One of the interesting changes online is that we now have at our disposal, powerful technology for communicating with each other and with groups.

The corollary is that people’s expectations have grown in line with these advances.

People expect companies to communicate with them based on their preferences.  They want plain text e-mail, they only want information on product X, they prefer RSS feeds… whatever.

The simple fact is that if your organization isn’t properly managing your databases then you could have some very upset consumers on your hands.

Media relations is facing a similar challenge.  Journalists know that MediaMap and Vocus hold vast volumes of information on journalists, analysts and bloggers. But they also have expectations that PR people will use the technology at their disposal to fine tune a pitch.

The simple fact is that a lot of information in online media databases is out of date – regardless of the sales pitch. So it’s important you only use the databases as a reference point. Before putting your finger on the “send e-mail” icon, make sure you’ve done your due diligence.  The risk is you’ll look ridiculous.

Steve Rubel points to a great example of this. Jeremy Wagstaff recounts a media database-driven pitch that was a little wide of the mark:

“Bottom line: I don’t mind being pitched. And I don’t mind it that much if the product is actually either too old to really get excited about, or too far away from the stores to burden readers with it. But couldn’t these media research databases, and the people who use them, do a bit of basic research (it’s called ‘Googling’) before they fire off their pitches? We bloggers, just like journalists, are a sensitive lot and hate to feel we’re being taken for a ride by folk who haven’t done their homework first. Otherwise it looks dangerously like spam.”

 

Postscript:

This is another illustration (if it were needed) of the perils of pitching bloggers…. You may end up reading your pitch online…

It’s not all bad news for Google.  Research just published by the Pew Internet & American Life Project and reported by EMarketer has found that 85% of US Internet users seek information through search engines.

Google still leads the way with 47% of respondents with Yahoo in second place (26%) and MSN and AOL limping in with 7% and 5% respectively.

One of the stranger findings was that 50% of respondents reported that while they like search engines, they could definetely go back to alternative methods of using and navigating the Internet. I think I am firmly with the 32% that couldn’t live without search engines…

68% of respondents felt that search engines are a “fair and unbiased source of information”, while 87% said they find the information they are looking for through search engines “most of the time” or “always”.

Another reason why search engine optimization is becoming one of the most important elements of the online marketing mix….

Human nature is a fickle thing. 

The one guarantee for a successful company is that at some point in the future, people will tire of your success and will turn on you.  Of course this transition from hero to zero will often be aided by the fact that successful firms often believe their own hype and lose the run of themselves.

What’s interesting is that in the crazy 24×7 media environment where we now live, these boom-bust cycles are reducing all the time.

Think about this.  Microsoft was a poster child for just over twenty years before the wheels started coming off the perfectly manicured profile of innovation, intelligence and great marketing.

Today a company’s honeymoon period will never last twenty years. 

Look at Google. They have executed a staggering PR and Marketing campaign. The company joined a “stagnant” product category that was, at the time, saturated with large players. Google not only built a business, they changed how people used the Internet – and generated billions of dollars of cash along the way.

Now with their imminent IPO there’s a growing wave of cynicism surrounding the company.  The combination of dutch share auctions, profiles in Playboy, and millions of bloggers is taking some, though not all, of the sheen off the Google logo.

The lesson for PR professionals here is simple. If you are executing brilliant campaigns, achieving your objectives and building a successful business, then you should be aware that at some point in the future things are going to get difficult. 

Rather than waiting for that to happen, think about it, understand it and plan for it. It is an inevitable result of success.

“Google has become an embarrassment for the entire tech industry. Google should pull its IPO and come back later. If the company won’t do that, the SEC should stop the IPO for an extended period while the company tries something it can handle–like a traditional IPO. The auction format looks more like a means to separate unsophisticated investors from their money that a means of letting the �little people� in on the riches.” – Dave Coursey, EWeek

 

On related search matters:

• Yahoo has kick started a weblog on Search

 

Footnote:

Thanks to Jeremy and Robb for the links.

