Tag Archives: PR

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.

 

 

Social Media Home Runs for Press Conferences

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Press Tip of the Day - Use Flickr as your Consumer Photo Press Room

The Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour is in session and as such, major media corporations are presenting their new mid-season programming and providing re-caps of their performances by their top executives.

As of this writing, two corporations have been in house – PBS and NBC.  And with those two, I have found a couple of highlights regarding great press conference tools that I thought were brilliantly used.

FLICKR – PBS utilized Flickr as its Official Photo Press Room. They posted photos immediately after each session and because it was on the Flickr platform, bloggers could easily share these photos on their Facebook walls and twitter feeds. I LOVED THIS FEATURE and highly recommend other agencies consider using it when organizing press conferences. AWESOMENESS. Kudos to great PR work PBS.

Tag logos with Facebook calls to action and Twitter Account Names

LOGOS/GRAPHICS - I absolutely love how NBC is tagging each on-screen graphic of its shows with the respective twitter handle as well as  a call to action to “Like” the show on Facebook. Great social branding! Hat’s off to NBC for remembering these touches which aren’t small and have a large impact.

 

How To Plan A Successful TCA Session – Press Conference Tips

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AMERICAN MASTERS “Johnny Carson: King of Late Night”

PBS Opens the Winter TCA in Fine PR Fashion

The Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, a bi-annual gathering of U.S. and Canadian professional TV journalists, is in full session in Pasadena–no rest for these journalists, they’re diving right into the New Year. Right now TV networks and cable channels are readying their talent, planning parties and furiously editing sizzle tapes. Also, PR practitioners are busy writing speeches for executives and briefing participating talent on what not to say.

With that, I thought it would be appropriate to provide tips to respective PR executives who will be presenting their shows and actors before this very prestigious crowd. I’ve organized over 40 of these press conferences myself and have sat in that many sessions as the publicist of the Association. So I’ve seen and experienced just about it all. I’ve made mistakes and had some failures and also have won awards for my conferences too. Therefore, for those who are new to the TCA, I’d thought you might like picking up a few pointers based on my observations and experiences.

RECOMMENDED PR TIPS

(1.) COMEDIC SETS – If you think the critics will love having one of your big name comedians open up your session with clever schtick, please don’t. I have never seen this go over well in the room. Mostly, you’ll receive deep moans from the crowd because the critics are there to cover TV and not be entertained. Entertainment like that is suited for an evening event or party. But during the day, it’s about the business at hand. Bring out your talent and executives and let the critics ask them questions. And if jokes come up during the sessions, then you’ll definitely get yucks from the crowd guaranteed.

(2.) MODERATORS - Moderators need to introduce themselves and the panelists (so many forget this point even though it seems basic) and more importantly, moderators should not ask the panelists questions – that’s the job of the critics.

(3.) TELEPROMPTERS ARE NOT NEEDED – Please, please try to convince your President or CEO that a teleprompter is not necessary for this conference. Persuade them to comment from their notes – this way their comments will feel more “real” and “honest” and less rehearsed. Transparency goes a long way with the critics.

(4.) REHEARSALS/BRIEFINGS – Although pre-conference briefings are necessary for many reasons, please try not over-rehearse or over message your talent. Believe me the critics will be able to tell in a heartbeat what’s promotional and sniff out the corporate speak. Keep your talent relaxed and confident that they can talk freely about their roles.

The Cat in the Hat Snack Break

Theming Food Breaks to Content is an Excellent way to Further a Point

(5). EXECUTIVE CHEERLEADERS – Please instruct all employees attending the press conference not to cheer when others executives are introduced on stage or when accolades are announced like record-breaking ratings.  Corporate network staff can laugh when the conversation lends itself, but need to remain ‘flies on the wall’ for the rest of the conference.

(6). ENDING – Watch the tempo of the press conference and try to end it on high note even if you have a few minutes remaining. It’s better to end the presser after a strong question, then let it drag if questions are few and far between.

(7.) FOOD – I’ve got several tips regarding press sessions surrounding food and eating.

  • When matching the menu and food items to a theme, please make sure the food is edible. Just because it would be cute to complement the food to the theme, do make sure its delicious too.
  • Be sure to not announce anything while the critics are eating because they will not be able to type notes or twitter out your content. Wait to present your content once they finish their dessert.

These are just few top line points to follow. If others appear during this year’s Tour, I’ll let you know. But, mostly, the professionals who organize these events are extremely talented at their jobs and produce informative and creative sessions that are spot on perfect!

Cindy

 

 

 

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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How to Write Killer Blog Content-Timeless Advice from C.S. Lewis

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C.S. Lewis' Advice is Timeless

C.S. Lewis never ceases to amaze me. For those of you who do not know C.S. Lewis, he was a renowned theologian who taught at Oxford and Cambridge Universities and authored more than 30 books in his lifetime, including the children’s Narnia series, Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters.

