwing fastballs and less PR curve balls.

What do you think? I’d love to know.

*The character of Peter Brand is fictional. The real-life Brand is Paul DePodesta who chose not to have his name used in the movie. DePodesta left Beane 18 months after the 2002 season in which the movie is based. DePodesta is a Vice President of player development at the Mets. 

About The Author

When not observing PR trends, Cindy actively seeks out the day’s headlines to communicate and learn from real-life applications and that sometimes does take her to the ballpark.  Bring on Spring Training. Practice pitching.

 

 

The PR Secrets Behind Auto Show Press Days

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Fiat gave out the most interesting media tchotchkes - a collector's box and key chain

Ford Motor Company recently invited me, a corporate communications executive and PR industry blogger, to attend the press days at the Los Angeles Auto Show.  Most media attending this event would be reporting on new models for the coming year, hiccups in design and stalled launches…those sort of automobile type stories. I, however, had a different experience and loved observing how each car manufacturer conveyed its corporate messaging through press conferences. So in today’s post, I’m going to let you in on some of the PR magic associated with major car shows. Continue reading “The PR Secrets Behind Auto Show Press Days” »

YouTube Will Soon Give Cable a Run for its Money

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Will TV Sets Be Put Out To The Pasture? Flickr Credit: Jonny Baker

“Honey, what’s on YouTube tonight?”

It’s hard to believe that question will soon be asked nightly in homes across the globe, isn’t it? Never in my day did I think another content platform would be born that allowed newcomers with the accessibility of something that normally only was available to those with extensive film pedigrees. But, now Google Inc’s. YouTube video service is taking on Hollywood and people are getting the chance to become mainstream or um webstream producers.

Should it Now be Called HollyTube?

In case you didn’t get a chance to read yesterday’s Wall St. Journal article on this matter, YouTube is investing more than $100 million in cash advances (glad someone has that kind of cash!) to have content produced exclusively for the video service.  One of the first content producers who has signed on is Tony Hawk, the skateboarding wunderkind. According to the article, deals are also being worked out with Warner Bros. and News Corp.’s ShineReveille Studio.

The goal for Google is to go after substancial advertising dollars for this fare. Advertisers in the past had been hesitant to sponsor YouTube videos due to the fact of how low quality they were produced and the content.  By YouTube producing “quality” content and building its own channels, the company hopes to take on the cable and broadcast TV industry.

That Darn Lag

No matter how many channels YouTube implements, the one thing that will absolutely keep me from watching is that darn lag time that I experience almost every time I watch something on YouTube via my computers.  You know what I mean? I can’t stand how it stops and starts as it renders. Ugh!

Now, if they invent something to get that fixed..then I might be in.  And soon may checking my local YouTube listings.

How about you? Will you watch YouTube’s soon to be released channels?

 

Can Charlie Get Back His Sheen?

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Charlie is Still Driving His Messaging, But Now in a Good Way Credit: Ian White

Can you “win” too much?

In the case of Charlie Sheen, he’s gulping a tall glass of mea culpa and eating humble pie right now for he’s done just that – except his winning wasn’t that, it was the opposite…losing. And now after not being able to handle being fired from a $1.2 million dollar a week paycheck on CBS’ “Two and a Half Men,” he is trying to mop up after himself and doing a PR about-face.

Do you think Charlie will be able to rebound after his unstable recent past?

I know I don’t need to explain Charlie Sheen’s predicament and what led him to start his own crisis management. You all are too well aware of his podcasts, tweets, live shows and contentious battles with his former employers, Warner Bros. TV.

However, all of a sudden Sheen has apparently seen the light. I don’t know where and when the light bulb went off and he started realizing that he was a tornado that was destroying everything and everyone in his path. But, I’m glad he did and I’m happy that he’s trying to make amends wherever and whenever possible.

As a PR practitioner, Charlie Sheen has been an amazing case study to follow. From being a train wreck taking his own PR into his own hands last March, to now, publicly pleading for forgiveness, we all can learn from his mistakes. Sheen is on the Good Ship Lollipop PR train doing whatever he can to be self-deprecating about his past and trying to move forward so he can be perceived as a stable employee, father, son and well, human being. But is that enough?

From firing his longtime publicist early last year, he’s now employed one once again.  And although, he was allowed to be a presenter at the Emmys for ratings, you have admit that it was smart strategy to use that platform to publicly apologize and try to save your face. Can you think of another venue that would allow you to be in front of over 12 million viewers in one swoop?

