About Us Products & Services Media Room Journalists Client Resources Contact Us
Career Offices
MyEdcals Media Database Services FAQ Research Pricing
Blog Media Kit Press Releases Industry Articles
Update Media Profile
Idea Exchange Contact Support Feedback Module Industry Links Referral Program
Feedback

Archive for the ‘PR and News’ Category

Earth Day - To Pitch or Not to Pitch!

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

Earth Day is 40 years old on 22 April 2010. Millions of people are coming together to do their part to save Planet Earth. Everyone, but everyone, has their theory on how to celebrate Earth Day! People are planning rallies, hosting carnivals, festivals and fashion shows, and killing energy bills (!)…no, wait… that can’t be good!

Of course, there is no need to ask, “What will you be doing to celebrate Earth day?” As a good corporate role model, I’m sure you have some eco-friendly activity planned. On the other hand, what I will ask you is, “What do you think of commercializing Earth Day?”

Everybody’s doing it! Take, for instance, James Cameroon, the man who popularized blue body paint a second time, after Mel Gibson! The director of Avatar has planned the release of the movie in DVDs to coincide with the Earth Day! Can you see the irony in The Center for Biological Diversity giving away free condoms even though latex is not bio-degradable! The powers that be join in, with a move to cut back on fossil fuels, strategically coinciding with Earth Day.

Where does corporate social responsibility end, and where does it start being all about the corporate? We have commercialized just about everything on the planet, from love to religion, to childhood. Our greed for more and disrespect for the planet is what has brought about the necessity for an Earth Day. Will we drive the final nail in the coffin and commercialize Earth Day too?

Laurie Essig of True/Slant takes a bold stand, condoning all those who have commercialized Earth Day into just another vehicle to sell their products. ‘Going Green’ is looked at as just another stunt to hog the limelight for that few moments of fame, and celebrities are the biggest offenders, according to Psychology Today. Simply wrapping your product in a veneer of so-called environmentalism does not mean that you have done your part to save the earth! The New York Times regrets that Earth Day has simply become a big business.

We implore you to ask yourself this: Does Earth Day matter anymore? Can we do something really meaningful to save the planet? Or will Earth Day simply be another Hallmark moment?

Post-Recession: Effective PR Tools in a Recovering Economy

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

recovery1The great recession has come and gone, leaving unemployment, stock market crashes, mountainous losses, and inflation in its wake. Nevertheless, according to an article in Monsters&Critics.com published on 2 December 2009, the Federal Reserve has released a survey which claims that “most parts of the United States have witnessed some improvement in their economies over the last months”.

Although the rest of the economy is still in the process of picking itself up and dusting off the effects of the recession, the PR industry has proved to be pretty resilient throughout the whole ordeal. IsleNews.com carries an article to this effect. Some 2000 Chartered Institute of Public Relations members were surveyed, and the following results were found:

- Many areas of the PR industry have expanded in spite of the recession, with the digital PR sector seeing the greatest growth.

- Around 33% of the consultants have been successful in retaining more than 10 regular clients, and some 60% have added between two and five clients.

- The budgets for Communication in most PR firms have remained stable through the recession.

That the PR industry has emerged relatively unscathed is obvious from the survey. Now that growth is imminent in the global economy, there is more scope for innovation and value-adding techniques that could take your PR company to greater heights. When a PR company is seen as evolving, adapting and innovating in spite of an economy in rebound, the faith of the stakeholders and the public is strengthened.

To keep this confidence alive, a PR company should look for the best PR strategies on offer. Press releases and editorial opportunities take on monumental importance. At the same time, one cannot help but give prime importance to online PR solutions like media and editorial calendar databases, and the all-pervasive social media.

One such source of ideal PR campaign solutions is the MyMediaInfo Media Database. MyMediaInfo already has close to 300,000 editorial opportunities for the year 2010 alone. The database also has close to 200,000 editorial contacts. The resilience mymediainfo-official-logoof the PR industry has spurred us on to refine the media database further to include the Twitter handles and feeds of journalists, enhancements in the profiles and addition of images, and refinements in the Google-like search of the tool. Search suggestions are just one of the additions made to the search feature of the database. Customization options in saved lists and drafts of press releases that have been distributed are some of the new features added to the Autumn release of MyMediaInfo.

With the promise of the ideal PR solution for an exciting campaign, your booming PR practice will more than surpass the recovering economy in flying colors.

Ghost Twittering - Is it Spooking Your Followers?

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

President Barack Obama shook the social media world two weeks ago with his confession that he has never used Twitter. Talking to students in China, he said, “I have never used Twitter but I’m an advocate of technology and not restricting internet access”. Suddenly, his heartfelt Twitter reaction to winning the Nobel Peace Prize seemed a heart-wrenching farce to many in the Twitterverse:

Obamas Humbled tweet.

