Month: November 2003

Further to the earlier discussion (more on it here, here and here) on analyst relations, it’s a topic that has been exercising the typing skills of a number of people, often with different results.

The Knowledge Capital Group, who focus on helping organizations with Analyst Relations, believe it’s “much ado about nothing”. 

Now while the more uncharitable among you (you know who you are) may think: “well they would say that wouldn’t they”, I think they’re spot on.  Market economics will drive this issue.  If analyst firms don’t behave ethically, end-users won’t purchase their research and the whole thing will collapse like a house of cards.  That is why Gartner’s objectivity won’t be affected by their recent investors. There’s too much at stake.

However, Fred Abbott over at Valley View Ventures a firm that is a “Broker of Independent Information Technology Industry Analysts & Consultants” has a somewhat different take.

If I understand it correctly, Fred thinks (PDF) that the vendor dollar does have an effect on research but that this ultimately evens out as the conflicting reports from different firms then provide polar opposites from where end-users can get more balanced coverage.

While I agree with some of Fred’s arguments, for example human nature is that objectivity is relative, I’m not sure I concur with his complete view, but as always the debate is interesting.

Jim Horton has written an opinion piece [PDF] on blogging.  The article looks at what blogging is and its implications for the marketing mix.

Elizabeth Albrycht last month posted some tips for students looking for a career in Public Relations.  Her post includes some excellent advice and is recommended reading for anyone thinking of PR as a potential life choice!

Richard Bailey who is working in PR academia linked to similar advice from a UK PR Pro Stuart Bruce, a PR guru no less.

Both provide some good insights for anyone considering a life in PR.  I’d like to add three additional points:

1) Both Elizabeth and Stuart focus on the importance of PR qualifications. However, don’t worry if your primary degree isn’t PR-specific or if you don’t have a primary degree, there are loads of post-grad courses available (full-time and part-time) that can help you learn about PR. Intelligence, an ability to think quickly and communicate effectively are the primary requirements.

2) Don’t be afraid of hard work.  PR is labor intensive.  When you start out, you’ll be on the bottom rung of the PR ladder.  However don’t despair, most PR pros have similarly been through this administration cycle and it will help prepare you for challenges ahead.  You can’t purchase or wish for experience, you have to put in the hard yards, but your preparation will ensure that you are ready to tackle any challenges that come your way in the years ahead. As Elizabeth points out, there’s very little glamor in PR, but it’s challenging, interesting and forever changing work.

3) If one skill will stand to you throughout your PR career, it’s attention to detail.  Effective PR is built upon a strong focus on the basics from grammar to logistics.  The path to a successful career is based on what one of my previous bosses described as a “safe pair of hands”. Check your work, get a colleague to check it and then check it again.

Finally, don’t forget, PR is a fantastic career.

Good Job Hunting..natch… A feature in the Seattle Times looks at the PR job market…no good news yet.

Selling India… UK firm Financial Dynamics [Level 1 Flash Warning!] has been building PR programs to promote the country abroad according to a report in the Calcutta Telegraph.

Blog Navel Gazing Continues…MediaPost reports on a weblog panel that took place in New York last week.

As a PR lifer I am very aware of the power of Public Relations and its potential to dramatically affect the success of any organization.

Over the years, the importance of the PR ecosystem has become very apparent.  PR by its nature is a tightly interconnected series of relationships between your co-workers, clients, partners, suppliers, journalists, analysts and other third parties.

When the ecosystem is in equilibrium, PR runs smoothly and is an effective component of the marketing mix, but when the balance is affected, bad things happen.

This need for balance is the very reason I get nervous when I see and hear any one of those different, yet connected components trying to change the status quo.

Robb Hecht points to an article written by Loren Pomerantz on Media Bistro that discusses the relationship between PR and freelance writer and in particular the role freelancers play in the news generation process. Now personally most of my interaction with freelancers is on the features rather than news side, but I’m sure it varies by industry sector.

Most of the article itself is fine, even useful, but towards the end it offers advice to freelancers on what they can do to ease the process for PR people.

The nuggets include keeping consistent contact information, introduce yourself etc. all fine but then it suggests that freelancers should “suck up a little” to PR people and “send a gift if that’s your style”.

What?

I don’t agree.  Why should freelancers have to kiss up? If freelancers are writing features or news stories that are relevant to your client, it’s up to you work with them professionally.

Why should freelancers have to kiss PR butt when they have a well-defined role in the media landscape?