PR WHIRLWIND

The PR profession is alive and well and in full operation with the triad surrounding Sheen. Not only is Sheen trying to stay in the message, publicists for “Two and a Half Men” are trying to keep their message in the trend whirlwind as well. For no matter how you slice it, when Sheen speaks, the media and public listen. When someone from “Two and A Half Men” speaks…they have to speak loader to get noticed if Sheen is not recognized. He is a news magnet.

With that, have you noticed Ashton Kutcher making the rounds to talk shows? Did you see Jon Cryer get a star on the Walk of Fame? CBS’ PR team is on high alert to succeed this year without Sheen.

Who will get the last laugh? Well, if you tuned into Comedy Central’s Roast of Charlie Sheen Monday night  (another perfectly timed appearance), Charlie would tell you he’s already won.

And who could argue that! He’s now allegedly getting a $25 million settlement and doesn’t have a financial worry in the world. However, with this new Charlie we are seeing, he has a conscious and an awareness that his behavior was in poor judgement. I just hope he starts the healing process toward finding that peace that passes all understanding.

Time does heal all wounds…and the viewing public will come around once he consistently proves that he on the stable train to wellness. That’s the best PR he can buy.

Don’t take my word for it. Here’s Charlie’s view from his recent roast.

Roast of Charlie Sheen Mon, Sept 19 10/9c
Charlie Sheen – Charlie on Mars
www.comedycentral.com
Comedy Central Funny TV Shows Roast of Charlie Sheen

 

 

Simplifying Public Relations

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The Salvation Army Knows How to Relate On All Fronts - That's Good PR. Flickr credit: Tojosan

Yesterday I was interviewed by at third-year college student for an assignment in one of her public relations classes.  I do about a dozen of these a year for various students and I love how each one is always different. This particular student wanted me to define what public relations is…and so I threw it back in her court to answer first. She gave a very intelligent long answer about like its caring for a brand and communicating messages effectively through the use of journalists. But I told her my answer was in the title. Public Relations is just that. Public – Relations.

KEEP PR SIMPLE

It’s all about how you relate to the public, the media, colleagues, companies…public relations is about relating in any form or fashion.  It’s really that simple.

Public relations professionals are only as good as their contacts and as good as their strategies for spreading a message.  And that’s why social media is the perfect complement to public relations. Success on that platform deals with how well a person can provide engaging content.

Sometimes when looking for an answer, its right in front of your face. PR people often forget that at the end of day that it is how well we are able to communicate to others how they should write about whatever we are representing.  Therefore, for anyone starting out in the PR field or for those who are responsible for that area in their job, they should heed these simple suggestions.

TIPS FOR PR SUCCESS

(1). Don’t ever assume people will write about your product. Great content will get covered if its story is told interestingly for coverage.

(2.) A press release on its own is never a good strategy for pick up. Distributing press releases over a wire will not garner top-notch results, because you need to send it to a targeted list of people whom you know that cover that sort of product. It’s a left-right punch.

(3.) Relationships are the key to any business. Therefore, build up your followers and fans so that when you need some help in starting a movement, you have a terrific base to start from and grow upon. Keep meeting people online and in person – every connection made does present some opportunity.

Yep, it’s that simple. If you know how to relate to others, then you are on your way being a success in public relations. That’s my PR tip for the day.

Cindy Keeps It Simple

Cindy Ronzoni is a public relations veteran who has been building media relationships her entire career. She often speaks to college students and provides seminars to train small business professionals. In all her efforts, she exhorts simplicity in all that she does.

 

How Not Improving Can Help Your Business

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Why Mess With a Greatness

Did you happen to catch today’s Wall Street Journal front page feature on paper clips? Yes, I just wrote paper clips.

At first I thought this was an odd, boring choice for a story selection, and I pondered why this premier publication would devote prime real estate to such an ordinary product.  It didn’t take me long, a couple of sentences, to get its point.  I learned that a paper clip is rare because it has withstood its classic design for over 100 years. How many things can you say that about?

This thought led me to further thought about whether we should keep certain things that work well alone and stop slapping “new improved” stickers on just about everything that gets sold or consumed.

DOES EVERYTHING HAVE TO BE NEW AND IMPROVED?

I mean we’ve all heard this statement before, if it ain’t broken don’t fix it.

I don’t like that statement – but, in this case it certainly applies. Paper clips are still as relevant today as they were the day they were introduced into the marketplace in 1903. Sure, you can add colors to them or designs or coat them in plastic. But at the end of the day is there any better tool to fix papers without leaving a mark, to un-clog glue bottles or clean under your finger nails in a pinch?