The PR Opinions Academy is delighted to announce the second winner of its prestigous PR Opinions Gorilla Marketing Award….

And the winner is…. Warner Brothers.

The company has merited this award for the spirited defense of their organization through anonymous (read: employees) postings on music websites and blogs.

According to The New York Times:

“But as is sometimes the case when marketers try to insinuate themselves into online communities, the company’s approach did not go as planned. Warner – which was part of the Time Warner media empire until February, when it was sold to a group of investors led by Edgar Bronfman Jr. – ran into a culture clash with the small world of MP3 blogs, annoying some of the very people it wanted to win over, especially after one or more people at Warner apparently posted anonymous messages to make it appear that ordinary music fans were defending the label.”

Now in fairness to Warner Bros. they deserve a lot of credit for initially attempting to promote their band through weblogs.  That is a good idea and one, I personally, give them a lot of credit for. 

However, in the aftermath of that positive initiative having staff members post anonymously on message boards in the company’s defence  has undone most of the good of the original campaign:

“But Ms. Bechtel (of Warner Bors.) said this kind of activity was not part of the Secret Machines campaign. She said the comments could have been posted independently by fans of the band who worked at the company. “We’re not sitting here typing in message boards that the band is great,” she said. “But if somebody in the building loves the band, I can see them doing it. People at record companies are also huge fans.”

 

Ladies and Gentlemen if we take Ms. Bechtel at her word – and I have no reason not to – then this is a great example for Public Relations practitioners on the importance of clear internal communication on acceptable online behaviour. If you’re posting your “personal” preference from your work computer it has repucussions for your employer.

 

Either way, they still win the award….

About the award:

The Gorilla Marketing Award was created to recognize companies whose “ham fisted attempts at Guerilla marketing should really be called “Gorilla Marketing” because of its unimaginative fumbling efforts at creating buzz (a term I’m not hugely fond of).”

Previous winner.

Update:

It looks like New Zealand travel website Ticketek could deserve a baby Gorilla award…

 Jim Horton points to a Fast Company interview with Mona Williams, VP of Corporate Communications at embattled Wal-Mart.

“First, we determine if the criticism is valid or if it’s generated by people who are simply looking out for their own self-interest. We’ve found that there is some of both. Where it is valid, we learn from it and become a better company.”

 Colin McKay has unearthed an interesting lengthy paper that looks at the changing dynamics of communication and reputation being created by the Internet – and how people are developing strategies to help them cope with information overload.

This kind of thinking is important for PR practitioners.  Online communication increasingly requires a deeper understanding of how people find, use and share information.  Furthermore, if you are truly interested in Public Relations, then your expertise will need to extend across all audiences and media, not just the traditional suspects.

“But for inbound reputation � the reputation that others form about you � there will be a shifting balance between your right to privacy and the reputation former�s right to share and collaborate with others. Those with public functions � politicians, doctors, lawyers, professors, and so forth � can expect to be more exposed in roles where others have legitimate interests. A dentist�s reputation as a dentist may be public, while the same dentist�s reputation as a debater need not be. It is easy to foresee intense debates, differing legal interpretations, and the emergence of customs on this issue, similar to existing tensions on the desirable scope of intellectual property rights.”

The authors Hassan Masum and Yi-Cheng Zhang are writing a book based on the paper called “The Reputation Society”. 

 I just came across Neville Hobson’s blog on business communication and technology.  He notes that there’s now an RSS-feed based calendar application available that enables you to share your calendar – and update it over RSS. A great example of innovative thinking.

If you’ve been keeping up to date on your blog reading you’ll no doubt have come across ChangeThis, a new website that aims to publish thought provoking opinion pieces (or manifestos) on a whole host of subjects.

They’ve done a fantastic job reaching out to the blog community and have garnered a lot of blog inches and links already.

Catherine Hickey, one of the people behind ChangeThis describes the site as follows: “our mission is to find compelling arguments and pieces that make a point.”

