my(PR)palette

We've moved!

2010-01-31T11:16:00.004-05:00

It's official. I'm no longer posting blog entries in two places. I've moved, unpacked and am pretty much settled.

Here's the new home of my(PR)palette. You'll find the whole kit and caboodle in there.

Thanks to everyone for visiting this site and sharing your thoughts.

Hope to see you in the new location!

Blogging backlist

2010-01-13T11:33:00.001-05:00

When I worked in publishing, new releases were very important, of course. But of almost equal importance was the backlist – those books that had already been published and had built awareness, an audience, a niche...

New blog post: Please click here for more.

How are you reading?

2010-01-11T13:52:00.002-05:00

Normally, the question we'd ask is: what are you reading? As in content you'll hopefully share. And, of course, that's key...

New blog post: Please click here for more.

Getting started in social media - new McMaster business course

2010-01-08T12:22:00.000-05:00

As most of you know, I taught a social media for PR course at McMaster University last fall. You can read about it here, here, here and here.

And now, I'm happy to report that I'm teaching an accelerated business course on SM - also at McMaster. The after work sessions run March 4, 5, 11, 12, 6-9 p.m. and March 6, 9 AM - noon.

This is a hands-on class geared to business people and entrepreneurs who are looking for practical advice on how to get started with various social media tools.

Participants will learn how to set up a blog, Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, post videos, record a podcast. I'll also be meeting with people one-on-one to discuss their communications and business goals and help them figure out which tools might work best for the audience they're trying to engage.

Here's where you go to sign up.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Please visit the new home of my(PR)palette.

Moving day... (for the blog, that is)

2010-01-06T14:00:00.005-05:00

Happy 2010! It's hard to believe I've been working on my blog for three years now - and I hope you've enjoyed reading it and sharing your thoughts as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

I've learned a lot in that time, met so many great people - both online and off - and look forward to continuing - but with a slight twist.

One of the things I did during the holidays was pack my bags, set up a blog on Wordpress, migrate my entries and comments and, painstakingly add in all the tags - one at a time. (They came through as categories.) And other than the little glitch with the tags, the transfer was pretty seamless.

The blog will have the same name and focus: PR, social media and trends. But it will now have a different domain, platform and slightly new look. The new address is: www.martinwaxman.com.

For the next couple of weeks, I'll be tinkering with the design, so think of this as the beta version. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

I'm also going to be cross-posting in both blogs for a while. But I'm hoping to be fully moved in and settled by the end of January. So drop by, sat a spell, y'all come back now...

Social reading

2009-12-30T10:43:00.008-05:00

This holiday, it feels like I've been treated to my fiction wish list with new books by two of my favourite authors, Kurt Vonnegut and Philip Roth. Roth's is The Humbling, a short novel about acting and dying (literally); and Vonnegut's is Look at the Birdie, a collection of early unpublished stories that very much ring true today. I've read one book and am halfway through the other and wish neither would end.

And speaking of books (now there's a segue), I thought this is a good time to highlight and recommend a few social media reads that stood out for me in 2009. All three books offer insights on the lay of the social landscape and its growing importance to business.

They are (in no particular order):

SocialCorp by Joel Postman - I reviewed the book when it first came out and feel it's a great starting point for any organization seeking a strategic approach to becoming more social. The writing is smart and crisp. Of particular interest are the case studies and Joel's approach to ethics and transparency.

Six Pixels of Separation by Mitch Joel - I finally met Mitch in person this year (having been a reader/listener for a long time) and thoroughly enjoyed his book. Again, it's aimed at businesses who want to enter the social arena and is filled with ideas, tips and real-world examples. His writing is sharp and knowledgeable. And he's managed to capture the essence of his engaging speaking voice in print (not an easy thing to do).

Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff - This isn't a new book, but it stands the test of accelerated time (in this case about two years). It's a researchers approach to social media, technographics and the marketplace. But while it's filled with data, it's anything but academic and offers practical approaches to getting started: listen (first ) and then engage the people you're trying to reach (both inside and outside an organization).

One other non-fiction book that stood out for me is Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. It's written in his inimitable conversational style and has some wonderful stories about why some people succeed and others don't; looking beyond raw talent and taking other, often surprising, factors into account.

By the way, I read all of these in the old fashioned print format. I've yet to get an e-reader, but now that Kindle's available in Canada, that's something I'll probably try.

Do you have any other titles to add?

The secret of comedy?

2009-12-24T10:26:00.014-05:00

...Timing.

Yes, that's the punchline to an old joke but it's also very true. And for a comic, material (content) is key - but equally important is its delivery (timing).

In other words, is your message getting to the people you're trying to reach when they're looking? (That's what retail is all about.)

I was thinking about timing this morning; I always do at the end of the year reflecting on what's ahead, looking back.

And I realized that, in addition to standout content, timing is of the essence for PR and social media.

For example, if you're trying to reach a business audience, should you post a new blog entry on Saturday afternoon or would it have more impact on a weekday? When are the people you're trying to build relationships active online? Are they too busy thinking about something else (the holidays, for instance) to pay attention to your message? What's the optimal time to publish to reach your goals?

I think as social media moves to the mainstream, we need to blend immediacy with appropriate timing. Sure we want to share some things right away - but before we do, let's stop for a moment and think about whether this is the best time to publish or press send.

Of course, I should probably hold this post till after the holidays, but sometimes you break your own rules.

Thanks for sticking with me and reading my blog this year. I want to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a truly enjoyable holiday season. It's time!

Seasonal spam

2009-12-21T23:25:00.008-05:00

If I can borrow a thought from Gertrude Stein, 'a spam is a spam is a spam'.

And I think it's safe to say it's something we all despise.

This year, spam has turned seasonal with the proliferation of holiday e-cards. They're coming fast and furious and there's no way to stop them.

Now, I'm no Scrooge McDuck. In fact, I love the Christmas Spirit. If you listen to Inside PR #184, you'll hear me say that I think we should go back to saying 'Merry Christmas' and not rely on the euphemistic 'happy, etc. etc.' Having grown up without the holiday, I'm a big fan of the celebrations, the parties, the lights, the songs...

And the cards. I even like receiving cards from people I don't know very well, but who have at least made the effort to sign them.

However, e-cards are a completely different thing. In the same way that PR people used to blast out mass uncustomized pitches in a bcc list to hundreds of journalists (or more), these e-cards do nothing to build a relationship. They don't offer a genuine greeting, but attempt to sell you something. In fact, since I've been writing this post, I've received four more - all from companies I've never heard of!

'They're just using Christmas to market their own shit', says Louise Armstrong, who, if you read her blog and know her, is not prone to using that type of language lightly.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm happy (honoured) to be on your mass distribution list if we know each other (and I appreciate the gesture). And I will admit that we've sent e-cards in the past, though we put people's names in the to line, emailed them one at a time and only to people we consider colleagues and friends.

This is a wonderful time of year to reach out, reconnect and show people you're thinking about them. Like social media, why not make it personal and meaningful?

So let's get away from Christ-mass: please stop sending out seasonal spam. (Pass it along.)

Before marking

2009-12-20T17:05:00.013-05:00

In early September, I wrote about the FDOC (first day of class) for my McMaster social media course. And now - 14 weeks later - we had our final session. And before I start marking (it feels like an arduous task), I thought I'd share a few observations.

First off, I've had a great time meeting and getting to know the students; watching (and hopefully helping) them learn to make their way around social networks and seeing how their voices emerged. I'm happy to report that most of them want to continue their blogs. In case you're interested, here's a class list.

It's been a truly rewarding and humbling experience. I met the father of one of my students at Tim's before class. He's a former teacher and remarked that teaching is like being on stage except you're throwing away 20 per cent of the script. That's a great description.

Here are a few things I learned:

It takes a lot of time to prepare - I spent between four and five hours each week getting the lecture ready, managing the Ning class site and keeping up with reading and trends.
Terry Flynn was right. I can see why he said you need to teach a course three times to fine tune all the details. Overall I was pleased, but there are some things, notably the course outline and assignments, that I would adapt.
If possible, the textbook for a social media course should be in a digital format - so it can be updated frequently with new tools and relevant case studies. There's an opportunity for someone.
Because it takes time to build relationships, readership and trust, I wonder if this should be a full-year course.
I'm not used to being the marker as opposed to the markee. I guess I will be soon.

Well, now it's time to stop procrastinating and start reading the blogs and Wiki assignments and doing some serious grading.

Congratulations to all the students. Thanks for making it easy for me to get up early every Saturday morning and drive to Hamilton. Thanks also for making me want do it again!

PR and sales - cut from the same cloth?

2009-12-15T14:30:00.018-05:00

I think we are. And I say that with complete sincerity. (Pause for the sound of people throwing things.)

I actually think our profession has a lot more in common with sales than with marketing.

For the record, I grew up in sales. My dad owned a couple of fabric and drapery stores in Winnipeg. And watching him go about his business, I learned that the best sales people, like the best public relaters, are all about two-way relationships. Listening. Helping. Telling a story well and truthfully. Being social. Engendering trust.

Now that's not to say we're completely altruistic. Like any business we're goal-oriented. But we don't create visuals that do nothing but dazzle, sweep you off your feet with sweepstakes or deliver direct mail directly to the circular file.

Sure there are stereotypical images of high pressure salesman - hucksters - who see you as nothing more than a commission. The same holds true for certain PR people - call them hypesters - who'll stoop to anything to get their client's name 'in the press'. Both types give their respective professions a bad name.

But have you ever sat in a room full of great sales folks and listened to them swap stories? You really get a sense that they like and respect their customers/clients, and will go out of their way to help.

And if they're really good, they know they won't always win or hear the answer they want. But that doesn't matter. They're in it for the long haul.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it.

So... sales and PR - cut from the same cloth, as the son-of-a-fabric-man might say. What do you think of that?

Does PR need a new name?

2009-12-09T19:19:00.010-05:00

When I started in PR, I worked in arts and entertainment and called myself a publicist. And I was proud of the title.

Then I switched to the corporate agency side and became a PR consultant who practised media relations. It didn't take me long to realize those two were pretty close to the same thing. In fact, while we offer many types of communications counsel, media relations/publicity has, for a long time, been the cornerstone of what we do.

But these days with MSM in transition, it doesn't take an Amazing Kreskin to predict that our comfortably familiar landscape is fading. And great chunks of it are just plain disappearing; morphing into something new.

So with PR in rapid-evolutionary-mode (REM), perhaps it's time to dream big and rethink what what we do and where we're heading.

And for me (and many other people) that means a shift to social media. I have to say direct-to-influencer connecting has re-energized the profession, encouraged us to learn (and enabled me to teach) and caused us to look at what we do through a less-filtered lens. It's also given the profession a voice and helped us step out of the shadows.

But in order to truly change, we need to rid ourselves of our shackles - notably our reliance on pure media relations. Sure, that will always be a part of our repertoire. But if we want to survive and thrive, we need to do so much more:

Really start listening (that means opening our minds)
Get better at telling visual stories
Become less text-reliant, while still being the guardians of grammar and voice - we can't ever forget how to write with clarity and style
Master new techniques - video/audio production, designing and coding a website
Join communities, participate and connect
Issue a full-on challenge to marketing and advertising. Maybe I'm biased, but I feel we really are the naturals to understand and get around in this space.

So what should we call this new entity? Truth is, I'm not sure.

Social media? I like it, but there's a day where that could seem faddish. Digital relations? Sounds like PR for the AI set. Social relations? A bit too much like someone who plans parties for the DAR. Social networking? Too much like self-help. Networked relations? Are your cousins on Facebook too?

Part of me still likes the term public relations - that is if we go back to its original definition.

Or maybe we need a completely new moniker. And if so, do you have any ideas what it should be called?

Do you complify instead of simplify?

2009-11-22T16:06:00.004-05:00

At Palette we have a promise (to our clients and ourselves) that our relationships and work will be based on three pillars: simplicity, energy and integrity.

It's at the heart of everything we do.

But lately I've noticed that for some people and organizations simplicity has (simply) gone awry.

And instead of making life easier, we make things more complex: we complify.

Here's what I mean. In the course of a workday, you notice something you're doing is cumbersome and has too many pointless steps. You think, we should come up with a way to fix this.

But instead of cutting through the crap, egos get involved. And then an old process is replaced by a newer process, a few extra levels are added (in the spirit of collaboration, of course) and all of a sudden something that wasn't working very well to begin with (the devil you know) has been transformed into something that doesn't work at all.

Congratulations. You've just been complifed.

So how can we avoid getting into this trap?

Here are three (simple) steps:
1. Ask yourself if an improvement is truly needed and if so, will people buy in.
2. Strip down the activity to its base elements, assume nothing is sacred and cut, cut, cut. (Pretend CTL-V does not exist.)
3. If your solution involves more than a couple of moving parts...abort! Remember what you're goal is.

Sounds simple? Sure. But I can tell you in no time, it wouldn't be hard to add a few more steps to this plan and complify.

Poppy Day (revisited)

2009-11-11T08:00:00.004-05:00

Every November 11, I think of my dad, a WWII veteran and a man with a supreme joy for life. He always shared his wisdom, ideals and opinions (often without being asked), but kept the horror of his war experience to himself. He passed away over nine years ago, and for me, Remembrance Day is like another Yahrzheit for him. So today, to celebrate his memory and everything he taught me, I'm going to republish part of a post I wrote in 2007:

November 11.

When I was growing up in Winnipeg we called Remembrance Day: Poppy Day. And every year when it came around, my Dad would return from work with a poppy on his lapel. Often, he’d bring some home for us and I felt it was both a thrill and an honour to wear one. It connected me with my Dad and by extension with history. It made me feel proud.

Back then my dad, a veteran who saw action as part of Montreal’s Blackwatch regiment in WWII, would have bought the poppy from someone more senior than he was (by that I mean someone who’d fought in WWI).

Later, the ‘torch’ was passed to the WWII vets, and now they’re mostly gone too. Today, you never know who’s going to sell you a poppy (and sometimes it’s just the honour system and a contribution you make at Tim Horton’s). Time marches on.

Every year, I continue to wear a poppy over my heart and feel nostalgic. I love the symbol, the visual reminder of Flanders Fields, where ‘poppies blow between the crosses row on row. That mark our place…’

Introducing my social media class

2009-11-08T16:39:00.021-05:00

Well, the social media for PR course I'm teaching at McMaster University is half over (hard to believe) and the students are busy working on their blogs. I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce and welcome them to the online community.

