This is the last official day on the Blogger service. We're moving to www.pr-squared.com. Let me know (over there!) what you think of the blog's new look. We're goin' for "edgy."If you're a subscriber via RSS (thank you!), I am told that you're all set. Additionally, I am told that the re-direct we're setting up for this site will automatically...
Social Media Press Releases: Digging Deeper
Wednesday, June 14, 2006 | comments
So far, the ## of downloads for our Social Media Press Release template hovers at approximately 3,500.I've also learned through PR Newswire that almost 700 registered journalists took a look at our announcement.Meanwhile, almost 80 bloggers have made note of the template, in some form or another, and the reception has been overwhelmingly positive.Pretty...
San Francisco On My Mind
Tuesday, June 13, 2006 | comments
I'm making an impromptu visit to our San Francisco office this week (Wed - Fri). The schedule is fairly light right now, so if you are a "PR 2.0" blogger/PR pro/zealot and you want to grab coffee or something, drop me a line.WARNING: I am fiercely recruiting for Account Managers, Directors, etc., to support our growth. You may find a PR 2.0 chat...
Big, Happy Surprises
Tuesday, June 13, 2006 | comments
The single biggest surprise to come out of the launch of the Social Media Press Release template?The ## of clients and prospects that have subsequently raised their hands to say, "Make us your guinea pig."Heartening. I'm planning to take 'em up on it.Mistakes will be ma...
"Consumer Generated Media" Starts at Home
Saturday, June 10, 2006 | comments
To most pundits, "Consumer Generated Media" (CGM) means user-profiles at MySpace; karaoke videos uploaded to YouTube; bajillions of blogs; Flikr slideshows; etc. Every PR pro worth their salt is advising clients to "pay attention" to the crushing wave of brand-altering substances spilling out onto the Web.But there's another form of consumer-created...
Maybe We Need a Social Media DMZ?
Thursday, June 8, 2006 | comments
Yesterday, Tom Foremski previewed today's SVW post in a note to me, Richard Edelman, Bob Angus (now @ Edelman) and Giovanni Rodriguez of Eastwick, among others, re: creating a group wiki to further the cause of the Social Media Press Release.On the one hand I welcome this, obviously. But, it's the first time we've heard from Tom since we launched...
It's a Hand-Off, Not a Duel
Wednesday, June 7, 2006 | comments
We recently took over an account from a competing agency. There was a "hand-off" meeting as part of the transition. I wasn't at the meeting, but my agency colleagues --- as well as the client contacts who were present --- were shocked by the displaced agency's graceless lack of professionalism.Look, these types of meetings are never easy. I understand...
I Create, Therefore I Market
Monday, June 5, 2006 | comments
One of the tenets of the "2.0 wave" is that consumers are creating their own content. Does it follow that if we are all becoming content creators, we are all also becoming marketers? After all, no one takes the time to envision, craft, and post a piece of content --- of any type --- without hoping for an audience to react to it. Even the gazillions...
"Ya Say Ya Wanna Revolution?"
Monday, June 5, 2006 | comments
This recent question by a PR student named "Lindsey" was too wrenching to let fester in the Comments section of a months-old post about "Fixing PR Undergrad Programs." The topic seems relevant all-over-again, with the increased industry-wide interest in "PR 2.o" themes. (Lindsey's comment has been edited for length):"Maybe I am inexperienced and...
PR 2.0 Learning Curves
Friday, June 2, 2006 | comments
Yesterday I gave a "PR 2.0" presentation to about 40-odd PR pros, of various experience levels. I talked about the Social Media Press Release Template. I talked about "Pitching 2.0." About how the "one-too-many" approach to PR had become a virtuous loop between brands, consumers, and new/old media; about how each stakeholder is now interconnected,...
"Pitching, 2.0"
Wednesday, May 31, 2006 | comments
Here's one idea on how Social Media might impact the editorial pitch process...Among the newfangled tools that's most intriguing for its potential to impact Public Relations practices is "social bookmarking." Putting together the custom del.icio.us page for our template helped enlighten me to the fact that social bookmarks could literally help salvage...
How Many Downloads of the Social Media Press Release Template So Far?
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 | comments
Back at the house but not "officially" back from vacation yet...but I got a few questions on this particular topic, so I wanted to share. Over 2,500 downloads so f...