The event has brought two intimidating question to the forefront. One side of the camp asks, “Didn’t we vote for him because he was approachable, sincere, tech-savvy, and down-to-earth? So was it all a lie?” The other side asks, “How can people be so naïve as to assume that busy celebrities, especially the President of the United States, actually post their own tweets?” Dialogues are rife on these issues, but it brings to surface these older, yet very relevant questions:

Do celebrities really hire ghost-twitterers?” Yes, it appears so. There are many famous personalities who have had their tweets posted by another person who is familiar with their sentiments on most things, and is privy to their day-to-day happenings. Apart from President Obama, some well-known celebrities who have ghost-twitterers are 50 Cent, Britney Spears, Shaquille O’Neal, and Guy Kawasaki, and even some CEOs of famous companies, to name a few.

“Isn’t this unethical?” Well, the floor is divided on this one. Some say that it is downright unethical, as the very objective of Twitter is to tell the world what you are doing, thinking, feeling etc. It is unfair to lead people to think they have an online rapport with an individual, when it is really their secretary or some other third person. It is especially unacceptable if a CEO uses a twitter account ostensibly to interact with customers and supporters, but all responses are from third parties. Others, like Guy Kawasaki, claim that ‘content is king’. Good content can be contributed by anyone. The identity of the twitterer makes no difference.

Which leads us to the third question, “Don’t followers deserve a full disclosure?” Why don’t people simply tell the readers that their posts are updated by ghost-twitterers? It would make everything that much more simpler. Guy Kawasaki stands by this notion, as seen in an interview with Dave Fleet on davefleet.com. Britney Spears has two ghost-twitterers as is apparent from some of her tweets labeled “Adam Leber” and “Lauren Kozak”.

Follow that with, “Doesn’t the term ‘Verified Account’ lose some of its meaning now?” Twitter labels the real Twitter accounts of celebrities as “Verified Accounts”. It is taken for granted that the tweets are from the individuals themselves. Followers are as much attracted to the sincerity and reality of the celebrity, as to the rush of rubbing virtual shoulders with a star. When a CEO claims he will answer queries from customers,  people come looking for a response from the man himself, not the customer service desk. In the light of ghost twittering, whether disclosed or otherwise, it all becomes a little pointless.

If we were to now look at things from the PR perspective, the final ‘nail-in-the-coffin’ question is this: “Did people’s trust in high profile twitter users just fall a notch or two?” Will the client ever trust again? Can good PR be done through ghost twitterers and proxies?

What’s your take on this issue?

Top 10 Must-Reads for the PR Professional!

Monday, November 16th, 2009

Here is a list of must-read books for every PR professional. These best-sellers are top of the charts for a reason, which is that they are valuable insights into the PR industry from bloggers, PR pros, industry veterans, social media experts and marketing gurus. If you want to be inspired enough to take your PR practice to the next level, these books will do it for you.

The top 10 books you should read if you are a PR professional are:

1. The New Rules of Marketing & PR: how to use news releases, blogs, podcasting, viral marketing & online media to reach buyers directly by David Meerman Scott - This book could be just what you are looking for, if you want a fresh perspective on the PR industry, some new ideas on your marketing strategies, and if you have a few questions on internet marketing. This book is now among the top choices in Amazon.com.

2. PR 2.0: New Media, New Tools, New Audiences by Deirdre Breakenridge. This book tells you all you need to know about combining good old-fashioned PR with the speed and effectiveness of social media. Deirdre Breakenridge tells you why you should be on social media, and how to go about it.

3. Putting the Public Back in Public Relations: How Social Media is Reinventing the Aging Business of PR by Brian Solis and Deirdre Breakenridge. This book comes at a time when the PR industry has all but forgotten the very purpose for which it exists - the public. The authors remind us that good relations and sincerity never went out of fashion, after all.

4. Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith. Written by two of the most reputed experts in the social media and PR industry, this book tells you how you can build trust for your product and company using the social media. It contains real-life examples and input from hands-on experiences of the authors.

5. Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff. If you are still grappling with the nuances of social media and modern technologies, then it doesn’t hurt to read one more book on it. This book deals with the concept of ‘groundswell’ in particular, and why your business should take advantage of it.

6. Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking by Andy Sernovitz and Guy Kawasaki. Word-of-mouth is the best PR that money can’t buy, and this book talks about how you can make people sit up and take notice of your name, company, cause or product long enough to tell other people about it. A great guide to goodwill creation, this book is also one of the most popular on Amazon.com.

7. The Digital Handshake: Seven Proven Strategies to Grow Your Business Using Social Media by Paul Chaney. The title is self-explanatory, and so is the book. Though this book is also on internet marketing, it comes from the viewpoint of a leading expert on blogging who is also known as The Blog Coach.

