Oops! They Shouldn’t Have…

There are certain times i have said things i wish i could take back. As I keep maturing and learning about how life works I’ve come to know that the magic words “I’m Sorry”  only repair half the damage.

We are only just recovering from the foregone political fever, the debates, and oh the tweets as well! Thanks to the bad choice of words, and a mix-up within KitchenAid’s Twitter team. An offensive tweet was sent out from the KitchenAid twitter account during the first campaign/presidential debate, in which Barack Obama wasn’t “faring” so well. The tweet which reads “@KitchenAidUSA: “Obamas gma even knew it was going 2 b bad! ‘She died 3 days b4 he became president. #nbcpolitics”, got a lot of negative attention from twitter users and the general public likewise. The company deleted the tweet moments later, and tendered an apology to President Obama and the public too- but the damage had already been done ( the blunder had been re-tweeted by thousands of people).

Image Credit: thefuturebuzz.com

This tweet, among others, was tagged as one of the “Scariest PR Mistakes of 2012” by CrenshawCommunications. This is an example of how social media can bring to the downfall of an organization. The person in charge of KitchenAid’s twitter account failed to understand the “public” in social networking.

Fortunately, the KitchenAid head Cynthia Soledad handled the situation effectively by taking responsibility of the actions of her team. The silver lining for this crisis, was the quickness in response to the tweet.  I wouldn’t have done anything differently, because Soledad was quite prompt with her apology, and majority of people seemed to be calmed by her great effort.

My only advice to avoid future crisis as such, will be to take care of who they company puts in charge of its social media accounts. Personal opinions and bias in a company is not  very good business. I am sure KitchenAid and fellow companies have learned a lesson from this occurrence.

Joel Beam: Let Them Know About MRSA!

It was the most informative two hours of my day when on Thursday, Nov. 8, in Dede II of Indiana State University; Joel Beam talked more about Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).

Image Credit: Indstate.edu

Joel Beam earned a bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University, a Master of Education degree from Clemson University, and a doctorate in education from the University of North Florida. He is currently an associate professor and director of the Athletic Training Education Program at the University of North Florida.

Beam defined MRSA, elaborated on how the infection is contracted, and how it can effectively be prevented. The infection, Beam said, is usually developed from person-to-person contact, sharing of towels, razors, soaps,water bottles, hair clippers, clothing, and more. He also advised to refrain from “cosmetic shaving”- shaving any other areas of the body other than face and legs (this applies to men). This MRSA infection usually develops from pimples, pustules and boils that have pus. It is also very easy to contract the infection by using a poorly treated whirlpool when one has an open wound.

Fortunately, the preventive methods are easy but most people don’t seem to take these seriously. Good hygiene is very essential for the prevention of this infection. Beam recommended washing hand often with soap and warm water, washing towels and athletic gears after each use, taking a shower immediately after any activity,  maintain clean equipments and facilities, and cover wounds and skin lesions before participation.

I was happy to attend this function, because i had no idea what MRSA was and neither had i heard of it beforehand. I didn’t also realize that hygiene played a larger role in our lives, and failure of its consistency could cause harm. I also really liked the interactive nature of the lecture, and everyone had a chance to throw questions at the speaker. As i am a curious being, i have been looking up research and journal articles about MRSA, so i can learn what i can and share with my friends and family. I would also encourage you to do the same if you have little or no knowledge about MRSA.

Crisis Communication

For starters life is said not to be a”bed of roses”, because as humans we naturally expect bad things to happen, and learn to manage and conquer those obstacles. I would like to assume that you know what Crisis means, but just to be on the right angle i would go ahead and define it. Crisis can be defined as “a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, especially for better or for worse, is determined; turning point.” Interestingly, the word originated from the Greek word κρίσις – krisis which means refers to “an unstable situation, in political, social, economic or military affairs, especially one involving an impending abrupt change. Now that the definition is clear, i will move on to the strategies that help keep crisis communication in check.

Image Credit: Krisis Magazine via Flickr

I will like to touch on the subject of a crisis that shook my country, Nigeria, and parts of the world as well.  In a little village in central Nigeria, Jos, a communal/religious war broke out between two towns. Due to poor crisis communication, this supposed minor fight between these two towns escalated into a crisis that can be compared to the Rwandan genocide of July, 1994. Thousand upon thousands of lives were lost, and the government of both the state and nation failed to effectively communicate to the people. If the situation was handled differently, the crisis would have been nipped in the bud. According to this article, there are four basic ways to tackle crisis communication;

• Anticipate: As bad as this sounds, you have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. It is advised to routinely assess the possibility of a disastrous occurrence. This then helps you to set up a crisis response plan for future use.
• Coordinate: Coordination is important in every situation- crisis or not. Information needs to be gathered to help further plan for an impending crisis.
• Cooperate: It is advisable to work hand-in-hand with the public. This is because public opinion can make or break an organization.