With that being said, are there things about your business or the work that you do that you shouldn’t improve upon because they work well?

A CLASSIC BUSINESS PLAN

Here’s what I would say about my PR business. No matter what new whiz-bang social media tool that comes out, I don’t want to lose personal connection and phone calls. My business success lies in having connections with real people, journalists, and I’ve built up those relationships through the years by having conversations with them over the phone or in-person. That’s really my business secret, my paper clip, if you will and one that I hope to never change.

 

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TCA Trending Topics and Other PR Observations

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Re-tweeting from The TCA Press Row

As a observer of things associated with The Television Critics Association,  I have noticed a few similar themes and trends attached to upcoming cable programs in just a mere four days into the Summer Press Tour. The first theme that I noticed,  which of course is a given,  are the number of tributes planned for the 10-year anniversary of 9-11. Pretty much if you plan on turning on your TV a month before the event,  you will be messaged about some special take on that dreadful day in America. Nick News will be presenting a special that talks to kids about the event.  Nat Geo is presenting a documentary where former President George W. Bush recounts his actions on that day.  Nat Geo has a slew of other programming about that horrific and life changing catastrophe.

After that, we’re going to be seeing more men.  Not mad men. But,  men who do “manly” things like chase cougars and build stuff in garages and take adventurous rides.  In fact, not only will there be individual programs, but a whole new Discovery Channel devoted to men, called Velocity.  It’s for affluent men and the clip I watched showed fancy cars and awe-some motorcycles.  TV Land also presented a new sitcom written by divorced men about divorced men who live together.  So, it’s raining Men on Cable.  But, we all know the true #1 man on cable is MAD MEN’s Don Draper character.

Another trending topic was “weed.”  Not weeds in your lawn,  but yes,  you guessed it “marijuana.”  Nat Geo’s BORDER WARS will show you what happens to the drug after its seized by law enforcement officials and then there’s Discovery’s “Weed Wars,“  a new reality series that features the daily work associated with Oakland’s Harborside Health Center, the nation’s largest medicinal cannabis dispensary.

A Wonderful and Heartfelt TCA Moment, Meeting Patrick and Sammy.

 Other Things Overhead and Observed

  • A Personal Highlight – One of the most inspirational moments actually surprised me.  I’ve known about Gloria Steinem, but I’ve never really known her.  In HBO’s session about the documentary “Gloria: In Her Own Words,“  Ms. Steinem was extremely likeable, warm, real and full of wisdom.  She is one class act who changed the world and helped give us gals a leg up in the corporate boardrooms.  So far, my favorite personal highlight.
  • Funny Promo Clip – MTV is bringing back Mike Judge’s cartoon duo “Beavis and Butthead.”  I had no idea,  and I’ve loved this franchise from its start,  so to be able to enjoy new versions of this animated classic is well classic.  New episodes start rolling Oct. 27 and let me tell you,  it’s even better now than its original.  And yes, Cornholio is back!
  • Warm Hearted Session- When Discovery’s “Animal Planet” began its session I wasn’t that interested, but its clip for “Saved,”  about dogs who have intervened to save people’s lives was a tearjerker.  One panelist,  Patrick Major,  told us how his dachshund Sammy Davis brought him through a deep depression. It was a priceless session.
  • Show To Catch – By far,  Rosie O’Donnell knows how to entertain and be real in front of any audience.  She was the most comfortable star I’ve ever witnessed in my 20 plus years of TCA experience in front of this critical audience.  Rosie will be returning to television with a show on OWN and it definitely is one to watch.

I could go on and on about every show presented at the Tour and may tell you about more them in later posts, because each panel had newsworthy content and was organized well.  As a PR pro, who has planned hundreds of TCA panels, I could certainly notice how many hours went in to the planning of each from satellite hookups to press kit materials to travel and attendance. A PR job well done.

A wonderful four days in the hands of CTAM. Kudos to all. Now its all about PBS.

Best,

Cindy

 

 

 

Cindy Ronzoni Authors Informational Brief on The Social Aspects of Communication

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    Contact: Steve Jones
July 27, 2011
(202) 222-2373 sjones@cablecommunicators.org

ACC Releases Informational Brief “The Social Aspects of Communication”
An Overview of Social Media Practices in Corporate Public Relations for Cable

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Association of Cable Communicators (ACC) released the July 2011 issue of ACCbriefs, “The Social Aspects of Communication” and posted the paper on the association’s Web site. The thrust of the publication is to provide a current overview of Social Media tools and techniques cable communicators are utilizing to enhance their overall communication effectiveness and meet their business objectives.

