Media Relations

Quiz - Who Twitters More...Men or Women? Know The New PR Rules? And A Free Test Of Your Website Optimization Vs. Your Competition

With many thanks to Jeff Bulla's Blog, some real nuggets you need to know as a PR professional learning about the online world.  I highly recommend you subscribe to Jeff's blog. He is an excellent writer and gathers good material.  FYI, he has 20,000 subscribers.  Thanks to Jesse Stay for sending him along to me.

QUIZ

1. How good is your Website?  Get it graded for free in an instant...and enter the Website addresses of your competition to see how you stack up in the search engine universe.  Go here to test it out.

2. Do you know the new rules for PR?  Go here.

3. For the month of June, which gender used Twitter the most?  Men or women?  Go here.

Side note:  You and your management can't afford to ignore Twitter.  Even Nielsen has this to say:  "Twitter is no longer just a platform for friends to stay connected in real time, it has evolved into an important component of brand marketing in both the consumer and corporate worlds."

4. Confused about implementing social media in the workplace?  Take a look at what the top 100 brands are doing.  Go here.

Obama Collecting Personal Stories Of Healthcare Woes

Obama's camp has been busy collecting healthcare woe stories from individual citizens.  I received an email several months ago asking if I had a story to tell (I'm an equal opp email recipient...I've signed up for both Republican and Democrat party emails).

An interesting strategy.  I decided to go along to see where it led.  I was prompted to do a write up, which I did, then when I hit "send," I was immediately prompted for a donation.  This irritated me, so I just closed out of the session.  Nevertheless, my story made it to Obama's team.  They shortened it a bit, emailed me, and asked for my final permission.  They also asked if I wouldn't mind sharing a photo.  I didn't.  But with my husband's permission, we allowed the story to be posted.

As Obama pushes hard to make health care reform happen this year, I found myself wondering when I'll get an email, asking me to send my story to Utah's senators and congresspeople.  This is an interesting grass roots effort.  We'll see how it works.

By the way, if you'd like to read all the stories submitted across the country,go here.  You can click on a map where you live and read all about us.  You can even submit your own story.  The Obama follow-through has been well-handled.

United Airlines "Breaks Guitars" Nightmare. Part Two, Coming Soon.

Last week I told you about Canadian Musician Dave Carroll who tried to get United Airlines to compensate him for baggage handling damage to his $3,500 Taylor guitar.  A year later, he gave up the effort and got creative.  His YouTube video"United Breaks Guitars" has had more than a million hits.   Now, you can read his side of the story here, and below, you can watch a video response by Dave, explaining that after the release of "United Breaks Guitars," United did contact him and offer compensation...which he's turned down.  He's also worried about a United employee who he named in the video, and defends her professionalism...even if she didn't give him the compensation he wanted. 

Guess what?  Dave has written a part II video, which is in production now, and hopes to write a third version.  What a study in consumer activism.  If you were in United's PR department, what would you recommend?  Duck and cover?  Or something more creative?

Consumer Humor Creates United Nightmare

Wondering why your boss freaked out when you suggested she/he should move the firm towards social media?  Perhaps she/he has seen this.  In PR?  Prepare to wince.  This four minute music video by Canadian Musician Dave Carroll easily produces lots of LOLs!  Now,take your A.D.D. medication and see if you can make it through the whole thing  :)

...And, be sure to read the story surrounding the video. It puts the situation in perspective and gives United Airlines credit for responding well.  My apologies to United for continuing rip the scar off the wound.  The video is really funny.  I couldn't resist.  

Research: The Influence Of Bloggers And The "Most Trusted" Media

How influential are blogs in the purchase process?  And what media wins when it comes to the trust factor?  Two interesting items sent to me by Saurage Research.

1.4 Million People Apply For Marketing Job - Web Site Crashes

You get your own island, your own beautiful house, and a six figure income...and all you have to do is blog.  Watch the video, see how they did it, see why their Web site crashed, and see why the job opening was covered by news media around the world.