The opening salvo of content includesa variety of themes:

• Guy Kawasaki, the notable Apple evangelist on starting up your business
• Ben McConnell and Jackie Hubba on customer evangelism
• Evan Wolfson on marraige and civil rights
• Amnesty International on their campaign to stop execution of children
• Ellie Markson on e-mail etiquette..

It’s worth a look!

 

Shel Israel, one of the technology PR pioneers now has a blog, well he’s had it a while but I only came across it today.

He has a posting on the blogger vs. journalism debate which is filled with good old fashioned common sense.

Speaking of blogging PR luminaries, Shel Holtz the well known PR author of all things online is also blogging.

 

It would seem that the Summer silly season is upon us once more.

 

It�s very quiet in PR land, so it�s probably a good time to take a look at some software productivity tools.

 

Although we hear a lot about the changing nature of online communication and how it impacts our profession, one of the most immediate challenges of the information age is information overload.

 

As part of our daily routine, PR people have to track, read, store and recall vast volumes of information and data. Every day we add another couple of hundred e-mails, word documents, spreadsheets, facts, snippets, news stories, contacts and meetings.

 

I think its safe to say that we�ve all wasted time browsing folders, opening e-mails and scanning folders, looking for that elusive piece of information, before often giving up without unearthing it.

 

Unfortunately I haven�t found one great solution that solves this problem, but I have come across a number of tools that can help.

 

(Note: As I primarily use Windows, the products reviewed here are Windows-based however in most categories there are alternatives for the Mac and Linux.)

 

Managing news stories and blogs

Trying to keep on top of the latest news and views can be challenging.  The arrival of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) provides a fantastic solution.  Not only does it provide all the latest news in an easy to navigate format, but it alerts you to newly published content. A trusty RSS reader is invaluable.

 

(Note: If you�re new to RSS and are interested in getting up and running there�s a brief tutorial here.)

 

The choice of an RSS reader is very subjective.  I advise you to try a few out and see which best fits your needs.

 

There are a huge number of RSS Readers available.  Here are some I�ve taken a look at:

• FeedDemon ($29.95)
  FeedDemon is a fantastic newsreader, very slick and usable.

 

• FeedReader (Free)
  FeedReader is worth every penny 🙂 It�s a little more basic than FeedDemon, but then again that�s its strength.  It�s easy to set up and use and a great choice to get up and running with.

 

• NewsGator (Outlook plug-in) ($29.00)
  If you like the idea of reading your RSS feeds inside Microsoft Outlook, then NewsGator is for you.  Personally I much prefer a standalone reader as Outlook is busy enough as it is thanks very much!

 

Other notables include:

Rocket RSS Reader (an online RSS reader – they�ve just been acquired), Awasu, Novobot and SharpReader.

 

 

Finding Information

Every day we receive, edit, create, save and file hundreds of E-mail messages and documents.  At the time our filing system makes perfect sense.  It�s only when you try and find that information a couple of months later that you realize your filing system isn�t quite as good as you thought it was.

 

Just as Internet search engines have become an essential part of the Web, useful desktop search engines are finally emerging.

 

Microsoft and Google are both rumored to be entering the market this year � Google on your computer � sounds like heaven � in the meantime there are a number of alternatives:

 

• X1 ($74.95)
  X1 have just released an updated version of its search product.  It�s certainly easier to use than DTSearch (see below) and is very fast.  They’ve just release a new version that has cured one of my gripes with the earlier version which was a lack of support for Boolean searches, i.e. using terms like �AND� �OR� to narrow your search and the ability to look for exact matches.  Thankfully that�s been added. � this product is worth a very close look

 

• DTSearch ($199)
  This is a long-established product, designed for the more experienced user and a little pricey but if you invest the time it�s lightning fast and delivers comprehensive results.  You can also extend it to search the web and the corporate network.

 

• Bloomba ($89.99)
  Bloomba promises a Google type search interface for your e-mail. The downside is that it offers limited search capabilities of the thousands of documents on your hard drive and you have to change from your existing e-mail client. No thanks.

 

• Blinkx (Free)
  Blinkx is a new kid on the block, which has received some rave reviews among the blog community. It couples hard drive searches with web and blog searches.  However, my tests have found that its hard drive results are very poor. Wait for version three�.

