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

A REAL-LIFE PR BLUNDER - I couldn’t believe what I recently heard from a working press member. This reporter was recently invited to an event where a certain national company was showing off its new content.  This reporter then proceeded to talk to some of the people who were involved in producing the content and as such, got some great interesting news that he wanted to blog about the next day. When the reporter called the “said” company to verify one of the facts - the PR person flipped out and insisted that he couldn’t write on anything he heard for it wasn’t public knowledge yet.

The question I have for you is - who’s to blame here.  Is it the reporter’s fault for hearing this news and wanting to report on it? Or is it the “said” company’s fault for the information being leaked? Who didn’t do their job and who did their job?

Do You Know Whom the Press Are Talking to?

The answer. The reporter did everything correctly. It’s the company’s PR department who didn’t do their job.

I get so sick to my stomach when I hear such stories.  I DESPISE it when I hear that PR professionals who are faced with news that they didn’t want out turn the tables on the reporters and make them feel that they are the ones in the wrong.

This reporter was told over and over that he couldn’t print that stuff. He received numerous threats from the company like he would be blacklisted from further company information.  All this because he was at an event that they invited him. And why was he invited in the first place? So that the event would get covered by him.

If a company wants to control their messaging, they can. It’s very easy…but it takes work and you need to be thorough.  I love press events and know how to make sure that this type of information isn’t leaked accidentally. All it takes is one small step.  Advance communication.

All that needs to happen is one conference call or an email to all those who are invited to your event that are attached to your event’s promotion.  This case it was a producer. This producer apparently never got the call or the email.  He should have been instructed by the PR person what they wanted said about the project or not. It’s called a “briefing.”

A great example of controlling the message was how the Obama election campaign was run.  Everyone involved in the campaign that was a spokesperson had the same message. They were on the same page and I bet that they had briefings during the day.  They also made sure that there were few leaks. His PR advisers ran a tight ship.  It was run correctly, by people who understood their job and the press.

So what happened in the case I just presented? The reporter ran with the news and good for him.  He should have. He did nothing wrong.

So PR professionals - add advance briefings to all your press conferences and events. If not, you will find yourself switching gears from receiving kudos to handling a crisis which you caused.

So save yourself a headache and add this step into your strategic plans.

Consider yourself briefed.

If you have a specific question about PR, crisis communications or corporate communications - you can send it to at my email cindy@cindyronzoni.com.  You can also follow me on twitter@cronzoni and friend me up on Facebook. Or comment below.

I rarely use Yahoo! these days. How about you?

The company has a great brand, but absolutely NO personality.

You may be asking yourself why I’m including this in a PR focused blog, well, I believe that with a new campaign and a little finessing this company could be a site that more people would find useful. For if I was asked to promote this company, I’d be hard pressed to think of consumer story angles to pitch.  I mean to get Yahoo in People Magazine for instance - they have no spokesperson nor branded talent.  They get tech stories…but where’s the stories about how useful their product is to their users?

My reason for writing about Yahoo! at this particular time is that I was showing off Hollywood for an out of town guest this weekend and I was astonished that Yahoo! was spending tons of money marketing their logo in the city. At Hollywood & Highland (the mall next to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre) there was the Yahoo! logo projected on the side of one of the buildings. Then on Sunset Blvd. I saw one of their Yahoo! marquee boards as exemplified by this lighted billboard below from San Francisco. I thought why in the heck are they spending that kind of money on the service when it’s in flux and when competitors are eating them for lunch.

Yahoo! Billboards Around the Country

Some ways that I could see addressing this PR challenge would be putting into place the following strategy -Make Yahoo’s personality become the personality of its users.

How? Here’s some quick examples of personalization opportunities:

Yahoo! Hot Jobs – Provide a social network that provides users with resources on what to do after they lost their job; vodcasts with headhunters; positive re-affirming materials when rejection and depression hit. Be the first place the unemployed go to when they get a pink slip and a half a million got them last month. Provide them help and give them tools to get them back on their feet. Give them a reason to go to Hot Jobs daily.

Yahoo! Groups – Provide ways to bring it alive – Make it easy for groups to host videos of their events.  I am on curling teams…let’s post some of the games. Wouldn’t you have loved to see the video from our finals tonight?