Name	Blog title	Twitter
Devorah Abrams Farmer	Devorah’s Blog	@dvora24
Suad Abukamla	Suadabukamla’s Blog
Natalie Ardanaz	Natalie’s Blog	@prNatAttack
Lisa Atkinson	Lisa M. Atkinson blog	@weezie130
Christine Davis	My New Digs	@MzCrisy
Sonja Dowbiggin	Staying Alive in the 905	@sonjaferne
Donna Drake	Dawna’s Blog	@dawnadrake
Paul Jones	Collapse of the West	@jonespt
Giselle Kimos	HR and more...	@gisellekimos
Lesley Morris	It’s All About Relationships	@LesleyM100
Julia Oudeh	JuliaOudeh’s Blog	@JuliaOudeh
Jotsna Pervin	JBPV’s Blog	@aeyshapakhi
Helen Powers	Socially Responsible Thoughts	@HelenEPowers
Madeline Robins	You, Me and Poverty	@madelinerobins
Margaret Shkimba	In the Sisterhood	@inthesisterhood
Mark Skeffington	About Cities	@markskeffington
Allyson Wenzowski	Allyson’s Publicity Works School Works Blog	@allysonpw
Kaan Yucel	Kaan’s Dervish Lodge	@soulician

If you have a chance and visit their sites, you'll see an eclectic group; original voices writing about a wide variety subjects including living the unemployed life, corporate social responsibility, city politics, HR, women in society, being a new homeowner, a doctor's view of the mind, and many more.

And, if you do drop by, please share your comments and thoughts. I'm sure they'll appreciate it.

Special thanks to Joe Thornley for suggesting I do this.

Are Canadian media responsible for spreading viral news?

2009-11-04T10:32:00.003-05:00

You can't pick up a Canadian newspaper, listen to radio or watch TV without hearing about H1N1, the vaccination process, supply issues, lineups...

But the story doesn't seem to have the same intensity in the U.S. It wasn't even mentioned in Conan O'Brien's monologue a couple of days ago (when it was the lead on CBC) - and talk show openings are often a good barometer of big news stories (as silly as that sounds).

I did a search of 'H1N1 vaccine' on Google this morning* and in the first 30 results, there were 25 Canadian stories; four U.S. stories; and one international story. That's over 80 per cent of today's coverage emanating from Canada.

Now, we all know a pandemic is a very serious situation. And I'm not saying we shouldn't do everything we can to prevent the spread of the virus. It's important to be informed and educated.

But I wonder if Canadian media are making H1N1 a bigger story than it needs to be right at the moment.

What do you think?

*Search results as of 9:30 a.m., November 4, 2009

Musings on meshmarketing

2009-10-29T08:59:00.009-04:00

Last week, I attended meshmarketing - a one-day gathering in Toronto highlighting social media case studies and best practices.

The event took place at CiRCA, a Toronto nightclub. And I have to say, I wasn't ready for the stanchions, bouncer attitude and red carpet at 8 in the morning. In fact, it felt like I was entering a super-cool boutique hotel - dark and with plenty of attitude. I got the impression that many of the staff had not been on the job at that time of day in a long, long time.

However, my eyes (and attitude) adjusted before the sessions. Here are my Twitter-notes highlights:

Keynote Gaping Void/Hugh MacLeod:

- Human beings socialize around objects; we talk about them; share knowledge.
- Web 1.0 = search. Web 2.0 = share.
- Products don't go viral just b/c you throw a lot of money behind them.

Facebook's Elmer Sotto:

- Facebook thinks people want to interact with brands in much the same way as they connect with friends.
- Think about FB user experience, profile, compelling profile visual (doesn't have to be logo) & thumbnail image.
- On FB brands should pace their posts, establish an 'editorial' calendar and [not] overdo it.

Measurement guru Katie Delahaye Paine:

- Measuring eyeballs shifting to measuring engagement; numbers go down but quality of dialogue goes up.
- People measure; computers count. You need people to analyse the results.
- Improve reputation by changing conversation: listen first then respond, and stop doing stupid things.

With one exception, the sessions offered useful tips and practical approach - the same high calibre as Mesh but in a change-of-intensity setting. And I liked that the level of information was aimed at people with a working knowledge of social media and not at the beginner level.

I also had a chance to record a couple of 4Qs for a future Inside PR podcasts.

If you were there, do you have any other nuggets to add?

Fixing what's broken between journalism and PR

2009-10-13T11:00:00.006-04:00

On Inside PR #173, my '-30-' comment, the short POV remarks we're using to end the show, dealt with a few of the things we need to do to start fixing the pretty much broken relationship between journalism and PR.

This is something that must be done. And I think it's up to our industry to take the lead and try improve the way we interact with each other; build trust, credibility and respect on both sides. I think the same applies to bloggers and other influencers, as well.

Part of the problem lies with the way our profession functions: trying to place stories, traditionally in MSM, for clients or organizations. We often feel under a lot of pressure to deliver results for which we have virtually no control.

Fine. That's our reality and no one forced us into it. I'm proud to be a PR practitioner and this uncertainty is one of the things we just accept.

There are many media with whom I feel I have a good professional relationship. I define that as being able to approach a journalist/blogger with an idea they might be interested in, showing them why/how it works in a quick, efficient manner and having them say either say yes or no (or sometimes saving it for a future story).

However, I think that over the years we have made many repeated mis-steps that hurt the industry and our collective reputation.

And now, with social media and two-way conversations being embraced by both sides, this seems like a perfect time to make the change.

Here are 10 steps the PR profession can take right now:

Always read a journalists or blogger's past stories (and not just from last week). We need to do our research and know who's covering or interested in which subjects.
Know the difference between hard and soft news and position a story accordingly. It may seem big to us (or our client), but we have to step back and realize where our news fits into the grand scheme of things. I mean really fits.
Be transparent and tell the truth.
Stop writing in corporate-speak
Strive to be helpful, not a pest.
Understand that while our clients are a top priority for us, the reporter has many other priorities and we need to empathize more with them.
Stop making media lists from databases. Go to the source: newspapers, broadcast outlets, blogs, online publications. See who's writing about what. If we're not passionate about media, why are we in PR?
Never blast out an email to a large (or small) bcc list. We've all done that in the past. And some are still doing it. Really, this was a bad idea from the start. It turned us into broadcasters, something we're not.
Leave our PR egos at the door. It's up to us to reach journalists. Stop griping if they don't always call back when we want them to.
Help journalists and bloggers understand the new FTC rules/principles so that we can continue to work together in a mutually beneficial way.

It sounds simple but we've got to make the first move.

What do you think?

CPRS Toronto gets connected

2009-10-10T11:00:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, I'm the president of CPRS Toronto and, if you're in the city, I'd encourage you to attend our first fall professional development event.

It's a panel discussion on October 15 called 'Get Connected: Building Virtual Relationships to Expand Communications'.

It features three savvy social media strategists, Michael O'Connor Clarke, Eden Spodek and William Young, talking about how we can use social media tools to engage and connect with our communities online and in real life.

I'll be moderating the session.

If you're interested, here's some information on the event. Hope to see you there.

To tell or not to tell...

2009-10-09T16:38:00.023-04:00

That seems to be the question these days. It follows on changes to the FTC's rules requiring, among other things, that bloggers to disclose if they've received product samples for review.

There's been a lot of discussion on the subject online and in MSM including a good piece in the Globe and Mail. There was also a lively Twitter debate between Jeff Jarvis and Mark Glazer (thanks Mathew Ingram).

And while the ruling doesn't apply to Canada, the principles do.

For the record, I am in favour of disclosure. I think it's always easier to be up-front, honest and transparent. Then, people know who you are and where you stand.

I think a lack of disclosure by some (many?) PR practitioners over the years, contributed to giving our profession a bad name.

However, I think Jeff Jarvis brings up a good point about fairness. Why should bloggers be singled out when MSM journalists receive product samples all the time? Shouldn't both be held to the same standards? If not, the rules seem skewed in favour of companies over those with an individual voice.

I'd much rather have a level playing field with the same code of transparency, ethical behaviour and freedom of expression for all sides.

UPDATE: Here's a good legal perspective on the new FTC regulation from the Council of PR Firms' legal counsel, Davis and Gilbert LLP (by Michael Lasky).

How much is too much (social media, that is)?

2009-10-01T15:18:00.001-04:00

That's a question I was asked recently in my social media class. And it's one that comes up a lot.

With the proliferation of social networking tools, how much time should we/can we spend on various sites?

I'd like to borrow my answer from a thoughtful post by Amber Naslund: 'It depends'.

Actually, I think you need to look at the question from two perspectives.

The first has to do with the learning curve involved when you try to master anything new. And that can be fairly substantial including:
- Discovery
- Getting a handle on what a site is all about and how to use it intelligently
- Registering
- Testing
- Listening
- Engaging
- Participating

All this takes time. And it's not something that can be accomplished in an eight-hour burst (though you sometimes need that sort of intensity to get started). It's a long-term commitment; the same process that we go through when we learn anything new.

The second consideration is personal: What are you looking to get out of the site?

Here are a few things to ponder:
- Is this something you have to know/do as part of your job/class?
- How busy are you?
- What one thing that you’re currently enjoying would you be willing (and able) to scale back or give up?
- What are you looking for (fun, networking, business-building)?
- Will it obsess you (and not in a positive way)?
- Will adding it to your routine completely overwhelm you?
- How will it affect your real-life relationships?

Really, it comes down to a matter of self-awareness, personal and professional choices, your goals and commitment. And a willingness to experiment with something new.

And of course, if you don't like it, you can always stop and try again later.

What do you think?

The PR list

2009-09-28T18:43:00.008-04:00

I was recently honoured to be part of Valeria Maltoni's list of 100 PR people to follow on Twitter. I can only imagine how much research it took her to assemble and review each person, read their blogs and put in all the links.

It features some really smart PR folks and original thinkers (many of whom I've been following for a while). Talk about being in good company...

And, if you go here, Neville Hobson's assembled the group so you can easily select the ones you want to check out.

Thanks to all the new folks who found me. I'm trying to catch up, but it will take me a little time. In the meantime here are a couple of things you may want to know:

I look at every follower's profile, read a bunch of tweets and often click on your website to get a sense of who you are and your personality
I'm particularly interested in people who work in PR/communications/social media, but I'm also open; again it's all about personality
I try to follow back if we have a couple of conversations
I never auto-DM

Looking forward to 'meeting' and engaging with you.

And a special thank you to Valeria for including me!

What happened to Eatons?

2009-09-27T14:29:00.023-04:00

Growing up, if someone had told me that Eaton's would cease to exist, I would never have believed them. The department store was a Canadian icon. It had prime locations in downtowns and malls across the country, produced an aspirational Christmas catalogue, sponsored the Toronto Stanta Claus parade and, in Winnipeg (where I'm from), was the book end of a Portage Avenue stroll that started at the Bay and finished at the venerable merchant.

Yet here it is 2009 and Eaton's hasn't been a part of the retail landscape for several years. There are many reasons for that: different shopping needs, complacency, an inability to change.

I thought about Eaton's after reading Matt Hartley's article in the Financial Post on Canadian business's reluctance to embrace online advertising (and I would say the same applies to other social networking opportunities, too).

It made me realize that a lot of what we consider certainties are time (and trend) sensitive. Sure it's comfortable relying on the familiar. But in business, as in life, innovation, ideas and growth come from risk-taking and knowing when to try something different for a change.

The new PR?*

2009-09-22T08:00:00.002-04:00

*Warning aspiration alert...

Much has been written about the new PR versus its more traditional practice; how the industry's changing; what we need to do to adapt.

In many ways, the new PR strikes me as a conceptual cousin to the old PR. Now before you pummel me with a twitstorm of criticism, let me clarify: it's similar if you go back to the essence of PR and its best practices, like two-way symmetric communications (aka conversations).

With MSM in a downward flux and the rise of social networking, there will come a time in the not so distant future when those two lines will cross. And we'll need to rethink the way we communicate and not be so reliant on media relations as the core of our profession.

So with that in mind, here's a quick list of what I think we should be:
- Connectors
- Relationship builders
- Creative content producers/distributors
- Reputation minders

And here's what I hope we're not:
- Spammers
- Direct mailers
- Pitchers
- Loud mouthed BS'ers

The recession has sped up many changes that were already taking place. And just because clients are asking for the same things we did last year doesn't mean we can dismiss the importance of social media.

I think now's the time to gently lead our clients toward the future - not with the promise of ever shiny tools, but with our experience and insights, strategic counsel, data and case studies; and yes, trusting our gut.

But before we do that, we need to participate, to embrace social media and learn how to do it well. I'm not saying traditional PR is over, I say it's time to welcome some new traditions.

Inside PR #170...recording

2009-09-16T21:30:00.012-04:00

In the grand broadcast tradition of summer re-runs and new fall shows, we're happy to say that Inside PR is back!

This season, the shows are going to be completely scripted... OK, maybe not. But they will be tighter with a main theme and some special features including 4Qs: four-questions for PR and social media luminaries; and '-30-', where Terry, Dave and I sound off on a topic of our choice for half a minute. (I promise I'm going to time my segment from now on.)

We're also planning to take the show on the road for more live recordings.

And you can follow us on Twitter @Inside_PR.

I hope you'll tune in, keep sending us your ideas (either as a comment or via Twitter) and continue to share your thoughts.

And thanks for listening.

-30-

Two-way street

2009-09-14T08:45:00.001-04:00

Not too long ago I got an email from a person I didn't know with the subject line: 'I was just on your blog'.

Well, naturally I was curious. I opened the note only to read how much the woman liked my blog (flattered) and, how she felt it was an ideal place to promote a giveaway for of a pair of Ugg boots. She even offered $100 if I could drive enough traffic to her site.

Well, thanks but no thanks. It was clear she hadn't read my blog or bothered to engage me other than by offering a vapid compliment that was easy to see through.

In other words, an irrelevant pitch. Something the PR industry has been accused (and guilty) of again and again.

And, it's true. As it's been said many, many times, we have to go beyond form letters and lists gleaned from databases and offer journalists something of value to them. We have to read what they write, understand their point of view and show them why our stories might be of interest to their readers.

However, there's a flip side to all of this. Sometimes, we do target the right journalists and bloggers, read their articles/posts (often look forward to them), feel we grasp what they're after and tailor what we think is a perfect story for them. Only to hear someone say: 'You don't have a clue about what I write about.'

This can also be a canned message. And possibly a knee-jerk response to all the bad pitches they've received.

