Tag Archives: Television

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

 

 

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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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.

5 Best 2011 Emmy Award Screeners

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The Emmy Award Process Is Just That...A Process

The countdown to the Prime Time Emmy Awards has begun.

Well, the process began months ago, when producers/production companies and networks began thinking about which shows, actors and crew would be nominated for TV’s  highest awards. April 29 was the deadline for all entries and since that time, members like me have been inundated with DVD screeners.

THE PR POSTMAN COMETH

For you see, producers, production companies and/or networks, often create DVD screeners which are mailed during the nomination window of March to June 10.  These people think that by investing in screeners that their show has a better chance of being voted on for who in their right mind, besides a TV critic, is able to sample everything on air. It’s impossible.

For over 15 years I have been a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ and as such, I have received DVD screeners for that length of time. I love getting them and yes, I do watch them.  They prove extremely helpful when it is time for me to cast my vote. In addition to having an additional opportunity to catch particular shows, I love observing how each DVD is branded. Each has its own unique nuance and price point and so I thought I’d show the DVDs I was mailed this year. For examples, please view the video below.

 

TOP 5 EMMY SCREENERS

As you see, producing and mailing screeners are not a cheap endeavor, it is quite an investment.  However, if I was able to vote on which were the best, these would be my top five.

She's Literally "Torn" Between Them - Spot On Brand Marketing

(1) HBO – They packaged their series, documentaries and specials in easily identifiable box cartons. They use this same box design every year as they should because it’s brilliantly useful and its cover art is stunning.  It reeks of class and prestige and it showcases dozens of shows in a small space. Magnificent.

(2) THE GOOD WIFE - HBO may be my overall winner, but “The Good Wife’s” design and messaging was my top choice for a single program. I do not watch the show, but I am aware that the lead character in the series has been struggling deciding between two men in her life. Therefore, by having a spot in the middle of the package that you have to tear to open was brilliant. The tear literally separates the main character from the two men.

(3.) BIO – I thought Bio’s packaging was extremely smart and classy and compact. They included a page for each of their shows and bundled it all up with one nice case that had a magnetic clasp.

(4.) MODERN FAMILY – I have to give ABC’s “Modern Family” marketing team an A for ambition. They organized a separate photo shoot just for the DVD screener. All others just used gallery photos.

(5.) FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS’ DVD screener is a definite keeper. I have to admit my bias here…but I absolutely have loved every minute of this TV series. And its screener is spot on perfect in carrying off the tone and sentiment of the show. Fans of this series will not soon forget it and thanks to the producers, we don’t have to with this screener.  In addition to providing every episode of the last season, they have tucked away in an inside compartment small photographs of key moments and characters in the show.  This extra touch was wonderful just like the show.

Friday Night Lights DVD Screener Carried the Sentiment and Tone of the Show. Hopefully, Emmy voters will have clear eyes and full hearts so it can't lose.

Well, that about wraps it up for me with this post. I hope you have enjoyed this behind-the-scenes peek at the Emmy voting process. I have to be going now for I have a lot of  television to watch before June 24. That’s my deadline to send in my Emmy ballot.

Until next time,

Cindy

 

PR Campaign Series – Introduction Pt. 1

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The Super Bowl is the Oscars of Marketing Campaigns.

Marketing campaigns have always been my favorite piece of business.  They are fun to create. They involve multi-department brainstorming sessions. And they have a start date and more importantly a finish date.  Therefore, you can always see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Another reason why I enjoy marketing campaigns so much is the fact that they are usually innovative and unprecedented.  And there’s nothing more fun as a PR professional than being able to break news.

BEST EXAMPLE OF MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

I thought it would be fitting to concentrate a bit on the subject of campaigns with the Super Bowl of all Marketing Campaigns right around the corner. Yes, I’m referring to the Super Bowl next Sunday.

The Super Bowl is the premier content event for any corporation, product or brand to be a featured product.  With that many eyeballs (106.7 million watched last year’s Super Bowl) fixed on you for a mere 30 seconds, you can easily launch a new concept, company and receive more media attention than any other time.

Just by paying three million for a 30-second spot, your ad will be judged, reviewed and commented on by just about every journalist and/or blogger watching the program. Not bad exposure, but too bad it comes with such a hefty price tag. And the tweeter stream will be on fire.

THREE MIL INVESTMENT

With the evolution of social media you’ll see a change this year in the ads.  I’m sure every car commercial, career advertisement or software developer will include call-to-actions to visit them elsewhere after the commercial.  The campaigns will have more robust offerings than just the single 30-second message – they’ll feature online contests and other further engagement opportunities. These Super Bowl advertisers will try and get as much bang for their buck as they can. And who can blame them.

As reported in the Wall St. Journal, CareerBuilder, who has been a Super Bowl sponsor for the last seven years, is including digital tie-ins with its message.  Apparently, you can upload photos and have the people in the images be transformed into monkeys.  I bet that will get a ton of interest, however, not mine.

The Super Bowl commercials are great case-studies for anyone in the content biz. If you are watching the game with a bunch of friends, you instantly have a focus group at your finger tips.  It’s fun chatting about what commercials stood out from the rest in addition to talking about the actual NFL contest.  And if the game is one-sided…thank goodness we can fall back on the excitement of the commercials.