Yahoo! Food – If I’m traveling in Boston, I would like to ask my friends at my Yahoo! Food network where the best place to eat is.

Yahoo! Sports – Broadcast junior high and high school games – why not have these kids engaging with Yahoo! early in their lives. Become indispensable to them.

Yahoo! Movies – Steven Spielberg is setting up his own social network called “Rising” about ghosts and sci-fi. Yahoo! can do the same with other large name producers.

Every area can be personalized…the opportunities are endless.  The company should give consumers reasons to go to Yahoo – make them have to – make it a mandatory destination. Enrich and give back to the consumer. Listen. Expand. Make Yahoo! A part of our social life.

If I had to write a promo campaign for them, I’d use some of these taglines.

∗    Yahoo connects me
∗    Yahoo brings me love (through an email)
∗    Gets me where I am going (maps)
∗    Brings my sports to me (sports)
∗    Helps me get a job
∗    Pays my bills
∗    Keeps me informed (news)
∗    Brings me my favorite music
∗    Saves me money (yellow pages)
∗    Helps me find people
∗    Is part of my life
∗    I couldn’t live without it.
∗    It’s been my friend for over 12 years.
∗    Who are you on Yahoo?

At the end of the day, I guess I’d like someone to explain to me what Yahoo! stands for. What is it? It has tremendous value, but the company is missing so many opportunities.

These are just a few of my thoughts. I’d love to hear yours. If you have a specific question about PR, crisis communications or corporate communications - you can send it to at my email cindy@cindyronzoni.com.  You can also follow me on twitter@cronzoni and friend me up on Facebook. Or comment below.

(Photo credit: The photos used in my blog were from Flickr users. I purposely used Flickr images due to the fact that it’s a Yahoo! company.)

I was recently asked my recommendation about whether or not a particular company should hire a small or large PR agency to represent their most recent launch.  This is not an easy answer as I told them and laid out the following points to consider.

1) What’s your monthly budget? If you have a budget that falls between $5-$10K a month, I would definitely consider hiring a small agency or boutique as opposed to a larger firm.  For that type of money, you will receive more bang for your buck for they have less overhead…but, it all depends on how you answer point 2.

Modern London Agency (photo by Purple Cloud on Flickr)

2) What’s the main goal you would like to achieve and how fast? If for instance you are planning a media event that will include a red carpet, then I would definitely hire a large PR firm that represents celebrities.  It’s well worth the money.

3) Are you in a specialized field? If so, I would definitely take meetings with PR firms that have previously handled similar work.  Why? As you are aware, each field has specified media (this includes bloggers) that cover various sectors. It is well worth your money to choose one of those firms.  Those firms have built relationships with the writers and hence will be able to get placement or feedback to you in a much faster response rate than going with a firm that has to research the media from scratch.

4) Can you ever pay too much? YES! And this happens quite often I’m afraid. One of the ways to assess if you’re getting your money’s worth is to ask for a PR strategy up front.  That way, you both can agree on the work that is going to be done and a timeline.  That piece of paper is then what you can hold your firm to over the time of your contract.  Otherwise, it’s easy to get lost amongst their other clients.

Also, I will make this point several times in my posts - be a squeaky wheel just enough so that they stay on top of your work. Keep them to their timeline and ask for weekly status reports.

5) Are your expectations realistic? For any agency, this is the hardest thing that they have to navigate with their clients.  I always try to remind my clients that PR is not advertising - so remember there are no hard and fast guarantees.  You may think your product is the next best thing, but the media and world at large may have a different opinion. Almost everyone I met with wants a story in the Wall St. Journal or the New York Times. Who wouldn’t right? I always make it a point that I will definitely pitch them, but I will not emphatically say “yes” that we get coverage at least right away.  Any firm that guarantees you specific placement (top media pubs) in advance to get your work is a “red flag” to me.  What gets you the story is good content. If you have that you’re golden!

I hope some of these points were helpful to you. I’m sure I will elaborate more on them and others in later postings.  If you have a specific question about PR, crisis communications or corporate communications - you can send it to at my email cindy@cindyronzoni.com.  You can also follow me on twitter@cronzoni and friend me up on Facebook. Or comment below.