C.S. Lewis’ work is revered by many around the world. In fact, so much so that his life was portrayed by actor Anthony Hopkins in feature film “Shadowlands,” and his Narnia books such as “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” have been brought to the big screen. However, not only is his work memorable, he lived his life transparently and openly shared his thoughts and struggles through his powerful pen.

His work has had a profound impact in my life and I often re-visit his words when searching for answers about life circumstances. Recently I had such a time when I needed to heed his advice and as such, stumbled upon a jewel in regards to guidelines for creating incredible content.

Whenever I attend social media events, inevitably this one question comes up every time – how do you make content that others want to read? C.S. Lewis provides the answer.

In a letter written to a schoolgirl in America, who had written (at her teacher’s suggestion) to request advice on writing, here’s what he had to say. The letter is from December 14, 1959 and his advice is spot on for the 21st Century.

CREATING MEMORABLE BLOG CONTENT

C.S. Lewis’ 8 Tips for Writing Incredible Blog Content (Source: The Essential C.S. Lewis, edited by Lyle W. Dorsett)

  1. Turn off the radio. (Today that also includes the TV, Pandora, iPod, X-box, etc.)
  2. Read all the good books you can and avoid nearly all magazines. (This one is tough for me.)
  3. Always write (and read) with the ear, not the eye. (Excellent point)
  4. Write about what really interests you, whether it is real things or imaginary things, nothing else.
  5. Take great pains to be clear. Remember that though you start by knowing what you mean, the reader doesn’t, and a single ill-chosen word may lead him to a total misunderstanding. (Brilliant point)
  6. When you give up a bit of work don’t throw it away. Put it in a drawer. It may come in useful later.
  7. Don’t use a typewriter. The noise will destroy your sense of rhythm. (I think he wouldn’t mind the computer keyboards now.)
  8. Be sure you know the meaning of every word you use.

So don’t take it from me on how to write content that gets shared…use these 8 points from the literary master C.S. Lewis. Who if he were alive today, I’m sure would be answering every Facebook and Twitter post personally.  That’s the stand up man he was.

Off to do a bit more reading.

Cindy

 

 

Sorry Corporate Apologies

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Why Are These The Hardest Words to Write and Say? Flickr Credit: ezzan yusop

Why does sorry seem to be the hardest word for corporations to say in statements?

I have to say I got schooled by Jason Fried’s Inc. magazine article on “How to Turn a Diaster Into Gold.” Mr. Fried’s article is an excellent case study of what to do when your business under-performs and you have to fess up to your customers through social media.  Mr. Fried is the co-founder of the software firm 37signals and as such, his company recently had some problems associated with its Campfire product, which is a real-time chat tool for small businesses.  Unfortunately, this product which has been stable and reliable, recently experienced some service issues bouncing between being online and offline. This wreaked havoc with some of their customers and boy, did they hear about it.

NON- PR’APOLOGY

Mr. Fried provided some great insight in the article as to how he handled the complaints and in doing so, he embarrassed me as well for he pointed out that the worst apology that any person or company could ever provide are these nine words – “We apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused.” He caught me red-handed for I’ve used that numerous times in certain situations.  Here’s what he had to say about it.

If ever there was a non-apology apology, this is it. And just about every company uses it. I Googled the phrase We apologize for any inconvenience. It came up 41 million times.

Let’s break this statement down. We apologize… Come on—when you really mean it, you say, “I’m sorry.” You don’t say, “I apologize.” If you spill hot coffee on someone, you say, “I am so, so sorry.” “I apologize” is renting the problem. “I’m sorry” is owning it. Now, to the second part of the non-apology: …for any inconvenience we may have caused . What a cop-out. For any? How about for all of it? May have caused? Don’t say maybe—say yes. Own it.

In my defense of using that dry apology, I have to say that I was at the mercy of the legal departments.  For you see in corporate America, whenever there is a crisis, the PR departments cannot work on their own…they have to work in tandem with the company’s lawyers on an approved statement. Rarely, can a corp comm department go “rogue” and write what they would like to. Every word has to be scanned and filtered and scrubbed by the legal team.  I understand why this is necessary for its the legal team that has to defend the company in court and every statement and comment will be examined in that process. (Someone should tell Charlie Sheen that!)

BE HONEST FROM THE GET GO

I agree with Mr. Fried wholeheartedly and greatly appreciate that he wrote about this subject for its given me new freedom to be more transparent with dealing with corporate guffaws.  I also agreed with his further statements.  Mr. Fried went on to say…”we’ve discovered that the more honest we are, the better our customers feel.” I have always felt honesty is the best policy – heck that’s why I named my blog that!