• Communicate: If communication isn’t conveyed by the right, then that is the first step to resolving the crisis.

So if at least 3 of these steps were followed by the state government of Jos, Plateau, the communal crisis wouldn’t have gotten out of hand. The consequences of failing to control a crisis usually has a lasting and bad effect on both public and organization.

For more information on Media Relations and Crisis communication, read the article linked above.

“EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED”

 

 

Men Against Breast Cancer

In my opinion, October is a very special month (yay to October babies). As Nigeria celebrates its independence day on October 1st, and children get ready for Halloween, the world marks the Breast Cancer Awareness every month of October. Every person and organization contributes to support both breast cancer patients and survivors. Each year, different organizations and support groups join in the celebration of breast cancer awareness day.

Image Credit: Beverly and Pack via Flickr

Out of all the organizations that played parts in creating awareness for breast cancer, i picked special interest in the Men Against Breast Cancer (MABC). You may wonder why i was interested  in that organization? Well, it is special to me, because the opposite sex plays a crucial role in supporting women with breast cancer. MABC is a non-profit organization that aims to educate men and empower them to be effective caregivers to a female loved when breast cancer strikes. Even better, this organization is the first of its kind. It is a support group that involve male participants in the fight again breast cancer.

I really admire their involvement in helping their female loved ones fight back against breast cancer. Their website has provisions for enlisting prospective members, donors, and educational materials for the organization. The organization also gives more insight to the rare form of breast cancer in men, and how to prevent or get help for it. The MACB website is quite informative, since i just found out about breast cancer in men. I would advice to visit the website for more information on the organization, its aim and how it affects cancer survivors and patients in the American society and other countries around the world.

SPREAD THE WORD…SAVE A LIFE!

Writing an Effective Press Release

I would love to take you back to the popular four-step Communication model: Research- Planning- Communication- Evaluation. Now I’m sure you will wonder i keep going back to that model. This is for reference purposes in relation to the topic at hand- Press Releases.  Prior to researching on forms of a press release, i had my dad give his firsthand perception of what makes a press release effective. My father, a retired PR/Advertiser/Marketer, said “a press release in my opinion is a concise, clear, and catchy message for public consumption.”  It can be in print form (newspapers, magazines, etc), can be aired over the radio or television, and can be online as well. Next question would be, what does this have to do with the four-step model? Well it has everything to do with it, because a press release falls into the communication category of the model.

Image Credit: Richard Myrick via Mobile-cuisine.com

As concise as a a press release has to be, it should be pleasing to the target public. The research and planning stages basically keeps you in the know of who you your audience, how the media has evolved, and possibly what’s trending. It is important to draw the reader’s attention with the headline. The headline should be bold, in capital letters, and coherent with the body of the press release. The body of this news piece should be news worthy, and should contain credible and reliable information. It should also have a strong that would compel the reader to continue reading. This is further expressed in Richard Myrick’s article, where he recommends the use of an AP style manual to improve punctuations, quotations and more. If all these important factors are put in check, then your press release is ready for the public. You  decide what media source would be best to publicize your press release. If it going to be aired on online, on the television, newspapers or magazines, then it is recommended that a visual aid be used. This will interest the reader , and cause him/her to want to get the information contained in the press release.

Now get to work on that Press Release!

 

How To Plan a Successful PR Campaign

This post would be a continuation of my previous post on the importance of research. It takes a lot of work and planning to make for a successful PR campaign. Research is only the preliminary  step towards a good campaign. This preliminary step (research) gives you a background on your potential clients, organization, and ways to put their name out there. Knowing what to expect gives you a heads up on how strategize and plan ahead for the campaign.

Remember the four-step model of PR process? Research- Planning- Communication- Evaluation. The first three steps in the list is a pathway to a successful PR campaign. Coming back to “planning”; it is the most important part the PR process model. We already know that good research is the foundation for planning, and after that comes communication. Communication involves getting credible message out to a specific public. Different messages have different audiences, so it is important that the public interpret the message the way you intend them to. According to Michelle Smith’s article, communication is a vital component to an effective strategic plan. When the plan/action/message is not successfully conveyed to the public, the plan will not be effective. Soliciting the endorsement of notable figures in the society helps further publicize and draw more attention from the public. The mode used to transmit the message is also important. Social media and television are the fastest means to publicize in this new age, so advertisement is a top choice.