8. Public Relations Writing Worktext: A Practical Guide for the Profession by Joseph Zappala and Ann R. Carden. This is a down-to-basics book, which stays true to its claim of being a ‘practical guide’ to public relations. The book gives special emphasis to coordinating public relations with HR, marketing, legal councel, finance, operations etc.

9. Press Releases are Not a PR Strategy: An Executive’s Guide to Public Relations by Linda B. Vandevrede. Vandevrede uses 25 years of experience in the marketing and PR field to break numerous Pr misconceptions and reveals that PR is something that something more than simply sending out tons of emails and waiting for responses.

10. Strategic Public Relations: 10 Principles to Harness the Power of PR by Jennifer Gehrt and Colleen Moffitt. In this book, the authors describe how to use PR to its fullest potential with 10 Tips that every PR professional needs to know. All the lessons have been derived from strategies that the authors themselves have successfully tried in their professions.

Since no post on PR and Social Media can go without a mention of Seth Godin, here is one of his books for good measure!:

11. Small is the New Big: and 183 other Riffs, Rants, and Remarkable Business Ideas by Seth Godin. This book combines all the words of wisdom that Godin has given readers through his blog. Written in his trademark style, the book will show you how to let a great idea take shape in a natural way. He says, “If your idea is great, people will find you”.

7 Tips to Pitch Mommy Bloggers

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

“They influence over 85% of all consumer purchases in the USA, and wield $5 trillion in purchasing power”. Of the 42 million women involved in social media weekly, they form a hefty 11.5 million who are very active in the blogosphere.* They have their very own ’sphere’ in the said blogosphere. They can build or break a product with one post. They are passionate yet kind, and are becoming a successful social media and PR phenomenon, all on their own right!

They are Mommy Bloggers - the women who say that their life is actually just a mixture of potty training, runny noses, PTA meetings, and week-old laundry, with the odd vacation. They have kids, and adorable rambunctious ones at that, and large families, stacks of bills, dentists appointments, and barbecue weekends in tees and shorts just like the rest of us.

But if you are in PR, you better sit up and take notice of them! Here’s why:

1. Mommy bloggers have emerged as a hugely trusted source of product reviews. They are known for their candid estimation of all issues, and this is evident in the product reviews they do. This is because they only review a product they need and have used. They almost never promote a product which they would not want to use. So, if your product has quality, they will definitely acknowledge it.

2. Mommy bloggers throng to the blogosphere to talk to someone who gets them. They are a strong network that is growing by the minute. Just look at BlogHer! And they are fiercely loyal and protective of their kind. Therefore, they are also loyal followers of other mommy bloggers, and will bookmark a mommy blog quicker than they would a techie blog, anyday. So, if you want to be seen, a mommy blog would be the place to be.

3. A Mommy blog talks about more things than any other kind of blog. They have got discussions on school, education, gardening, food, technology, baby products, kitchen gadgets, home-safety, automobiles, politics, environment, fashion…You name it, they got it! So, they are as relevant as a target audience can get!

4. Moms decide on all shopping, everything from the grocery list to Christmas shopping, and where the family goes for vacation! When they are looking to buy, are they looking at your product?

Who better to give you some PR love than a Mommy blogger?

However, these are mothers, so you better play by the rules!

1. Form a relationship first: Get to know the blogger’s interests, what they like to write about, and things that are important to them. Pitch them only if you think your product is something they would use.

2. Don’t assume they want your freebies: Blogging as a mother is not easy, and for some it is their job. Which means that, one, be ready to pay them for their efforts on your behalf. And, two, never assume that they need your products, and will blog about them regardless of quality.

3. Remember they are mothers, first: Never expect them to drop everything for a conference call with you, or take that vacation you are offering. Try to understand that blogging takes second place to family and hungry kids, but it does not mean that they will not take your product seriously.

4. Don’t tell them what to write: Not if you want them to be objective about your product. Try not to bog them down with your opinions on how a certain product should be promoted. Reserve that for your advertising company.

5. Tell them who else is involved: When you tell them about other mothers who are blogging on your behalf, it becomes easier to form a network that will loyally stand up for your product. Moms will also tell you of other mommy bloggers whom you could pitch.

6. Be respectful and friendly: Mothers will not take sassiness from their kids, or from any other human being, for that matter! Politeness and friendliness is as important as the quality of your product.

7. There are laws to follow now: The Federal Trade Commission has published Final Guides governing Endorsements and Testimonials, which apply to bloggers too. Mommy blogger will follow it to the ‘t’, so try to be aware of what that means to your campaign.

If both sides play by the rules, this could be a win-win situation for all members involved.

So, have you pitched to a Mommy Blogger yet?

__________________________________________________________

*Source: Pitching Mommy Bloggers: Top Women Online Influencers Reveal Best PR Pitches and Strategies. www.reuters.com.