So maybe all of us - journalists/bloggers and PR - need to step back and realize we're on a two-way street in the same community and try to have a little more respect - on both sides of the fence.

FDOC*

2009-09-13T21:02:00.016-04:00

*First day of class...

Many of you know that Saturday was my first day teaching a 14 session course on social media at McMaster University.

And while I've guest lectured many times, presented at conferences and meetings, done keynote addresses, I don't mind saying I had opening night (day?) jitters.

Walking into the class I felt much like I did as a student. Except my desk was facing the other direction. It put my own education in a slightly different perspective.

With a course on social media, one of the challenges I think we'll face is the 'body of knowledge' is very new and constantly evolving. On the positive side, I'm trying to reflect that in the course and cover/discuss emerging trends, issues/crises as they happen.

So even though there's a course outline and framework (and for anyone from the university who happens to read this, yes, we will cover it!), the dynamic and evolving nature of social media is going to play a big part.

One thing I did was create a Ning community for the class; everything's going to be on it including the outline, suggested reading, assignments, my notes, photos, videos, RSS feeds of the student blogs (each student is going to have one), discussions, events. The only thing that won't be there are the marks. I hope it becomes a virtual classroom that goes on beyond our formal hours with lots of conversation and shared ideas and information.

And even though I'm the instructor, I feel I'm going to come away from the experience having learned a lot, too.

A tour of my homes

2009-09-08T09:00:00.001-04:00

Where to begin: the Manse in Malibu? Pied-a-terre in Paris? Cottage in Collingwood? Bungalow in Buffalo?

Truth is I have one house and an office (both in Toronto). And, on most days that's where you'll find me.

But online is another story. Especially with the rise of social networks. Now, we all reside in many different locales. In fact, if you tally up the number of cyber homes we have, you'd think we've all become jet-setters, constantly flitting from one place to another.

Which is, in a way, what we do. And that makes it a lot more challenging for communicators to find us.

It wasn't too long ago when PR folks relied almost exclusively on MSM to reach people. And, of course traditional PR still works - though I think it may be less effective than it was five or 10 years ago. You don't feel the same awareness and excitement from a successful media relations program as you once did.

Because we now have both mass and mini media.

And which delivers stronger results? There isn't a definitive answer yet. But I think we can all feel a shift. Some of us see it moving faster than others. Some are resistant to change. But let's face it, things aren't the way they used to be. And that's good.

And, I think that if we want to truly engage and build a relationship with people, then it's up to us to find where they like to be and go there and not wait for them to search us out in the place where we want them to go.

That's a different way of looking at communications. We need to be more creative; to listen and participate; to be more open and visible but not be a pest. We need to try to become a meaningful part of their stories and not merely want them to consume ours.

And, if you are looking to find me, online, here's where I'll probably be:

Email - mwaxmanATpalettepr.com (my BB is never far away)
Twitter (thanks to UberTwitter, it's a close second)
My blog (here)
Google Reader
Linkedin
Delicious
Facebook (not that often - and it's mostly for old friends. Don't get me wrong, I like it, but...so many networks; so little time.)

I have lots of other accounts that I will flip to from time to time, much like the way I might use a remote to check out what's on TV. But, now you know how to reach me.

The question is: what's the best way for someone to reach you?

Back to school

2009-09-03T22:51:00.014-04:00

Every fall, I (and a ton of other folks) get nostalgic about returning to school. Of course, I never did, though there were times when I seriously considered it.

But now I am heading back to the hallowed halls of academe - as a sessional instructor at McMaster University's PR program. I'm teaching a class in Social Media for PR (you need to scroll down to see it).

As a first-time course, there's a lot to think about and prepare. My goal is to present a strategic framework that shows how to integrate social media and PR. There's going to be a significant hands-on component as students jump into the conversation and explore blogs, Twitter, podcasts, video other social networking tools.

I'm hoping to include some emerging trends and issues as they happen (hey, isn't it all emerging?). I'm also planning to invite some guest lecturers, both live and online.

From time to time, I'll be posting about what we're doing in the class, asking for your thoughts/suggestions and hopefully introducing some new voices.

It's starts on September 12 and runs through the fall (and - plug - there are still a couple of places left).

So after all these years, I get my wish. Now, I just have to figure out which coloured pencil set to buy...

See you in September...

2009-08-23T17:45:00.014-04:00

I suppose I'm a bit late writing this, since it's been about three weeks since my last post. But my alternating half-cation throughout August (away with a few meetings/back at work/away with a few meetings/back at work, etc.) has left me trying to catch my breath at the office and at home. It reminds me of my old friend, comic Lou Dinos', routine about a greasy spoon: I'm not sure if I should 'stay or go...'

And, while I have a number of half-started posts and, of course, a case of blogger's guilt - so much to say, so little time to rewrite - I'm heading out again tomorrow and I won't be back to the blog for at least another week.

That said, it's been fun experimenting with cut-up holidays. I feel both refreshed and exhausted (but almost completely in the loop). I'll probably keep it up but with more consecutive time away next year.

So, as they used to say in the teen movies, see you in September (sealed with a tweet)...

All play and no work...

2009-07-31T21:24:00.014-04:00

I was sitting in a Starbucks on a Friday morning (not something I often do). But this was the first day of my holidays, or really the pilot for the first day (today was filled with errands).

And I was thinking about my vacation and the fact that when we're away, we're supposed to switch off and recharge. That's a good thing. We get to take a break, watch, listen and learn, spend time with family and friends, chat with strangers and generally view things from a different vantage point.

And come back refreshed.

A lot of people say we should unplug completely. And that's fine if you want it. But I don't feel it's right for me.

In fact, vacation has its roots in the Latin word meaning 'freedom from something'.

So this year, I'm looking for freedom from... the recession; stress; people who are too hung up in the way things were to see that the world has changed; stuff that makes my blood boil; obligations I have to do (but don't necessarily want to).

But not freedom from things I like.

So I won't be on my laptop or BB eight hours a day putting out fires or answering emails.

But you will probably find me on Twitter. And I will be reading and occasionally commenting on blogs. I may even write a post or two (though the jury's still out on that one).

Maybe it's because social media blurs the lines between professional and personal; work and play; business and fun.

It's a holiday; when better to be social?

Giovnani Rodriguez... rising

2009-07-30T09:30:00.003-04:00

I first learned about social media, blogs, RSS, Wikis, streaming and podcasts from Giovanni Rodriguez, in a breakfast roundtable at Counselors Academy a few years back. And I left his session excited, energized and with my head swimming. I'd tasted the 'forbidden fruit' (content creation) and knew there was no turning back.

Over the years, I've gotten to know Giovanni, personally and professionally. He's a soft-spoken thinker, insightful and highly intelligent. And he's able to connect some very disparate concepts in a way that not only makes sense; he helps you see things in a new light.

That's why I'm so excited about Giovanni's newest blog, All Things That Rise. It's focusing on ideas that impact 'culture, commerce and consumers'. You will find informative links and ephemera combined with longer pieces. In many ways it reminds me of the kind of content I used to anticipate in certain general interest, literary magazines.

Here's how Giovanni describes it:

A broad inquiry into the physical, intellectual, and emotional limits of human beings at the dawn of “the age of intelligent machines.” I will look at how people, businesses, and governments are using a range of intelligence-enhancing technologies — from consumer gadgetry, to the full panoply of social technologies, to the new frontier of artificial intelligence and robotics — to rise above those limits. My hypothesis is that the socializing effects of these technologies is driving the evolution — evolution with a little “e” — of smarter, more competitive, and, ultimately, more ethical organizations and systems. But I will be looking at the negative effects as well — information overload, public safety, cultural divides, etc. Evolution is a complex affair, and it pays to look at winners and losers — and saints and sinners — all around. Hope you will join me on this little journey. I’m just getting started.

One post of special note is Giovanni's take on the evolution of a new kind of PR agent. I agree that we have to look at the new landscape and develop a more relevant and social model.

And while you're at it, have a look at Giovanni's other blog, The Hubbub and especially the in depth series he wrote on characters in marketing/ads.

Three things I've learned from the recession (so far)

2009-07-19T22:00:00.000-04:00

I am just plain tired of the recession. (I know, who isn't?)

But I'm not simply talking about the state of the economy. I'm sick of the negative attitudes and the fact that good news has come to mean news that's not as horrible as anticipated.

Now, I don't say we should run headlong into the lend-to-spend world that got us into this mess. But do I feel it's time for us to instill a renewed confidence in ourselves, our businesses and the economy.

I'm going to start by listing three things I've learned from this adventure and how they changed my view of the world:

You get very different advice in good times and bad. Basically you go from from spend, spend, spend to cut, cut, cut. Pendulum thinking, really. Personally, I think we should fall somewhere in between and adopt a philosophy of 'risk and sensibility'.
There are no guarantees. Contracts may disappear. Clients may cut back at a moment's notice. Someone who calls you in for a new business opportunity one day could be laid off before the meeting ever occurs (this actually happened). What that means for business and individuals is that we need to honestly assess every situation and be prepared to turn on a dime. If you're an entrepreneur, it's a bit like being in perennial start-up mode, familiar, fun, yet occasionally a bit exhausting.
Don't wear rose coloured glasses, but don't lose hope either. This isn't easy when you're exposed to dire news at every turn. But that's a time to step back and put things in perspective; be thankful for what you do have and appreciate the truly important things in your life. And try to be cautiously optimistic amid the turmoil. At the risk of sounding schmaltzy, I'd like to invoke Jerry Lewis and his telethon finale: 'When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high...'

Oh, and for PR people there's a fourth thing too. The recession has accelerated a change in the communications industry. And while no one knows exactly where we're heading, there's no denying we aren't going back. Social media is part of our landscape. And it's going to continue to grow in importance for our practice and profession. Whether we become leaders or followers is entirely up to us.

What have you learned?

Self-promo: one on one...

2009-07-14T18:17:00.008-04:00

Dave Forde, publisher of PR in Canada, recently launched a series of interviews with PR/social media folks across the country called: 'One on One'.

My take on the industry is featured today.

I'd be very interested in hearing your thoughts.

(Thanks Dave.)

Who's your filter?

2009-07-13T11:55:00.005-04:00

It wasn't that long ago when MSM was our main filter (and source) for news. And it was usually quite reliable. Sure something outrageous might slip through and cause a stir, but generally what you read in the paper was considered to be accurate.

Then along came blogs, the rise of citizen journalists and Twitter. Now, credibility is pretty much in the eye of the beholder.

And as the old Johnny Carson show used to ask, 'Who Do You Trust?'

I thought about this again after reading an article in the NY Times that noted how the deaths of Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson spawned a spate of false celebrity deaths including Jeff Goldblum, Harrison Ford, George Clooney and Miley Cyrus. All were quickly denied. But only after the word had spread on Twitter.

It sounds like the rumours emanated from the same source, a somewhat macabre website, where people can plug in a celebrity's name and various details and the site will generate an article speculating about their death.

Now I do like practical jokes and humorous hoaxes (and, full disclosure, have been involved in a few myself). However, in a world where silliness can instantly morph into news, I think it's up to all of us to establish our own system to filter truth from idle gossip.

It's easy to do. When something juicy comes across our stream (of consciousness), instead of simply hitting RT (or posting it on Facebook or another social site), take a moment to research the veracity of the item.

As communicators, we should know how importance it is to dig deeper, analyse and verify; and not simply believe/repeat everything we read, see or hear.

In other words, look both ways before we tweet.

Is follow the opposite of lead?

2009-07-09T11:56:00.002-04:00

I don't think so. Actually, it seems that Twitter may have a better handle on this notion. You follow / are followed back. There are no sections on the microblog about leading (thought leadership aside, of course).

Too often we equate strong leaders with how many so-called disciples they have. People who are willing to blindly jump off (or blow up) a bridge. Now while that might work in banana republics and assorted dictatorships, it doesn't seem like a smart model for business or the arts, where you'd hope the emphasis would be on looking for new ideas and insights; reflection that sparks imagination and provokes debate.

I got to thinking about this when I read what I'd call a truly inspirational blog post by Randy Hall on 'Self leadership'. In it, he contends that great leaders must first learn how lead themselves. And by that that he means going outside your comfort zone, not being afraid to dream big, try something new, fail and then try again; keep learning, have passion and truly believe in the vision you are trying to achieve.

I couldn't agree more. And, from a PR agency perspective, now seems like a great time for us to 'follow'-OK embrace-these principles so we can provide real leadership and guidance to our clients, encourage them to get beyond the tried and true practices and see the communications light at the end of a social tunnel.

And while we're on the subject, you may want to check out this post on 'How to be an effective CEO'.

Special thanks to my friend and agency-owner Gini Dietrich for being a such a superb RSS feed and pointing to so much relevant and worthwhile content.

CPRS 2009 national conference - Twitter notes

2009-07-02T14:38:00.025-04:00

If you're following me on Twitter, you've probably noticed my recent propensity to live-tweet at events. I've tried to take my cue from Joe Thornley, who sets the bar high. And while I do like being an ersatz 'reporter', I know there's a trade off between filing stories in 140 and full concentration. (I'm sure some psychologist will conduct a study to measure it.)

Here are some of my Twitter highlights from the CPRS national conference in Vancouver (or search the hashtag #CPRS2009):
@thornley Old PR is dying, our eyeballs are moving over to social media; the world is changing, media is evolving

@briansolis Press release just over 100 yrs old; journalists and bloggers have yet to get as excited about it as PR folks

@briansolis Reason why PR is in a state of crisis - we act like publicists, not evangelists

@dbarefoot: Social media sin 3: foist not thine spam upon yon rabble

@julieszabo: Social media sin 6 abandon not thy blog (try not to lose steam-that is easier said than done)

@terryflynn: 74 pct of Canadians felt Maple Leaf CEO had credibility during crisis; higher than Obama had on inauguration day

@maggiefox: In Social Media it's important to focus on relentless innovation; the internet never sleeps

And finally...
@martin waxman: How much to we miss by live tweeting? I like doing it, but have to admit some trains of thought do leave the station without me. Just asking

Special thanks to the On The Edge organizers and to the student bloggers, @LesleyChang, @apparently_so, @mikedefault, @ashletts, and @stephleung who really added a lot of content and energy as they chronicled the event.

Should a business have a website?

2009-07-01T12:33:00.015-04:00

It's hard to believe that question was seriously debated by companies not that long ago (OK, in the '90s). There was this newfangled worldwide web thingy and many organizations were just not convinced it was going to last.