Have a good weekend.

The primary function of a PR department is to generate news.  Therefore, the media is the main reason PR executives have their jobs and I’m often baffled when I see or hear that some professionals in my industry forget that. But don’t ever forget that if you are in PR. The most important rule for any publicist is:

Reporters are a friendly bunch

Rule #1 - Treat the Media Well

What does that mean exactly? It means treating them with respect by understanding their job function. How do you do that?  Just follow these important guidelines.

1. Return their emails or phone calls PROMPTLY. Even if you don’t have an answer to their question, respond back that you have received their message. I do understand that sometimes you need to “duck and cover” for you haven’t formulated a response yet…but acknowledge somehow that you are working on a response. Don’t leave them hanging. Or if you know you will be a ‘no comment’ on the issue, let them know that right away. Or if a certain person is out of town to comment, tell them that right away so they have time to get another interview. But RESPOND to them with something. They are only doing their jobs and you need to do yours. And  that is your function is to handle the press. Read the rest of this entry »

PR Essential 1 - Corporate Headshot - Make sure you have one!

As a fan/follower/believer in the “open source” culture, I would like to join the race and share with others living on this planet tips, tricks, trends and what to watch out for in my areas of expertise, Public Relations and Corporate Communications.

Beginning today, my initial plan is to post three times a week with Monday’s themes tied to observations; Wednesday’s on tips and Friday’s answering specific questions from you.

Why should you read me? If you are a small business or large corporation that can’t hire or can hire outside PR agencies - then you definitely should follow me. I can literally save you thousands of dollars by offering advice on how to get your money’s worth from your current PR agency.

If you are unemployed or starting your own business, then you should bookmark me. I’m big on branding and will offer you easy tips to become more noticed through social marketing.

If you are a student interested in PR, this blog can become your community to share your ideas and read what others in the field are saying. If you are a reporter, you should read me to learn about how publicists work around you or sometimes avoid you.

With this blog I’m opening up that dangerous Pandora’s PR box and I’m sure it will probably cause me a few enemies. But, I feel it’s time.  I will provide advice that will benefit the industry and not hurt it - in fact my hope is to convey to others the importance of hiring or having in-house staffs. It’s a crucial component to success, personally and professionally.

I have been employed in this field for 25 years, working primarily for large broadcast companies. I’ve handled numerous issues through the years and am well-versed and respected in both corporate communications and public relations (”publicity.”) Crisis communications. Branding. Marketing. Consumer Press. Talent Relations. Productions are just a few of the areas in my past.

So, thanks for joining my community. Feel free to share in the discussions and if you ever have a different view than mine - please tell me.  That’s what this blog is all about. An honest take on the world of PR. I will be adding video from time to time. I plan to include guest commentators and will interview colleagues to bring you the most recent trends in the business.

Let the education begin. You can follow me on twitter (cronzoni); contact me on Facebook or via my email (cindy@cindyronzoni.com).

Best,

Cindy

A New Focus for Honestly

Dear All,

Please bear with me for a week …I’m in the middle of a re-branding effort with this site…we marketers understand the need to keep things fresh, right? I know you’ll get more out of the posts with the new concentrated focus.  I’m hoping to have something available Monday, Dec. 8.

So stay tuned and thanks for your patience.  <a href=”http://technorati.com/claim/2nh9zammeb” rel=”me”>Technorati Profile</a>

Love the Fez's!

I know the correct buzz word right now is unification, but I would like to take it a step farther and say that I think that unification (bi-partisanship) is crucial to solving our current country woes…but as a sidebar, I’m noticing that our country and well the world is becoming more social.

Thanks to all the new social tools and yes you know what those are - we are becoming more connected, more chatty and well, more intertwined, enmeshed.

A guess another way to describe it is that we are getting more personal with our fellow man.

And we’re getting nicer.  We’re sending digital gifts to each other, wishing more people happy birthday than we ever could have imagined and joining groups like crazy.

