Brass Tacks

The Sights and Sounds of Internet Week NY

A host of us at Horn are attending Internet Week NY this week. Here's a quick snapshot of what we've experienced on-site at the main area.

Need oxygen? Demand Media (client) has the set-up for that. It's great for hangovers, I hear.

Want some time in the spotlight? Yahoo is making that happen, as Horn's own Brynn (in the pic) takes her turn.

Yahoo and Big Data... interesting.

Another photo booth. Seems like a popular idea for conferences.

Makeup station to prep for the nightly Internet Week parties? Genius!!!

Brian Stelter and David Carr of the NY Times take the stage. My favorite quote -- David Carr (referencing someone else): "'I'm blowing up on Twitter.' So what? You and your friends like what you did." Second favorite quote -- David Carr (on his relationship with Brian Stelter: "It's like a buddy movie where the young stud kills the master." I'm probably butchering the last one. But you get the idea.

I hungry. This counts as breakfast.

My car is here. It runs on Rocket Fuel.

More recaps from Internet Week to come from me and the Horn team.

Four Best Practices for Smarter Global Digital Communications

Like it or not, you’re now a technology company.

Probably not the lead you were expecting for an article on global communications, right? But the omnipresence of all things digital and social means that every business, regardless of product or service offering, is a technology company. That means customers expect to be able to connect to your brand – any time, any place. As a result, the traditional lines of geography and culture are often blurred.

What does that mean for communications pros? Well, for those looking to expand worldwide, it means the need for coordinated global strategies is higher than ever. One size does NOT fit all when it comes to multinational campaigns, and with customers already engaging your brand on the digital front, it’s important that your local efforts supplement – not combat – this always-on presence.

With that said, here are four tips to help ensure your communications resonate across all markets:

•  Don’t Start Before You’re Ready. Companies often start multi-national communications before they’re fully prepared. It might sound obvious, but you can’t cut-and-paste campaigns from one country to another. No matter how smart your global strategy is, you need to meet three requirements before starting any regional campaign: local customers, local, native spokespeople and native-language content. 

If you meet these criteria, start by researching the key factors specific to each market, including: consumer behavior; linguistics; cultural differences; technology trends; and market maturity. Don’t overlook the small stuff, either, and pay special attention to language: for example, in the US, a mobile device is often referred to as a “cell phone.” But try that same term in Asia and your marketing might fall flat – the preferred term there is “mobile phone” or “hand phone.” A small detail, yes, but one that could ultimately make or break your campaign.

•  Coordinate Your Strategy on a Global Level. This point can’t be overstated. Domestically, you’re probably already focused on integrating your online and offline efforts, but by expanding internationally, you’ve introduced a whole new set of campaigns and channels that need to be woven into your existing marketing mix.

To be consistent, consider creating a task force of sorts: a small, dedicated team of trusted, experienced global communications practitioners who can take the lead in developing singular, cohesive strategies. This team can also serve as execution champions for your global communications goals and provide needed support and advice to local teams, without being hindered by day-to-day minutiae.

•  Choose the Right Insiders. When it comes to international communications, companies often run into one of two scenarios: too much red tape (most common when working with a big multinational agency), or poor accountability (often found when your domestic firm’s global capabilities turn out to be no more than a referral network).

That’s why it’s important to take your time in selecting overseas partners. Local insight is an irreplaceable asset in global communications, whether it’s instinctively knowing which media and influencers to target, what channels to devote extra time/resources to, or what creative idea is most likely to resonate with local audiences. This type of on-the-ground expertise is what causes marketing to break through, so look for partners with proven relationships, experience and execution.

•  Centralize Your Reporting. Successful campaigns require the ability to analyze, refine and adjust campaigns in as close to real time as possible – a problem often magnified when operating on a global scale.

Most importantly, configure your reporting solution to quickly deliver only the key metrics needed to make optimization decisions, rather than trying to wade through every piece of data available. Also, be sure your reporting tool can integrate all the languages, currencies and country-specific data relevant to your campaigns – it’ll save you time and ensure you’re making accurate comparisons.

Global communications doesn’t have to be a guessing game. The challenges – campaign coordination, multiple partners, variations in languages, cultures and customer behavior – are great, but combining coordinated global strategies with local expertise provides a roadmap for each new market. And in a digital economy that brings your customers closer than ever before, a consistent brand presence is a necessity that can’t be overlooked.

Sabrina Horn is president and CEO of HORN, an award-winning digital communications firm and co-founder of the Oriella PR Network, an alliance of 16 top communications agencies in 23 countries. Sabrina is also a charter member of Oriella’s Global Strategy Council, and has been recognized by PR Week, The Holmes Report and Inside PR as one of the industry’s most successful entrepreneurs and innovators.

Note: This post was originally published in PRNews.

Video Interview with Jon Swartz of USA Today

To kick off 2012, I'm happy to post this recent interview with colleague and friend Jon Swartz of USA Today.

It's interesting to hear about his use of Twitter for story ideas and information, and it's also an insightful look at how he works, his approach and his predictions for the new year.  See it now to see what has already come true! 

 

An Interview with Jon Swartz, Technology Reporter, USA Today from Horn Group on Vimeo.

Video Interview with Giles Fraser, Co-Founder, Brands2Life and Oriella Network

On a recent trip to visit our long-time partner Brands2Life in London, I had a few minutes to catch up with Co-Founder Giles Fraser. Brands2Life and Horn Group are also co-founders of the Oriella Network of agencies around the world, a network we jointly created to serve our clients' needs for PR on a global basis, and we talked about our shared clients, business, technology and PR trends in the US and the UK.

In general, it has been wonderful to see how many more of our clients are seeking global communications support, as well as the notable increase in need for integrated digital communications across agencies. This means PR programs that include web and social media components. In this regard, we are both building brands and supporting sales. And like the US, our partners in the UK continue to see the cloud and the consumerization of IT as big tech trend. A great visit with some really good people on a shared mission.

Horn Group Innovator Series - Giles Fraser, Co-Founder of Brands2Life and Oriella PR Network from Horn Group on Vimeo.

Breaking Through: A Blueprint for Powerful Communications

You’re ready for a big year. You’re convinced your company is poised for big-time growth. Your product is one of a kind, your technology is cutting edge and your sales team is raring to go. Sound familiar?

Only one problem: is anyone hearing you? In a crowded marketplace, it’s easy to go unnoticed.

What are you supposed to do? The Type A personality in you is probably screaming “FIX IT!!!” So maybe you take out a huge ad in a key publication. Maybe you make a big splash with a premium sponsorship. Or maybe you flood the social atmosphere with a deluge of updates and posts.

My advice? Wait. Breathe. Take a moment.

Successful marketing isn’t the result of perfect execution. It’s the culmination of extensive preparation and planning. Just like a basketball player perfects his skills in the practice gym, or a performer spends countless hours rehearsing, the best campaigns “break through” because marketers have done their homework.

That’s why we’ve created the Breakthrough Communications Blueprint. It’s a step-by-step action plan that guides you through the process of creating a powerful communications program that resonates across multiple channels. Better yet, it identifies the key questions you need to ask yourself before launching any campaign, ensuring your focus shifts away from company-centered thinking to customer-first initiatives.

Download the interactive PDF here.

Of course, no blueprint or template can transform your marketing on its own. But it can put you on the right track, keeping your messaging, offers and campaigns consistent, clear and compelling to customers. So, go ahead: save it, share it, fill it out right on your screen – whatever helps you better tell your story!

"The Way"

What is it about "The Way"? In the last few weeks I have heard a lot of people talking about "The HP Way". There's the "Horn Group Way". And then there's “your way or the highway.” But seriously, what is "The Way"?  

It’s a series of processes. A culture. An approach to how customers and employees are treated. I think people today like to reminisce about the "old" way things used to be because things are moving so fast. The old way conjures up memories of when answering a call or an email within a day or so was acceptable. Now, people wonder if something bad has happened to you.  

But we also know that the old way may not be the way of the future. Things change and require us to adapt. It's life. The problem is a lot of companies and their executives think they have to come up with a "new" way that ends up having no regard for their original core values. So how does one evolve a business while still preserving the core? A lot of companies that are 20+ years old struggle with this as divisions of their business are going online, people are moved around, some business processes become obsolete and new ones are created. Imagine modernizing the way a 100-year-old company operates, what it sells, how it is sold and whom they hire, while preserving what made them great in the first place.

At the end of the day, things like integrity and respect should never go away. It's the processes around which integrity and respect are manifested that can be modernized. But be careful not to change for the sake of changing. When you deviate from your DNA, you risk losing the magic that makes your company what it is. As Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks said recently at the World Business Forum 2011, "Our competitive differentiator is our culture and the way we treat our people and our customers. We may find new ways to sell different kinds of coffee, but ultimately our core values prevail through everything we do."

Facebook Ad Unit Kicks Off Advertising Week

It's 10 am, I've had two cups of coffee and two pieces of pandesal. I am ready for Advertising Week.

Inevitably, this is a big news week for advertising technology, and kicking it off is Facebook  with its new premium ad unit that will be sold direct. ClickZ points out, from an FB product manager David Baser that marketers and consumers, over time, will decide what the appropriate metrics should be behind this ad unit. 

I liken this to how Google started paid search ads. No one knew what to make of it, but over time, the industry established metrics, with and without Google's help, to decide what is the right way or measuring the results, and what is the right price for bids. I imagine that FB will take a hands off approach initially to see the uptick and let the industry dictate what is success. An auto manufacturer would be measuring different results from a TV show, or a celebrity.

Of course, what I really want to see, and what is inevitable coming, are social media experts from media, analyst firms, agencies and tech vendors take a stab at what these metrics should be. A year from now, during Advertising Week 2012, we should take a look back and see who got it right. I wonder what Buddy Media's Mike Lazerow thinks about this.

Other News and Events Today

Here's a shout to Horn Group clients IAB and Casale Media. IAB is hosting the sold out MIXX conference today, and Casale Media is presenting a case study there this afternoon.

And stay tuned for a major announcement from other HG clients later today. 

Product Launches 3.0 – What Works (or Doesn't) in 2011

Unless your company is part of what I like to call the “Tech Select” (Apple, Google, Facebook…you get the picture), people aren’t reading news about your product launch. At least that’s what a conversation with a journalist revealed to me last week. According to his website analytics, few people read product announcement stories. Now, this might just be the case for this particular publication; however my hunch is that product news generally doesn’t get eyeballs unless it’s truly novel or it’s about the iPhone 5.

Likewise, this journalist pointed out the communication rules of engagement are changing for companies and the media, ensuring there’s no proven way to interact with outside audiences. With all the new “speakers” for information, it’s hard to create the “surround sound” effect both companies and the media want and need. Marketers face a daunting task since it’s their job to create that effect among all the channels.

This is especially true for product launches because those songs have been sung and the media are a bit tired of all those .0 press releases. So what should companies do? They need their target audience to know about the new product and eventually buy it. As digital communication professionals it’s time we rethink product launches and counsel our clients to go beyond just talking about features and functionality:

Show the Problem, Then the Solution
Figure out how to show the media the problem. It’s easy to tell them about it, but use video, infographics or unique research to illustrate the point and make them feel the problem. Only then are you ready to tell them about the solution. We did this with BitDefender by creating some amazing videos to introduce their 2011 product line.