I actually worked at a PR agency at the time where the senior partners felt it was too forward for a communications firm to have a website; they didn't want to give away 'proprietary' information like the fact we did media and investor relations.

No kidding!

I even wrote a site for the agency (on my dime) and bartered my hours by doing pro bono work for a design firm who brought it to life. And even when I showed the principals the finished product, it was still shot down (post Y2K, no less). Bitter? Not anymore. But I don't mind saying the lack of a website put us out of the running for a number of great accounts.

So why do I bring this up? Well, my very good friend, Gini Dietrich, wrote a post yesterday where she convincingly disputes a Newsweek story that contends there's no value in social network if you're a CEO.

And it took me back to the fearful, wrong-headed, backward-thinking, anti-internet agency I once worked at - and (thankfully) left.

Granted, change is difficult for many individuals and organizations. But ignoring an emerging trend is worse. Especially when that new technology can help you build and strengthen relationships.

Yes, it's important to be strategic, think critically, make smart choices, not fall for all the pretty, shiny things. But wouldn't we, as business leaders, want to embrace meaningful ways of engaging with our customers and actually having an honest and open dialogue with them?

I think CEOs are missing out on many potential opportunities if they're not listening, understanding and participating in social communities of relevance to their businesses and them.

Who knows what we might learn?

A tale of two conferences: Counselors Academy and CPRS

2009-06-21T20:54:00.014-04:00

I don't usually attend two conferences in two weeks - much less two PR conferences. However, that's what happened early in June when I twice ventured west: first for Counselors Academy in Palm Springs and then for the Canadian Public Relations Society in Vancouver.

And I thought it's worth noting some of the similarities and differences.

Both conferences focused on social media and its application to PR; both had knowledgeable presenters and tier one keynote speakers (including Robert Stephens, Steve McKee, Brian Solis and David Suzuki - to name a few); and both had PR students live-blogging/tweeting about the events.

I personally thought having the students actively involved added a fresh energy to the events.

However, and I don't know if this is a U.S./Canada or an agency/client thing, but the general knowledge of and enthusiasm for social media seemed less prevalent at the CPRS event. Certainly there was interest, but not the same kind of passion I witnessed from agency heads (mostly from the U.S.). Or maybe Canadians are just a bit more resistant to change.

Now, there's no doubt Counselors is all about the agency business and, if you're an agency principal, there's nothing that compares to it. And, as counselors, it's incumbent on us to be up to be on top of trends in order to offer more intelligent counsel to our clients.

I don't have the answer to this.
I did notice that there was a lot less live tweeting at the CPRS conference; a few people were active.

But maybe it's the small number of agencies represented (from out East, I mean). And that could be due to the economy, but I think it's a shame that there isn't a bigger agency president at CPRS national and Toronto.

Which begs the question: why aren't Canadian agencies more actively engaged in CPRS? I asked my friend Scott Farrell, president of PRSA Chicago and he said they were trying to get more clients to participate; they had lots of active agency members.

And, as the president of CPRS Toronto, I throw this question out to PR folks. What would it take to make agency people want to get more involved?

The community, the people: Counselors Academy 2009

2009-06-14T15:56:00.022-04:00

I recently returned from Counselors Academy’s annual conference for agency leaders, my PR highlight of the year. I always come back from these gatherings with new friends/colleagues, fresh ideas I want to try and a renewed energy for the profession.

I first learned about social media and its PR potential from Giovanni Rodriguez at CA2005 and decided right then and there to start a blog (though it took nearly two years of research and listening before jumping in).

This year in addition to insightful and entertaining sessions, attendees contributed a rich and active twitter stream that offered a fresh dimension to the conference; check out #CA2009.

It wasn’t unusual for a table to have three or four people listening, tweeting and commenting on their colleagues’ tweets. My very good friends Gini Dietrich and Scott Farrell were my regular twitners (twitter partners), with special nods to my traveling buddy Joe Thornley and Abbie Fink. In fact, Gini Dietrich highlights a number of Counselors Academy thinker-tweeters here.

Here are a few of my most memorable highlights (via Twitter notes-better than Coles notes by far):

Tom Gable: There are three rules for succeeding in a recession. Unfortunately no one knows what they are.

Shanny Morgenstern: It’s not billable hours that matter, it’s the hours billed. (There’s a subtle distinction there, but an important one.)

Monty Hagler: 5 Rs drive new business: relationships, referrals, reputation, radar screen, RfP

Jason Baer: Listen on behalf of your clients; make sure you have a social media crisis plan in place and respond at the flashpoint (where it started).

Steve McKee (author of When Growth Stalls): Factors that contribute to a stalled business include: lack of consensus, loss of focus, loss of nerve, inconsistency.

Steve McKee: A business is more likely to be successful if it pursues a commitment to excellence.

Robert Stephens (founder of Geek Squad and the ultimate nerd): Think of your company as the plot of a great movie.

Robert Stephens: Hire for curiosity, ethics and drive.

I think the key to Counselors is that it’s a true community in every sense of the word – PR agency leaders, entrepreneurs, people with a common interest and goal. We come together in the spirit of meeting, learning, sharing and friendship. And it’s both inspiring and humbling to be around so many smart folks in one place.

In retail it’s location, location, location. At Counselors, while no one could complain about the location (a lovely resort in Palm Springs), it’s really people, people, people.

The next meeting is in May 2010 in Ashville, North Carolina. Hope to see you there.

P.S. You can also listen to episode 166 of Inside PR for some CA mini interviews.

Coming soon...

2009-06-13T23:30:00.009-04:00

It's been a while since I posted. And those of you who follow me on Twitter probably know I've been traveling, meeting and tweeting - and trying to keep up with emails.

But I will be back shortly with a number of posts, including updates on Counselors Academy and CPRS conferences, three things I've learned from the recession (so far) and some ideas on the new PR.

Stay tuned.

A few words from the new CPRS Toronto president

2009-05-30T11:10:00.009-04:00

As many of you know, I recently became president of CPRS Toronto. This was not the result of any astute political campaigning or soon-to-be-broken promises, but part of the regular succession process (I was first VP).

I'm excited to be taking the reins of the organization - one that I believe in - at a time when I think we're at a crossroads in profession (both economically and in its practice). I feel there's a strong opportunity for CPRS Toronto to really become a leader in combining social media with traditional PR, something I talk about in my first prez's message.

But it's not up to me alone and I look forward to hearing from members with their thoughts and ideas about how to achieve this.

I also wanted to let you know that from time to time, I will be highlighting CPRS Toronto events and programs (not that I haven't in the past).

And I would like to thank past president Lawrence Stevenson for his vision, passion and commitment to the organization. Big shoes to fill, Lawrence (and I don't mean that literally).

When time is not of the essence

2009-05-18T16:06:00.006-04:00

Maybe it's the slower pace of Victoria Day (a holiday Monday in Canada). But I've been thinking about timeliness and how we seem to attach a sense of urgency to many things that may not require immediate attention. (That's to say some attention is necessary, we just don't have to jump.)

Certainly in communications and client service, we need to be responsive. And with social media's ability to spread like wildfire (combined with some folks' lack of judgement), it seems like there's a mini online issue that must be dealt with every other day.

That's the new reality. And we accept it.

However, I was catching up on some blog reading this weekend and tweeted about two posts I found to be smart, insightful and well written: Joel Postman's thoughts on attribution and Gini Dietrich's take on being a CEO-entrepreneur.

Both were 'in the archives', so to speak, in that they had been published in late April/early May. And I noticed I started my tweets - 'catching up' - as if I felt I had to explain my sharing delay. But does that lessen the value of the content? Of course not.

It got me thinking that in our world of Twitter-immediacy, we need to make sure we're not solely focused on timing at the expense of ideas.

Sure, we've always paid attention to things that rise to the top (i.e. news). But, there's a lot of important and useful information that happens to have been written yesterday, last week, last month, last year... etc.

And that content deserves your attention when you happen on it; when it's most relevant to you.

A letter to Philip Roth

2009-05-14T15:22:00.004-04:00

Dear Philip Roth,

You don't know me (nor I you). But I am one of your legions of readers; and have been for many years. I think it's safe to say that your fiction has helped shape and deepen my understanding of the human condition.

I recently finished reading Indignation, your latest novel, and I just wanted to thank you. For being so eloquent and witty, for posing the essential (existential?) questions, for screaming our insecurities into the night and for showing us how a small community can be a microcosm for the rest of the world.

Your book tells the story of a smart young man from Newark who comes of age in the 1950s. He ventures from his cloistered Jewish-centric hometown to college in the blandly-dangerous Midwest because he desires to escape his family's narrow beliefs; he wants to be worldly and craves mainstream acceptance. Yet despite his best attempts to be himself, to excel academically, circumstances cause him to make choices that lead to an unfortunate path.

There are few artistic events I look forward to more than one of your books. You never fail to challenge my curiosity, spark an intellectual debate, entertain and make me laugh (and cry) at life's unavoidable triumphs, mistakes and yes, indignities.

When a retweet misleads

2009-05-12T14:01:00.011-04:00

If you're a Torontonian and on Twitter, you would know that Mayor David Miller is an active participant; posting comments, photos of events and his general take on life in the city. I heard him speak about his interest in social media at Mesh conference and was impressed by his passion and candour.

You may also know that the Tamil community in Toronto has been staging protests lately to draw attention to the situation in their home country. This weekend a march shut down the Don Valley Parkway.

What do these two situations have in common?

Well, on Sunday it appeared as though the Mayor wrote a politically sensitive tweet that was later retweeted.

In reality the Mayor never posted the tweet-in-question. What happened, according to TV Ontario's The Agenda blog, was that an individual sent an '@' message to the Mayor. Another person retweeted it, leaving out the original sender's name but leaving in the impression that the Mayor had, in fact, commented. The full story is unfortunate on a number of ethical levels.

For PR people, this is yet another example of a situation we need to be aware of and monitor. And as communicators we need to make sure we don't rely on the results of a single search, but dig deeply enough to piece together a full story before we offer clients our counsel.

Thanks to my friend Keith McDonald for sharing the TVO blog post with me.

The 10 stages of Twitter adoption

2009-05-09T17:00:00.000-04:00

For anyone who wants to search Twitter in this blog, you can look back, look waaaaay back to my early reactions of bafflement and mild hostility to curiosity, acceptance and pretty much full-out Twitterholism.

And I think the stages I went through are similar to those many people experience as they attempt to grapple with, understand and appreciate the medium.

Here's an encapsulation of my journey:
1. What the *#!*&@ is this? I don't see the point.
2. This is just plain silly and a complete waste of time.
3. I don't understand why some people I know and really respect are on it.
4. OK, I'll admit, I'm a little scared to try it.
5. I signed up but only to see what it's like, in case clients ask. (But I still think it's dumb.)
6. I just tweeted (and said the word tweet). Nothing memorable or anything, but at least I tried it.
7. You know, I've found some really smart people to follow and one of them posted a really cool link.
8. Someone sent me an @ message/re-tweeted me/sent a DM.
9. I think I may have found my Twitter voice.
10. I am on this way to much - but it's am following some amazing people.

Anything to add?

Compromise

2009-05-08T08:00:00.001-04:00

That's something everyone in client service innately understands (or they should be in another business). As a PR professional, we provide our best counsel and then step back to listen and adapt.

However, add a 'd' to the word and it becomes compromised. One letter can mean the difference between a consensus and a failure.

I mention this because I got a call from the bank yesterday informing me that my debit card had been 'compromised'. I thought that was a good way to explain the systematic withdrawal of funds from my bank account. (Don't worry, I've been told they're coming back.)

However, it also made me think about what I would have said if the situation occurred at home (I was robbed) or on the street (I got mugged).

Even though the outcome (barring physical harm) was the same, the words we choose to describe it tell a very different story.

Thank you

2009-05-07T08:00:00.007-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had the honour of receiving the CPRS Toronto Mentor of the Year award.

That meant a great deal to me. I have always believed that senior practitioners should share their knowledge, experience and networks with young people entering the profession.

There are many ways to do this including information interviews, lending your time to speak at PR programs (or grading resumes...), or signing up for the CPRS Mentorship program which pairs mentors and proteges. (I hate that word, but you can't say 'mentee').

As I said that evening, I've been extremely fortunate to have met and had the opportunity to get to know some really smart and talented people including Kristen Marano, Parker Mason and Erick Bauer. And I truly feel I've learned as much or more from them than they've learned from me.

So... before I need a tissue, I'll just close with a heartfelt thanks.

Time flies and other cliches

2009-05-06T21:06:00.016-04:00

It certainly does zip by. Which is my way of saying that it's been far too long since my last post. But absence doesn't always make the heart grow fonder. Sometimes, it becomes a self-fulfilling habit that's not so easy to break.

Anyway, I am back now. And don't worry, you won't hear a litany of excuses.

Just a couple.

1. It's been... let's say a bit of a roller coaster at the office (and I'm more of a bumper car guy myself).

And 2... I've been working days and nights. Ahh, entertainment PR. We just finished another hilarious Yuk Yuk's Laugh Off, a contest where all the comics pull their punches - er punchlines in an attempt to win the $25,000 grand prize. (Second prize? Mac and cheese.) Halifax sketch comic, Mark Little, won with an act that could best be described as wit in geek's clothing.

This year, in addition to traditional media relations, we added a social media newsroom, Twitter feed and YouTube channel. So that meant we were not only spectators, we were reporting live from the joke-stained trenches. It was a lot of fun. And comedy, with its bite-sized, sharable content seems to be a natural social media fit.

Have a look and let me know what you think.

A definition of social media

2009-04-14T17:01:00.003-04:00

Today, as part of a panel discussion, I was asked to define social media. Here's what I came up with (it may be a bit formal):

Social media is a democratic, transparent and conversational way for people and organizations to interact and build relationships and communities of mutual benefit - usually online.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts and suggestions.

New survey reveals who's getting social

2009-04-12T13:22:00.012-04:00

In their new Social Media Reality Check, Canada Newswire and Leger Marketing teamed up to conduct Canadian social media research on various topics such as usage, trends and practices.

While the full results will be made public in a webinar on April 29 (SMRC link above), they released key findings at mesh 2009, including:

61 per cent of consumers use social media when researching purchases
42 per cent of the 45+ crowd on social media are likely to do online research for purchases
Facebook is the most popular social media tool in Canada (77 per cent of respondents); followed by YouTube (65 per cent) and MySpace (20 per cent)
63 per cent of consumers get some of their news and information from social media sites
62 percent of PR practitioners 'use social media at least once a day' - (hopefully, some of that is being conducted for work)
70 per cent of PR practitioners 'do not have a tool to monitor social media'

A couple of things jumped out at me.