In addition to the barrage of pre-pre-pre game programs, we also have to endure the endless stream of network promos. So stay tuned for those…they’re coming.

And speaking of what’s coming up….this week I’ll be blogging about specific PR campaigns that have caught my attention.

But my question to you today is….if you had three million dollars to spend advertising during the Super Bowl would you?

Me. My answer is HECK YES and I’d never look back.

So stay tuned.

Best,

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

A Peek Inside is Good PR

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One of my favorite television shows is CBS’ “Undercover Boss.” The main reason why I like the series is that I find it fascinating to have access to an “insider’s” peek into the operations of familiar companies.  One episode that caught my attention was when they profiled “Subway.” I eat there regularly and was astonished to see how fast they make the sandwiches and the precision…I mean they list how many pickles are in each sandwich.  In another episode, I enjoyed seeing how DirecTV’s customer service is handled and another about how “Lucky Strikes” bowling centers came into being.

Need a PR Boost, "Undercover Boss" wil Help

Tonight I got another insider’s look..this time from the award-winning CBS news magazine “60 Minutes.” Reporter Lesley Stahl interviewed Facebook Founder  Mark Zuckerberg, and as such, we got a few shots inside the operations of that company.  And since they did show us how the company is set up, I absolutely loved it. I mean they showed us that Mark sits out in the open in a bull pen of tables.  No corner office for him.  It was pretty cool seeing how massive the company has become and watching how incredibly fast all the coders or “hackers” type.

As a social media consultant, I was thrilled to watch the segment and learn that they are launching a new look tomorrow. Zuckerberg wants Facebook connections to learn more about each friend and thus, has revised the front profile page to include more features.

To learn more about the new features, this “60 Minutes” piece will describe them for you.  To view it, click here.

This “60 Minutes” piece also got me thinking about how brilliant a PR move it was for Facebook to let the public have an inside look into a service which is very personal to its users.  In fact, I would say that every company should allow “Undercover Boss” to feature them in an episode.  Why? Because it’s great PR.  By watching these episodes, I feel like I “know” the company better. Like I’m a former employee. I now feel like I have vested interest and I root for them.

And I must say, with all the problems that Facebook has had of late with privacy issues, this interview that “opened up” the company to the public’s view was brilliant. Kudos to the corporate PR team.  By seeing Mark’s office surroundings, it did help make the company feel a bit more personal and well, human, since there’s no phone number listed for the company.  It’s almost impossible to call Facebook.

That’s it for now.

See ya on the Book!

KTTV’s Mark Thompson-The Dancing Weatherman

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This Weatherman Loves to Dance!

Lately, I’ve been closing down my nights by watching Seinfeld from 10-11 pm PT.  And sometimes, I stay awake and watch KCOP’s 11 PM news which is a News Corp. KTTV duopoly (meaning two news stations owned by a company in the same market).  Since this is a new change for me I’ve just now stumbled upon something that has been around for a couple of years.  Sorry that I am so late to the “dance” party.

A MODERN RAIN DANCE

In Los Angeles, we have a dancing weatherman Mark Thompson. I know Southern California weather is pretty boring in the sense we have sunshine on a regular basis.  I guess that’s what prompted the news director of KTTV to do something to jazz up the boring weather. So they’ve added dance music to the weather report and encouraged its weatherman to be a dancing machine.

The video below will give you a good idea about what I’m talking about.

At first I HATED this interpretation of the weather for on most nights the music is so loud it drowns out Mark’s voice which is difficult to do.  For you see, Mark Thompson also twilights as the host or announcer on dozens of FOX television shows. He has been an on-air talent for years for he has been blessed with golden pipes.  I have worked with Mark when I was a FOX employee and he is a wonderful, friendly person.  In addition to his on-air work, I give him loads of credit that he showcases his dancing skills out in the open as part of the local news.

A GREAT PR HOOK FOR LOCAL NEWS

I have to admit that his “awkward” dancing has favorably rubbed off on me. I now look forward to his goofy hoofing. It literally cracks me up. I don’t know if I like it because its so bad its good. But, whatever it is…it is entertaining.  But isn’t the news supposed to be informational?

I must say that from a PR stand-point this unusual take on weather is a great hook for additional attention. Even though it is risky and controversial, it seems to be working for Mark has been at this for years. However, polarizing this stunt is, it definitely catches the eyes of a younger audience.

What are your thoughts about this lean, mean local news dancing machine? I’d love to hear your views.

Until then…

Enjoy another dance with Mark!

AlwaysOn OnHollywood Day 2 Update

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As the second day of the Always On & ETC OnHollywood conference draws to an end – on this day I gathered a few great nuggets of interesting info as the event took a peek into the future.

