Happy New Years (And All That Jazz)

The New Year is almost upon us and as I write this post it almost seems like old news!  Since many bloggers have been talking about the new year for the past week I’m going to do something a little bit different.  I’m going to talk about the bloggers and microbloggers that I have been following in 2008 and why their insight has been invaluable to me this past year as a public relations professional who can’t get enough of social and new media.

Blogs Worth Their Weight In RSS:

People Worth Following In ‘09:

These are the up-and-comers.  I’m not going to provide a description for each, but check them out… you won’t regret it!

Jason Falls – Social Media Explorer

Jim Connolly – Jim’s Marketing Blog

Sarah Evans – @PRsarahevans on Twitter (#journchat)

Exiting Gov. Easley Clashes With State Press Over “Hatchet Job” Reporting

Gov. Mike Easley’s relationship with the media has rapidly devolved as he nears the end of his second term, and it comes as little surprise, given his approach to dealing with various state outlets. Had his approach been more proactive — something we recommended a couple of weeks ago — the criticism he faces now might have been lessened.

In a recent interview with the Greensboro News & Record, Easley lashed out at what he saw as an unfair portrayal of Correction Secretary Theodis Beck in The News and Observer’s  recent series detailing issues with North Carolina’s probation system. (Check out what we had to say about that series earlier this month.) He went on to lament his general treatment by major outlets in Charlotte and Raleigh.

Predictably, Easley’s comments were met with heated response. His accusations of “hatchet job” reporting seem to recall former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s decrying of “gotcha journalism” during the 2008 campaign, which never took hold, either.

As the top dog in NC — at least for a little while longer — Easley knows that it’s not the press’s role to be nice to him. On the contrary, the probation series was an excellent example of watchdog journalism in action, and a proactive response — like the one we called for — would have avoided the mess Easley faces now.

Perhaps with his gubernatorial role coming to a close, Easley felt he should take another angle. But for a man who at times has been lauded as a major player in the Democratic Party’s future, this was a misstep.

Does your company need a public relations firm?  MMI Associates is a full-service public relations firm located in Raleigh, NC.  Please visit the MMI Associates website for more information.  Any questions?  Give us a call at 919-233-6600.

Photo from Flickr

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Where will PR go in 2009?

OK.  So the public relations industry in changing — most of us know that.  But where is the industry headed in 2009?  Well, the safe thing to say would be “online,” but I’m going to try and get a bit more specific than that.  Some people are saying 2009 is the year that newspapers will die.  I don’t buy it.  The Wall Street Journal may print less newspapers, but their readership will continue online.  The same goes for the other large newspapers.  So now that I’ve told what will not happen in 2009, let’s look at what will happen.

Twitter

Twitter has taken off in 2008.  By the end of 2009 every public relations firm worth its salt will have a presence on Twitter.  Why?  There are many reasons, but the main ones are that reporters are starting to use it en masse to find sources quicker, companies can influence their customers and potential customers directly with the best kind of recommendations (word-of-mouth), and public relations firms will be asked by their clients to monitor what others are saying about them (Motrin learned this the hard way).

Facebook

I think the jury’s still out on how public relations firms will use Facebook in 2009. We’ve done some work building client FB pages, but a FB page is not for every type of client.  I’m not sure how public relations firms will be using FB – I’m just sure that they will.  Why?  Facebook is averaging 600,000 new users per month and has a very active base.  Public relations firms will find their way to Facebook.

The Phone

There is no link for this one (I refuse to link to a picture of the iPhone ).  It’s common sense, but with all of these new ways to connect to people, the old way of communicating is still the most effective (it is NOT the most effective for connecting anymore).  One of my pet peeves is lengthy back-and-forth emails that could be solved with a five-minute telephone call.  Pick up the phone, folks!  This is one of those circumstances where technology is actually inhibiting effective communication.

The Public Relations Year

The three points above are nothing close to a complete list, but it is a start.  I am definitely excited about what the coming year holds for the industry, for our firm and for our clients.  Public relations is especially effective in a down economy.  You can produce and run one television ad or you can retain the services of a PR firm for three to four months.  Which do you think is more effective?  Please let us know what points you agree with and what trends/technologies that I missed for the public relations industry in 2009.