I'm not surprised an increasing number of boomers are turning to social media (i.e. it's not just for kids). However, that says brands targeting an older demographic shouldn't ignore social media because they believe their audience isn't participating (nor should they switch to ALL online tactics, either). It does say we should consider social media as part of an overall communications strategy designed to reach boomers.

From a PR perspective, I'm surprised that 70 per cent of practitioners feel they don't have a tool to monitor social media. Right now there are a number of really good options available including Google, Technorati, Postrank, Radian6 and Twitter search, to name just a few. Sure, there's no ONE source we can turn to - but is there for MSM monitoring? I think it's incumbent on the profession to invest in finding out the best combination for a client's or organization's needs.

The good news is the results reinforce what many of us already know: social media is becoming more important to consumers and, as a corollary to the PR profession.

However, rather than blindly jumping on the bandwagon and simply adding it to our communications toolbox, we need to continue to educate ourselves, spend time testing, learning and evaluating, sharing case studies and best practices, and being transparent and ethical in all our programs.

In doing this, I hope and believe the PR profession can continue to establish ourselves as social media thought, strategy and practice leaders.

My mesh...

2009-04-11T17:22:00.003-04:00

I've had a chance to reflect on mesh 2009 and a few things struck me:

The keynotes really stood out, especially the one by Toronto's Mayor David Miller. He was funny, articulate, self-effacing and honest. He responded to questions quickly and credibly; spoke in plain English. He was not your typical politician by any means. That was refreshing. And while he can never please everyone, he seems open to a dialogue and new ideas (demonstrated in part by his presence on Twitter ). It appears as if he has a long term technology-based vision for Toronto; imagining the city as a creative and business hub; one that offers residents easy access to useful information/data and a viable feedback mechanism with which to engage the city. I wish him luck. Also, whoever is responsible for his PowerPoint's does a great job with graphics.

Mike Masnick, with his concrete poetry approach to slides and 'button-down' case studies, comes a close second (you can download his presentation and see for yourself).

I didn't get as much out of the panels this time around. Yes, some of them had lively discussions, but for those of us who are actively involved in social media, many seemed a bit too tactically focused. Especially since we're finding out about and sharing the latest trends, apps, etc. on Twitter or other web 2.0 platforms. I'd like to see more MSM and well-informed critics involved in the panels as a way of sparking some fresh thinking.

Social media, like its name says, is all about people - and the ones I met and had an opportunity to talk with were intelligent, passionate and open. I had too many great conversations to note them all here, but I want to call-out Bryan Person, who I enjoyed meeting in person. Have a listen to Bryan's post-mesh podcast for a Canadian perspective (and thanks for including me).

And thank you to the mesh organizers for putting it all together again.

The RfP speed-date

2009-04-04T17:00:00.002-04:00

If you work in PR or communications (or any agency, for that matter), you've probably done lots of RfPs. In the current economy, it seems like there are more of these every day.

Now, I'm happy to jump through all the hoops necessary to win a good piece of business, especially if it's a brand I admire.

However, think how much time we spend creating standout strategies and creative ideas that never see the light of day. Because when you get right down to it, there's a lot of agency talent out there and the final decision is usually based on chemistry or fit.

And that's OK. It's a big part of what relationships are all about.

Which is why I'd like to propose a new 10-step agency selection model:

The PR RfP speed-date

Here's how it works:
Step 1: Client does online research to determine which agencies look the most promising.

Step 2: Client rents a neutral venue, buys a bell, selects a date and invites said agencies (no more than six) to an hour-long event. Client provides agency with a one-pager on the organization listing business challenge, goals, objectives, culture and budget.

Step 3: Agencies arrive and the venue and are each seated at a table. Client welcomes everyone and makes introductions (we probably all know each other anyway).

Step 4: Client then moves to table one, spending up to 10 minutes meeting with agency, asking questions, listening to agency's response.

Step 5: Bell rings. Client moves to next agency.

Step 6: Repeat step 5 until process is over.

Step 7: At the end of the hour, agencies leave and client selects the top two.

Step 8: Based on what my friend Julie Rusciolelli suggests with potential new hires, client invites two agencies out to dinner (separate nights) to get to know them better and talk strategy and ideas. No presentations, everything off the cuff.

Step 9: Client makes selection and informs both agencies.

Step 10: Client and agency begin working together - (i.e. formal engagement).

Done right, the entire process should take no more than two weeks, and, while I can't offer guarantees, my gut tells me everyone will be happy with the results. (And, if not, it's easy to start over or to try number two.)

OK, for those who don't know my sense of humour, yes, I'm joking (but only half). It makes you wonder if there isn't a better process for clients and agencies to successfully pair up.

And if any clients want to try an experiment, Palette is in. Meanwhile, bring on the next RfP.

What do you think?

Is social media turning mainstream?

2009-03-31T08:00:00.012-04:00

When I was at PodCamp Toronto 2009, a thought occurred to me amid the lively, p2p discussions: social media feels like it's nearing the end of its indie phase.

By that I mean it's being embraced (or at least considered) by a lot of folks who wouldn't call themselves early adopters. We're certainly reading about it in MSM. And clients are asking how it works.

And that's not a bad thing. It's a rite of passage for most independent movements that really catch fire (think music, movies, writing...).

Companies are beginning to see that more and more of their customers are engaged in social media and realize it's a good place for them to be too. They're starting to accept the notion that they need to be more open, transparent and conversational.

Lately, I've been giving interactive social media 101 sessions every week - to demystify web 2.0; demonstrate that the tools are tactics - not strategies; and try to get people thinking about how they can create online programs that work for their company and culture and help them achieve their business goals.

A year ago people were mildly curious. But maybe the recession has caused organizations to look at their marketing communications from a different angle (i.e. a new bottom line). It feels like the economy and social media have intersected on a supply and demand graph and we're about to see a steep trend upwards. (And no doubt we will see some tremendous missteps, but hopefully people will experiment, learn and adapt.)

What we may lose is some of the independent spirit that's part of the beginning of every movement. What we will gain is a wider audience that will come to see companies and brands in a new light. Hopefully, businesses will find a new way to relate to their customers and turn a profit, too.

And perhaps I'm being too optimistic, but I wonder if this could become a catalyst for a fresh way of thinking that will help us climb out of our economic mess.

Writing in Twitterese - a blog post in 17 tweets

2009-03-29T10:00:00.000-04:00

I'm trying an experiment: writing a blog post composed of 140 character paragraphs (or less) to see if Twitter supports longer-form thoughts.

I'm checking each paragraph in Twitter - to make sure it doesn't exceed the limit. And, I'm trying to adhere to CP style too. Here goes:

Lately, there's been much ado about Twitter in mainstream media. It feels like you can't open a newspaper without reading about it.

This week alone, the Globe and Mail had stories by Sarah Hampson, Margaret Wente and Ian Brown.

So what does it mean? I think it shows that yet another social media platform has hit a tipping point and is gaining wider acceptance.

In all cases, the journalists seemed both intrigued and reluctant. And they questioned Twitter's usefulness for real human interactions.

As one of the formerly reluctant, I can empathize. It took me months to begin to understand why it's such a powerful communications tool.

I think my biggest obstacle was the randomness and messy nature of the medium. It really is an endless stream of consciousness.

Think party line with a few too many conversations going on at once. Noisy? Absolutely. Trivial? Sure. But there's an amazing energy too.

I like Twitter a lot. For me, it's the people I'm following, the shared ideas, immediacy- personal and professional 'news' in real time.

Perhaps it's about our innate desire to connect with others. Its instantaneous nature is a relationship spark.

But it can be a diversion as you immerse yourself in the never ending flow; the 'bursts of being'. And forget how fast time rushes on...

And that's the trade off. The choice each individual needs to make. How much time on Twitter (if any) is too much?

I'm still figuring that one out. Stay tuned.

Note: That was harder than I thought. I felt constrained by the format and the act of looking for smaller words that would fit the space.

My writing seemed staccato. Maybe because this is a monologue and Twitter needs a response to bring it to life.

Conclusion: it's not easy to write a full blog post in Twitterese. The one-sidedness of the voice lacks one of Twitter's essentials: flow.

Clearing the Air (Canada)

2009-03-18T08:48:00.000-04:00

Last summer, I posted about my first experience with the new Air Canada electronic boarding pass (eBP) that was sent directly to my BB. At the time, it wasn't that well recognized by airport security and was difficult to scan. I reverted to printing it the old fashioned way.

So I was a little taken aback when, two weeks ago, I got a message from Darcy Noonan, who works for AC as a 'customer service platform manager, ecommerce'. He said he'd read my blog and, though it was published in the summer, wanted to talk about my concerns. He followed up with an email, too.

When we connected, he was pleasant, well-informed and listened to what I had to say. He told me the airline was trying to educate the front lines on the new processes but it was more difficult than they'd planned. They were, however, committed to making it work and rolling it out across the country. He also mentioned that if I had any other issues, he hoped I would contact him.

I hung up the phone feeling pleasantly surprised. Here was Air Canada, not generally known for its stellar service and yet I'd just had an experience that made me think positively about the company.

From a social media perspective, I think the fact that they're trying to listen to and engage customers is a good beginning.

However, IMHO I think they might want to add additional functionality to their regular online experience, here. I may be lucky enough to have a direct number, but it's difficult to get through on the toll free lines. Perhaps AC could include a two-way platform so customers could reach them in real time (especially important mid-travel). An active eBP Twitter stream would be helpful too. That's my two cents.

Still, this take-off seems to be heading in the right direction.

Thanks for following up, Darcy. I wanted to let you know that I going to give the eBP another chance.

SocialCorp - the company 'social'

2009-03-15T09:12:00.017-04:00

Nearly every day, I'm asked about social media and how businesses can jump into the fray. Lately, I've been referring people who want to learn more to SocialCorp - Social Media Goes Corporate, a great new book by Joel Postman.

Joel is a former corporate speechwriter, PR practitioner and consultant who recently joined Intridea. I first met Joel when he led a session on social media for Counselors Academy and found him to be knowledgeable, witty and somewhat skeptical; an early adopter with a balanced view.

All of this comes through in his book, which is clearly written and, unlike the blogosphere, well organized and thought out.

Joel begins by offering his definition of a 'SocialCorp' and then goes on to discuss what it takes to become one. In chapters filled with case studies and examples, he provides a strategic overview of the tools, talks about the impact on brands and audiences and offers a perspective on ethics (they haven't changed) and measurement (it has).

He believes it's most important for organizations to articulate their business goals and then develop a communications plan that incorporates the relevant web 2.0 tools that will help to achieve them.

Two highlights: a social media readiness quiz that quickly gives you a snapshot of where you/your organization stand (you can try it online here) and a useful glossary.

I'd highly recommend this book for anyone looking to gain a better understanding of the business of being 'social'.

Good counsel: Counselors Academy 2009

2009-03-14T20:12:00.016-04:00

When I started Palette five years ago, I asked Pat McNamara, president and founder of Apex PR, for some advice. And she suggested that I should join an organization called Counselors Academy, which comprised agency owners and principals and had a not-to-be-missed conference every spring.

I wasn't able to make it that first year, but I've been faithfully attending ever since and I have to say it's one of the best things I've done in PR.

The conference is about all things agency with sessions on strategies for running and growing your business, finding and motivating your team, becoming more profitable, successful networking, emerging industry trends...

The people are smart, dynamic and open. You get into some amazing conversations that continue over dinner and drinks, long after the meetings are done. And because we're all running agencies of various shapes and sizes, there's a real common ground and it's easy to make business connections, and more importantly, good friends.

There are superb keynote speakers like psychologist Dr. Robert Cialdini or Robert Scoble. I first learned about social media at CA from Giovanni Rodriguez, who piqued my interest in the blogosphere and started my head swimming.

Whenever I leave a spring conference, I'm filled with fresh ideas, energized by the people and excited about our industry. It's the highlight of my year.

This year's timely theme is 'Your Business Matters' and, in this or any economy, it's well worth the investment. Here's where you can go for more information or to register.

Hope to see you there.

Rupert Pupkin lives - but not necessarily on Skittles

2009-03-04T07:35:00.010-05:00

Last week, I re-watched Martin Scorcese's piercingly funny, King of Comedy, where two psychotically-obsessed fans (Robert De Niro and Sandra Bernhard) kidnap a popular late night talk show host (Jerry Lewis). The reason? For Bernhard it's love. For De Niro (aka Rupert Pupkin), it's because he wants to appear on the show and become famous.

Pupkin has a modicum talent and spends his days practising in the faux talk show set he built in his basement. He's not interested in pursuing the paying-your-dues route; playing clubs, honing his act. He wants a quick hit. And (scene spoiler...) when he gets on the show with a passable, if corny act, the tabloids and MSM splash him and his (mis)deed on their covers and he succeeds.

The recent Skittles foray into social media reminded me of the film.

Why? Because both were gutsy moves. Audacious, high concept publicity stunts (or so it seems). I'm not sure what Skittles objectives were when the company turned its home page into a Twitter search, complete with racist slurs and salty language - hey, isn't candy supposed to be sweet? I'm also not sure why they removed anything on the site that might be remotely fun for kids (who presumably are eating the stuff).

From my perspective, rather than embrace social media (i.e. a two-way dialogue), the company used it to create buzz. However, as the comments - good and bad - were pouring in, did the company say anything? Were they part of the conversation or idle bystanders?

And did the brand increase its equity by actually engaging its customer; reach their target audience; sell more product? I'm not sure they did.

This is by no means scientific, but yesterday afternoon I went to two stores and asked if their Skittles were selling better today. Both looked at me like I needed my head examined.

Now, if this program was conducted by a beer or a condom company trying a new way to reach its customers through an edgy conversation, I think it would have moved the needle.

However, I feel it's important for every brand, business and individual to understand who they are.

As of yesterday, Skittles removed the Twitter feed from its homepage. I guess we'll have to watch to see where they take it from here.

The moral of the story: P. T. Barnum (or Rupert Pupkin) lives.

BTW, if you want three more perspectives try: Ian Capstick, Collin Douma and Louise Armstrong.

Facebook listens

2009-02-18T20:59:00.007-05:00

After the brouhaha that erupted over the change in Facebook's terms of reference (TOS), founder Mark Zuckerberg has reverted to the old terms for the time being while the organization works to develop its new TOS.