All for the price of some want ads...not bad.  Watch the video!

Ready To Share Yourself With The World? Marketers Are Quietly Salivating

Do you enjoy Facebook?  Are you pretty relaxed about what you say?  Have you carefully walled off certain items, wanting privacy?

Marketers are anxious, waiting for a "let down" of the public guard.  When that happens, they'll be able to mine social media to a new level of research, a closer step to understanding the American consumer who has embraced online social activity.

So if you use Facebook, and you decide to click on "public" for your site....be prepared.

Full story here from BusinessWeek.

Confessions From My Technology Fast - A Unique Staycation

Eight precious days with minimal technology.  A "staycation" with no computing, email checking, or social media use.  I even taped a piece of paper over the blinking message light on my landline.  It was my great experiment.  It is over, and here are some observations.

Sobering News Brings Perspective

The day before my official staycation, I received sad, tragic news.  A cousin, planting flowers in her garden, was killed when a speeding vehicle lost control, and landed in her yard. 

 

Mid-week, I learned that a friend’s 19-year-old son had died.  End of week…I decorated family graves.  On the way to the cemeteries, on a six lane highway, cars right in front of me were suddenly, alarmingly, veering to the right to avoid something.  I looked ahead and two car lengths away, a speeding white pick-up truck was in the wrong lane and headed, quite deliberately (suicide wish?), toward my car.  I screamed out loud. If there had not been space to veer sideways, it would have been a horrible head-on crash.  I was left gasping for breath and covered my pounding heart with my hand.

These experiences were sad and frightening, but I chose to consider them a gift.  They made life more precious, and made me more determined to make my days off very meaningful.

1.   I learned to "space out" again. Call it a brain break.  While sipping a drink at a sidewalk cafe, I became bored and automatically reached for my smart phone. STOP! I put it back and learned the art of staring at city birds on cement

2.       I started noticing people again…their expressions, smiles, frowns.

3.       The first two days were the hardest.  At first I threw myself into house projects.  Then I remembered I was supposed to be on staycation, and backed off a bit.

4.       I wanted “throughout the house” music.  Couldn’t do it without firing up ITunes.  I honestly hadn’t used my stereo in years.

5.       I ran out of a number of supplements that cannot be purchased anywhere locally.  I HAD to go online to order them.

6.       When the computer is on….I shop.  When it is off, I don’t.  Hmmm...turn off technology, save money?

7.       My nerves are calmer.  The odd facial twitches I developed from stress at the computer simply went away.

8.       I learned to garden…something I have never done.

9.       My hobbies are all computer based.  I couldn’t indulge in them.

10.   When I needed a phone number, or directions, I was forced to use my iPhone.  I don’t even think I know how to use a phone book anymore.

11.   I didn’t eat over my desk.  The art of enjoying, truly tasting food, made a comeback.

 

12. 12. Best of all, I spent quality time on the front porch giving delicate head rubs to my pet parrot Snicker and gecko Larry.

As I write this, eyes on the glare of the screen, fingers re-learning the keyboard, I have a sense of longing for the simple.  I gaze through the window.  A gloriously green world and light rain beckon.  Yet here I sit, robbing myself of nature's calm.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love technology.  I hate what it has done to my moments of serenity.

Back to work. 

Call Me Crazy - My Technology Fast

I'm going offline for a staycation.  I'm scared.  Will I be able to do it?  No computer, no email, no cell phone, no social networking.  Why?  I really, really need it.  The next week will be filled with long walks, naps, great homemade meals, and the reading of hard copy newspapers and perhaps a book.

I'll be back, and I'll let you know how it went  :)

May's Installment Of Funny Headlines (Real Ones) !

I maintain, we must laugh..a lot..because times aren't easy.  Here's May's installment of funny headlines with much appreciation and due credit to theColumbia Journalism Review.