Do the Opposite
Look at how most companies announce products and then do the opposite. Most companies aren’t going to get rid of their press releases (nor should they, since journalists do use them) but think about the press release as the last step. Instead, think about other launch models; for example, invite select customers to use the new product and let them announce it. Take Spotify, a popular European online music service. Instead of just offering the service in the US, the company is building buzz by offering select invites in the US market. This “in crowd” will generate amazing word-of-mouth, helping the company gain momentum in the States.

Be Timely, Really
Tie the product to industry trends by using what’s going on in the world to reinforce why this product matters. Sounds simple, but it’s not done enough.

What other product launch ideas have worked for you or have you wanted to try? What should companies be doing to re-launch the launch?

What CMOs (Don't) Want From Their Agencies

Last week at our annual company offsite in SF, we hosted a CMO panel to get right to the crux of what it’s like to be a chief marketer – what they really want from us, and what drives them nuts.  The panelists were Joelle Kaufman from Clarizen, Natalie McCullough from ServiceSource, and Carl Tsukahara from ClairMail.  Joelle and Natalie are current clients, Carl is a long time partner and past client.  

Here is what stood out the most to me, a mix of great reminders and new insights for all agencies and communicators.  With heightened engagement and the ability to measure just about anything, the opportunities to have a relationship with your prospect and your customer today are endless – and exciting.  But being a CMO today is hard.  The pressure on marketing is enormous.  Joelle from Clarizen said, “We’re all in the growth business, so if you can do something to contribute meaningfully to that growth that’s all that matters.  That’s all I spend my time doing everyday, figuring out how we’re going to grow the company today.”  

In addition to visible contributions to growth, the suggestion was made that agencies need to self-audit more and to use the language and metrics of the CMO (not the agency).  Hits, coverage and leads are almost meaningless – what would be most meaningful is a metric of awareness and reputation.  Ah…the great measurement challenge that all agencies are trying to tackle!

Our panelists’ other big challenges are time, talent and focus.  

 

• Time constraints are common to all of us, especially in the frenetic tech industry.  But what can slow a chief marketer down is deciphering the signal from the noise and staying focused on the signal within their time constraints.  
• Regarding talent, the challenge is to find the great leaders underneath the CMO so they don’t have to make all of the decisions.  
• Focus is all about prioritization.  And often once you get internal or community alignment around what you choose to prioritize, the market changes!  

And what drives CMOS bananas?  Here are our panelists’ agency pet peeves:

• The bait and switch – we’ve heard this one hundreds of times, but it bites when senior people do the pitch but don’t participate long term.  
• Mediocre release drafts – if you need more time to make it a great piece of writing, just ask for it. 
• Lack of follow through on ideas – speak up when you’re getting disconnected from the client and the players who can help you make things happen.
• Playing it safe – CMOs need their agency to be edgy and out in front of the business.  Joelle said it better: “Do not kiss my ass, ever.  I don’t pay you to be nice.  Fight with me, push me, keep me accountable.”

As part of the discussion, we also previewed the initial findings from a study we just conducted with our partner Kelton Research.  The CMO Challenge – to be released in July – surveyed almost 300 senior marketers and interviewed several CMOs across industries to uncover the myths, barriers and opportunities around integrated digital communications.  Stay tuned for that study in a few weeks!

 

20 Thoughts for 20 Years

...I've actually had more than 20 thoughts in 2 decades but here are the ones that have come back the most often as friendly reminders and occasionally, to haunt me.   Enjoy.

1. If you don't have a plan, you don't know where you are going.  Have, and share a vision, make sure people can repeat it, understand it and believe it.   Have goals that resonate with your employees or clients.   And communicate your progress against them, often and through multiple means.  Remember, plans can change.  Just communicate the new plan and why a different one was necessary. 

2.  Hope is not a strategy.  Plan for the worst, hope for the best.  Have a back-up plan. Hoping for good times won’t make the bad times go away.  Be prepared to get through them.

 3.  Most business problems are like a jigsaw puzzle, you have to find the right pieces and put them in the right sequence. I used to be very emotional about things that happened in the business: an employee leaving, an unhappy client, etc.  Take the emotion out and visualize each situation as part of one big puzzle. Lastly, watch out for those puzzle pieces that look like they fit but don’t.  If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

4.  There are always 3 sides to every story.  Yours,  theirs and some where in between.  Learn to operate in between. There are infinitely more shades of gray than just black and white.  Most things in life and business are not black and white.  Learn to live with gray.

5. Know what you don’t know. Whether you are 30 or 80, there is always something that you don’t know.  Humility is an endearing quality: if you don’t know something go research it. If you cant find the answer, ask someone, or just make it up.   

6.  It’s not about you.  It’s about everyone else. Leave your ego at the door.  When making tough decisions, you can’t think about what you want. It’s what’s the best for your team or client.  Making the right decision may be very unpopular in the short run, but may be what is right for the company in the long run.

7.  If you don’t ask, you don’t get. If you want a raise, justify it, and ask for it.  If you want to win a piece of new business, tell the client you want it.  Why not?  Most people spend their lives not saying what they really want or believe in and they end up unfulfilled.  Ask.  The worst is you get a “no” and some new-found respect for your courage.

8.  Your integrity is all you have. Life is too short to compromise your values or that of your colleagues.  Life is also too short to work with jerks.  Get rid of them.  There are plenty of fish in the sea.

9. Leadership is a lot about listening and talking about the things that people want to say but don’t. If people would just stop talking so much, they might hear what is really going on.  It’s really hard to listen to things you don’t want to hear, but if you want to be a leader, you have to learn to listen.  Then, gently, address those things others are afraid to say.

10.  It’s not over till the check clears the bank. I don’t care if it’s in the mail.  I don’t care if Joe is giving me “his word”. It’s just not over till the check clears the bank.

11.  “No.” There are some things that are just not feasible, or realistic.  Don’t feel like you have to say yes to everything to please someone.  Be honest.  Say, “No, I can’t do that now, but I can do it later…” Or give some parameters around what might be possible.

12.  Don’t look at what’s there, look for what’s missing. When devising a strategy for a client, or writing a document, assess it after you feel you have finished.  What is missing that would really make a difference?  Also called exception management, look for those things that are not present, not just the checkmarks in each box.  

13.  Take the high road, even when it REALLY hurts. You don’t need to have the last word.  You don’t need to make the other person feel bad.  Deep inside they know anyway.  Some day, you’ll meet them again. Why make it awkward?  Who knows, you might need them at some point.

14.  Positive. Energy. There are two kinds of people in this world: people with positive energy and everybody else.  Nothing will get done with a negative attitude.  If you think life sucks it will.  So join the team, and dream along.  If you don’t believe, leave.

 15. If something feels wrong, it is. Trust your gut, always, always.  There is something to that intuition. Learn to trust it, and listen to it.   

16.  Life is not about achieving balance. It is about the choices you make. You can schedule your day full of meetings, be late to all of them and come home exhausted with nothing left for your family or friends.  Remember, it’ll all be there for you tomorrow.  You’re not in a race.  And also, decide between what is important and what is urgent.  Not everything is urgent.  Take care of what is important first.

17.  Admit mistakes. Learn from them. Try hard not to make them again. Almost 50% of the time we learn by adding new information to our brains.  The other 50% we learn from making mistakes and understanding how to not make them again.  Be honest about them. 

18.  Be smart. Be kind. Be generous. Be curious.  And never, EVER, let anyone or anything get in your way. Especially for women in business– there will be obstacles in your lives and careers.  But nothing is insurmountable.  You can always find a way to work around something, or get around someone.  There is nothing that can stop you unless you let it.

19.  If you are not happy with the way things are, go out and change them. Whining is the worst.  Complaining even worse. Make your time doing any task worthwhile… and make a positive impact.

20.  Know when to put the toe tag on it. When you’ve explored all options and tried all avenues, cut your losses and move on.  You’ll never win if you try and fit a square peg in a round hole.  And you’ll lose precious time fixating on something that will never work.  

"Duck Hunting" with Tom Foremski, Silicon Valley Watcher

This week I'm pleased to share a recent video interview from our Innovator Series with Tom Foremski, Editor of Silicon Valley Watcher. http://vimeo.com/24227420

Horn Group Innovator Series - Tom Foremski, Editor of Silicon Valley Watcher from Horn Group on Vimeo.

In this clip, Tom talks about how being a CMO is the toughest job in a company because everything is so fragmented. He also talks about how Silicon Valley has evolved into a media business and his thoughts on the social distribution of mass media. Tom, like other thought leaders, feels we haven't yet fully realized the potential impact of the Internet, culturally, socially, economically and globally and that we are just scratching the surface.  Thanks Tom, for your insights and consistently excellent reflections on the heartbeat of Silicon Valley.

Social Media Infiltrates the Newsroom and Optimism Returns to Journalism According to Fourth Annual Oriella Study

This morning, we launched our annual Oriella Digital Journalism Study. This is the fourth time we have
carried out the project since launching in 2008 and this year’s study yielded the most interesting results to date. A key trend was the extent to which social media has infiltrated the newsroom.

For the first time this year, we asked about the tools journalists use to source and verify their stories. Unsurprisingly, the reliance on established sources remains strong, with 61% using the PR agency and 58% using corporate spokespeople. However, what was notable was the new use of social media. 47% used Twitter and 35% used Facebook to source their stories. The blogosphere was also highly valued with 30% using blogs they know to source new story leads. However, a surprisingly high 42% of journalists also looked to blogs they didn’t know.

For the verification stage, the results were slightly lower, but a significant amount still turned to social media, despite its tendency to spread false rumours – a third used Twitter and a quarter used Facebook.The internal use of social media has also helped to shape media outlets' output. For the first time, the number of outlets that offered a Twitter feed and journalist-authored blogs exceeded 50% (55% and 54% respectively). The use of video has also increased significantly with 48% of media outlets now offering this channel. The impact of social was just one of the topics covered in our study – aspects such as audience, revenues, quality and job satisfaction have all been covered.

All the results can be found on our sister site dedicated to the study – do check it out and let us know what you think of the findings.

Video Interview with Ann Winblad, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners

In this week's Innovator Series interview, I talked with Ann Winblad, Founder and Managing Partner of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners in San Francisco.

Horn Group Innovator Series - Ann Winblad, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners from Horn Group on Vimeo.

What I admire about Ann is how she, and her firm, have stayed the course over so many years, investing in interesting technology companies run by smart, hard driving executives.  In this interview, she talks about how the venture model has changed, and what gets her excited, as well as some special advice for CMOs and entrepreneurs alike.

 

Digital Communications at Its Best

I’m so honored and excited to announce that The Holmes Report today named Horn Group its Technology Agency of the Year.  The need for digital communications is bigger now than ever and PR pros must embrace a much broader spectrum of offerings, hire different people, and think differently. All companies (not just those in the tech industry) can solve their communications problems with this broader approach. Congratulations to everyone - this award epitomizes our “one team, one dream” philosophy - none of our success would be possible without all of our clients, employees, media and friends in the industry! And thanks Holmes Report for looking under the hood at what we’ve been up to.