And this time, they created a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities group, with five clear principles (including an apology for any misunderstanding). They are encouraging users to provide their ideas and feedback as they set out to develop a new version.

As a communications advisor, I'd say they did all the right things quickly and effectively to help restore people's confidence and their credibility.

They:
- Listened
- Accepted responsibility
- Reached out to their users
- Communicated their principles and commitment
- Apologized

And I applaud them for that.

Something newer

2009-02-17T16:51:00.011-05:00

Earlier in the month, I wrote about a job seeker who sent me a snail mail resume and cover letter addressed: 'Dear Sir/Madam'. Thanks again for all your thoughts.

Today, we received another note I wanted to flag (again for the wrong reasons).

It was addressed to the principals of three separate agencies, but all were listed in the 'To' line of one email.

Now, I'm sure a 'multiple submission' wasn't her intention, but it reminded me of the Hollywood agent's trick to spur a bidding war.

My business partner, Louise, sent her a polite and pleasant note thanking her for her interest and suggesting that, in future, she may want to reconsider the group application approach.

Everything that's mine is Facebook's

2009-02-16T16:48:00.014-05:00

Facebook has altered its terms of service and the wording indicates that it will now own all of the content people post - in perpetuity. The change has generated a lot of disgruntled comments on Twitter and in the blogosphere here and here. And it's easy to understand why.

I'm not a big Facebook user but I think that signing away all rights to your 'friends', photos, ideas, thoughts and intellectual property is probably not a smart idea. That said, I won't be cancelling my account anytime soon and I'm sure many people will feel the same.

After all, Facebook is a wonderful platform to connect with people, chat with them, share moments of your life.

Mark Zuckerberg defends his position on the Facebook blog. Trust us, he says. We're good people. And I have no reason to believe otherwise, except for the fact that as a CEO he needs to protect his company's rights.

But, as individuals, we have our rights to think about, too.

I wonder about the ramifications for businesses and organizations with FB groups which have their own sets of copyright and intellectual property rules (not to mention lawyers) to contend with. That should make for a good long legal debate.

I can't begin to speculate on the answer.

But it seems to me there's a difference between sharing and a giveaway. And, however, mundane, I don't want my life's minutiae assigned to someone else (that sounds a bit like an Albert Brooks comedy plot).

To me, this IP grab is like visiting a store and having the retailer ask you to hand over all your personal belongings when you leave.

It will be interesting to watch how Facebook deals with the fallout, what the outcome will be and how it will affect all of us in the long run.

New Toronto in Old City Hall

2009-02-16T10:33:00.021-05:00

I first met Bobby Rotenberg around the time he launched T.O. magazine, an upstart, edgy city publication I had the pleasure of writing for, a long time ago. Since then, I've bumped into him from time to time and reconnected when we found out our kids go to the same school.

He mentioned that he'd written a novel (his first), slated to come out in early March 2009 and offered to send me a copy.

So when Old City Hall arrived, I read it right away. The book is a stylish, witty page-turner. Crime fiction that centre's on Canada's best known, craggy talk radio host. It starts when Kevin (I want to say Peter) Brace confesses to murdering his wife in their luxury condo, and then says nothing more. With its sharp twists and turns, you're taken on an investigative journey that surprises and entertains. The characters play against stereotype - Jewish homicide officer, lawyer turned cop, new Canadian crown attorney - and offer a new perspective on the formerly bland and conservative safe haven Toronto used to be.

The prose is stylish, the dialogue fresh and the cast are a quirky and believable mix of the people you'd see living and working in Toronto today; a reflection of our coming-into-its-own metropolis.

Bobby has combined his love of T.O. (i.e. the magazine) with his work as a criminal lawyer to offer both a superb story, and a wry commentary on the city and its foibles; its inner workings; what makes it tick.

And that is an extra gift.

Look for Old City Hall in March at your local bookseller or online here.

On Twitter and tweeting*

2009-02-15T21:14:00.018-05:00

*'Tw' pun alert...

You may have noticed I've experienced a twepiphany recently and have been a lot more active on Twitter. And looking back to my first tweets, it feels like I've had to pass through a number of stages to get here.

I started out as reluctant, moved on to critic, window shopper, wader and now full-fledged user (with my Twitter ID appended to my email signature).

And, as a user, I thought I'd share some of the things I discovered along the way:

Start slowly and experiment. But be aware that you're broadcasting so please use good judgement. Sure no one's perfect and you may end up looking like an idiot on occasion. But that's part of the process (at least it was for me).
At the beginning, find a few people you know or twust and follow them. Don't pick too many or you might feel overwhelmed. You can add more later (see number 8).
Try not to feel too guilty if someone follows you back before you post your first tweet. No one's expecting a proclamation.
Find your twitsonality - your Twitter personality, tone and voice. Be yourself and be authentic. And have something to say.
Don't just tweet and run. Stick around for a few minutes and take part in the conversation.
Sometimes you only have time to browse and click and that's OK too.
Remember you have a day job.
Most important: it's all about the people you're following! That's been my biggest revelation. Some of the folks I know personally. Others, I've met via my blog or tweets. But they're all smart, funny, informative, energetic, insightful, helpful and entertaining. It takes time to find the right people to follow, but it's worth it.

Let me end with a warning before you take a big gulp of Koolaid. Twitter is fun and, once you've been bitten, it can be addictive. Try to make sure that you're remain user and don't fall into substance abuse. (We all know where that leads.)

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to log into Tweetdeck to see what I've missed.

Something old

2009-02-06T13:48:00.012-05:00

In today's mail, amid the bills, solicitations and magazines, I noticed something a bit odd: a plain envelope, hand-lettered and with a name I didn't recognize on the return address.

My interest was piqued so I opened it. Inside was a note with the generic salutation, 'Dear Sir/Madam', and a resume. Both were printed on faux antique stock. I was somewhat taken aback.

I decided to give them a quick read, and when I finished I thought, now what? I felt as though I'd received a quaint relic from the past that was interesting for nostalgia sake but otherwise of very little use.

Now, don't get me wrong, I have used Canada Post to send a variety of correspondence...in the past. But it's 2009! Why would someone trying to break into PR choose a communications vehicle that positions her as seemingly out of touch? And why would she not take the time to find out who I am before contacting me?

Joe Thornley said it's important for young people who want to enter our profession to build relationships online. I completely agree. Many of us are very accessible here (read our blogs, find us on Twitter, Linkedin, etc.).

Reaching out to us virtually (without stalking, of course) is a good way to get to know us and get us to notice you.

It can also demonstrate your intelligence, personality and understanding of the latest tools. And then you'll be one step up when we meet in person.

Introducing the Twittionary

2009-02-02T16:54:00.011-05:00

Is your head swimming from the seemingly endless stream of Twitter puns, apps, widgets, programs and...you name it?

Mine is.

So much so that last week, I half-jokingly suggested we need a Twittionary.

Well, the more I thought about it the more I felt this might be a useful tool; presented as a Wiki (Twiki?) so it could be kept up to date. I figured it could be a good weekend project (to take my mind off shoveling snow).

I did a search and found the term had been coined last fall by Shannon Yelland in her comprehensive post. I contacted Shannon and asked if I could use her material as a starting point and she graciously consented.

And so... I'd like to introduce Twittionary - an unofficial glossary of all things Twitter.

Bear in mind this is a 'twork-in-progress' and needs your help to keep it current.

If you get a chance, feel free to browse, look things up, add/edit/correct, join the community and pass along info about the site to keep our collective twocabulary growing and fresh.

(BTW, you'll notice that unlike traditional dictionaries, there's an overabundance of entries under 'T'.)

I'd be interested to hear what you think.

In the dark

2009-01-27T21:57:00.012-05:00

Just under two weeks ago, there was a power outage in Toronto that left about 250,000 residents without heat or electricity on one of the coldest days of the year (-19C).

I was one of those folks in the dark.

When the incident occurred, just after 10 on a Thursday evening, we found the flashlights, lit a few candles and tried to find out what happened.

First we turned to our community – looked outside to see if anyone else had lights, called a couple friends… We put a battery in a clock radio and tuned to 680 News only to hear (after weather and sports), what we already knew: power was out in a large section of western Toronto. And crews were on the scene.

Thank you very much. That didn’t answer any of my immediate questions like: when is MY power coming back?

I don’t know why I defaulted to old habits (the reluctant adopter in me), but it wasn’t till Friday at work when I thought to check Twitter. I did a few searches and uncovered the hashtag #darkTO, and there, found what I was looking for: an enormous outpouring of comments, thoughts and news – in real time.

There were tweets from people who got their power back; others from folks nearby who hadn’t; offers of office space for those in need of Wifi; updates from the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC); requests from MSM media for interviews; and on and on.

It felt like I’d stumbled into the promised on-land. Yes, I had read how quickly Twitter spreads breaking news in real time, but it wasn’t till I experienced it first-hand that I truly grasped its scope.

However, something was missing. There was no local ‘authority’ to offer updates and tell us things were under control. And while Mayor Miller, the City and hydro held a traditional news conference, they seemed oblivious to the conversation taking place around them.

And that was a missed opportunity.

Of course, power was eventually restored (we got ours back nearly 24 hours later).

A little more than a week later, I noticed that Kevin Sacks, City of Toronto Director of Strategic Communications started posting on Twitter, @TorontoComms. Maybe the blackout triggered a lightbulb in City Hall. And that, I believe, is a very positive sign.

The other shoe

2009-01-17T08:01:00.000-05:00

With more and more PR people wearing blogger's hats (a great addition to any winter wardrobe), the line between PR and journalism - citizen or otherwise - continues to blur.

I was thinking about this when I received my first over-the-transom pitch a while back. And though I was glad to be noticed, I wasn't sure how to react. Probably because I'm not usually on the receiving end.

Not long after, a personal blogger I know was approached by a word of mouth firm that wanted to send her products for review. When she told them she works in PR and may be conflicted, the WOM'er said, 'I'll just pretend I didn't hear that and we'll send them anyway.'

I think that's just plain wrong on so many levels and is yet another example of why our business has a bit of a bad name. (She didn't do the post.)

And it made me wonder: when is it OK for PR folks to blog about a pitch they've received? Or really, when is it not appropriate?

It's a grey area and, like so much else in our business, it all comes down to knowing where to place our self on that fine line we call reputation (ours, as well as our clients). In other words making an ethical judgement call.

As many have already said, be transparent, identify yourself and be open about who/what you represent. Some bloggers have gone further by listing their criteria for accepting pitches.

I think there's a positive outcome to PR people being pitched. With the shoe on the proverbial other foot, we get a chance to experience life from a journalist's POV. Interesting loafers, I say, though they don't quite fit and I'm not sure I'd want to wear them everyday.

Hopefully all of this will give our industry a greater understanding and empathy for media, which will help us do a better job.

The blogosphere just got a touch of class

2009-01-14T09:30:00.008-05:00

Ever wondered how to make a good impression on clients at a formal dinner? What about knowing where to draw the line between appropriate (or inappropriate) professional communications?

My colleague, Louise Armstrong, combines her expertise in PR and etiquette in a new blog: A Call for Class.

A thoughtful writer, Louise is setting out to examine the places where manners and modern communications meet. And you can be sure her posts will offer a keen perspective and useful advice.

Have a read and let me (or Louise) know what you think.

PodCamp 2009

2009-01-13T08:00:00.002-05:00

If you're a PR person interested in social media, blogging, podcasting and the latest developments, tools and trends, I'd encourage you to sign up for PodCamp 2009 in Toronto, Feb 21 and 22. It's a great opportunity to learn more and have a chance to trade stories and meet other practitioners.

This year, Palette is pleased to be one of the event sponsors.

Hope to see you there.

Blogabout - a few good reads

2009-01-12T06:00:00.001-05:00

Here's a quick list/links to some posts I've recently enjoyed:

Giovanni Rodriguez's insightful and well-researched series, Advertising with Character on the nature and use of characters that sell. There's a lot of superb material here, so sit back with a coffee or a drink and enjoy.

Michelle Kostya's review of her favourite Twitter tools - especially useful for the novice and intermediate user.

Bailey Gardiner CEO Jon Bailey's musings on his first 30 days on Twitter.

David Mullen's effective ways to build and manage your online interactions.

Happy reading.

He likes us...

2009-01-11T15:00:00.000-05:00

I was at the gym when I found out Obama's first official visit as President of the United States will be to Canada. And you can't believe how excited I was when I heard the news.

I mean, out of the whole entire globe, the leader of the free world has chosen us. (OK, it's a long-standing tradition that Bush ignored, but let's put that fact on hold.)

My reaction reminded me of Sally Field's acceptance speech at the Academy Awards. And it also made me think about how thrilled we Canadians get, when a person of celebrity south of the border 'recognizes' us (or even makes a paltry reference to our country in a movie or TV show). It's silly really, but that seems to be part of our collective psyche.

And while I am glad President Obama is coming here - if for no other reason than the hope that his vision may rubs off on our leaders - I feel that my response (and I'm sure that of my fellow Canucks) is a bit over the top.

Why? Perhaps it's because we still view ourselves as second tier. But is that so bad? I think it's time we started accepting and even taking pride in who we are. We should become more comfortable wearing our national skin (though it may be covered in a parka for much of the year) and not look for our validation from external sources.

Maybe 2009 could be the year we stop being so internationally-insecure. (Now, what would the Americans think about that?)

Of Winnipeg and ice

2009-01-08T11:19:00.007-05:00

The 'Slurpee capital of the world' has a frosty new title. According to a story in today's Globe and Mail, Winnipeg's River Trail outdoor skating rink, now sliding across both the Red and Assiniboine rivers, is longer (by distance) than the one on Ottawa's Rideau Canal. While there's the usual griping over details - in this case length vs area; or -30 temperatures vs warming huts - it looks like Winnipeg has skated to the finish line as the champ.

Congratulations, I say. In a city where frigidity is the norm, it's better to embrace reality than consistently gripe about it or pretend it's not there. Done right, I think the Slurpee and skating crowns could go a long way toward making the city cool.

Snow sculpture, anyone?

My blogging balance sheet - 2008

2009-01-06T09:00:00.001-05:00

A year ago, after taking a financial management course (for non-financial managers), I decided to prepare a blogging balance sheet for 2007. And now, having completed the second year of my(PR)palette, I thought I'd revisit the concept and look back on the past 12 months. Please note, as in many balance sheets, some things change and some stay the same. It's no different here.