Image Credit: Andrew Ciscel via Flickr

Evaluating the strategies used to make the campaign a success is the final step to the process. You should review your work to see if the public was affected by your message in a positive way. You should also make sure the values of the client or organization were accomplished. Feedback from the public matters, because their critique or commendations can help polish future campaigns.

Research Is Your Friend

Research can be defined as a step-by-step process of investigation that people use to answer questions, and solve problems . It is systematic because we move through number of planned stages, when conducting an investigation. Research is very necessary in different situations- be it in a professional field or in everyday life. Research often answers the “what we don’t know” questions, and also the “what we think we know” questions. It is a process of continuous learning .Still the question of its importance in Public Relation lingers. In my own opinion, research is a key part of every form of Communication, especially Public Relations. Research enables an organization to keep up with the ever changing technology, and learn how to infuse it into business for more profits. Good research can go a long way in aiding an organization better its public image. It also helps in drawing more clients in; as it is one of the goals of an organization. Through research, the organization can gain insight of what the stakeholders’ demand from it (the organization).

Image Credit: Oberazzi via Flickr

Apart from organizational and client success, research goes a long way to help people solve issues that and get credible information. Assuming i am expected to write an essay on “Ethnic diversity and it’s effect on message interpretation”, the first place i will search for credible and valid information would be a scholarly journal. This is because i have known from earlier research that scholarly journals have reliable information on different topics. It is very important to specifically be aware of what is to be researched.

The good thing about research is that it never really has an end. You can always revisit earlier research questions, and acquire additional information. It may not fun, but it sure makes life and business less complicated.

 

PR Mavin: Megan Lawler

I was privileged to get in contact with the best  of the best in the PR world. Megan Lawler is the Vice President and Partner at Dittoe Public Relations. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism; Minor in Marketing, Public Relations and Marketing at Indiana University, Bloomington. Due to her busy schedule, i could only interview her via e-mail, and she was happy to answer all my questions. Her busy schedule goes a long way to show how busy a typical PR professional is. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

• What’s a typical week like for you?

One of the things I like most about my career in PR is that no week—or even day—is the same. There is always something new being thrown my way. On a daily basis, I spend the majority of my time corresponding with various media outlets, ranging from local to trade to national, and communicating with my clients about the work I’m doing for them. I’m always on email and the phone corresponding with someone. When I’m not talking with the media or clients, I’m normally writing, whether it’s a new press release, case study, byline, pitch or award nomination. Another chunk of my time is spent focusing on research and finding new media contacts to cover my clients. The research is one of the most difficult aspects of the job, but it’s also one of the most important. Without research, I’d be waiting for the media to come to me with new opportunities, which doesn’t work when your clients don’t have big, highly recognizable names.

• Tell me about a project you worked on that you are especially proud of.

Most recently, I handled the local public relations for the 2012 BMW Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, the biggest golf tournament to come to the Indianapolis area since 1991. We helped lead the BMW Championship to record ticket sales for the 2012 tournament and secured more than 1 billion media impressions promoting the event. My biggest media placements throughout the promotion of the tournament were with the Associated Press, which I was very proud of. Following the tournament, I received accolades from the PGA TOUR for our impressive work on the tournament, which meant a lot to me. Our success with that tournament resulted in a new client we’re working with—the Web.com Tour, which will be another large-scale golf tournament in Indiana.

• What do you do to keep current in the PR industry?

The biggest thing I do is talk to my colleagues. We’re always sharing information with each other about changes in our industry. I also read blogs, PRSA websites, e-newsletters, PR Daily news feed and stay tuned to a variety of media outlets to make sure I’m in the know.

• What do you wish you would have known before starting your career in PR?

I was fortunate with my timing when I started at Dittoe PR more than six years ago as an intern. I had no prior internship, and only had the experience of classwork and projects to prove why I’d be an asset to the team. Thankfully, I was able to land my first internship with Dittoe without having a previous internship. Nowadays, it’s very rare that we hire an intern who hasn’t had some experience before applying to Dittoe. Basically, it takes an internship to get an internship in today’s PR world. So, it’s important to get that experience as early on as possible.

• How important is writing in your career?

Incredibly important; as I mentioned above, every day I’m writing whether it’s a press release, byline, case study, pitch or award application. Beyond just being a good writer, it’s important to be a versatile writer, and understand how to change your style based on the type of work you’re producing. I see a lot of strong writers come through here, but many struggle with the tone to use in a press release vs. a case study. The best way to get comfortable with these various styles of writing is to read, read, read.

• What three tips would you offer someone just starting out in PR?

1)       Be proactive: The interns who move their way up quickly in our company are those who go beyond just completing their assigned tasks. We want interns who take the initiative to bring their ideas to the account executives without us asking. For example, if an intern comes across an award opportunity that they think would be a good fit for my client, I want them to bring the idea to me. I want them to be forward-thinking enough to know how I could use their assistance without always having to ask.