The days of belonging to our grandparent’s social circles, like the Eastern Star, BPOE or The Shriners are now being replaced with Facebook groups like “One-Million Strong for the Kool-Aid Man,” “The Only Two Men Who Understand Women are Ben and Jerry” (6,999 members) or how about this one “Stop Girls and Women Wearing Pyjamas (sic) on the Streets of Liverpool!!!” (6,000 members) - what’s going on there.

Those were an easy joke, but there are hundreds of other groups that want to make this planet a better place like “Free Rice to End World Hunger” (14,000 members), “Go Green” (15,000 members) and “Stop War in Beirut” (68,000 members.)

So These Are the Experts on Women

Thanks to Facebook and other sites like Classmates.com I have been able to connect with friends from the past that I would have never found and it’s been a wonderful surprise. Who doesn’t like to reminisce about the good old days? Heck, some of you may have noticed that I belong to a random group made up of individuals who bear my last name! I have never met another Ronzoni in my life and now I am connected to 40 in Europe.  Did someone say road trip!

The opportunities to network have never been like this nor the ways to know a person deeper. I really could do without reading about who’s going to the gym, or doing homework, eating or laundry. But even as a I write this I still look and read what they’re doing.  You can really get to know a person now, in fact you can find out what they’re doing every minute of the day.

With that being said, I’m off to the gym, then will cook dinner, do a little laundry, watch “Friday Night Lights” on DirecTV, yada yada yada.

America: The Land of Opportunity-Then and Now

With the Obama win last week, I think people worldwide feel that America is embarking on some changes.  I am optimistic as are I’m sure millions of you, that the change is all for the better in the long run. And well, with this feeling I got a bit melancholy and I don’t know why, but I thought about my grandparents who left their home countries to come to America for a better life. Three of my four grandparents went through Ellis Island. One grandpa was 10 years old when he came to America from Liverpool.  My other grandfather and grandmother came separately, three years apart, from Milan in their early 20’s.  What an adventure. I don’t know if I could have been that courageous.

Off the Boat Full of Hopes and Dreams

With this thought, I was wondering what they must have heard about America. What “grass was greener” that they endured incredible hardships to come to the new promise land. Maybe they heard that there were plenty of jobs. Or that you could become something in the democratic country. Or that there was plenty of land. I guess maybe what sealed the deal was that they must have heard there was much opportunity.

It’s been exactly 100 years since they came to this country. They settled in Northern Minnesota with barely a dime in their pockets and they worked hard. It wasn’t an easy life that they led and they lived through the depression and sending their boys to war. But all their kids did well and had better lives then they did and I guess we need to thank them for our opportunities when we are reunited in heaven.

I guess I thought about this because if there was a country out there that offered such promises now, I might be tempted to go there too. If there was a place where jobs were plentiful and guaranteed, it would be a consideration. So I understand why they suffered these terrible voyages to America.

Read the rest of this entry »

Our New Leader

Sorry Keith Olbermann, there’s a new boss that I’d love to work for now, President-Elect Barack Obama.

Did you see his first press conference today? He’s a natural born leader and I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to hear a presidential press conference where the president actually looked the press and the camera in the eye and answered questions honestly. I LOVED IT!

Did we elect the right person or what America! We got it right! Yes we did.

We actually found someone who tackles the relevant problems. I felt like he read the same news that I did in the morning. Did you see our most recent unemployment figures and hear about the state of our auto makers in our country?  If you missed hearing about it our jobless rate hit a 14-year high. Over 240,000 people lost jobs last month. It’s crazy.

New Job Sector Opening Up - Green is a Powerful Color

Also, GM is on the brink of bankruptcy. Can you just imagine how many jobs will be lost when our automakers start to shut their doors? Thousands.  We need jobs. We need an economic stimulus package.  We need help and Obama is on it. He’s so on top of it, he already held a press conference to let us know so. He’s letting us know that he is aware of our country’s immediate problems. He gets it and he’s on it and I do feel confident that help is on the way as fast as possible.

I’ve worked for several bosses and there are some that were definitely better than others.  The ones I prefer to work for are the ones like Obama.  They were always ever present, focused and ready to take on any challenge. They didn’t duck issues or delegate work that was rightfully theirs.  They also were terrific leaders, that lead and had plans and made the tough decisions. They were wonderful to work alongside.