MY(pr)PALETTE BALANCE SHEET - DECEMBER 31, 2008
Unaudited - not unedited (need new joke for 2009)

ASSETS
105 posts
82 tags
4103 visitors
129 comments
26 member blogroll
17 Technorati authority rank
#1 rank of blog on Google (in a search of Martin Waxman)
Goodwill: sense of humour, voice, perspective, outlet for my writing and publishing, agency profile
___________

LIABILITIES
Posting something dumb, unfunny or downright dull (too many times)
One-way, column style of writing (I think I've improved and I'm trying harder to encourage a conversation)
A bit negative (at first ) about certain new tools (e.g. Twitter)
Less personal hours to devote to reading books, watching movies

___________

EQUITY
Blog voice
Posts I'm proud of
Regular contributor to Inside PR podcast
Posting on Twitter - @martinwaxman
Comments from people I don't know
Being included in PR blog lists
Technorati rank
Inbound and outbound links
Google juice

Retained ideas:
Four unpublished blog posts in various stages of writing that will likely be published in the next month or two

_________

My analysis?
It's been another good year blog-wise. Contrary to the economy, everything (from posts to readers to comments) are up. Finally some positive news!

And the outlook for 2009?
Target: 2 posts per week (I like that pace)
Continue to stick to what I know and really like (PR, media, social/cultural observations, books)
Lessen personal reluctance to new tools; try them earlier, but remain critical until I see demonstrated results
From time to time include a link post (gift blog) with items of interest I've stumbled across
Read and participate in more blogs

So what's the bottom line?
I'm still having a great time and I've met so many interesting people from all over the world (in person and virtually).

Thank you to everyone for listening to my 'voice' and tuning in. Ideas and your thoughts are always welcome.

Here's to 2009!

'I read the news today (oh boy...)'

2009-01-04T13:48:00.020-05:00

The past few months, I've had to gird my stomach before picking up a newspaper (something, just six short months ago, I loved to do). The news has been singularly bleak and negative; even spilling into the softest of stories (e.g. holiday gift guides for products under $20, the subtext being we can't afford more).

Now, I'm all for honesty and transparency; telling it like it is. But I also think part of media's job is to show some balance. So while the market spiraled downward and consumer confidence slid, too many outlets were painting a picture of complete doom and gloom and not leaving any room for hope.

The thing is, life goes on. We get up, eat, work, go to school, spend time with friends and loved ones, go out to movies and restaurants, shop, and have many other experiences too numerous or personal to mention. Unfortunately, some of us may lose jobs and other material things and that's really too bad for those concerned.

But look around you. Things have slowed down but they aren't going to stop. The economy may have gone south (like the snowbirds), but that's no reason to nail shutters to the windows.

As a PR person who craves and consumes more than my fair share of media, I have probably taken too many of these stories to heart. In fact, I wonder if we, in the communications business, don't have an extremely mild version of 'current-traumatic' stress disorder, due to the fact that we're ingesting far too many downers (and I don't mean of the pharmaceutical kind).

Couple this with the effects of the economic slowdown. I've felt a tightening in my business for months, but what's worse than the reality are the sleepless nights and anxiety spent anticipating. I'm pretty sure my stress levels have gone up in inverse proportion to the economy.

Now, it's a new year. And what can a person do to begin on a more positive note?

Here are a few suggestions (not resolutions) I'm going to try:

Become more emotionally detached about unemotional things - look at the facts and try not to take so much innuendo and speculation to heart.
Be more selective about the way I approach MSM; find a filter that enables me to view things objectively (e.g. get my news from sources like Jon Stewart so I can both cry and laugh).
Read more blogs. I've found the PR and tech blogs I follow have a much more balanced view. And I take solace in that.
See things from a fresh perspective. Don't crawl into a hole and ignore the world, experience it. Open my mind, keep learning and trying new things.
Enjoy the moment - a quiet dinner, a great novel, an entertaining Hollywood film, spending time with people I care about.

So, to end on a 'high' note, I'm going to turn things over to Jerry Lewis as he belts out his final song on the Telethon: 'When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high and don't be afraid of the dark...' (Come to think of it, watch a musical, too.)

Happy New Year. Here's to a lighter 2009.

Why I hate asterisks*

2008-12-29T15:28:00.018-05:00

I was on the subway yesterday looking at the sale ads and getting ready to score an amazing deal...on something.

But my hopes were dashed when I noticed that fateful symbol perched on BIG OFFER's shoulder. And though it's barely visible, it packs a wallop that slaps you back to your senses.

I'm talking about the asterisk.

I don't like asterisks because they represent exceptions. Exceptions, usually, to a screaming overpromise.

What I resent most are the enticements that purport to 'build me up buttercup, just to let me down'. Having an asterisk is like keeping people spellbound by a sprawling story, only to admit in the end that, well, maybe much of what you said, just didn't happen.

Granted, the promises seem too good to be true. And they're easy to spot. In fact, the front section of today's Toronto Star featured 24 ads; 17 of which had a disclaimer of sorts, 11 with the ubiquitous asterisk. That's nearly 50 per cent.

Now, although I'm singling them out, asterisks aren't the sole culprits. And to be fair, there's a group of other hench-symbols (they know who they are) often found lurking with expressions like 'up to 80 per cent', 'for a limited time', 'select merchandise only', 'dealers may vary', 'quantities limited', 'some items not exactly as shown', etc. And while they may be just as bad, asterisks are the ones you notice most often at the scene of the crime.

Perhaps as a new, more balanced economy emerges from the tatters of our old reckless one, we can ask for a straight exchange on the asterisk and the worst parts of the sales pitch. And if we're lucky, maybe we'll receive a credit toward credibility - all at no extra cost!

*Not to be confused by the French comic Asterix, of which I have yet to form a definitive opinion.

The pod before Christmas

2008-12-24T17:00:00.001-05:00

Well, today's the day that Inside PR #143 is released. I think it's a lively episode that touches on Twitter etiquette (Twitterquette?), media and conflict of interest.

Not bad for a holiday show...

From my perspective, I find it hard to believe I've been doing this for close to a year. And I have to say, I've had a great time sharing my thoughts, learning from and being challenged by my fellow podcasters and hearing from listeners. (I hope you've found the same.)

It's been a blast sitting in my study on Sunday nights in front of a Gzowski-esque mic, feeling like a Talk Radio DJ. And, it's a lot less solitary than writing a blog.

It's also an honour to be part of a show that was nominated one of the 'best social media podcasts' of the year (voting encouraged).

So now, in the spirit of the season, I offer my special thanks to Terry Fallis and David Jones for asking me on the show and keeping me on my toes; and to Julie Rusciolelli for being my freshman buddy.

And thanks to everyone who tuned in. I'm looking forward to more...

Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

Something's in the air

2008-12-24T13:00:00.000-05:00

Last week, we sent out our Palette e-holiday card - a pretty timely idea, if do say so myslef. (You may need to double click on the image to get the gist.) Then a few days later, a cartoonist from the Toronto Star published an illustration using the same joke.

Now, since our card pre-dated their visual, one could assume they ripped us off. I mean, we distributed it first - it was out there for all and sundry to see and the next thing we knew, someone bigger was taking credit for it.

Did we call our lawyers? Threaten a lawsuit?

Hardly.

In my mind, it's a clear example of a concept being in the air and having more than one 'creator' at the same time.

This seems to happen a lot. I think it's due to a confluence of events (e.g. the economy and holidays) and the speed with which online communications spreads our shared imagery and metaphors. I mean, come up with virtually any idea, search it on Google, and there's a chance someone else got there first. A virtual copyright infringement.

But who copied and who was right?

The truth is, if the Toronto Star had done it before us, we would probably have been seen as the also ran, because their distribution is much larger than ours. It's a case of volume trumping voice, which is, in many ways, similar to Marshall McLuhan's notion of the medium being the message.

And it is a question that we communicators grapple with all the time: How do we get our messages to resonate when there are often much more vocal sources than us?

I think this is where relationships, credibility and trust comes in. Sure they require more energy, work and time than pure amplification. But I believe that when you combine those attributes with a relevant story people want to hear, a quieter voice can be as effective as a shout.

A failure to communicate - and sell

2008-12-12T11:28:00.013-05:00

My phone rang a few minutes ago. The gentleman on the other end said, I'm calling to renew your subscription to some magazine I had never heard of.

Now, like most agencies, we get lots of publications. But as I couldn't place this one, I told the rep that I didn't think we had a subscription.

Without missing a beat he said, OK, then will you be interested in a free trial?

I answered quickly, succinctly and in no uncertain terms.

Now, I love magazines and all media, for that matter. But I thought, this is yet another example of communication obfuscation from their industry - trying to sell by pulling the proverbial wool over my eyes.

Obfuscate injures communicate

2008-12-07T19:21:00.015-05:00

I think we've all seen them - those subscription offers from various magazines that promise $1 million dollars (or more) - and perhaps even a visit from Ed McMahon...

I actually had an aunt and uncle, who received a 'you may already be a winner' envelope and called up their relatives to say that their ship had come in (not in those words, of course, they were prairie folk). I didn't have the heart to burst their bubble and they found out the truth soon enough.

I recently got a note from a publisher which thanked me for subscribing by sending three 'Treasurer's Entry Cheques'. The first one for $500,000 and the second for $60,000 both had a stamped note saying 'payment guaranteed to winner'. The third one for $31,000 was even more forceful: 'imminent payment', it proclaimed.

Now, I know better, but still I was enticed.

Even worse was the wording used in the oh so personal cover letter:
'The fact that you are now in possession of the enclosed documents is proof that your chance of becoming a prize winner is all but confirmed.'

Notice the words in bold: fact; now in possession; proof; becoming a prize winner; confirmed. They're working hard to persuade you that you've already won.

However, now look at the disclaimers in italic: your chance; all but. These words are almost hidden behind the screaming bolds, yet it's the strong, quieter ones that really tell the truth about the offer.

I have to admit that part of me enjoyed reading the sentence for its wordplay. But, the other part was angry at how language is being used to obfuscate, not communicate.

This type of spin was de rigeur in many PR circles and one of the things that gave our industry its bad reputation. I think we can all look back on our careers and pick out a few examples we're not so proud of.

Fortunately, the rules of social media have altered the playing field (writing field?). We now have to speak honestly, credibly and, yes creatively too. We can no longer hide behind a slick turn of the phrase.

The best PR people will let this filter into all aspects of the practice. And that will only be good for the profession (and gullible aunts and uncles everywhere).

Communicating in

2008-12-06T23:00:00.015-05:00

This past week I was in Ottawa, taking part in a Federated Press conference on internal communications. (I was inside mostly so I missed the political fireworks on the Hill.)

My talk featured a case study about a company that used a major transition as an opportunity to engage employees in a way it hadn't done before. And a number of the key points I discussed were also highlighted by other presenters, including:

Transparency - you've got to be upfront about both good and bad news
Credibility - if you're not honest or, even if you're perceived as not being honest, you'll never earn anyone's trust
Two-way communications - can build solid relationships between management and employees
Consistency - in your behaviour
Long-term commitment - none of this happens with one message blast; communicate early and often

These are similar to the strategies we use online. But more than that, I think they're fundamental to any effective (and ethical) communications program - regardless of the medium.

A disconnect can be a good thing

2008-11-28T14:00:00.017-05:00

I recently came back from visiting my Mom in Winnipeg. She still lives in the same house I grew up in, and being there is a bit of a time warp.

What I mean is for five days I didn't have access to my regular online fix. No high speed. Not even dial-up. If I wanted to plug in, I had to brave a -25 windchill and drop by a wireless cafe.*

All this made me realize how Internet-dependent I've become. Addicted, really. When so many people could simply care less. For them, computers are a past-time, a way to share jokes, look up a movie time, buy something.

They haven't crossed over to the 'new media' promised lan. They still consume TV, read local papers, go to the mall and talk to the folks behind the tables at the community displays. They get most of their news the old fashioned way.

Perhaps it's our profession and its fascination (obsession?) with the latest and greatest communications tools. We're ravenous for information, 24/7.

But as admirable as I think this may be, it's important to remember there's a parallel, albeit slightly slower world right here beside us: let's call it the 'first life'.

It's a place with less MB and more MB. Where everyone's connected, just not like that.

*OK, a disclosure: I had my BB Bold so I wasn't completely out of touch. But, I wasn't glued to it the way I sometimes am to my laptop.

Survey sez

2008-11-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

Lately, I've begun to feel like one of those anonymous but oft-referred to people 'behind the board' on Family Feud. You know ones responsible for answering the questions the panelists try to guess.

By that I mean I've been getting more and more requests to complete surveys. It could be from a hotel (on a scale of one to five, did I find the pillows comfortable...); a professional organization (I get these a lot); a conference I attended; a store I shopped at; an online destination… The list goes on and on.

And they’re all looking for …what?
A. Demographics
B. Knowledge
C. My POV
D. Some of the above
E. All of the above
F. None of the above
G. There is no above

I'm beginning to wonder what everyone is doing with the mountains of data being gathered. Is there a meaningful analysis going on? Learning? Is there a market trading used demographic nuggets?

There’s so much noise out there. And so much useless minutiae being collected - information pollution.

Now, I'm not saying we should stop doing research. Far from it. Comprehensive, well thought out research is one of the keys to successfully practicing our profession. I just feel there should be more to it than qualitative results.

Many of us in PR have used surveys to come up with potential news hooks. Perhaps, as a first step to reduce the info junk pile, this is something our industry should stop (or at least greatly curtail).

Maybe instead of all the multiple-choices, we should spend more time talking to the right people, thinking and listening.

And go back to creating meaningful - and sustainable - stories.

Are you ready for social media?

2008-11-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Joel Postman's new book, SocialCorp: Social Media Goes Corporate will be released in December. I'm looking forward to reading/reviewing it.

It promises to feature case studies, a critical approach and examples of how organizations can develop an intelligent and relevant online strategy - that works for them. I'm sure it will be written in Joel's crisp, witty style.

In the meantime, if you're interested in finding out if your company is ready to jump into the social media fray try Joel's 20 question quiz and see where you land.

Still praising APR

2008-11-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Last month, David Mullen posted a question about whether APR still had value for PR professionals. There was a lively debate and I posted a comment which put me in the APR 'die-hard' camp - a place I'm happy to be.

As I've said before, I'm a strong believer in professional accreditation, both personally and for the industry as a whole.

And, as CPRS Toronto accreditation committee co-chair, I wanted to remind you that if you are interested in pursuing the designation, the deadline for applications is December 1, 2008. Please visit, www.cprs.ca for more information, or feel free to contact me.