Some of the take-aways included:

  • The Economy is Coming Back-The conference featured several Los Angeles based equity investors with available money to support business opportunities.  There is VC money not just in Orange County, but also in Hollywood! That’s good news for all.  Apparently, the Silicon Valley is the best hotbed for engineering talent, but LA has a diverse workforce to pull from. LA is a great place for starting up companies in gaming, Internet, analog and content.  Not a great place for enterprise. Another tip is stay local for your investments.
  • Mine! Mine! Mine! - Yeah, it still appears that large content corporations want to keep their product on their own portals and are not willing to give it to distribution partners outside their walled gates.  They call this managing their exclusives.  I am not a fan of this practice, but corporately I understand it.
  • Smarter is Better - Yesterday I learned that all life will be done on our mobile phones, but today I heard about Smart TVs that include a hard drive and include widgets and apps.  Not only will our TVs get more robust, but I love that web content producers are cutting deals directly with smart TV hardware companies to provide their content.  This new approach bypasses the service provider.  What an amazing shift and change.
  • No More Flops - As someone who worked in the online gaming space for a number of years, I was blown away to hear that online gambling will soon become legal in this country.  I never thought the day would exist and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I mean I know there are ways that people have gone around these laws and have gambled online…but, opening it up means that more people will be able to lose whatever money they have. I believe that when this happens there will be another surge in popularity of online poker.

    Do you think it will be good idea to legalize online gambling?

  • It’s Not About the Money - I was excited hearing that web broadcast is a hard business and that if you’re in it for that reason, then that’s not the right reason. We can’t assume that the traditional broadcast model should be applied to new media. It’s apples to oranges.  They are radically different.  We are in the pioneer stages and it’s a wild, but adventurous frontier open to all.
  • Social Role Model - I’ve been meeting superstars in new media on a regular basis, but I haven’t met a female yet whom I thought was a definite rock star.  Justine Bateman blew me away today. She possesses the same philosophies as I do and had me captivated and in awe with this answer. She told a person in the audience that just because you aren’t getting traction pitching cable development executives, doesn’t mean that you should pitch online distributors as a default. She said you should pitch online if you live online. I so agree. I always say you shouldn’t hire a social media/pr consultant unless they practice social media themselves.
  • Branded Entertainment - Well, there’s no way it’s going away on broadcast nor web. Drats.  The motivation is too great to not employ these techniques online as well. In web, they see it as brand extension. It’s about efficiency, reach and deliverables. It is just in the infancy and it has tremendous growth.
  • Kangaroo TV – Steve Ross, owner of the NFL Miami Dolphins apparently gives a interactive hand held device to some of his season ticket holders that allows them to see different camera angles to the game as well as watch the other NFL games going on at the same time.  What a game changer. Brilliant idea Mr. Ross.
  • In-Home – You will start hearing this phrase more and more (In Home) entertainment. What this means is that is that this phrase means content provided to you at home via another service other than your cable company.  Also, keep an eye out for web content to be on their VOD channels as well. How cool will that be!

  • The Open Media Revolution is Over: Are We Better Off? Session (L-R) Jonathan Aronson, Tony Perkins, David Wertheimer

    Tony Perkins – I want to send a giant thank you to Tony Perkins, Founder and Editor of AlwaysOn, and his entire team for organizing this conference as well as the others.  He webcasts each one and for those of us who are not able to travel or pay for these cutting edge and topical conferences – this is a priceless gift.  I know I am smarter because of these conferences and more knowledgeable about areas I would have never been exposed.  So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for the opportunity.

Twitter is the New Wire Service

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Tiger Woods learned about his Ryder Cup standing via twitter.

This morning while I was working out ESPN reported that Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin denied that Tiger Woods was getting one of the four wild card spots on this year’s 2010 U.S. Team.  Pavin further went on to say that the official announcement will be made September 7.

OK, you may be saying, big deal, Cindy – this is just an another announcement.  But, it wasn’t. This story broke on twitter. Yes, the Ryder Cup Captain held his own presser (press conference) via twitter. He controlled the news by breaking it –which led me to think about how different the present PR practices are from the past.

In the past, news was usually broken by a scheduled press conference. But, today, celebrities/politicians and those in the public eye are taking matters in their own hands.  No longer do these public figures need to rely on an establishment or a PR firm to announce their latest endeavors.  Now, they can just tweet it and the results are just as effective as a press conference.  Heck, besides messages, you can tweet out images, videos and power point slides too. twitter does it all.

So the question really is …are press conferences things of the past? The answer to that is definitely no.  However, they are not as prevalent or necessary as say last year.  Not only is this sad news for PR agencies, but for the news media.  I mean – how in the world is the news media going to monitor every one’s twitter account? You need a mighty big tweet deck to do that to catch breaking news.

Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin's tweet

However, if we unravel how Pavin was able to get the word out successfully today (@RC_Captain_2010), I’m sure that among his nearly 7,000  twitter followers, some of those folks were members of the golf media.  Thus, they must have seen it and retweeted and reported it. With one little 140 character message, Corey Pavin broke news in less than a minute and then went about his day. There was no need to set aside a block of time to phone the sports media.  All it took was a one short message to get the message out. I personally think this is marvelous.

This was a great case study and it’s only the start.  I think the journalists of the future will have large monitors on their desks and be assigned certain people to follow on twitter. I can only see this area growing…twitter has now become the new wire service.