One thing that people close to me have heard me say before is that I really think a good manager knows how to give direction. If people aren’t given a map, they get lost.  And Obama gets this and he’s already working on strategy to combat our most pressing issues.  He addressed them today: 1) Economy 2) Jobs 3) War and 4) Hiring his staff.

SOS needed by US Auto Manufacturers

Obama gets it and he’s taking his new job seriously. For the first time I felt that I wasn’t alone in the job search that I’m on. I’ve got someone in Washington who understands that there just aren’t enough jobs going around at the moment. That we need some help in generating new ones. I love working for bosses like that.

So President Obama I would love to work for you in any capacity. If that means I might have to wait until February, so to give you a few weeks in office, so be it.

But I’m eagerly waiting for some new jobs to be created so I can help make a difference in America and spur the economic stimulus by re-investing in purchasing goods. Heck, I might even be able to throw some money to the car manufacturers once I get employed again.

A new day is dawning.  We finally have someone in charge in the White House. Someone who knows what it is like to barely make ends meet.  May the jobs come.

Here’s to a speedy recovery!

Too Bad Joe the Plumber isn't Michael Chiklis playing a part

On tonight’s “Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” Olbermann presented a special comment tonight exposing the absurdities associated with Joe Wurzelbacher (a.k.a. Joe The Plumber). I had thought this little stunt was over, but, no, Joe’s taking his fifteen minutes and trying to extend it his entire lifetime.

Right now Joe is standing on the podium with Palin stumping for their ticket and he’s getting rounds of applause! This “guy” who is rumored to have been a McCain plant is now being treated as a serious politician who is an expert on national issues.  People are actually asking him questions about world affairs! It’s unbelievable how gullible some of us are.

But, besides this scary reality, Joe has just hired a publicist. I repeat a PUBLICIST. He wants to become a country recording artist and has been quoted that he wants to run for Congress.  I mean if he declared that he could cure cancer some people would actually believe him.

But a publicist. What does he want to start doing? Walking the red carpet at movie premieres? Party with Brody and Lauren of MTV’s “The Hills”? Become one of the Sexiest Men Alive in People?

Again, I’m shocked about the publicist thing. How did he hear about that in his line of work. I mean I don’t know any publicists for wanna-be plumbers? But, I can see why he needs one. He needs someone to spin for him considering the lies he’s been weaving. This is a guy who has lied about everything. He came on to the scene declaring he wanted to buy out his friend’s plumbing company. Well, apparently, he made that statement six years ago. That dream would be very hard to do on his $40K salary as an unlicensed plumber.  He hit pay dirt with this Joe the Plumber thing. Hopefully, I don’t think his 15 minutes will last as long William Hung’s, do you? That was a great reference from Olbermann tonight. To watch his special report, click on the link below.

<a href=”http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/”>
</a>”Olbermann’s Special Report Oct. 29″

Keith Olberman-Stands Behind his Words

But this post isn’t about Joe. It’s really about Olbermann. In his special comment he said how crazy it was for Joe the Plumber to have hired a publicist - Olbermann doesn’t even have one and yet his position can require one.

Keith, if you read this, I would LOVE, no I would be HONORED to be your publicist. But, because I know you and your character through your years in news, I know you don’t need a publicist. I would never recommend one for you for you don’t need anyone to speak for you. You are a straight shooter and stand behind your words. You are a rarity, sir. Don’t let anyone ever spin or speak for you.

You stand up for everything you say and never duck criticism but face it head on. You have nothing to hide in your word or nothing that needs deflecting. You are a stand-up guy, an exceptional communicator and you keep America honest.  You bring freedom of speech to life. Never stop being our nation’s ombudsman.

I can’t begin to thank you for educating me on what’s “the truth” behind the news stories of the day.  I am a grateful student and if you ever are in need of a publicist, I’d love to be considered. I have the experience, great references and would always have your back!

P.S. If Rachel or Chris are ever in need of some extra publicity representation - give them my name too. They also are outstanding. MSNBC has assembled the best news team, hands down.

I’m looking forward to next Tuesday. You’ve done admirable work this election.