No on Prop 8 (in favor of gay marriage):

MySpace

Facebook

YouTube

Twitter

In fact, the “No on Prop 8″ social media campaign more than tripled its counterpart “Yes on Prop 8″ in the number of people it reached in these same channels.

Yes on Prop 8 (against gay marriage):

MySpace

Facebook

YouTube

Twitter

Not only did “No in Prop 8″ reach three times more people, it leveraged the tools in a much more masterful way.  Look at Twitter, for instance.  While “Yes on 8″ used Twitter to distribute random and repetitive reminders to support their cause, “No on 8″ empowered thousands of volunteers to use the same Twitter feed.  Their Twitter feed was a-buzz with things like “We need more fliers at Rosecrans and PCH!” and “Yes on Prop 8 supporters rallying at location X, need volunteers here asap!”.  The tactic was effective and not only worked to canvas the state with grassroots-level support at critical locations, it drew online subscribers into the fray as they watched what was going on in the field…

Why then did “Yes on Prop 8″ succeed in California?  Because traditional PR - the ability to craft the message, still prevails in social media.  Gay marriage supporters focused their campaign on getting people to vote “No on Prop 8″.  Gay marriage opponents focused their campaign on getting people to “Protect marriage”.  Can anyone guess which of these messages resonates more strongly with the public?  This is a lesson that was first learned when “Pro-life” came out and caused a dramatic swing in support for the anti-abortion movement.  “Pro-choice” was quickly launched to counterbalance that movement, however.  For Proposition 8, the message was eventually shifted to “Vote no on descrimination” but by that point it was too little too late.

Perhaps the most important messaging lesson from this example, however, is the most often overlooked.  Proposition 8 was a referendum to overturn a current law that allows same sex couples to be married.  Why then was it named the “Gay Marriage” proposition?  Because somebody was savvy enough to understand the confusion that would be caused by asking people to vote No to overturning gay marriage…  Did you follow that?  Correctly worded, Proposition 8 was a referendum to BAN Gay Marriage.  Gay marriage was legal in California.  This was an Anti-Gay Marriage bill that was worded as a “Gay Marriage” bill.  The result?  Total confusion on whether voting “Yes” was in favor of or against gay marriage.  No matter which way your opinions tend, the messaging genius behind “Yes on Prop 8″ was a case study for all of us.

While there may be new rules for communicating online, that doesn’t mean the old rules no longer apply. Yes, it’s true that today’s journalists are now blogging, Twittering, Facebooking, and carrying hand-held video devices to print interviews. However, they are still professional media members, which means the standard protocol and etiquette for PR practitioners remains the same.

My point?  Journalism and PR are in a significant state of flux.  As both sides scramble to gain solid footing, it’s more important than ever to adhere to the core skills we’ve spent years honing and developing - writing and research.  By default, the blogosphere presents a very casual, conversational style (which I personally love).  Unfortunately, many PR practitioners are adopting this casual approach in their execution, not just content.  We need to be smart about our content and even smarter about whom we target.  If not, the same rules apply…we lose credibility and damage our earned relationships with the media, or even worse, are publicly flogged like poor Amanda Miller on Joe Nocera’s New York Times blog.  Whether or not you agree with Nocera’s humiliating approach, one issue rings clear - excellence in our work must never take a back seat.

We, as practitioners, have a fantastic opportunity to become a value-add to journalists now expected to do the jobs of five people.  Our content, connections, access to thought leaders and research can be invaluable to them.  In return, their coverage and attention is invaluable to us (namely our clients).  Too often, we are considered “flacks.”  I strongly disagree.  We are an indispensible cog in the machine, but it’s up to us to stay well-oiled to maintain that relevance.

When I started my career in public relations, I swore from the onset I wouldn’t do events – I didn’t sign up to be a glorified party coordinator after all.

That was a foolish oath blatantly revealing my naiveté about life (never say never) and the many layers of PR (it’s not just pitching, stupid).