We are having completely different conversations with our clients about how we can address their business and marketing challenges. Take online advertising verification company DoubleVerify, for example. DoubleVerify wanted to rejuvenate its brand with an overhaul to its website and corporate identify. Horn Group helped DoubleVerify establish its presence as a leader in the online ad verification space with a new website, explanatory video, new print advertising, and media coverage in the advertising trades and business press alike. In this case, the PR launch was somewhere in the mix, preceded by a new website with revised messaging, a social strategy and more, all under one roof. This is digital communications at its best.

 

David Moore on 24/7 Real Media and the Future of Internet Marketing

This week I'm proud to share a recent interview with Dave Moore, Founder, Chairman and CEO of 24/7 Real Media.  

Horn Group Innovator Series - David J. Moore of 24/7 Real Media from Horn Group on Vimeo.

I've gotten to know Dave over the last several years and he's been a wonderful friend, colleague, and mentor. I admire his skills at running 24/7 Real Media over time.  He's weathered and met many challenges in his career, from navigating his company through the first Internet bubble and burst, the sale of his company to WPP, and the last recession and recovery through the transformation of the advertising industry.  In this interview, he talks about where he sees internet marketing going, his own role and vision for the space, his thoughts on where the communications industry is going, pay walls, and more.  Thanks Dave for your leadership. Your glass is always half full and you inspire all of us!

 

Geoff Moore on The Future of Business

As part of our 20th year in business, we decided to launch "The Innovator Series": informal video chats with some of the industry's most prominent executives and influencers we've had the pleasure of doing business with over the years. Here now, the first, with Silicon Valley business guru and long time Horn Group friend Geoffrey Moore.

In this interview, I asked Geoff to look in his crystal ball and share his thoughts on what innovations have had the most impact on the future of business.  I agree when he says, "I think we still underestimate what the Internet has done to our world... and that it has become an emotional medium, not just an intellectual medium." In this interview he also shares the subject of his upcoming new book, as well as how the venture model is changing, how companies must evolve from competitive to collaborative cultures, the nature of bubbles, and how "crossing the chasm" has changed forever (among other topics!).

Thank you Geoff, your contributions to business and to leadership continue to shape the industry, you are an inspiration and a true visionary.

Can Austin Sustain SXSW Interactive? Please, I Hope So…

I’m recovering this morning in Austin, Texas, coffee in hand, after spending the past several days hiking downtown Austin to soak in as much of the South by Southwest Interactive experience as possible. And I’m exhausted.

SXSW celebrated its 25^th anniversary this year with another 30-40% growth in Interactive attendance. That’s to be expected – we’re all seeing investment come back to events, along with other signs the economy is eeking its way back – but 2011’s Interactive growth is on top of about the same 30-40% growth in 2010. 

In response to last year’s growth – and instead of capping registration or the number of sessions – SXSW organizers spread the interactive conference across 10 venues. What works really well for SXSW music – Austin’s concentration of great music venues downtown which, importantly, are a stone’s throw from one another – just didn’t translate to this year’s miles-apart approach to the interactive venue selection. 

The thought was to group related content within a venue, which works in theory, but I was bummed I didn’t have the option to catch half of two sessions this year – because, according to Google Maps, it’s a 32-minute walk from the venue hosting sessions on the future of journalism to the one where sessions on the social graph (with several interesting case study discussions) were held.  Or, about 18 minutes from either of these venues to the convention center for keynotes and some more developer-minded content.

I love Austin – I spent my college years here (hook ‘em!) and eight years working in technology communications. But I can’t imagine the city supporting another 30-40% growth in interactive attendees in 2012 without revisiting the structure or length of the conference. But, until we find that out, I wanted to share a few tips with you while they’re fresh:

• Rent a bike – there are pedicabs and some shuttles, but not enough of either
• Bring a power strip, and be the most popular person in any session you attend – aside from the keynote rooms, there were no more than 6 outlets in any session
• Plan your days with a city map in-hand
• You’ll likely only hit half of what you plan
• The SXSW website, as of 2011, made it unreasonably difficult to select sessions, but I hear the official SXSW iPad app was great
• There’s a lot of talk of “influence” during this show, but not of real or thoughtful relationships – these ought to mean the same thing, but I’m not sure they do at SXSW
• The weekend sessions are really crowded, and the content on weekdays seemed better
• Parties are overtaking sessions, and there’s a lot of corporate dough rolling in – HP’s mobile park hosted musicians and artists, and daily happy hours, in a really cool space

I did manage to attend several worthwhile sessions at SXSW this year – most notably around social measurement, a timely topic that we talk with our clients about a lot.  Panelists from a session late yesterday will share their presentation this week, so I’ll share more on that soon. But, in short, these discussions revolved around accessing more of the Twitter “fire hose,” automating relevant social monitoring, and the metrics that should matter.

Did you attend SXSW this year?  I’m curious to know what y’all think! (and, thanks Joe Chernov from Eloqua for the 25th anniversary infographic – I’m a big fan of the content!) 

The New 'Media Consumption' and the Impact on PR

This blog post originally appeared on PRNewser on February 28, 2011.

 

The Next Generation of Media Consumption

When Apple unveiled its rules for publishers and its subscription plans for apps, the media coverage was relentless. Many media companies have been hedging their digital bets waiting to see exactly what Apple’s plan would entail and their initial opinions on the announcement were sharply divided.

Apple taking a 30 percent cut from publishers and requiring subscribers to “opt in” to share contact info and other details were the biggest points of discussion.

It will certainly be interesting to watch where the debate goes from here. Unlike Apple’s behind-closed-doors negotiations with major music companies for digital music sales via the iTunes store, Apple’s subscription plan details were very public. Obviously, they had to be public. Apple couldn’t negotiate one-on-one with every single publisher or app developer.

Will Apple blink? Who knows? If a major app developer with an Angry Birds level of popularity pulled its app, Apple would have to decide if its platform could withstand enough high-level defections. And, the impact of the new subscription plan on Amazon’s popular Kindle app is still very unclear.

Every digital content pundit and expert has noted the lackluster iBookstore sales and popularity vs. Amazon’s Kindle app. Is Apple willing to piss off a large share of its users simply to enforce its new subscription plan as currently stated? And, if federal regulators start asking questions about Apple’s subscription demands relative to its initial success with the iPad, will Apple take a red pencil to their plans?

One thing is absolutely certain regardless of what happens in the next 18-24 months – the meteoric success of Apple’s iPad has introduced the next generation of media consumption.

Before we’re accused of being Apple fanboys, it’s simply a fact that Apple sold twice the number of iPads in 2010 than even the most rosy Wall Street analyst predicted it would sell. And, while Apple has a formidable lead as of today, we all know how market domination can quickly evaporate in a constantly changing tech industry. Android, webOS and Windows Mobile tablets will arrive late. But, when they do arrive, they’ll be available in a plethora of form factors and styles.

This next generation of media consumption, ushered in by Apple’s iPad, will have long-ranging impact on public relations. People crave media in all forms and the rise of tablet computers will make it easier for consumers to purchase and consume media where and when they want to – eMagazines, news, radio, videos, music and interesting combinations of all the above.

In addition, tablet computers will extend media consumption in ways that some have alluded to, but not many people have focused on – spreading technology to demographics currently underserved by digital media. Numerous YouTube videos of very young toddlers excitedly operating iPads have been uploaded. Despite attempts at simple operating systems, the iPad has delivered on that promise – a device that anyone can operate regardless of age or previous computer experience.

And, ironically, forms of journalism that many feared dead – long-form journalism included –  will return. Increasingly, people are comfortable reading full-length books on their tablet computers; and, Amazon recently introduced Amazon Singles – the equivalent of novellas or long magazine articles.

Today, the discussion is about compensation for digital content, but those compensation issues will get worked out. They’ll get worked out because there is consumer demand to be met.

And, who is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the 24/7 news cycle for digital content? PR professionals – either through media coverage of your clients in earned media or through content creation on behalf of your clients.

What are your plans for utilizing the new digital media distribution channels on behalf of your clients?

3 Tips to Help Build Your Brand with Online Video

In the second part of our series on online video, we have compiled our top three tips to help marketers and communicators build their brand with video.

Check out our video below, and if you are interested in exploring what video can do for your brand, give us a call today!

Tips to help you get the most out of your online video content from Horn Group on Vimeo.

 

Moderating Conference Panels 101

My mom told me when I first registered for high school classes that I needed to take a public speaking course—that public speaking was an art that needed constant practice. From where I sit now, I’ve watched plenty of great speakers and plenty who probably wish they’d been with me in that public speaking class. But having attended a few industry trade shows recently I’m left wondering, where was the class on how to moderate a panel discussion?

Jeremiah Owyang of Altimeter Group and David Spark of Spark Media Solutions have both written extensively on how to best moderate panels and their advice is as important as it is basic:

• Don’t let panelists talk too much about themselves, jump right into the content
• Create debate and controversy because agreement makes for a boring session
• If there’s a loudmouth, reign him in
• Never accept market generalization, push panelists to talk specifically
• Don’t end with a prediction question, it never yields anything valuable

From my comfortable seat in the audience, I usually want two simple things from a panel discussion: to jump right into the content and to never feel like I’m being lulled to sleep. In a recent conversation with Digiday’s Corey Kronengold, he expressed similar sentiments and offered these important tips to moderators:  

• How to open a discussion: Your first question should include the title of the session; it’s amazing how many people get that wrong!
• Keep things moving: Remind participants that story time is for the cocktail party or the reception hall—people tend to get caught up in their own ideas by telling stories instead of answering questions directly.

At Horn Group, we’ve learned that thought leadership is an essential tenant to any client’s public relations program.  Our CEO Sabrina Horn makes a good point, though, by noting that all any audience wants is to be entertained.  So while any successful moderator will prepare multiple topical questions to guide the discussion, keep a lighthearted question in your back pocket too. Something as simple as what industry jargon drives panelists crazy will do the trick!

There may be no high school class on how to moderate panel discussions effectively, but these tips offer a great cheat sheet for any first-time moderator. What obstacles have you faced as a moderator? Do you have any other great tips? If so, leave me a comment here!

For further reading on how to effectively moderate panel discussions, check out these links:

• Recommendations for Moderator, David Speak, Spark Media Solutions
• How to be a Great Moderator, Guy Kawasaki
• How to Successfully Moderate a Conference Panel, Jeremiah Owyang, Altimeter Group

In the Online Ad Space, PR Is Valuable Currency

This post by Ben Billingsley also appeared here in DIGIDAY last Friday, February 11.  

In the crowded, competitive online advertising market, companies must communicate with laser precision in order to thrive. Whether it’s growing the customer base, establishing thought leadership, differentiating from competitors or making a lucrative exit, strategic communications and execution matters in this fast-paced, crowded industry. While the technology is of course  critical, engineering-lead digital ad companies often dismiss the value of PR. And those same companies wonder why a less-elegant technology is winning mind-share and dollars. But companies that win in this space combine a great solution with smart marketing and PR to help build their profile within the industry.

Traditional marketing can be used for lead generation, but PR is still one of the best ways to differentiate and establish thought leadership. Drawing from our experience working with Right Media, Adify, Associated Content, PointRoll, Coremetrics and dozens of others, we’ve established a few best practices that use few of the tenants of online advertising – targeting, killer creative, and optimization – as analogies for smart PR execution. Alongside your own product innovation, these tactics can noticeably impact the bottom-line for marketers. 