So you wanna work in PR – in an economic downturn

2008-11-16T19:19:00.007-05:00

This is the third installment in an unplanned series of posts about getting a job in PR. I'm writing it following a panel I was on at Talk is Cheap 2.0 with Joe Thornley and Trevor Campbell*.

So… here we are in the midst of an economic meltdown. It’s hard to read the papers without feeling jittery and depressed. And I think it's safe to say that the market for new PR hires is tighter than it was six months ago. Not only that there are fewer opportunities, hiring freezes and potential layoffs.

So what can a job-seeker do?

I still believe you should still follow the advice I offered here and here.

But I would like to add a few more thoughts to the mix:

1. Be curious. Find out about the world around you; experience it. In Toronto, the AGO has just reopened, so pay a visit; watch the latest films (indie and mass); wander along Bloor Street during Nuit Blanche; volunteer for a not-for-profit you believe in; read a book by Malcolm Gladwell (or anyone for that matter)… Becoming a business/pop culture/political/ economics/tech/entertainment/food/fashion/beauty/etc. expert is an essential when you're in PR. Make yourself stand out.

2. Add social media to your skill set. Get to know the latest developments and offerings. Learn how to use RSS in media searches. Participate in industry communities. Set up a profile on Linkedin. Sign up for Twitter. Blog. Read PR blogs, post smart comments and build relationships with people you respect and admire. Listen to podcasts. Watch videos. And be critical. Understand that social media isn't the cure-all to every PR challenge. And when you start working, maintain the self-study and share your findings with colleagues. Every office needs a few social media gurus – who also grasp the intricacies of traditional PR.

3. Above all, don't get discouraged. The soft economy is NOT your fault. It’s affecting all of us and is out of our control. There is a great job out there for you. Don’t beat yourself up if it takes a little longer than you'd planned to find it.

*BTW, Trevor is president of Porter Novelli Canada and has just started his blog; I’m looking forward to reading it.

Introducing social media

2008-11-15T20:00:00.002-05:00

In a few weeks I'm going to be giving a presentation introducing social media to neophytes.

And, in addition to offering practical how-to's and definitions, I'd like to include a couple of slides with tips or advice from practitioners (with full credit for any suggestions I use).

If you have any ideas, please let me know.

Thanks.

Socials

2008-11-15T12:39:00.017-05:00

Where I come from (Winnipeg) and in other western cities, there's a party tradition we call 'socials'.

If you haven't heard of them, they're essentially a pre-nuptials bash and work like this: an engaged couple has the right to purchase a liquor license, rent a hall, and throw a huge blow-out shindig. They invite all and sundry, get to charge admission, sell drinks and hopefully make some cash to help them get started in their new life. (They can get pretty crazy at times.)

I thought of socials because of all the recent Toronto social media get-togethers - a chance for practitioners to leave our offices and computers and actually interact.

Here's a quick round-up:

Last week's Talk is Cheap 2.0 social media unconference. BTW, Ed Lee has an interesting post on one of the panels I participated in.
Tomorrow's Suscamp (sold out) organized by Tamera Kremer
Toronto's Third Tuesdays, organized by Joe Thornley and featuring Steve Rubel on November 24
Canadian Institute's 3rd Social Media Conference (Note: requires fee to participate)

Let me know if you have any more to add. I may see you there.

My network or yours

2008-11-13T22:04:00.000-05:00

It wasn't too long ago when networks meant television; purveyors of small-screen programming, ad spots and big shared experiences we could gab about the at work or with friends.

But social media - or maybe the late arrival of the thing called convergence - seems to have changed that. Networks have become more personal - the sum total of an individual's contacts and, to a large extent their contacts' contacts too.

Which is where Linkedin comes in. I've grown to appreciate this community.

But one thing that bugs me is getting a form letter to connect. You know, the default that pops up and says: 'I'd like to add you to my professional network on Linkedin'. I especially resent the mock personal signature at the end.

Yet I still oblige.

I think if you're going to reach out to someone, why not personalize the request? Even if you don't know me, send me something that piques my interest and makes me want to find out more.

And if you want to build your network (and mine), figure out a way to truly engage me. Offer me a fresh perspective. Keep in touch.

Maybe one day you'll provide your network with that big shared experience we've been missing since the demise of not-to-be-missed TV.

(Note: Linkedin is being upgraded as I write this, but will be back soon.)

I'm starting to really appreciate Twitter

2008-11-12T10:17:00.009-05:00

I checked my BB, as I always do when I get up in the morning, and was surprised to discover that I didn't have a single new email. When I got to work shortly thereafter and logged into my computer, I found the same thing.

Nothing new. I had that sinking feeling we've all experienced when you realize you're in the middle of a tech 'failure to communicate'.

We had recently made some changes to our server (and everything seemed to be going fine), but today we had a glitch that made inbound and outgoing emails come to an abrupt halt.

And while the situation is being repaired (though being in the middle of it, it sure feels endless), I do feel lost without the action of my email fix.

Fortunately, we still have Internet and I was able to Twitter the fact that 'we're experiencing technical difficulties - please stand by' to all and sundry who may be trying to contact us. And I felt somewhat empowered by that.

The challenge is to get the people you're trying to reach to tune in.

Of course, we do have another old school option: pick up the phone.

What I meme to say - five gems of social media

2008-11-09T16:24:00.015-05:00

Not too long ago, I was tagged by Parker Mason to add my picks to Collin Douma's five social media gems.

And rather than calling out specific cases, here are a few things that opened my eyes (and mind) as I enmeshed myself in the space:

1. Social media really is social (pen pals for the 21st century). I can't tell you how many great people I've connected with virtually and then later met in person. It's really broadened my network and approach to PR.

2. Blogger relations = good media relations. If you're an ethical PR practitioner, the principles are identical: read the publication/blog to get to know what it covers; if you have a story you think a journalist/blogger may like, send a note, politely identify yourself and ask if they want to receive information. If yes, send info. If no, move on. Repeat.

3. Twitter/micro-blogging has untapped potential - I think that very soon someone will figure out an amazing way to harness it. Right now it's still like the 'bubbling crude' Jed Clampett ended up hitting when he was looking for some food.

4. The online learning curve is endless, which is both exciting and daunting. Just when I think I'm up to speed, a new blog, app, device, technique, etc. comes along. And I want to find out about it, see how it fits and whether it's worth using. I do like the fact that my mind is constantly being opened to fresh, inspiring possibilities. Hey, there are some duds out here, too, but overall it feels like I'm on a quest.

5. Because of all the developments, the blogosphere is a bit of an entropic mess. It's important to make choices - you can't do/see/try everything - and to mix the passion you have for this world with a dose of reality. In other words, don't just do it because it's cool, ask yourself if and where it fits with your communications strategy.

I'd like to pass this along to any listeners of Inside PR to add their thoughts. But I'm also going to tag Joel Postman, David Mullen and Tamera Kremer. Over to you.

Talk is Cheap; parking, not so much

2008-11-06T23:31:00.009-05:00

OK, maybe you won't have to pay for parking. You might be able to get a spot on the street or, you can always take the TTC... to Talk is Cheap, the second (annual?) 'social media unconference', Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at Centennial College in Toronto.

If it's anything like last year, it will be fun and interactive and there are bound to be some scintillating sessions and just plain good talk.

The only caveat is you have to sign up by wiki (and I didn't wreck the registration list this year).

I'll be doing a 'live recording' of Inside PR with Terry Fallis, Dave Jones and Julie Rusciolelli and taking part on a panel organized by Joe Thornley with Trevor Campbell on the impact of social media on a career in PR.

Hope to see you there.

Social media how-to

2008-10-22T16:30:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, thanks to a post by Parker Mason, I came across Dave Fleet's Practical 101s series that explains various social media tools in language that's easy to understand. And he provides clear instructions and useful examples, too. So far, he's covered using RSS with Google searches and social bookmarking. It's a fairly new endeavour, so I imagine there will be more to come.

I'd say it's required reading for anyone interested in social media and the blogosphere, from beginners to people who've been bumping around in it awhile, like me.

Thanks Dave.

Panic, not depression

2008-10-21T20:56:00.000-04:00

And I mean that in the most positive sense of the word.

In today's Globe and Mail, there's an excellent opinion piece by Richard Ivey School of Business professor George Athanassakos, who uses a historical context to explain why we may be in the midst of an economic panic, but are nowhere near another 'great depression'. In his view and in light of what governments and financial leaders are doing to address the situation, we are not likely to get t0 that dire point, either.

Amid the turmoil, it's a comforting thought.

We're number four (and that's reason to be proud)

2008-10-21T10:51:00.017-04:00

According to an article in the Toronto Star, our fair metropolis placed fourth in a global ranking of cities that offer people the best cultural experience, after London, Paris and New York. Pretty good company, I'd say.

And in the same piece, an A.T. Kearney study ranked us 10th in terms of what it calls 'global cities' (below Chicago and Seoul). Again, not too shabby.

Now, compare that with a recent Maclean's magazine cover story ranking 'smart' Canadian cities, (i.e. those 'rich in culture', among other things), and Toronto didn't do nearly as well - we only made it to the middle of the list. In fact, Barrie and Orillia placed higher.

Now, without meaning to impugn those communities, that's a ridiculous result. And so Canadian. Slagging the leader while trying to be politely inclusive towards the rest of the country. The tall poppy syndrome rears its ugly head once more.

Frankly, I'm tired of it. Toronto's the number one city in the country. Complain all you want, it's a fact. And, rather than trying to apologize for what we are, we should celebrate.

Meet the new boss...

2008-10-15T14:49:00.009-04:00

Watching the Canadian election results last night was mildly frustrating (and a bit dull). And ending up with essentially the same House we had before the vote was called is a strong message from 'the people' to politicians of all stripes - no matter how they may try to 'spin' it.

From a communications perspective, it offers all parties a potential opportunity to win back the electorate, rebuild their reputations and credibility, and create a vision for our country. But they need to begin from the ground up.

Here's what I would suggest:

Define yourself and what you stand for; and please make it intelligent, meaningful and heartfelt
Show us you have integrity; start small and keep it up to demonstrate you're serious
Be honest, transparent and believable when you're delivering your messages
Not everyone is a leader; choose someone who can speak to and to inspire both individuals and large crowds
It's OK to answer questions directly, even if you say you don't have a response just yet
Start telling your story; not selling it
It's all about relationships; not opponent-bashing or trading favours

In the meantime, if you want to read about a reluctant, yet idealistic politician in a satire that may be a bit too prescient, try Terry Fallis's hilarious Leacock award winning novel, The Best Laid Plans.

Social media redefines PR borders

2008-10-02T15:09:00.010-04:00

It doesn't usually happen with MSM. I'm talking about Canadian PR outreach to Canadian editors being picked up in publications beyond our borders.

But with social media and blogger outreach, traditional country mandates are starting to be blurred?

What's a PR agency to do?

If you're interested, have a look at an article I wrote for the International Public Relations Association's Frontline newsletter.

I'd welcome your comments or thoughts.

Vintage Google

2008-10-01T21:07:00.012-04:00

In honour of its 10th anniversary, Google has treated us to a youthful version of itself; the web circa 2001. It's quite charming really and the searches yield no Wikipedia results - unless, of course, you type in 'Wikipedia'.

I found an early version of Blogger with its groovy slogan: 'push-button publishing for the people'. Right-on, I say.

I tried to sign in with my current info hoping to connect present with past. But, alas I was left on the platform.

Now, usually nostalgia goes back a little farther than seven years. Something like this. Or maybe our wired world is so sped up, that anything older than yesterday is vintage.

A Flack by any other name

2008-09-23T10:27:00.016-04:00

This past summer, I was driving through upstate New York and passed through a town called Flackville. And I wondered if this is where old PR people go to retire...(a news release on every corner...)

OK enough of that.

Yesterday, I received an email from a client who said the word 'flack' that refers to PR folks might not be pejorative at all. A couple of sources - Random House and Merriam-Webster - contend that it may have been coined as a tribute to 1930s entertainment publicist Gene Flack.

I did a search of Mr. Flack and didn't come up with much more than this. I'd be interested in learning about him. If anyone knows where to find additional biographical information, please pass it along.

Thanks to John S. for the idea.

Modern-day telegram...

2008-09-22T12:40:00.008-04:00

Giovanni Rodriguez contends that many our social media tools are DIY versions of things we already have:
Blogs = publishing
Podcasts = radio
YouTube = TV broadcast
Social networks = community centres

I agree. And I'd like to add that I think Twitter is a souped up version of the old fashioned telegram. They're immediate, pithy (though not due to cost), include funny abbreviations we've come to accept and are written with limited punctuation.

One difference - there's no uniformed delivery boy.

STOP.

Putting off the Ritz

2008-09-21T20:16:00.013-04:00

There's a Canadian federal election in full swing. Or should I say in full baby swing - as in fun if you're in it, but other than that quite dull.

It's the same old posturing, spinning and name calling we remember in the past - only this time the ties are off. I guess our political leaders want to appear 'political casual'. Me, I miss the formality.

One thing for certain, elections help take our generally full dose of political correctness to a higher level.

This past week there was a brouhaha over Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz's private remarks. Why? He did something no politician should ever do: he made a funny joke.

I'm not talking about a pre-written ice breaker, I mean two one-liners of relatively high comedic calibre, in my humble opinion.

Now, were the jokes in question tasteless and mean? Absolutely. But where I come from, some of the best humour is rarely in the best of taste. It's often crass and edgy. It says things that we may not want to admit or hear, but does so in such a way that enables us to laugh at them; and then, when the joke is over, shake our heads at the horror.

That's why so many people have walked out of Yuk Yuk's over the years. It's also why Yuk Yuk's is one of the funniest, most unpredictable and entertaining places in the country. (Disclosure: Yuk Yuk's is a client and Mark Breslin is a close friend).

Have a look at Christie Blatchford's Saturday column in the Globe and Mail. She's written what many of us have been thinking about one-liner-gate and she did it in her usual acerbic, honest and stylish way.

Did this slip of the tongue warrant all the news coverage? I don't think so. But I'm sure many of the country's comedians wish their jokes would get this kind of attention.

It's just another example of a country that's taken politeness to a sad, new extreme.

And, Christie, I happen to be one of those people who's allergic to nuts. But I want to tell you that I have no problem if airlines serve them. I just wish they'd provide an alternative to those of us who can't enjoy the good taste.