The inevitable role of any good public relations practitioner is, in part, the art of creating, managing and staffing events you and your client can be proud of. This is no small task. Think of the last time you organized a birthday party for a friend or planned your own celebration. Who will cater? Who do you invite? Will they show up? Unlike your typical affair, who attends, who they talk to, what is discussed and what they do with the information after they leave is everything.

In PR we don’t throw parties to show off our savvy people skills (but they do come in handy!). We strategically assemble the right people in the ideal environment on a key date and time to accomplish specific goals that at the end of the day show a return on the investment. Most often, we want targeted media to attend and we need illustrious spokespersons that will tout key messages and toe the party line, so to speak.

Make a date

Think carefully about the date – does it coincide with a significant regional or national event that can outshine yours? Does it coincide with a holiday or other commemoration that can nicely compliment your efforts? Consider the time of day. If TV stations and print reporters are important to you (as they typically ought to be), consider their on-air schedules and run dates. Are they likely to give up their evenings for a 7pm event? Is it on a Saturday? Are there crews that will come out on the weekend? Remember that stations are severely understaffed on weekends. On the other hand, news is slow on weekends and your event could be just the ticket.

Location, location, location

Consider the size of your event and the length of the guest list. Bigger is most definitely not always better. I’d prefer a space that is overflowing with attendees than an excessively spacious one where people tend to gravitate to the side or corner with a bare center, leaving the impression there were a lot of no-shows. Outdoor locations are great for health or fitness related activities or musical events, but if you’re planning on some place where rain anytime is possible, have a Plan B firmly in place. Indoor or out, know there will be a lot of city government, union and venue restrictions; know them all well in advance so there are no surprises. Describe the event flow to the venue representative so you can negotiate what’s allowable and what isn’t every step of the way.

Oh, and develop a comprehensive, step-by-step event flow of the day’s activities – be meticulous and thoughtful about every detail. This becomes your team and the client’s bible for what to do, when, how and where in timeline form.

Talking heads

Identifying and securing the right spokespersons – from niche experts to high-profile celebrities – is a skill in itself, often underestimated. Give the discussion and analysis with your team and the client the time and energy it deserves. Know your limitations. If you’re not up to speed on celebrity causes or interests that match your client’s, bring in third party experts to help identify options and to secure the talent. This process should begin a good several months before the event. You will likely not secure your first choice, or even your third. Anyone who has dealt with managers, agents and lawyers knows that there’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears before contracts are signed and the working relationship begins.

Parting words

The best advice I can give is to do an audit before you make a significant financial investment. Ask your media friends if they would cover your event on the date and location you’re considering. Ask your own friends if they’d attend if you’re throwing a consumer event that hopes to attract the general public as well. What would they expect to see and receive? Most of all, ask your clients what their vision for success is. You’d be surprised that what they think a great event is might differ from your own.

Take a realistic look at your budget and manage your clients’ expectations. They can’t rent the ballroom at the Peninsula at a shoestring budget, or expect A-list talent to attend or play the role of spokesperson on the cheap or without clear incentive.

Got it all? Good, have a BLAST!

But yet – your work doesn’t end here.  Your first job in PR is more than learning how to develop a mean media list, write a decent pitch letter, and monitor client-related news.  Where you decide to hone your skills as an assistant or coordinator will also determine the types of clients and professionals you’ll get to meet and work for, how much hands-on practice you’ll receive, and in which areas you’ll be able to gain significant expertise.

Assuming you’ve narrowed it down to agency life (considering the less likelihood of breaking into an in-house PR job right out of school), you might ask yourself the following questions:  Multinational or boutique?  Established name or young startup?  Full-service or specialized?  As you might expect, there aren’t any right answers.  Depending on what you want, every agency offers a unique experience that you can tailor to fit your personality and career goals. 

For instance, take global Agency A, with a name that could be mistaken for any law firm or vineyard.  The credibility factor of the name is alluring – a surefire resume builder and networking hit.  The clients will also likely be large, well-known brands.  Your responsibilities however may be limited to your job title.  Client interaction could consist of Fedexing a package or arranging travel.  Media relations could be handed off to the designated “media team” whom already has established relationships with the WSJ or GMA.  Some may prefer an organized hierarchy, while others find it confining. 