This is exactly the type of thing that changes the ecosystem and as we know that normally ends in environmental disaster.

Richard Bailey points to a very interesting speech given by Colin Farrington, Director General of the IPR – the UK’s variation on the PRSA – on PR trends in Europe.

Europe presents a difficult business environment, particularly for marketing.  Whilst the stated goal of the European Union is to bring Europe closer together, and it has achieved an awful lot of that through shared legislation, reduced trade barriers etc. Europe still remains a loose collection of individual states from a marketing perspective.

Part of the problem is that the European Union is percieved as a peer to the United States, but it’s very different.

Europe is a collection of very different states, each with their own cultures and preferences and each proud of their differences.  For example, Ireland, a very small country and a relatively new state (1949)  is one of the most pro-European members of the European Union. The country views itself as a fully committed member of Europe, but we still see ourselves as Irish.  

Now extrapolate those feelings into countries which have been independent for five hundred years or more. They are unwilling to completely give up their nationality even though they embrace Europe and the collective trading bloc.

During my time working on PR and marketing programs around Europe it quickly became apparent that each European country is proud of it’s differences.

Anyone who has worked on pan-European campaigns will have heard the familiar refrain from every country – “oh it’s different here you see.”

Couple that with a general mistrust of central command throughout Europe and you have a very challenging environment that requires a significantly higher investment.

It’s not easy and in my view it’s not going to get any easier in the near future. 

If you are planning to move into Europe or undertake a European campaign, be clear on what you want to achieve and how you will work with each country and beware of empty promises.

Do not assume that a generic campaign will work.  It won’t.

Respect each country, if you want to launch in a country then invest in local knowledge and resources. Bland campaigns which blindly throw money into a country will fail.  If you want to be successful there demonstrate your commitment.

Finally spend the time building local relationships.  It will pay huge dividends immediately.

PR there’s only winners and losers. Ross Irvine writes that PR is war and that as a result there are always winners and losers.  He makes specific mention of PR for NGO’s.  Whatever about activism, I’m afraid I don’t believe PR battles are as clear cut as that.  I share his belief that PR people should be competitive, but simple winners and losers? Nah. 

Press Releases by Robots.  The twenty first century has arrived.  PR|Pro automates the process of brainstorming and writing press releases and PR programs. Well that’s what the literature says. all for only $99. If anyone has tried it let me know.  I have my sceptical hat on.

PR Newswire Founder Herbert Muschel, has passed away.  He was 85.

The PR challenge of being Hacked.  PR Fuel points to an article on ZDNet which looks at the issue facing organizations who have been hacked.  It points out that many companies don’t report the electronic break-in because of the possible adverse PR. It reminded me of a post earlier in the year when the UK’s National High Tech Crime Unit launched a media relations program to help companies with that very issue.

Further to the discussion last month on Industry analysts, Information Week have a story that questions whether companies should be worried that Silver Lake Partners has taken a 38% stake in Gartner.

The story questions whether Gartner’s independence will be affected by the fact that Silver Lake’s backers include over 150 executives from large technology firms.

Gartner deny that investors have any influence over research and given the importance of Gartner’s objectivity I doubt this investment will affect future reports in any way.

Interesting read though.

The prolific Elizabeth Albrycht  tackles the question of a PR person’s role in a media interview.

She concludes that the PR person’s role is as a facilitator.

I agree and I find that most journalists and analysts have no issue with a PR presence in an interview.  There are rare moments where you may have to interject to correct a misunderstanding but as Elizabeth writes we’re there to track the conversation, note actions, points of follow up etc.

Of course there are a number of journalists who object to the presence of PR people in a meeting. But in many cases I have found executives are more comfortable with a PR representative present.  That’s a good thing. It also should ensure that action items are followed up – which won’t always be the case if the harrassed executive is on their own and of course that the executive will turn up in the right place at the right time….

I sympathize with journalists who complain when PR people try and drive an agenda in a meeting. It’s not our role. Back off and let your spokespeople speak.

OK, I have covered this topic to death, but our Entertainment brethren are at it again.  It seems that actors (or their studio reps) are continuing to selectively ban journalists from press events because of perceived slights. I’m not going to deign to tackle this issue again, you can consult my earlier rants.  Read a very interesting piece from Mark Glaser over at the ever-excellent Online Journalism Review.

Previous rants on this subject here, here, here etc.

Mark also has a really really interesting piece on the dilemma facing reporters with the abuse of e-mail.