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To be fair, embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has undoubtedly failed at more than public relations in the last few weeks, but his initial lack of communication with the media (and with the Lieutenant Governor for that matter), followed by his recent appeal for the media to “hang loose” wins Governor Blagojevich the PR FAIL of the Week.

After deciding to feature Governor Blagojevich in this week’s PR FAIL, I visited the governor’s website and was interested to find absolutely no information about the recent scandal (on the homepage or otherwise).  The governor’s lack of response both to traditional media and online breaks all three of the rules in the MMI crisis management school of hard knocks.  The rules are:

1. Tell it all
2. Tell it fast
3. Tell the truth

It’s difficult to say if the soon-to-be former governor of Illinois could have handled this situation any worse.  It would be a stretch to say that he could have kept his position by handling the situation differently, but his silence and refusal to cooperate is certainly adding to any jail time he may serve if the allegations prove to be true.

Does your company need a public relations firm?  MMI Associates is a full-service public relations firm located in Raleigh, NC.  Please visit the MMI Associates website for more information.  Any questions?  Give us a call at 919-233-6600.

* Photo from Flickr

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UNC Tar Heels vs. Evansville at Smith Center Thurs. 12/18

Basketball fans can tonight watch All-American Tyler Hansbrough go for UNC’s all-time scoring record, currently held by Phil Ford (who will be in attendance). Tipoff is at 7pm. Visit TarHeelBlue for more information.

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Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers at RBC Center Thurs. 12/18

The Hurricanes are coming off a much-needed win Tuesday against Montreal and look to expand upon recent success in the power play, once impossible to come by earlier in the season. The puck drops at 7pm. Check Ticketmaster for more information.

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Carolina Ballet’s The Nutcracker at Progress Energy Center’s Memorial Auditorium Fri. 12/19

The Nutcracker is here for the holiday season starting this Friday. Fourteen performances are slated through Dec. 28. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.

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Carolina Panthers vs. New York Giants at The Meadowlands Sun. 12/21

The Carolina Panthers take on the New York Giants in the Meadowlands this Sunday.  Both teams have an 11 – 3 record, so the Sunday night game is for first place in the NFC.  It may be a bit of a hike to see the game in person, but be sure to watch our team play.  Kickoff is at 8:15pm on NBC.

Peter Shankman’s Help A Reporter Out Wins Open Web Award

Help A Reporter Out, or HARO,  was started by Peter Shankman (one of our favorite people on Twitter) and recently won the People’s Choice Social News Open Web Award (say that three times fast).  HARO is an emailing service for both reporters and for us public relations types.  Shankman sends out a HARO email, no more than three times per day, with requests for stories and interviews from reporters.  Public relations professionals who sign up for the emails can then contact the reporters directly with pertinent information.  The service is free, and the only rule is that if you do contact a reporter, it better be with a legitimate source (not just to get your client in front of a reporter).  Shankman backs this rule up by calling out those who spam reporters and telling the entire list of reporters to block the offender from their email.

We are big fans of HARO and of Shankman (who I got to see speak in Raleigh about a month ago).  So if you are a reporter in search of a good interview or a public relations professional trying to get your client into some larger publications, sign up for HARO.  To see the rest of the Open Web Award winners, visit Mashable.com.

Does your company need a public relations firm to help get noticed or to promote an event?  MMI Associates is a full-service public relations firm located in Raleigh, NC.  Please visit the MMI Associates website for more information.  Any questions?  Give us a call at 919-233-6600.

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N.C. Probation System, Durham Police Face Scrutiny: Now What?

When it comes to local news, nothing creates greater anticipation than the investigative report. It is both an eye-opener for people unaware of problems within the community and a catalyst for change that screams, “This is enough.” Lately, Triangle residents have had a great deal of them.

Raleigh folks are abuzz about The News and Observer’s recent series detailing the faults in North Carolina’s criminal probation system (“Losing Track”). The exhaustive reports left no stone unturned, and the end result has been a loud call for drastic measures to fix a tattered system.

(Next up for the N&O: A series of columns from Ruth Sheehan about the controversy surrounding Santo Perez’s arrest. Ben at howRDUdoin? is waiting with bated breath.)