On the contrary, Agency B, with forward-thinking, kitschy name is a relatively young company brewing with fresh ideas.  With only a few offices across the country, this boutique has a few specialties and is working to establish its name through inventive campaigns incorporating new distribution channels, viral and grassroots activities, and a unique branding that separates itself from its competitors.  You are certainly gaining invaluable experience, but maybe it’s too overwhelming?  There is less of a hierarchy and might feel that you’ve bitten off more than you can chew.  Agency B is not a “well-oiled machine” and you’re learning as you go, realizing that you are not just a number, but rather making a tangible impact on the company.

Now keep in mind – these are two opposite ends of the spectrum, with many agencies falling within and between.  The lesson is that research is essential.  More than just visiting a Web site, the job search should consist of talking to people within the field, attending industry conferences and meetings, and recognizing what environment is most conducive to YOU.

Ready…Set…GO, and good luck!

So the question becomes – how do we measure PR?

The more traditional methods of measurement involve circulation, impressions, ad value equivalency and PR value. And, as an industry, we’ve somehow decided to apply arbitrary formulas in order to determine impressions (circulation x 2.5 or 3.1) and PR value (ad value x 3). But what exactly do these types of measurements prove? That maybe, best case scenario, our client was mentioned in 2.2 million printed copies of USA Today and possibly – but not likely – seen by 5.5 million readers. Or that it maybe would have cost $30,000 for our client to purchase equivalent ad space? Ok, but what does that mean?

As a side note before I continue, PR’s effectiveness cannot be directly compared to advertising effectiveness. The two forms of communication are drastically different. Advertising messages are very controlled whereas most PR messages are not (which is why they’re seen as more credible and valuable).

The newer methods of measurement suggest a look at quality over quantity. So this means when our client is covered in a newspaper, we rate the story and the quality of the outlet. Was it positive, negative or neutral towards our client? But the question is, once again, so what?

Did any of these measurements prove the value of PR? Sure, we got the client’s name out there (not to entirely discount brand awareness), but how does all of this affect their bottom line? After all, that’s ultimately what matters.

I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes I am more than thrilled to tell a client our PR efforts garnered 4.2 billion impressions. It sounds impressive, right? But the reality is that most of us PR professionals resort to these measurement tactics because we’re constantly pressured to justify PR dollars. PR is a fairly intangible communication strategy, so we feel the need to quantify its value in the hopes it makes it easier to digest. Companies don’t question the value of advertising – and they’re only too happy to spend five times the amount of PR on media buys.

The answer to how we measure PR is this – it’s a combination of tools. You can’t effectively measure a program by any one tool. You need to factor in the overall communications objectives and how those tie back to the company’s business goals. PR effectiveness can best be measured if a company’s key messages, target audience, and desired channels of communication are clearly identified before implementing a program. Second, the PR measurement process should never be carried out by focusing only on the PR components. It needs to be factored into the larger equation of how all programs – advertising, marketing, promotions, PR –are contributing to the bigger picture.

In closing, PR IS valuable. It has a far greater impact on a company’s brand than advertising. Sure, advertising has its place, but PR is one of the most effective branding tactics for a company. In the long term, PR can build, change or maintain a company’s brand reputation by shaping consumer attitudes and perceptions which ultimately lead to a healthier bottom line and consumer loyalty. Shouldn’t that be justification enough?

 Dear PR/Marketing firm, 

I know you think that this stunt will be the guerilla campaign that puts all other guerilla campaigns to bed.  I know you think that staging a fake kidnapping will be cool.  Maybe you’ll create scratchy, blurry videos to go along with it and hide clues across various websites and, for all I know, it might work.  But don’t.  Just don’t.   

Sometimes marketers can get caught up in the race to be the most cutting edge.  Sometimes marketers like to think that by creating the illusion of danger or adventure that they’re really connecting with consumers on a gut level.  And they might be.  But sometimes there’s something to be said for the good old fashioned techniques that PR and Marketing are built upon.  We can’t forget the basic building blocks in the race to be the next big thing.   