Targeting

The days of grabbing a list of reporters and firing off a press release with no attention to detail as to why each one should care about what you're sending are over. Relationships matter. Retweeting a reporter's story does not mean you have a relationship. Have you identified the top 10 reporters that should be writing about your company? Who is writing consistently about your competition?

Killer Creative

The analogy here refers to developing your own original content. Branded content published on multiple platforms can simplify and differentiate your message and help you establish thought leadership. There are lots of ways to create killer PR content beyond the classic press release and here are some suggestions.

• Thought leadership means being an expert on industry trends and issues and can be approached in several ways: speaking at industry events, writing a well read blog discussing relevant issues vs. solely touting your products and services, curating industry content, and bylined articles in industry media.
• Data-driven PR – Reporters thrive on data. Most media covering the digital advertising industry don’t have the resources to conduct independent research studies. They rely on industry data, surveys, and reports to augment their reporting. And this kind of materials can be conveyed as infographics that have great media and audience appeal.
• Social media – Don’t make social media a separate bullet in your strategy. Social media should be baked into everything you do to publicize and market your company.

Optimization

PR is a frequency medium. If a company announces a new digital advertising service and then waits months to follow up with more news, they will get very little attention. But I’m not advocating weekly press releases to create the rolling thunder effect. News and content need to be optimized for each format and thoughtfully timed to create a consistent and credible presence.

In today's 24/7 news cycle, product and company announcements have a shelf-life of just days. At the same time, ad tech companies are constantly iterating on their products and services. It's hard to roll up those constant changes into the “2.0 release” typical of shrink-wrapped software, but you need to benchmark progress and communicate product-level details to media. Stagger your news with engaging content for more traction with the media. (And yes, by “media” I mean everything –“traditional” newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, but also blogs, podcasts, video Q&As, and more).

PR in all its forms can be key in establishing your brand and unique value within the digital advertising ecosystem. How is PR currently working for your digital advertising company?

Trends in the Magazine Publishing Industry

Two trends in the magazine publishing industry from Horn Group on Vimeo.

If you'd like more information on these trends, I suggest checking out this recent article from Advertising Age. It's also worth noting The Daily's launch this month and how iPad only newspapers and magazines will affect the publishing industry. 

 

4 Reasons to Add Online Video to Your Marketing & Communications Strategy

Hello and welcome to Horn Group's new series on online video best practices!

At Horn Group, we know seeing is believing and we’re big proponents of using video to get messages across. Our Interactive Design practice even has a specific focus on creating compelling videos to help clients maximize audience engagement. 

Check out our video on the top four reasons we recommend you start using video in your communications strategy today – and if you need help or want to work with a partner to start achieving success with video – feel free to give us a ring!

If you are looking to see what other leading brands are doing creatively with online video - check out some of these examples:

• Old Spice “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”
• Evian “LiveYoung”
• Blend Tec “Will It Blend?” 

One Team, One Dream: Reflecting on Twenty Years in Business

This is our 20^th year in business. I figure that deserves at least one good blog post. 

 In1991, we had one mantra: “Pride Passion and Results”.  It was our theme, our tagline.  Nothing stood in our way.  Technology was different then.  It was about the beginning of enterprise software and intelligent PCs.  Journalism was different too.  There were lots and lots of magazines and newspapers that people were happy to pay for.  PR was different.  There were 5 page press releases with long quotes from CEOs, and not much in the way of visuals except for maybe a photo of the CEO that required a “negative” or even a “transparency.”  We worked with 100s of companies and 1000s of great people.  Most of our clients made it, creating new markets and building new categories along way, changing the way we people live and work.   At the end of the day, our goal was to solve our clients’ communication problems by elevating their awareness, leveraging their customers’ testimonials, and showcasing their products’ value.

We’ve always strived to be a great place to work where people work hard during the day, and know they can go home and focus on their families.  It’s an entrepreneurial place…  “If you don’t know the answer to something, go ask somebody, and if they don’t, just make it up!”  I have a strong distaste for politics, I find it gets in the way of getting things done, and I encourage an environment of open communication, accountability and always, teamwork.  Results of course, are what have kept us in business, and we won lots awards for amazing campaigns and outcomes.  It was fulfilling, and it made us feel proud of our work.

Today, a lot of things are different, but a lot is still the same.  Technology is about a new generation of enterprise software (SaaS), and about the digital and social platforms for communication, shopping, and information sharing.  There are a lot fewer magazines and newspapers that people don’t want to pay for and the publishing industry is scrambling to reinvent itself, including the journalists who cover more beats than a Smorgasbord in Scandinavia.  The press release has been transformed into a digital medium that is alive, visual and in living color. Communication is all about transparency and two-way dialogue.  We work with lots of great companies and people who are still creating new markets and impacting our lives and places of business in meaningful ways.  Now we focus on solving our clients’ business problems through a beautiful blending of PR, social media and interactive design and even advertising services.  It’s sophisticated, it’s interesting, and it’s a lot more about marketing than just “getting the ink.”

Twenty years later, it’s still all about taking pride in our work, loving our business and delivering kick ass results.  We are after all, one team of amazing people http://www.facebook.com/pages/Horn-Group-Inc/104301055120 behind one common goal, one dream:  to be the best, make a difference, and to learn something along the way.  Nothing stands in our way.  Happy anniversary to all those who were there along the way: our friends, employees, clients, and media.  It has been my distinct pleasure to have worked with you all, and here's to many more years of making dreams come true. -- Sabrina

 

 

Watch Out PR People, the iPad-Only Paper is Here

The buzz has been building and PR people have been wondering…when will News Corp.’s iPad-only newspaper, The Daily launch? The answer arrived today – The Daily will hit newsstands, or rather screens, on Wednesday, February 2. According to PC Magazine, News Corp. sent out launch event invitations to the press this morning. 

From a PR perspective this news is huge, offering both journalists and clients a new platform to deliver content. Given News Corp. and Apple’s collaboration, The Daily is sure to be heavy on graphics, audio and video. The delivery method will demand a different kind of content and journalists there will be hungry to satisfy the craving. PR professionals have an opportunity to work with clients to supply this more visual content, whether it’s video, infographics, photos or interactive data. The Daily will also demand PR professionals to rethink company story angles, what’s newsworthy and pitch/content delivery. The new platform also creates more demand for PR firms with interactive design and creative development capabilities. In fact, these changes could force PR firms to evolve out of their traditional roots. 

Aside from changes in content, The Daily and future tablet publications will allow PR professionals to access a specific audience segment – tech-savvy consumers and business professionals. Going forward (or until everyone uses a tablet), the delivery method of news will matter just as much as the content in terms of reaching your target audience. This is very exciting stuff, especially if you represent technology companies! 

What other changes will PR professionals need to consider as The Daily and other tablet-only publications hit the market? Drop me a line if you have ideas.  

 

C’mon FTC, What the Problem At? – Part 2

Last week, I took a look at why it was fallacy to compare the FTC’s Do Not Track recommendations with Do Not Call. This week, USA Today outlined how this could “revolutionize” the industry. Looks like the issue continues to boil as the Commerce Department is now jumping into the fray with its own recommendations, as reported in WSJ and NY Times. Its call to create a “Privacy Bill of Rights” for online consumers makes a lot of sense because it is centered on transparency, rather than blocking. It’s very similar to how individuals can request credit reports to see what financial companies see about them.

 

However, what would happen if the FTC succeeds in creating a do-not-track list? What would happen to the $20 billion online ad industry? Here are some predictions:

 

+         Re-emphasis on big media: Big media companies will be relevant again for their command of their audience. We’d see a shift to more “media” buying instead of audience, where advertisers will go to the people they trust… Gannett, NY Times, Time Warner, Disney… the names we all know and love. This will have resonating effects. Big media will have to adopt measurement practices that were more common in traditional media buying (consumer surveys), and companies that enable this could see more growth.

+         Consolidation of sites and small publishers: Smaller sites that previously had an effective standalone monetization strategy on selling audience could end up partnering with brand name publishers whose sales force can better monetize these sites by selling direct to advertisers. Large publishers will be more willing to paste their name on these small sites because of the need for more direct sales of inventory. Or these small sites could just go out of business.

+         Ad networks will still be around: Considering that very few people opt-out of tracking even when it is presented to them clearly, not everyone will sign up for a Do Not Track list. This list could still narrow the potential for ad network business, but there will still be enough spend in audience targeting that ad networks can still thrive – although there may be less than 300 of them after all is said and done. Additionally, the ones with higher audience reach could command a premium because supply could be scarce.

+         Ad networks get down with The Hill: Legislation is a long process and we could see more ad networks and other targeting companies use more resources for lobbying in order to protect their interests. The IAB is doing a great job representing the industry in DC, and we may see even more support for its efforts in the next couple of years.

+         More new segments: Online advertising will still have inefficiencies and there will continue to be new companies in new segments aiming to improve it. If the industry can’t target audience, it will target something else. We’re already seeing a renewed effort in deep-packet-inspection among cable companies. Content- and semantic-based efforts from folks like ContextWeb, OpenAmplify and Peer39 are continuing to improve.

 

The online ad industry has constantly proven that smart minds will find opportunities and problems to solve despite the enormous challenges of the business environment. Despite what a Do Not Track list could do, entrepreneurs, technologists, and VCs will find ways to innovate and capitalize. Therefore, we’ll all still have jobs… I hope.

 

Changing Reading Habits Mean New PR Tactics

Today I came across an excellent 2010 trend story by Richard MacManus of ReadWriteWeb. MacManus makes the case that online reading habits have changed during 2010 due to Web trends such as mobile apps, real-time Web and social networking developments. If he’s right (and I do think he’s onto something), then PR tactics should also change. 

One of the best examples has to do with Facebook and the news search functionality they added in September. Through Facebook’s basic search you can find widely “liked” news from all kinds of media outlets. The new feature has to make Google a little nervous because aside from pulling up stories, Facebook’s search vets results with what people “like.” So how can PR capitalize on this? 

PR pros should recommend their clients add “like” buttons next to coverage their company hosts in the online newsroom. Having “like” buttons next to coverage is just another touch point and way to increase visibility. It also makes it that much easier for people to share company content via Facebook. 

What other PR tactics come out of MacManus’s observations about 2010 reading habits? Love to hear your thoughts. 

 

 

 

C'mon FTC, What the Problem At? -- Part 1

The other day, I jokingly said to a friend that the side benefits for working at Google would be free access to their search engine, YouTube videos and Gmail. I'm recalling this now to make a point -- the Internet is free, yet it is not free.

You may have seen the latest take from NY Times regarding the FTC’s proposal for a “Do-Not-Track” list. This particular piece points out the negative impact a ruling like this could mean for online publishers.

There are shortcomings of using “Do-Not-Call” as a philosophical model for “Do-Not-Track.” Here is why relating the two is a mistake:

+         The nature of communication and delivery: Do-Not-Call was designed to stop an intrusive way of marketing. People did not look at their phones as an ‘ok’ channel of reaching them for marketing. The fact that they pay for phone service makes them even more annoyed that companies are using it to sell them something. By contrast media consumption (whether it is online, TV, or print) is a form of engagement we dictate. When we look at media, we implicitly say it is ok to advertise to us there because we, as consumers, know it is a give an take – give me content for free (or low-cost) and you can take my eyeballs and sell it to your advertisers.