Lessons Learned
Thursday, May 25, 2006 | comments
I am leaving for a quick vacation tomorrow --- without laptop, without Treo --- but couldn't say "good-bye" for the long weekend without a quick post on some of the "lessons learned" via this week's excitement about the debut of the "Social Media Press Release."The PR blogosphere is very generous. The wisdom and enthusiasm, good wishes and constructive...
A Swift Kick into "PR 2.0"
Thursday, May 25, 2006 | comments
Among the challenges raised among the voices who reacted to the debut of the Social Media Press Release template: the sense of "unreadiness" among media, PR, clients, and the wire services themselves. Jeremy Pepper probably said it best: "it's all about baby steps, and I think this is too big a step for a lot of consumer companies."I admitted at...
The "Social Media Press Release" Debuts - Download the Template Today!
Tuesday, May 23, 2006 | comments
Today we debuted the first-ever template of the "Social Media Press Release." This newfangled press release format has been baking since late February, thanks to the rantings of Tom Foremski at Silicon Valley Watcher. You can get the template in PDF form here, or at our website.The template is 100% open to the PR/marketing community. No copyright baloney....
Edelman + Technorati, Sitting in a Tree
Monday, May 22, 2006 | comments
Edelman & Technorati are teaming up to better localize, track & translate the global blogosphere. The intimacy of the relationship between a major PR firm and a major search engine raises fascinating issues. Here's the official word according to the Technorati blog:"Technorati and Edelman, the largest independent global PR firm, are announcing...
Friday Fun: Insignificant 'R' Us
Friday, May 19, 2006 | comments
Next time you find yourself frowning because your blog's comments are whisper-quiet, or your "Technorati This" button reveals no new links (kinda like the forlorn-sounding "No New Messages" on v-mail, ain't it?), just check out this link. Or this one.It will make you feel much, much worse.Don't have time to check the links? Lemme net it out for you...
Edelman Pinches The "Press Release of Tomorrow"
Thursday, May 18, 2006 | comments
This is kinda' exciting. Earlier this week at the Syndicate conference, according to PR WEEK, Richard Edelman talked about...releasing a "physical manifestation" of the reinvention of the press release in June. "It’s better to say, 'We’re going to give you a set of info with tags and you organize it as you wish,'" Edelman said. “We’d rather have...
When Clients Want Out
Thursday, May 18, 2006 | comments
The idea for this post came from John Wagner. A few weeks ago, he was curious about other PR agencies' policies when "a client either wants out of a contract or doesn't want to pay for work that's been provided."It boggles my mind when a client thinks they can disregard the contract. I don't understand how the question even comes up. I somehow...
Presumptions of Freedom
Wednesday, May 17, 2006 | comments
In earlier blog posts I've speculated on how Consumer-Generated Media may impact journalism. But up above I do promise the "occasional rant," and reading articles like this one from ABC News' blog, "The Blotter," forced me to wonder (and fume) about the longer-term fate of the freedom of the press.The domestic security czars have been using their...
PR Students: Read This Book
Tuesday, May 16, 2006 | comments
A guy I like a lot also happens to be a client, Joe Chernov from BzzAgent. Last year he wrote a book that I consider a must-read for anyone new to PR.I read through some of the reader comments on Amazon (rave reviews), and this one summed up my own feelings best:"As a PR professional and former journalist, I've heard the old adage 'good, fast, cheap...
There are No PR Pros at the End of the Rainbow
Monday, May 15, 2006 | comments
I wish I had a nickel for every time a client or prospect told us: "If you do our PR for cheap, we'll increase the budget as-soon-as we get acquired or get the VC $$$." Almost. Never. Happens.Correction: Never Happens."YOU will get rich when the acquisition/funding comes through," I say. "And that's great; we're happy to help make that happen..."But,...
The Press Release "Remix"
Friday, May 12, 2006 | comments
From Shel Hotz's blog last week:In (the May 9) edition of For Immediate Release podcast interviews, Neville and Shel enjoyed a 28-minute conversation with Tom Foremski, editor of Silicon Valley Watcher, about online journalism, public relations, the relationships between the two, the future of the press release, and the impacts of change in these...
What Should Dan Blog About?
Thursday, May 11, 2006 | comments
Earthlink's Earthling blog caught some nice buzz when it launched back in December. This week, some PR bloggers have been invited to preview a new blogging effort by Dan Greenfield, Earthlink's vp of corp comms.I am hoping Dan steps up to do some interesting things with his blog. Earthlink is a big company and if Dan thinks big, it wouldn't be hard...