Sincerely,  

Your Audience

Social media is not a panacea to all your company’s or client’s PR problems.  I repeat, if you employ social media programs, do not expect all the cool kids to come running, embrace your brand and evangelize about you and your products to anyone that will listen.  Infusing social media ideas into your PR plans also cannot help you find your one true love, cannot cure cancer and cannot even help you save a bundle on your car insurance.

Just because social media is out there for the taking (and it’s generally cheap to implement), it doesn’t mean you need to take it.  While it’s easy to watch new movies or brands like Nike and Burger King gain incredible traction with MySpace or Facebook, lightning in a bottle is just that – something that can’t easily be replicated for any old campaign, program or event.  Too often, we hear our clients ask what we can do with blogs and Twitter and Facebook and a million other trendy names, but just as we counsel clients on when and how to send a press release or announcement, it is imperative to help our clients understand when – if at all — it’s right to go with social media programs.

When an organization is overzealous, ignores common sense and refuses to take a step back in order to take a real, hard look at the online landscape, the results are never good.  Putting a MySpace page up just for the sake of it is asinine and dangerous.  A boring page about a boring product or company is worse than nothing at all; the only result is scorn, vitriol, laughter and maybe even worse — zero return on investment.  A good example is The Los Angeles Times’ Twitter page – it’s been updated nearly 2,000 times with breaking news since the account was created.  Too bad it only has an audience of 98 followers.  And you wonder why they say print is dead.

The problem:  social media is really nothing more than a new venue to share news and communicate with key audiences.  This isn’t to say companies and organizations should avoid social media entirely.  To the contrary, there’s little doubt that social media will continue to integrate more and more into our daily consciousness.  From PR people to CEOs, it’s important to keep a vigilant eye on new developments. 

But it needs to be understood that the shotgun approach to social media – blasting everything in your arsenal against the wall and seeing what sticks – is simply not going to bear any PR fruits.  So the next time you’re in a meeting, brainstorm or casual conversation and someone starts bringing up all these brilliant ideas about how to use MySpace and Facebook, take a step back and ask if you have something new, unique and valuable to offer.  After all, you wouldn’t embarrass yourself, your company, or your client with a press release announcing you just scratched your butt.  Because social media can offer new frontiers, it doesn’t mean that butt scratching story is any fresher just because it’s distributed via brand-new Web 2.0 tools. 

There’s great promise in social media for the PR industry, but we need to embrace social media for what it is…and what it isn’t.

In our era of shrinking print news holes and way too many eyeball-challenged websites, television news broadcasts still gets reach and, better yet, their creators need material.  Even the most budget-strapped stations still have to fill air time.  With many stations cutting reporters and anchors, harried producers are even more desperate for content now than ever before.

Yet PR pros regularly get stiffed at the gateway by assignment editors who love to proclaim that their stations “no longer use VNRs.”  Unless you’re able to lure a local crew to your client’s doorstep/event, this Catch 22 seems like a PR occupational hazard.

VNRs officially were verboten after an infamous episode in March 2004.  The New York Times blew the whistle on the Bush administration for distributing videos showing President Bush signing a Medicare prescription-drug law and “receiving a standing ovations from a crowd cheering.” The footage ended with a woman telling the unwary viewer “In Washington, I’m Karen Ryan reporting.”  Yet, Ryan was a TV production company employee and no more a journalist than the infomercial shill proclaiming “do you mean to tell me  . . .?”

Previously, government-funded VNRs with faux reporters were perfected by the Clinton administration.  President Bush tweaked reporters by defending the practice as legal.  Suddenly, many irate affiliates nationwide championed a blanket policy of not accepting VNRs.

The ban came a little late, since the classic Video News Release was already a dinosaur even as the misused acronym lingered.  These overly produced, dialogue intensive productions (supposedly a video version of a press release as if anyone wanted that) rarely made air any way except in severely sliced/diced form by quote-desperate segment producers.