+         The calls come at the worst time of day: Telemarketers always call at the most inopportune moment in people’s lives – when they are home and they want downtime or just a general break from a busy workday. It is a time when we don’t have 15 or 30 seconds to spare. In online advertising, you only need a couple of seconds to consume an ad. Plus, most of it is passive consumption and when you actually like an ad, you have the choice to spend more of your time on it. There is no such thing as an online ad coming at the worst time of day.

+         The calls were untargeted: Most telemarketers get their information from lists where most consumers have no idea how they got on those lists in the first place. This results in a very untargeted call. In contrast, most online ads have optimization that helps identify what users are interested in. There will be times when users see random ads, but this is quite different experience from getting the random telemarketer call constantly – which is what most people had to deal with before Do-Not-Call.

+         The experience sucked: Many telemarketing companies hire low-paid workers with little training to speak with customers to sell them something. It’s a bad formula and makes for a bad experience. Meanwhile, online advertising is constantly trying new ways to engage consumers. It doesn’t always work, but tons of investment and technology have been put into online advertising to make the experience great, and we are seeing examples of that through ads that incorporate more interactivity and better visuals for users. Or maybe it’s as simple as serving an ad with the right message consumers want.

People, the Internet is not free. You get free content in exchange for getting ads. The more data publishers have on users, the higher they can charge for those ads. If publishers don’t make money from highly targeted ads, they could run out of business, and your free content goes away. Then advertisers will definitely not be able to track you.

In part 2, I’ll lay out a scenario where Do-Not-Track comes into effect, and what may become of the industry because of it. 

Timing Your Facebook Outreach; It Does Matter

Recently I’ve been doing more Facebook engagement on behalf of clients. It got me thinking: when are people most likely to see a post from my client’s page or when should I message group admins?

A recent study by Vitrue, as reported by Mashable, answered my questions. It turns out the three biggest usage spikes usually occur on weekdays at 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. ET. Even though weekdays are steady, Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. ET is the busiest time consistently, while people are least active on Sundays.

So when should you post content for a client? The study found morning posts are the most effective and get the most attention, even though most people are surfing Facebook in the afternoon. More specifically, morning posts are 39.7 percent better for user engagement compared to afternoon posts.  

Knowing this, companies should follow these usage patterns to maximize engagement. The data also suggests knowing when your target users are on Facebook is essential for interacting with them. Following the usage ups and downs means communicating more effective messages.  

Now, if you don’t mind me, I have to post this link to Facebook to prepare for 3:00 p.m. surge! 

Caging a Tiger? Thoughts from the tech community on TechCrunch and AOL

Since its first post five years ago, TechCrunch has become one of the most influential media outlets in the tech community. There's been plenty of speculation about how AOL's purchase of TechCrunch will affect the editorial coverage. We decided to survey our community – tech companies, influencers and PR people – to gauge its response and present a collective view of what it people think is next for TechCrunch.  

Here is what the seven-question survey revealed.  

Caging a Tiger?  

Perhaps the biggest news is that 70 percent of the total respondents (almost 90 people) think TechCrunch will be less aggressive in their reporting.  With a parent company like AOL now responsible for any liability, it may not be the site that breaks the next Angelgate.  Not surprisingly, PR professionals were slightly more pessimistic that the site will lose it's aggressive nature (76 percent) than tech entrepreneurs (63 percent).

Many of the survey's comments reflected this concern:

I'm personally concerned about the fact that AOL is a public company and subject to SEC, FCC and other Fed regulations that will necessitate additional checks and balances when breaking new stories/blogposts.  It is a natural progression of things when a scrappy, aggressive startup is acquired by a larger, publicly owned corporation. 

Really feel like TechCrunch will not be TechCrunch any more. Writing will [probably] be highly curated and restrictive [because] of the parent [company] situation unfortunately... They were an indie that made it and a name for themselves in a few industries and now I'd fear they'll be looked at as corporate sellouts.  

Conversely, other respondents looked to the benefit's of AOL's engineering and sales expertise, along with the acquisition of Engadget for how AOL will treat its new property:  

Not sure how true, but Mike Arrington referenced all the ""headaches"" of running all of the TechCrunch properties. This should allow them to focus more resources/energy on generating good content.   

Engadget has been a part of AOL for years and still remains objective and even critical of AOL at times, I don't see how TC will be any different. 

Less Access to Information and A Question About Quality

TechCrunch is well-known for breaking news stories and its ability to get information about companies before the rest of the media. Here's what people think about how AOL's acquisition will impact TechCrunch's access to breaking news and industry scoops:

• 52% of respondents think the site will have less access to early information
• 35% don't think this will change
• 13% expect an improvement in access to scoops

When we break it down by audience, we find the PR community is slightly less pessimistic about the site's continued access to early information than tech entrepreneurs:  

Tech:

• Decline: 57%
• Improve: 3%
• No change: 40% 

PR: 

• Decline: 46%
• Improve: 22%
• No change: 32% 

Regarding quality of coverage:

• Only 10 percent expect an improvement in the quality of reporting
• 47 percent expect the quality to decline
• 43 percent said there will be no change

Working with PR 

TechCrunch is known for their resistance to covering news that's appeared in other outlets. Overwhelmingly this has resulted in the PR community offering the site exclusives on company news: 

• 76 percent of PR industry respondants have offered TechCrunch an exclusive
• 80 percent definitely or will likely offer TechCrunch an exclusive in the future
• 24 percent have never offered TechCrunch an exclusive and 20 percent will not do so in the future

What's next for Michael Arrington?  

While the survey didn't explicitly ask about how Michael's presence affects TechCrunch - the possibility he may leave was certainly on people's minds:  

Techcrunch's post-AOL success will depend on how Arrington's tenure plays out, and if he stays for the agreed-upon 3 years and successfully transfers his voodoo editorial skills to his successor.

  ...depends on how long Arrington sticks around -- and, for my part, I don't think he'll last very long. When he leaves, their access to scoops and their aggressiveness will decline. 

What's Next? 

While nobody can know exactly what's next, the tech community seems to think TechCrunch has a challenge ahead of them, but certainly nothing more daunting than becoming one of the most influential and widely-read technology blogs. Perhaps a survey comment sums it up best:  

I would hope with the added support of such a large company behind them, TechCrunch will be able to grow in the right direction. But as history shows, this type of oversight can sometimes stifle the one thing that makes a small company great. I guess we will see. 

Thanks to everyone who responded to the survey – it's valuable to get the collective view of the community. If you have thoughts about the results please share in the comments below. 

Survey Details:

Total Respondents - 89
Self Identified Industries:

• Public Relations / Communications 52%
• Technology 40%
• Other 8%

 

More on OMMA Global - Arianna Huffington's Keynote

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend Arianna Huffington’s keynote speech at OMMA Global. Huffington appeared in front of a packed house to start out day two of the conference. 

Huffington started out with some best practices she has deployed in the short five-year history of Huffington Post. Transparency is key. Data is great, but storytelling is better. Find the buried lead. Don’t examine a story through a left or right lens – look at it from a neutral perspective. 

Most notable was her point about staying true to your core principles while at the same time being open to adapting to new technologies. She advised the audience to stay on top of the Zeitgeist, because it is the way to move forward. Huffington practices what she preaches: the Huffington Post plans to launch a divorce section soon, and they are currently experimenting with hyperlocal sites, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Denver.  

Huffington’s opinion on how traditional media outlets will survive the digital age: embrace online. She notes the new media outlets that have prospered (HuffPo included) have taken cues from traditional methods of journalism – because it is not either print OR online – it is a hybrid of the two. 

She also stressed the reality of social media in our 24/7 news cycle world: we use it to find solutions to problems in real time. Everyone from Snooki to John McCain is tweeting (to each other, it seems). Huffington encouraged audience members to use social media for change: in the form of tweeting at United Airlines to change their policy of showing movies while passengers are trying to sleep. 

As an agency that follows the media industry closely, it seems like Huffington’s advice is on the right track. Embracing the characteristics that made traditional media companies successful in the past, such as quality journalism and loyal readers, will help them as they adapt with the times. Whether that means engaging with readers over Twitter or creating open comment forums, staying true to their core value proposition while adapting will be key in the media industry’s growth.

Horn Group MIXXing it Up

While Anthony spent some time this week at OMMA, I spent most of mine at the IAB's MIXX Conference & Expo. Horn Group had the exciting opportunity to experience Advertising Week from behind the scenes this year as we worked with the IAB to help support the conference and the MIXX Awards. Overall, MIXX was a wildly successful event, with rooms packed from beginning to end.

As usual, the biggest players in the industry used MIXX as a platform to announce important initiatives, like Twitter announcing its "Promoted Accounts," AOL announcing its Project Devil plan and Google promising changes to display ads. The IAB itself also unveiled several projects and research, including its industry-wide competition to develop brand-friendly ad formats, the first "Targeting Local Markets" and "Digital Audio Advertising Overview" reports and an overview of how IAB committees and councils are driving the digital marketing ecosystem.

The conference closed with the prestigious MIXX Awards Gala on Tuesday night, where our CEO Sabrina Horn had the honor of co-presenting the gold, silver and bronze awards in the Product Launch category. Big shout-out to Horn Group client PointRoll, which swept the Rich Media Display Category -- its clients won the gold, silver and bronze awards.

It was incredibly fulfilling to see so many Horn Group clients and friends there,whether as attendees, sponsors, award nominees or case studies. We work with amazing people and companies, and this was their week to shine. It has been a great MIXX (get it?) of learning, networking and, of course, celebrating. Like IAB Chairman David Moore said in his remarks on Tuesday, we work in the greatest industry in the world -- enough said.



Observations on OMMA Global

This week is Advertising Week in NYC. On Monday and Tuesday, my colleagues and I made it to both IAB MIXX (full disclosure: IAB is a client) and OMMA Global. Personally, I spent most of my time at OMMA and here are some initial observations.

 

The free model works for conferences. OMMA presented a great lineup of speakers and gave it away for free. The morning general sessions that I attended were packed, especially Arianna Huffington’s keynote on Tuesday. My guess is that a significant amount of people in the industry in NYC decided that free networking and free sessions were worth their time.

 

Exhibit placement and design matters. It’s always important to get your sponsorships done early so you get the prime spaces – like right at the entrance of the exhibit floor. It’s worth it to be up front because some people will not take the time to explore every single space of the exhibit. Foot traffic is valuable. Plus, a great booth design is a must. Having simple and straightforward signage, with just marketing brochures to giveaway makes a company look uninteresting.

 

There is still mass confusion about intermediaries (ad networks, DSPs, sell side platforms, data companies, etc.). Plus, there is still a major love-hate relationship between these companies and the publishers and advertisers themselves. It feels like we’re all forced to like each other because it’s all one big sandbox for us to share – a sandbox worth billions, I might ad.

 

Reporters don’t really like having to travel back and forth to two conferences. The ones who cover the ad industry with smaller staffs have a difficult time managing their time in both conferences. As a PR practitioner having to do the same thing, I can sympathize.

 

Horn Group’s own PR is doing a good job. About 33% of the people I spoke with had positive feedback about Horn Group itself. It confirms that our name is out there in the industry and that the work we do for clients is resonating. In fact, if people had not heard about Horn Group, half of them know about the work we’ve done for clients. That’s the way we’d want it.