 

• Microsoft Lookout (Free)
  While Microsoft haven�t formally entered the market (yet) they have bought Lookout which offers lightning fast searches in Microsoft Outlook and your hard drive. Worth a look.

 

Managing Information

An alternative to search engines is a database. For instance rather than putting a factoid in a Word file, why not use a database?

 

AskSAM ($149.95) is a product I use every day.  It looks like a Word Processor but in fact it�s a database.  Each record in AskSAM is a document that you can search at lightning speed.  It has the added benefit that it enables you to import e-mail messages, Word files, Excel files and PDFs.

 

It provides a fantastic way of managing information.

 

There are two downsides.

 

Firstly, the import function only brings in the most basic version of a document.  In other words, if your Word document has complex graphs, tables and formatting, AskSAM will dump them in without all the bells and whistles � likewise the PDF import capability has limited use.

 

Secondly, while it is very easy to get up and running with AskSAM, delving into the more powerful features takes a lot of timeand effort.

 

More Productive Surfing

As I�ve said a number of times before, Internet Explorer�s prime has passed.  While I still keep it for the small number of websites that need it, 99.8% of my browsing is with Mozilla�s Firefox.  It�s fast, and you�ll soon get addicted to tabbed browsing � believe me, not to mention built-in pop-up blockers and a wide range of popular add-ins including an RSS Reader.

 

It�s a free download.

 

 

Anyone want to share some other time savers?

The latest issue (Summer 2004) of the PRSA’s Strategist magazine has an interesting roundtable with six senior PR pros from the New York area representing Fleishman-Hillard, Hill & Knowlton, IBM Global Services, Novartis, Porter Novelli and Weber Shandwick.

It’s a good read that covers the importance of measurement, the growth of procurement, careers, the healthcare market and the importance of credibility.

“The word “spin” came to corporate America from the political realm. We’ve created a monster. There are those in the profession who like the idea that they can control things. Maybe in politics that’s OK, if you get down to one day where one person votes in one voting booth and that’s the end. But we have relationships with our audiences, and this question of credibility versus control isn’t a moral question, it’s a factual question of what works. If you spin, you don’t win. We have to untrain a generation of management who didn’t think about public relations, then learned to think about it the wrong way. Now we’re on the quest to get people to think about it the right way. Some of our colleagues still feel the glee of getting the right quote and the right story even if it isn’t true. In a crisis is there a temptation to present things in a different light so that a bad thing doesn’t appear on the news? Everybody’s tempted to get away from the negative.”

The Summer issue also includes an interview with Wall St. Journal Editor Ronald J. Alsop on corporate reputation:

“In the book, I write that [Martha Stewart] handled this whole thing terribly given the damage it did to her company. Her sale of that stock is a personal issue, but because she is the company, she should have tried to get it behind them quickly and settle it somehow. I find it amazing that somebody who could so brilliantly create a business and an image – her whole company is image – could let her image be shattered like that. Now she has apologized on her Web site to her employees, but it’s still one of the worst examples of crisis management in recent times.”

 Interesting story in the UK Guardian on how large companies are embracing blogs:

“The sites that started as observational home pages for enthusiasts have become so powerful that they are starting a new industry of blog monitoring in which media companies scour the net to advise brands on how their name is being talked about online, away from the traditional newspaper and broadcast media sites.”

 Fast Company’s blog is celebrating it’s first birthday and long-time PR blogger Kevin Dugan is one of 25 contributors selected as guest bloggers on August 11 and 12.

 Elizabeth Albrycht takes a look at the single most challenging element of media relations – the elusive customer testimonial – with a blogging angle

 Don Crowther provides an entertaining look at how preparation can help effective media interviews.

 Pierce Mattie Inc. a PR firm in the the business of “Lifestyle and Wellness Publicity for Luxury Brands” has a blog.

 The beauty of brevity:

Phil Gomes believes

Understand the good pitch

Use the Haiku…