The moldy VNR of the late ‘80s has been long replaced by b-roll — functional chunks of footage with a few quotes.  Yet, some wary affiliates now claim even b-roll is out.  This is a noble idea from a supposed journalistic credibility stand point but hardly holds water.  The fact is, producers still need visually enticing material from your clients as long as it’s not laughably promotional or tattooed with company logos and product signage.

Here are some quick thoughts the next time you’re trying to get some supposed client propaganda on air.

– Don’t Use the ‘B’ Word:  While toiling, highly caffeinated before the rooster crowed, at a satellite media tour company, I learned quickly to ditch the offending buzzwords b-roll and VNR.  Instead, offer producers “sound bite footage with our expert” or “good visuals of kids using the product.”

–. Vamp it Up With Visuals:  Producers tire of inevitable talking head sources bobbing in their office chairs.  Shoot your sources in an eye catching setting without getting gimmicky.

– Let the Slates Skate.  Slates, time coded written descriptions between video segments, were designed as an easy way to help break up video footage for producers.  Now slates make footage seem overly packaged so drop them.  Just separate your edited sequences with cuts to black (and give the slate info to the producer by phone or email).

– Remember THEY Shot It.  The myth you’re selling viewers is that the station shot your b-roll footage.  Therefore, don’t over produce it in a photography studio setting or hack it up by having an intern shoot it with a camcorder.  Get a videographer who can shoot natural looking footage and keep the sound bites tight.

These tricks can help get your client on air while letting you side step the scarlet letters VNR.  Down the line, we’ll tackle those pesky producers who ‘don’t do satellite interviews.’

Note: if you DON’T have these two items on your desk, do not pass go, do not collect $200, just hope that nobody has noticed and rush to your closest book store and buy them immediately.  A dictionary—yes, a real hard copy dictionary—use it, open it, it will help you, and an AP Stylebook—trust me, few things tick off journalists or a boss more than someone who didn’t take the time to look it up.  Now onto my top three. 

Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier:  I love this book because it provides a simple explanation of branding—something every PR person needs to embrace.

A Carrot a Day: A Daily Dose of Recognition for Your Employees by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton – While this one says “for your employees,” I really think this book is beneficial for people at all levels because it reinforces the need for appreciation—which can be given to media, vendors, colleagues, etc. Always follow the “win more flies with honey” mantra

Random House Word Menu by Stephen D. Glazier.  This book was recommended to me by a writer friend a number of years ago and I’ve been eternally grateful for it.  It is hands down the best book for writer’s block as it categorizes words and terms. 

This list doesn’t contain the latest books, but I think they’re worth their cover price.  Bottom line: read what’s important to your manager, clients and yourself.

So tell me, what’s on your reading list?

Those out to axe the semicolon cry out that it’s a worthless piece of pretentious punctuational pageantry.  Kurt Vonnegut even went so far to say, “Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites, standing for absolutely nothing. All they do is show you’ve been to college.”  Those who defend the semicolon often retort that, above all, it lends a little bit of elegance.

We live in the age of short sentences – an age of blogging, emails and SMS.  Serial subordinate clauses, multi-tiered lists and similar ilk, have been democratized into declarative bursts.  It’s not just “Say what you mean and mean what you say,” but “Say what you mean and say it in such a way that your mother, father, sister, uncle, great grandmother and the guy standing in line behind you can understand it.”  And, more often that not, we are communicating to anyone in the world with access to the Internet.  

On one hand, I’m glad when communication is the primary point of writing.  As PR professionals, we know that if we can’t make the message understandable by the target recipients, we’ve wasted our time and our client’s money.  Moreover, just because you write economically doesn’t mean that you can’t make it artistic, languid and compelling. 

But I love those increasingly rare features and editorials that play around with sentence structure, that dare to use language that readers may sometimes strain a little to understand.  It can be good when someone says something in such a way that it causes a pause, a reread or a search through the dictionary; every once in a while, we’d be the better for it.