“The value of the July issue is that it lays out specific examples regarding how both cable operators and programming networks are utilizing the power of these social media tools,” said Steve Jones, executive director of ACC. “It goes on to site how these new technologies are used for customer engagement, media relations, issuing official statements, and responding to the always-on news cycle.”

The paper is authored by Cindy Ronzoni, founder and CEO of Social Spread Media, a digital public relations agency specializing in social and traditional media. She has over 20 years of public relations and corporate communications experience with senior positions at Fox Entertainment, Fox Cable, Game Show Network and Lifetime Networks.

The brief is available online at http://www.cablecommunicators.org/resources_briefs.php and is being distributed to ACC members via e-mail. ACCbriefs provide clarity on complex industry and communications issues and are designed for communications, public affairs, government relations, executive office and other staff members who need a clear, concise, subject-oriented guide from the cable perspective on industry topics.

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The Association of Cable Communicators (ACC) is the only national, professional organization specifically addressing the issues, needs and interests of the cable industry’s communications and public affairs professionals. The association’s mission is to develop and promote cable communications excellence through professional development to help achieve industry and corporate goals. ACC works to enhance each member’s status and influence through skill building and professional development. For more information on ACC, go to www.cablecommunicators.org.

Best Customer Service Practices Include the Human Touch

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Clever Way for A Customer to Make A Point!

Are businesses ever allowed to provide mediocre customer service? Is it okay to leave customers hanging on a phone tree for more than five minutes? Are there industries that should provide excellent service more so than others?

The answer to all three questions above is a resounding NO-at least that’s my $0.02 worth. But, unfortunately, we all experience poor service on a daily basis as customers even from blue-chip enterprises to boot.

If you are a small business owner you are probably cringing at this thought because YOU know that your success lies in the quality of your customer service. So then why do we allow large conglomerates to do that to us all the time? Why do we still give these companies our precious dollars, especially when we expect more out of own business services?

Today I experienced such an experience. Unfortunately, I am dealing with medical issues associated with a loved one. As such, I had to wait for four hours in a hospital lobby while a family member had tests conducted. Since I was just sitting there I had hoped that I could log on to the Internet and quietly get some work completed. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they had a daily wi-fi access code, however, I soon found out that the system does not allow access to Apple devices only PCs. Say WHAT???

PHONE TREES DRIVE YOU UP A TREE!

I think I'll Skip This Place.

This wasn’t a life-threatening situation and I could do other work offline, but this example just got me thinking about all the other times that I’ve been frustrated by poor customer service. I attend dozens of small business connector meetings and each always stresses the importance of guest relations. So why is excellent customer service applicable to small owners and not large conglomerates?

A HUMAN VOICE GOES A LONG WAY IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

I would rather do anything than call my satellite provider, healthcare company or phone service. I know that when I call them I’ll be sitting there for a while. Phone trees that put you in sequence are annoying as are the companies that don’t provide any voice connection like Facebook. Most tech companies now provide email customer service and hide their main phone numbers. I don’t care how great you are in answering email support questions, yes I’m including Google, in this rant as well. There are times when a human voice is the best possible service a company can provide.

What companies drive you crazy with poor support and what companies do you think deserve some applause. Do tell.

How to Best Use Google Plus

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What do you think about this new communication platform? It is a hit or miss?

In social media circles Google’s new social networking platform Google Plus is the most talked about new shiny toy. With Google Plus, people with gmail email accounts can organize their circle of friends in logical groupings and easily video chat with 10 people or less at the same time.

Many of its functions are similar to Facebook, so early adopters can understand its practical functionality.  For instance, you have status streams of recent posts from your friends on Google + and it easily allows for sharing of photos and video too.

If you haven’t received your invite yet to to Google +, don’t worry you will soon. I’m sure its Google intention to have everyone in the world on their social platform. Just wait, your invitation is forthcoming.

I’ve been experimenting with it over the last few days and I still am not sure of all its bells and whistles. So, with that, I’ve interviewed two social media strategists, Stacey Soleil and Darin McClure, about their views regarding Google Plus and that interview is below.  Enjoy and let me know what you think.

 

Add Cindy to your Circles

 

About the Author: Cindy Ronzoni frequently interviews colleagues about the latest new advancements in social media. Today, she tackled Google + with two experts who attend her social media club, Social Media Mastermind of Orange County (SMMOC). If you have a question about a social media tool, just let Cindy know. She’ll try and get an answer for you.