Meanwhile, Vernal Coleman at the Independent Weekly outs the City of Durham’s spotty street surveillance cameras. (Complete with a requisite Google Map — ouch.) The publication, frequently lauded for its investigative reporting, landed some ferocious copy here — the story’s subheadline reads, “Nobody’s watching.”

So what now? When an investigative report hits your desk — and everyone else’s — it’s time to kick into crisis PR mode. A series as damaging as “Losing Track” will take a comprehensive reply that demands serious accountability up to the top rung of the ladder. (We recommend joining a discussion already in place and trying to bring that debate into your living room, as opposed to the front pages.) In the case of IndyWeek’s Durham cameras story, an immediate promise to rectify the situation will go a long way.

Do you or your company need a public relations firm?  MMI Associates is a full-service public relations firm located in Raleigh, NC.  Please visit the MMI Associates website for more information.  Any questions?  Give us a call at 919-233-6600.

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Jerry Jones Calls Out Star Running Back Marion Barber

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has never been known for his tact, but after the Cowboys’ 20 – 13 loss to the Steelers this past Sunday, he stepped on some new toes as he criticized his starting running back, Marion Barber, appearing to call into question Barber’s toughness:

“He can play with the soreness and a combination of those things. I see nothing that led us to believe he couldn’t,” Jones said after Sunday’s game.  (Source: ESPN)

The comments were particularly intriguing, as Barber has had a reputation for toughness ever since he entered the league.  Barber sprained his toe in the game against Seattle and has not been able to play since then.

Wade Phillips, the Cowboys’ head coach, has said throughout the week that Jones’ comments were misunderstood and he was sure that Jones did not mean to question Barbers’ toughness.  Jones himself has backtracked, saying, “That was not meant to be critical of his toughness. It did come out that way. Fundamentally, it was because he is so tough that you would have thought that he could play.”

Jerry Jones wins the PR FAIL of the Week this week for his comments about Marion Barber.  He has damaged his organization in the past when speaking in anger or frustration, and probably will do so again in the future.  It’s the job of the people closest to him (and of course Jones himself) to help identify when it is appropriate and when it is not appropriate for him to speak out.  If we gave out a PR SUCCESS of the Week, it would go to Marion Barber for not responding to Jones’ critical comments.

Do you or your company need a public relations firm?  MMI Associates is a full-service public relations firm located in Raleigh, NC.  Please visit the MMI Associates website for more information.  Any questions?  Give us a call at 919-233-6600.

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Our friends at Forrester Research recently published the results of a survey which suggests that only 16% of internet users find corporate blogs to be trustworthy.  Ouch!  Are corporate blogs worth doing if only 16% of the internet population finds them to be trustworthy?  The short answer is yes; the long answer is below.

The Old School

Before giving the long answer let’s think about this for a minute.  Why would 84% of the business world be creating blogs that people do not trust?  The answer lies in the fact that the majority of businesses who are blogging are still rooted in the old school.  What is the old school? (I promise to stop asking questions and giving the answers.) The old school is a mentality that a) requires that everything said to the public must be said in a business-robot voice; and b) mandates that people only want to hear about said company when reading a corporate blog.

» Continue reading “Raleigh NC| The Corporate Blog: Should We Care?”

Disney on Ice @ RBC Center Thurs. 12/11-Sun. 12/14

Need an excursion for the family this weekend?  Your favorite Disney characters are appearing in several performances at the RBC Center.  Tickets start at $16 and are available via Ticketmaster.

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Southern Culture on the Skids @ Cat’s Cradle Sat. 12/13

If Disney’s not your thing, swing into Carrboro to check out Chapel Hill’s own Southern Culture on the Skids at the Cat’s Cradle with The Hall Monitors.  Doors open at 9, show at 10 — visit the Cat’s Cradle website for tickets and more details.

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Local College Hoops Sat. 12/13

UNC and NC State basketball fans are getting ready for an excellent pair of Saturday games.  In Chapel Hill, the Tar heels will face Oral Roberts at 6pm and the Wolfpack will play Winston-Salem State in historic Reynolds Coliseum. (Duke doesn’t have a weekend game, but who would go, right?) Visit TarHeelBlue or GoPack.com for more information