 

That’s it for now. If you’ve got other observations to share from OMMA or MIXX, please pass along.

 

 

PR Needs to Think Mobile

If someone asked me to give up my iPhone for a week the payout would have to be huge. I am addicted to the thing and love going online while out and about. And I am not the only one. According to the Mobile Marketing Association and Luth Research, one in four U.S. adults say “they plan to access the Web from their mobile device on a daily basis in the next year.”

Aside from checking email, accessing social networks and playing with new apps; people are making online purchases more and more. A survey by Experian Marketing Services found consumers use their phones to check prices (22 percent), research products (21 percent), and make purchases online (13 percent). Understanding the boom in mobile usage and the technology’s potential, PR professionals need to consider what this means for our clients and how to best advise them. 

More and more marketers are thinking in terms of mobile when it comes to websites, campaign micro-sites, and viral campaigns. PR professionals should be prepared to reiterate mobile-friendly web design while taking things a step further. Aside from a client’s website, PR professionals should also suggest mobile-friendly news rooms, whitepapers, and case studies.

Additionally, with the media landscape changing and social media continuing to grow there’s been a shift toward both user- and company-generated content. Companies are becoming their own media outlets with video, newsletters, corporate blogs and social media participation. All these outlets need to be mobile-friendly as well. The mobile boom also means agencies need to adapt and provide interactive design along with more traditional PR services so clients have access to digital design and mobile application development capabilities. At this point, digital capabilities are no longer a nice-to-have; they are a must-have for PR activities.

When it comes to mobile marketing and accessibility, what other suggestions to do you have? How can PR professionals better guide their clients? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Is Google Priority Inbox a PR Professional’s Worst Nightmare?

Last week Google announced their latest email feature, Google Priority Inbox. The Gmail enhancement aims to unclutter your inbox and sorts emails by importance. Essentially, Google crawls your email and decides what’s important then pushes those emails to the top of your inbox, while pushing less relevant emails lower down.

To some this sounds like a timesaver, but to the PR professional it sounds like a bad dream. Email is one of the essential channels we use to build media relationships, communicate the latest news and build awareness on our clients’ behalf. Having algorithms push our emails to the bottom of the heap means we must overcome another obstacle that stands between our information and journalists.

But PR professionals need not despair. Google Priority Inbox simply means good PR tactics will be even more essential. PR professionals will need to:

• Know the media landscape even better
• Have real relationships with key contact
• Send even more tailored pitches
• Think about using key words in pitches
• Create better subject lines
• Continue generating interesting and compelling ideas

Additionally, journalists haven’t been enamored with Google Priority Inbox. Adam Pash of Lifehacker found the feature useful for his personal email account, but when it came to his Lifehacker account (which receives hundreds of emails every day, according to Pash) Google Priority Inbox wasn’t reliable. Pash decided not to use the feature - for now anyway - because he couldn’t count on Google knowing his account well enough to decide what was important. He wasn’t convinced tweaking the preferences would ensure reliability for his high-volume account. Pash also commented on the situation’s irony since his Lifehacker account is where he needs sorting features the most.

Jefferson Graham of USA Today also reviewed the feature and said, “don't waste your time with it.” He concluded: “By letting Google make decisions about what's important, the good stuff gets buried, and the bad stuff goes to the top of my inbox. Because Google is making decisions about what I should see -- instead of a first-come, first-served e-mail list -- I'm not seeing all my correspondence as I should.”

Graham’s point is interesting considering both PR pros and journalists have professional reasons for not seeing their emails through Google glasses. PR pros don’t want their communications channels restricted, while journalists don’t want to miss what’s important; both groups depend upon this. Although Google’s algorithms continue to save people time and effort (Google Alerts come to my rescue regularly), Google Priority Inbox may not be anyone’s dream-come-true. I’d love to hear what you think and if you’ve tried the new feature.

Preparing for the Next Wave of IPOs

According to a recent Fortune article, initial public offerings are back. After a long drought, there’s finally starting to be a resurgence, as evidenced by Skype’s IPO announcement on August 9th, and Tesla Motors’ June offering. Several of our clients and prospects are also talking about the possibility of an IPO in the next 18-24 months. Although the IPO process officially starts when the corporation files a registration statement (S-1), preparation for “being public” needs to happen over a one-to-two year period prior to actually going public. This gives the private company plenty of time to adjust and fine-tune its external messaging and communications strategy, as well as prepare its management team to think, act and perform like a public company.

Horn Group has helped many companies through the IPO process over the years, but because it’s been a while since the last IPO window was open, I checked in with longtime investor relations pro, Judith McGarry of Keen Consulting, to find out what has changed. 

From a communication perspective, one of the biggest changes is that the role played by the investment bankers and research analysts in helping the pre-IPO company shape, refine and promote their messaging has been greatly minimized, due to a few key reasons: 

• Lack of experienced bankers – a combination of the dearth of recent IPOs and talent fleeing the industry after financial scandals
• Global Settlement  – 2003 ruling that builds a wall between investment banking and securities research at brokerage firms to avoid conflict of interest 

One of the key implications of these changes is that companies now need to rely on internal resources for effective messaging and positioning. Which means that the CMO has a tremendous opportunity to step up and take the lead to fill the void. As soon as the executive team starts to think about an IPO, the CMO should spring into action. 

First thing on the pre-IPO checklist is to re-evaluate the company’s messaging and competitive positioning. Is the current messaging high level enough to show vision and direction? Make sure the website and other external facing documents reflect the updated messaging. Do the right industry analysts, customers and partners support your message? Are you compared to the right competitors for investors to correctly fit your company into their models?

Since the SEC looks at 12 months prior to a company filing the S-1 to determine usual and customary patterns of communication, it is also important to establish that pattern 12-18 months prior to an IPO. If you don’t already have communications guidelines in place that are similar to what a public company’s guidelines look like, now is the time to make those updates. Be sure to educate the management team and employees on those new guidelines and expectations for behavior. If the company decides to start issuing quarterly momentum updates, be strategic and thoughtful about using the operating metrics you will want to be measured by when you’re a public company. Finally, if you don’t already have a crisis communications plan in place, this is a great time to do so.

Blogs, Apps and Paywalls -- Top Trends from Survey of 774 Journalists

Today the Oriella PR Network  published our third annual study looking at the impact of digital
  media on journalism internationally. It’s our biggest study yet – with almost 775 respondents in 20+ countries across Europe, the US and Latin America taking part.  We found that digital media have hit the mainstream in newsrooms – barely one eighth of the journalists we spoke to said their publications have no digital formats whatsoever.

The increasing prominence of digital channels in newsrooms mean journalists are under more pressure than ever to produce more content in a range of different forms, and continued uncertainty in advertising markets adds to the challenges reporters and editors face.  But, job satisfaction remains high – and here’s what’s really important, almost half of the journalists we spoke to found digital media improve the quality of their output.

Here are some stats from the survey,  which can also be downloaded from our microsite.

• 46 percent of respondents are expected to produce more content than before and 30 percent work longer hours
• 47 percent say their publication includes journalist-authored blogs, and 40 percent use Twitter
• Only 17 percent say they are unhappy with their jobs
• 53 per cent say they believe their ‘offline’ (i.e. print, radio or TV) format may be taken off the market at some point in the future – up from 32 percent in 2009

For the first time this year, we asked journalists about their publications’ approaches to paid online content.  We are seeing evidence of real interest in paywalls, apps and e-reader formats as proprietors determine whether paid-content could prop-up falling ad spends.   Around two-thirds of the journalists we spoke to said their publications were researching one model or another.  This means their editors will be pushing them hard to produce material of a high-enough quality to attract the revenues bosses expect.

As PR people, our call to action is to ensure that communications is coordinated across all channels – both digital and offline – and continues to address the basic requirements of news-gathering: strong news, compelling comment, and inspiring visuals.  That sounds like PR101 basics, but it's heightened in the age of digital media and page view metrics.  Tom Foremski makes this point in his recap of the Oriella study today on Silicon Valley Watcher.  

We welcome your views on our findings.  Have digital media reached a plateau?  Is the e-reader phenomenon a flash in the pan?  Are journalists spending too much time online, at the expense of more traditional, time-consuming research?  Please check out the report, share you thoughts with us or follow the discussion on Twitter at #odjs.

From London to San Francisco, a glimpse into PR across "The Pond"

We had the pleasure of hosting George Wright of Brands2Life in our San Francisco office for a couple weeks this past month. I found it to be a great experience and a highlight of my young career. George was in San Francisco celebrating a thus far very successful career at Brands2Life, our partner in the Oriella Network, and meeting with a few clients, and I had the opportunity to pick his brain and learn a little bit more about European trends, best practices, and general life in the PR industry.

Top 3 Takeaways

Number 1

There is a greater tradition of paper-based media in the UK; the big challenge right now is for media companies to transition online and still make money, much as is the struggle here in the Unites States. The BBC, the government owned media-company is not what you would expect -- they provide both good quality broadcasting but also good quality news. They are hands down the most innovative and creative media company in the UK and this puts huge pressure on private and public media companies, for exploiting its anticompetitive position.

Number 2

The social media trend is also a large focus in the UK, but definitely not as engrained into society as it may be in the United States. Everyone is on Facebook but Twitter is more the reserve of the media and PR professionals. The whole idea is still a very much experimental practice, and much as it is here in the United States, everyone is attempting to find a way to monetize social media.

Number 3

To finish, George and I were discussing the idea of social and digital medias and where exactly their place in the PR industry lies, and how exactly ROI may play a role. George posed a question that I think was a golden nugget and wanted to share it. He said, “Digital requires a totally different thinking for ROI. It could severely devalue the more traditional, immeasurable ‘branding’ work of PR. If you can’t measure brand awareness while you can measure everything else, does it have value?”

With numerous web analytics tools and measurements that seem to be able to monitor everything that lives on the web; where does that leave the PR industry? Will we be forced to evolve? Are we in the midst of evolving right now? George thought digital is a great way to show ROI and that alone may lead to it playing a larger role in PR, I myself agree, what do you think?

 

While all the chatter about social, digital, social media, digital media, socially digital media is very exciting, what also grabbed me was being able to sit down and talk about PR across “the pond” and hear a handful of hilarious stories from George’s trip. It gave me a fresh perspective and a new appreciation for San Francisco.

Some highlights for George were of course some of San Francisco’s most well known destinations. The classic shot of the Golden Gate Bridge as you slowly drift below it on ferry. The Stinking Rose where everything, even the ice cream, is made of garlic - and from what I gathered the people were as much fun to watch and interact with as the attractions themselves.

If you’re interested in hearing more, I caught the whole interview on tape, so take a look at our social newsroom for a few “behind the scenes” clips from our fun Friday afternoon conversation!

The whole "PR is dead" thing... Can we talk?

There's some level-setting that needs to be done at the moment.  Lots of people are out there trying to figure out the new media landscape.  There are new tools, approaches, ways of communicating, new audiences to reach every day.  Everyone is trying to make sense of, well, what makes sense for them, and is shaping the future while engaging in it.  Kind of like building the car while you're driving it.  I recently met with Tom Foremski and he makes this point in his recent post, http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2009/09/some_observatio.php.