Here’s my tip to all those who provide messages to the public –

-When writing an apology make sure that you are being as transparent as legally possible and see if it passes this test.  Think of yourself as one of the affected customers and see how your statement would sound to you. If it sounds too much like a cover up…delete it and start over.  Use words that are appropriate to the situation and if you’re stuck the best way to always start out is to simply say “I’m Sorry.”

May I never inconvenience you again.

Cindy

 

 

 

Joy to the Media

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Jobless since June, Brian and Salena Smith currently live in the garage of Salena's mother with their two children, Isabella, 4, and Nathaniel, 2, and what possessions they could fit. Photo Credit: Dan MacMedan USA Today

As a member of the media, I’m often having to defend its merits and at times, it is a bit hard to do so when sensationalism runs rampant and ethics are called into check.  But, last week, I got a great personal Christmas present – all due to the goodness of the media.  This post is for everyone out there who is a bit jaded about the goodwill of media. It’s for those who have turned off their evening newscasts and stopped reading the newspapers because they are sick and tired of hearing about horrendous acts of violence.  This is a story that you will love — so sit back and enjoy this delicious cup of egg nog.

PR GOODWILL TOWARD ALL MEN

A couple of weeks ago I was able to help Cathy Lynn Grossman, a reporter at USA Today, find interview subjects for a cover story she was writing about joblessness at Christmas time. She was specifically requesting to talk to a husband and wife who both had lost their jobs. She also wanted to speak to church pastor who is involved in helping those unemployed.  I was thankful that she called me for I was able to connect her with my church, Whittier Area Community Church and also with Tim Tyrell-Smith, a national career development expert. From there, she was able to create her piece about being without work during the holidays.

THE POWER OF THE PRESS

The cover story ran Wednesday, December 22 and you can read it here, however, this post is not about the article… it is about the power of the press. For you see, from that article, the featured couple, Brian and Salena Smith, were rewarded for sharing their story with the world.  Within hours of that paper’s delivery, calls were received at both the church and USA Today’s offices from compassionate readers who wanted to financially help the couple.  People specifically contacted these organizations and made personal donations to this weary family.  When I heard this news the following day – I cried tears of joy for I had forgotten how much good can come out of what we do. I think I too had become jaded for most of my past PR experiences have been centered on raising ratings for television shows.  I had never experienced helping to raise the spirits of those less fortunate.  How incredibly wonderful that some concerned citizens in states outside of California shared their wealth with this family of four during the holiday season.  All because of a newspaper article. How wonderful is that! These simple acts of kindness restored my media soul.

I needed this good news about the “news” and perhaps you do too.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to ALL,

Cindy

Foursquare Needs Some PR and PC Cleaning

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Foursquare is getting a potty mouth

How were you punished when your mom caught you saying a “not so nice” word? Did she make you wash your mouth out with soap? Did you get sent to your room or were you grounded for a week?

FOURSQUARE’S BLUE-NESS

As I was using the geo-tagging, hyper-local service Foursquare today, my eyes stumbled upon names and words that I normally do not like to read – and I was offended.

I know some peeps will call me old-fashioned with this post – and I do understand freedom of speech – but I never expected to see what I read today and the volume.  For you see, I simply wanted to check into my local grocery store this afternoon on Foursquare and in doing so I had to scroll through so many crazy dumb names before I landed on Vons.  Such places were listed like “Whore House,” “Sexy room,” or the “Sex Cave,” etc., etc., etc. I even noticed that someone in my vicinity listed her home as “the town drunk lives here!” What’s wrong with people?

I’ve noticed this happening for some time, but it wasn’t as prevalent as it is now.  Try searching the word “whore” on Foursquare and you’ll be astonished what comes up! You will see what I mean.

There's Always Some Rotten Apples that Taint A Good Thing

With potty mouth taking over this platform, I would like to recommend Foursquare start to enforce some policies where certain terms (i.e., whore) are not appropriate and thus are banned from the service.  Other services do watch what’s posted, like Facebook and myspace. Sometimes we have to police people for themselves.

I do like Foursquare and have enjoyed it, but if it continues to get more and more vulgar, I will stop and recommend others do so as well.  It’s getting quite the potty mouth lately.  Have you noticed it too?

FOURSQUARE MAY NOT BE GOOD FOR BUSINESS

I have a been a giant fan of the application and think it is a tremendous service for businesses. I would hate for it to become a place where childish blue humor hangs out.  I’m all for creativity…but seeing ho and drunk and sex all over the place isn’t good for business. For what business wants to be listed being near “the town drunk?”

Note to Parents: In addition to checking in on your kids Facebook comments, also check about how they have listed your crib on Foursquare.  You may be surprised what they’ve labeled your lovely home as and more specifically, their bedroom.

I wish Foursquare would issue a badge for good behavior on Foursquare! Now that’s an idea I would endorse.

Cindy