2)       Stay late: PR is not a 9-5 job. I’m always working; always responding to emails; always taking calls. I like to see interns who do the same. More often than not, I’m the last one to leave the office. My favorite interns are those who are still here well after 5 p.m.

3)       Be a good pitcher: Always personalize every pitch you send out. Spend time getting to know each reporter you’re taking a story idea to. Read his or her most recent stories, and make sure you understand the type of story ideas they want before reaching out. You never want to end up on a “blocked sender” list for sending out an ill-fitting pitch to a reporter.

• When your company is hiring for an entry-level PR position, what makes a candidate stand out?

Someone who:

1. Has experience working with the media

2. Is a good writer and has examples to prove it

3. Is confident

4. Is well-spoken

5. Has experience working directly with clients

6. Is comfortable using social media

• How does technology affect your daily work?

Social media is a big part of my job. I’m always tweeting and posting on Facebook and LinkedIn. Also, with the evolution of smartphones, if you’re in PR, you need to expect to be on call 24/7. There’s never an excuse for not responding to an email when you get them delivered to your phone. That’s definitely a challenging part of the job, but that’s the reality. If you want a job that ends at 5 p.m. every day, don’t go into PR.

The uncertainty of what to expect as a PR professional makes the job more exciting for me. Taking cues from Megan’s experience, my entry into the PR business would be more eventful. The thought of spending most of my day at work might not sound very exciting, but it is going to strengthen  my work ethic in the long run.

Want More Twitter Followers?

Use #Hash-tags In Your Tweets

Hash-tags can help people find your tweets easily, through trending topics or just by searching the keywords. You do not have to necessarily use hash-tags in all your tweets- it might get confusing or look disorganized.

Tweet Often

You should posts tweets from time to time. Don’t let your twitter profile look like a dust pile. Tweeting often could even get your tweets RE-TWEETED!

Re-Tweet

Now how do you feel when you get a notification saying “IAmAwesome just re-tweeted  you”? Happy? Definitely yes! That is exactly how you would make someone else feel, when u re-tweet an interesting post you found. This is could earn you “followership” by people who also find the tweet interesting.

Create Twitter Lists

A twitter list can help you keep track of interesting people whom you follow or vice versa. You can group your list by Industry, Education field or anything that interests you.
Connect Your Twitter Handle to Other Social Networks

If you have a blog, a LinkedIn, or a Facebook account, it is wise to link your twitter profile to each of these networks. This makes it easy for people to find you on Twitter.

Image Credit: Shawnzrossi via Compfight

Follow Others

If you follow a person, there is an 80% chance that you will get a follow back. This is not a guarantee, but to get more followers, you have to follow more people. You can follow professionals in your field of interest, or just follow important people whose tweets cane help you one way or another.

Cool Pictures Do The Trick

Who doesn’t like a good laugh every once in a while? Funny pictures, inspirational pictures, arty pictures, religious pictures, and more are very likely to get a lot of attention. You see funny pictures go viral on the net and wonder how it came to be- it can start from you.

Last But Not Least…Have Fun!

Twitter is a community where you meet people, make friends, and exchange ideas. Don’t be uptight or even try to impress people by tweeting stuff you actually aren’t interested in. Be yourself, endeavor to learn from those that have been there before you, and make the best out of the community.

Sources: AGENTSEO

Public Relations in the Social Media Context

The Public Relations field has always had a strong connecting link to social media. In this technology-based generation, people depend more on social media than anything else. As the social media affects people, so those it affect Public Relations, and businesses. Since social media brings the latest news and services to the people, businesses and publicists try to do the same too. This is all in a bid to satisfy customers, and make a name for the organization. Social media makes it easier for organizations to advertise their merchandise, or put out credible information for public consumption. As the social media platform keeps expanding, so does the Public Relations field. Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn can be used by any individual, but making the most out of these networks requires strategy. These social networks have brought about the birth of resourceful and engaging PR campaigns.

Image Credit: Matt Hamm via Compfight

This in turn will in turn draw the attention of the public. Social media is therefore considered an integral part or Public Relations, because people generate views of an organization based on the reviews they see online. This means that social media can bring about the success or downfall of an organization. Research shows that consumers base their views of a product/service based on what former consumers of the same product/service think about it. The Public Relations Society of America organization indicates that the materialization of blogs have changed the way organizations communicate. This shows the huge impact social media has on Public Relation affairs.
On a final note, social media does not control Public Relations affairs, rather it helps develop it. It could be asked if PR solely depends on social media or not? Can it function properly without the helping hand of the social media?