You can call it social, you can call it marketing, PR or digital -- at the end of the day, it's communication.  Traditional PR is changing, evolving and it's morphing into something else.  But let's be clear, there will always be a role for some kind of PR.  All those, ahem, folks that are saying companies should stay away from PR agencies might be reminded about how upset they get when their companies don't get coverage.  To some companies, this is and always will be, vital to their brand awareness and advocacy.

But this is not the point!!!

The point is that any effective communication must understand first the business or marketing problem he or she is trying to solve.

We now have the opportunity to solve those problems with a much more diverse and interesting set of communications approaches.  Social media is surely one of them.  So are digital/interactive services.  We are so focused on the verbal brand, we must not forget about the visual experience.  And yes, as long as there is media, there will be a role for PR in a traditional sense.  We should be talking about how all companies and communicators should be reframing their objectives and programs using more and different means.

Talking about how PR is dead is very provocative, but it's not really all that helpful.

Sabrina

Craigslist founder: Trust is the new black

At a time of media fragmentation, one theme resonated at the standing room only IWantMedia “Future of Media” panel this week -- there is a premium on trust, and it looks like real journalism is here to stay.

The panel included some of the heavy hitters in both “old” media and new media: Nick Denton of Gawker, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, WSJ deputy editor Alan Murray, Bonnie Fuller of US Weekly fame, and Craigslist founder Craig Newmark.

Here are some themes cited throughout.

Media brands and the value of content…

Craig Newmark: Trust is a big deal. The organizations that invest in fact checking and research will make a lot of money. Those who don’t will struggle for shrinking ad dollars.

Bonnie Fuller: The idea that newspaper brands have no value, well I think they do… There are brands within brands in traditional media, there are voices within media that people will pay for.

Alan Murray: We have one million people who want the kind of in-depth quality content that we offer and who are willing to pay.

Nick Denton: The value of producing something original has gone up.

And what about advertising…

Bonnie Fuller: I don’t see Perez as a threat to us or Star, there’s a lot of space in that category.

Alan Murray: There is not enough advertisers out there to support us. You will not have a flourishing industry based on advertising alone.

Craig Newmark: The biggest threat to advertising is user reviews mixed with professional reviews. What happens if this is a full blown trend?

Nick Denton: There’s enough advertising to go around.

Random but interesting…

Bonnie Fuller: Twitter has tapped into people’s needs to be stars in their own lives.

Nick Denton: A lot of writers from traditional media don’t adjust well to online.

Alan Murray: Those guys who research stories for months would be bad bloggers.

Jack Dorsey: We’re not interested in selling.

My take…

The panel confirmed a lot of what I believed, which is that traditional journalism is here to stay and is still very valuable. Meghan Keane of Econsultancy captures it well here. There will always be changes in mediums and delivery, but we will all still read long-form writing of well-researched pieces whether it’s on blogs, newspapers, magazines, etc. In many ways, even in the digital media world that we live in, this is why clients still want the long feature in print publications. It communicates a story and an angle that somebody took to the time to research. If Wall Street Journal, New York Times and even TechCrunch deem the piece worthy of effort and resources, the readers will trust it. That trust still goes a long way.

Am I The Future of Media? I Hope Not

Amidst another day of depressing layoff news at major media outlets, I began to think about whether the “full time reporter/editor” job in itself is in danger. I don’t think it is, but the thought certainly bares consideration. Namely, will more and more media end up looking like me? Will they be part time contributors that have “career” jobs with other companies or a variety of gigs? It’s looking like the answer to that question is yes.

Just today it was announced that the NY Times would fold its City Section. Names of prominent San Francisco Chronicle reporters accepting buyouts began to surface, which basically eliminated most of the paper’s cultural coverage. Rumors abound that Nielsen Business Media may merge Adweek, Brandweek and Mediaweek into one title, or even shut down two of the three publications.

In a Washington Post article titled “In Baltimore, No One Left to Press the Police,” David Simon, founder of popular HBO show, “The Wire,” writes that with the Baltimore Sun' s depleted staff, there is virtually no one investigating serious crimes that take place in the city.

To be sure, contributors are good for many things, but investigative journalism and breaking news are usually not among them. For example, many of the publications I read, including Mashable, MediaPost, Alley Insider and others use contributing writers who also maintain other jobs. Even Advertising Age, it seems, has been adding to its roster of outside contributors. But – these contributors will never be able to take the place of full time reporters. Generally, they don’t break news or get in depth with meticulously sourced stories.

I was speaking to a reporter for a national business publication a few weeks ago, and the topic turned to citizen journalism. We gravitated towards the famous image of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River, as many had hailed that as an act of citizen journalism since the picture first appeared on Twitter. “It’s great that the image got out there so fast,” the reporter said, “but that is just the image. Is that person going to sit in on the National Transportation Safety Board press briefings?” Or on another, but related note, “Is a local resident going to wake up early to go check the public records at the local police precinct?” We both agreed that neither were likely.

 

[image cred]

What's up with Broadband Video?

Last night, Horn Group sponsored and managed PR for the Broadband Video Leadership Evening The event took place at the Hudson Theatre in Times Square and was organized by VideoNuze editor and television industry expert Will Richmond. The night kicked off at 6:00pm with a “VideoSchmooze” networking reception, where sponsors, reporters, panelists and attendees celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with a glass of Guinness while discussing the future of broadband video.

Richmond secured a tremendous panel for the event, which included

• Albert Cheng, EVP, Digital Media, Disney/ABC Television Group
• Greg Clayman, EVP, Digital Distribution & Business Development, MTV Networks
• Karin Gilford, SVP, Fancast and Online Entertainment, Comcast Interactive Media
• Daina Middleton, SVP, Moxie Interactive (Publicis Groupe)
• Dan Beldy, Managing Director, Steamboat Ventures

The audience of nearly 300 people packed the theatre for an hour and half discussion which hit on topics ranging from the monetization of online video content, timeframes for reaching critical mass, profitability and consumer experiences. At the end of the discussion, Richmond took questions from the audience.

The question I found most interesting addressed the notion that one of the reasons broadband video will take a several more years to reach critical mass is due to a stalemate that exists between the traditional businesses models of cable distributors and those of programmers. When presented with this question, Karin Gilford acknowledged the presence of a “stalemate” but indicated that Comcast is already reviewing its practices to address the changing landscape – but in a manner that preserves most of Comcast’s traditional cable TV revenue model.

Most importantly, the audience really seemed to enjoy the event! Check out some great coverage by Todd Spangler of Multichannel News and Kelly Samardak of MediaPost

Can I Get a Hallelujah for Social Media Evangelists?

A couple weeks ago I was in a meeting with a client and social media guru Charlene Li. We were debating the pros and cons of appointing or hiring a dedicated “evangelist” to be the voice of a company in social media channels as opposed to letting that job fall to the already busy execs and employees who may or may not have a passion for social media. I’ve seen some companies hiring ex- journalists to fill this role, and at other companies, PR people or community managers serve as the company evangelist.

We talked a bit about the qualities that make for a good evangelist – a good listener, humility, humor. I was struck by how the qualities just didn’t seem to match the image you conjure up when you think of an evangelist. I also thought about how the “evangelist” title kind of reflects one of the most common mistakes made by companies engaging in social media – they treat it as another channel for marketing themselves. They want to promote rather than engage.

Following the discussion with Charlene, I posted a question on LinkedIn to gather more perspectives on what makes for a great company evangelist.

Here are the some of the highlights and a link to all responses.

Many people mentioned that you have to be knowledgeable and passionate about the product or company you are representing as well as social media.

But one of my favorite answers came from Tom Hartley, a student at the University of Connecticut School of Business, who disagrees about what kind of passion you need. He said, “Someone with outstanding passion for connecting and helping people in a social media environment [is] far more likely to succeed than someone with a passion for your product or organization.”

Eric Schwartzman of iPressroom said that an evangelists should be “A realist, who is as skeptical of social media as they are excited.”

Most agreed that an evangelist should be a company employee rather than a hired gun. But Lawanda Paterson of Ascenda Capital Partners pointed out that too often a company’s social media currency is too dependant on a particular person, “…what happens if that person leaves the company? I see lots of companies where this role is filled by an employee with an interest in social media, but I'm not sure the companies have a strategy in place for maintaining.”

Consultant Judy Margolis raised a question about how you draw the line between a person’s professional and personal interests when you appoint someone with an established profile to be a company spokesperson/evangelist.

The most comprehensive answer came from Kathy O'Reilly, Director of PR/Corp Comm at Lycos:

1. Knows the company brand messaging inside and out
2. Excellent writer/communicator
3. Established personal brand
4. Established social media networks
5. Follows the Corp Comm policies established by the company and understands the do's and don'ts of what is communicated about the company in the social media universe
6. When in doubt, knows to always turn to PR/Corp Comm with any questions
7. Knows about the next big thing/trend and is already a user/member before anyone else
8. Most important, the company evangelist takes the positive with the negative when interacting in any social media channel and never ever engages in negative discussions in public
9. Remains profession al at ALL times (see point #8)
10. Understands the balance between tooting the company brand horn and being a valuable contributor to the community

Do you think companies need a dedicated social media evangelist? Who is the best company evangelist you know?

Attending NY Tech & NY Video 2.0 Meetups as "A PR Person"

I swore myself into official geekdom last week by attending Monday’s NY Tech March Meetup and Tuesday’s NY Video 2.0 Meetup, with hundreds of other iPhone-clutching, Twitter-loving New Yorkers.

Disappointingly, these two events featuring some of the most tech-savvy and tech-dependent folks in the area were based in two venues that offered severely limited Internet access (the FIT Haft Auditorium and New World Stages). Thankfully, NYTM organizer Nate Westheimer and NYV2 organizer Yaron Samid both strictly stuck to their agendas and promptly began the presentations.

For the NY Tech Meetup, seven startups had been chosen by the members of the group to present on the hallowed day: foursquare, enjoysthin.gs, Tigerbow, ProCompare, SpeakLike, KindlingApp and drop.io. The 1.5 hour-long event concluded with a presentation from NYU Stern Professor Panos Ipeirotis.

I was thoroughly entertained by foursquare, a location-based social network that rewards you for checking out different activities at venues with points and badges. One that drew a chuckle from the crowd: the “Player Please!” badge which can be earned when you have gone out three times with members of the opposite sex.

The following evening, AttracTV, Feedroom, Miro 2.0, PortalVideo and thePlatform presented at the NY Video Meetup. Miro 2.0, an open source HD video player, garnered significant attention for its pulling of Hulu’s RSS feed. With the Boxee scandal fresh in every audience member’s mind, there seemed to be a certain amount of skepticism in the air about the company. Also, thePlatform drew itself some looks of envy when it was revealed that Comcast had bought the company in 2006.

But as a former video editor, I found myself dreaming about PortalVideo, a web service that allows you to edit video and script in sync. You can edit video by simply editing the text of the transcript. I know a few friends in broadcast journalism and documentary production who would love this service.

As a tech PR professional, I think there are two very distinct ways to navigate events such as these:

1. Be the PR networking king or queen. Operate as if you’re always on the lookout for new business. Walk into the event looking for those without an AOR and walk out with their business cards in your pocket.
2. Rip off the PR title from your name tag. Attend as a member of the tech community, not just as someone who services them.

These are opportunities for us in communications to actually join the dialogue surrounding tech. Don’t taint the experience for everyone by coming there as a salesman. I believe it is one of the few times it is okay to do what everyone else is doing: sit there, listen, learn, drop your jaw in awe and raise your hand come question time.

Famous And/Or Infamous

I got the email from New York before I left the house Friday morning. "Do you know you're in Gawker?" My first reaction was terror. What did I do, did I anger someone with a pitch and now it's out there for the world to see? Please no, I don't want to be ridiculed.

Holding my breath, I went to the home page and slowly scrolled down. I enjoy reading all the snark on Gawker, but I certainly didn't want it to be about me. In tiny type, I could read my twitter handle. The headline was about the media publishing a photo allegedly taken by the police after the singer Rihanna was beaten by her boyfriend, rapper Chris Brown. Clicked on the post, and there, larger then twitter size, was a tweet I wrote the night before, expressing my disgust with both the photo itself and the release of the image. Nothing brilliant or especially pithy. My picture too.

I'm on and off twitter all day, commenting on and sharing links from news stories, blogs, sometimes just chatting publicly with friends. Time Magazine may have just rated Gawker as one of the Top 5 over-rated blogs, but it's also a must-read for many people. Of all my tweets to get national exposure. My daughters are Rihanna and Chris Brown fans (well maybe not him anymore). I haven't been closely following the saga, but that photo caused a visceral reaction and I decided to twitter about it.

It turned out not to be a big deal. Of course I twittered the link and posted it on Facebook. Haven't heard from any long lost friends. By the end of the weekend, I had gained about 20 new followers but a couple of them are Horn Group folks and friends who recently joined Twitter.

It served as a good reminder that what goes online, stays forever online and once you put it out there, you have no control of it. Quite a few celebrities; movie stars, star journalists and politicians don't seem to be worried about their tweets. I think they enjoy going around the papparazzi and the often cynical media, taking it directly to "the people". I follow a few of them on Twitter and some even follow me back.  Their tweets run the gamut from mundane to very personal observations and interactions with others in and out of their worlds. At the risk of not sounding jaded enough, I think most of what I see just reminds us that they are human, and maybe not so different than the rest of us.

So no fame and fortune for me.  Yet.

PR Career Starter Kit

It’s a tough economy and even the PR industry can be affected by layoffs. If you have started your career recently, you will want to strengthen your standing and show your value to your company. Here are a few tips I can offer based on observations from ten years, three agencies, two economic busts, and one company merger.

Diversify

I’m well-aware of the benefits of having a specialty and building your personal brand based on that specialty. Many experienced PR professionals are known for one thing that they do really, really well. If you’ve just started your PR career, and you’ve found that you are particularly good at something, now is not the time to hone on that one thing. Now is the time to diversify your skill sets and expand. Whether it’s the processes and tactics (pitching, writing, reporting) or industries (telecomm, digital media, hardware), you want to be exposed to as many different experiences as you can. If you are being pigeonholed into doing one thing very often (briefing sheets, anyone?), fight for more. If you find that you only have clients in one specific industry, push for additional clients in other fields.

Later on, this will make it easier on your managers to pick you for various clients. Furthermore, you’ll secure your standing in your company as an employee who can be called on to do anything and whose skill sets are flexible enough to tackle any challenge.

Find a PR Idol

Mentors are important. Wherever you work, even if it’s informal, you need to find a mentor. Even better, try to find two or three. You need inspiration. If you can’t identify anyone at your company that you want to aspire to, then it’s time to leave.

The most important aspect of mentors is how they affect and drive your passion for the job. You want to be surrounded by people you respect and people who you think you can learn from. Also note that you don’t have to only aspire to people more senior than you are. There are plenty of people at my agency who have less PR experience, but whom I admire because of the various qualities they offer.

In our careers, it’s important to have guides. PR agencies are defined by the people and these people guide the next generation of PR professionals. Do you have a guide?

Keep training

This is the perfect time for junior personnel to take advantage of your company’s professional development funds. Later on in your career, the demands of clients make it difficult to balance professional development with billable work. Junior personnel typically don’t have the same level of demands and have more flexibility to take training courses or go to PR conferences. My advice is to participate in as much of these as possible. They’re fun and they’re great places to practice networking. Additionally, sometimes you need to supplement your office training in case your agency doesn’t have personnel for specific competencies that you are interested in.

Watch your hours

Now is not the time to hyper-scrutinize the hours you spend on the job, but there’s a certain level of awareness that you need to have. Too much “admin” time should be a concern and you should proactively address it. Your managers may know your value beyond the hours stated in a report; however, think about what your CFO sees. Find a way to contribute to the bottom line (read: revenue-generating activities) and make sure it’s reflected in the hours that you log.

This brings me to the tough issues of “intangible” hours spent on the things that make an office a happy environment. Social events and activities are great and I’m a big advocate for it – I’ve run the Horn Group Fantasy Football League for three years. Plus, nothing is more impressive than seeing someone get the job done and still have time to have fun. However, know your balance. Rarely do these un-billable hours translate into promotions and career advancement. Spend time on what interests you, but make sure that your time reflects the value you deliver to your agency’s clients.

Build a portfolio

It’s never too early to start building your PR portfolio. Open up a folder, print out some results and get going. Results can be anything from press releases you initiated, small clips you’ve gotten in local newspapers or even detailed email from managers complimenting you on recent work. Log everything because the best problem to have later on is having too much to include in your portfolio.

Beyond having a personal record of successes, you may need to use your portfolio internally at some point. Turnover is part of every agency and there may be a time when the managers you work with are no longer there. To some extent, you need to take more responsibility and ownership of tracking your career progress. You can’t control what happens to other people, but you can control how you document and track your own career.

Be nice… to everyone

You have to be professional in the workplace to everyone (colleagues, clients and reporters), but you don’t always have to be nice. I say you should be both. This is obvious, but it’s important to point out why and how it would impact you. You never know where anybody will end up. Colleagues move on and you are bound to encounter them at another company down the line, whether it’s with another agency, another client, or a potential business prospect. People will remember you and you’d better hope they remember the good stuff. Of course, you can hope that people don’t remember you at all, and I’d make the argument that this is even worse. Who wants to work with an unknown?

Reporters will also remember you. If you email and call someone enough times, chances are, they’ll recognize your name. Reporters move around and you never know where they’ll end up. As you advance in your career, you’re going to developing new relationships and you’d want to cultivate and keep those as much as you can. Later on, when a reporter you know goes from “Tier Three Outlet” to “Tier One Media,” you’ll be glad you kept in touch.

Now go out and conquer

These tips should help you build a solid foundation for your career. The rest is up to you. If you have anything else you’ve learned that you’d like to contribute, please feel free to share with the rest of us. Career development is a constant process and we can all use the tips.

The Business Behind PR

The criticism of PR today is that many publicists either don’t understand the actual business objectives of the companies that they represent or that they lack the communication skills to translate the business objectives into relevant media opportunities for their clients.As we’ve talked about on this blog before, the PR landscape has and continues to diversify and expand, making it more important than ever for publicists to learn a plethora of information about their clients & its industry.But since the majority of publicists don’t have a formal background in business or marketing, it can be a difficult task for many to wrap their heads around their clients’ business model while managing the everyday duties that a publicist must complete in order to be successful at his/her job.

However, learning the basics of your clients business is not just beneficial, it’s now a necessity.But in order to do so, a publicist without a formal business background must dedicate some time to learning and understanding the dynamics of the overall business world & economy – a time consuming task to say the least.As someone who is currently studying business communications, I wanted to share a few tips that we use at Horn Group that can help publicists without a business background to better understand their clients business objectives, the overall economic environment and how to translate that knowledge into quality PR opportunities.

Here are a few quick suggestions:

• Sit in on your clients marketing meetings - You might not understand all of the rhetoric at first, but you’ll undoubtedly uncover some strategic information that might not present itself during PR meetings
• Embrace Investor relations (IR) - Be familiar with executive summaries and earnings reports.Understand what investors expect and coordinate PR activities to help your client meet these business expectations
• Don’t let the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) be your guide - Just because the DOW is down, doesn’t mean the industry that your client is in will suffer.Be aware of the economic conditions that will affect your clients the most and preemptively plan a PR strategy accordingly
• Read! - It doesn’t have to come from the WSJ or the NY Times, but reading about the economy on a daily basis is critical to understanding the business world.Subscribe to a blog, newsletter or a reporter’s RSS feed that you think provides the most value to you and your clients business

What do you suggest?

Your 6 Point Pre-Pitch Checklist

Recently, I was talking with an editor buddy of mine about some of the bad pitches he receives (some of them were definitely worthy of The Bad Pitch Blog). While the stories were amusing and kept me laughing, I couldn’t help but hope that he didn’t lump my pitches in with those. And that got me thinking: “what exactly are my guidelines for writing a pitch?”

The following are a few things I keep in mind:

1. Keep it Short and Sweet. The longer the pitch, the more likely you are to lose the reporter/blogger/editor you are pitching.
2. Keep it Relevant. Twenty reporters may cover the same beat, but they don’t all have the same interest. It doesn’t take more than a minute or two to personalize each pitch.
3. Why is it Important? Can you sum up in one line why the subject of your pitch is reportable? If you can’t how can you expect the reporter you’re pitching to be able to do so?
4. Don’t Bury Your Lead. I used to drive my old mentor, an old FNN/CNN/CNBC vet, crazy doing this. If you’re not getting your core message out until the second or third paragraph, you’ve likely lost your window. Make sure your lead is up front.
5. Can the reporter pitch it? You don’t always have the ear of the final decision maker. Think about not only why the reporter you are pitching should pay attention, but how that person can pitch your topic to their editor.
6. Keep it honest. As my friend put it, “Every pitch is from the ‘world’s best/premier/leading something!’ I guarantee you, the day I get an email from ‘the second best’ anything, I’m going to cover it!”

What do you keep in mind?

Does Your PR Drive Leads?

We hosted a webinar this morning called Does Your PR Drive Leads -- all about aligning PR programs with sales strategy and business goals.  Thanks to all who participated, especially to Arun Krishnan, vp of marketing at Pontiflex (a client of ours) who provided great insight into how they measure PR ROI and tie all of their marketing programs to sales. 

Here is the presentation from today's discussion.  I'll post the audio shortly.  

Does Your PR Drive Leads?

View more presentations or upload your own. (tags: measurement pr)

The embargo tango

If you Google the words Arrington Embargo this morning, you'll find more than 3,300 blog results, which should dispel any lingering doubts you may have that 1) the man knows how to strike a nerve and 2) we're living in a world where search is king.  

Whatever you may think of Michael Arrington (check out Kara Swisher's Yertle the Turtle take on Boomtown or Jennifer Leggio at ZDNet Feeds), there are two points in his post that no one can argue.  The first?  "Traffic and links flow in to whoever breaks an embargo first. That means it’s a race to the bottom by new sites, who are increasingly stressed themselves."  And there you have the crux of the issue: PR people, whether corporate or agency, are locked in a tango of death with journalists every time we have a piece of news to share.  And, unlike the photo to the right, it ain't pretty.

I'll explain.

At its simplest, an embargo has traditionally been the media equivalent of a pistol shot at a foot race: the runners line up, they are (hypothetically) on equal ground, the gun fires, and may the best (wo)man win. It's a safe choice for a PR person who wants to get news out broadly: if you don't want to alienate people, ask everyone to play by the same rules.

But here's our problem: the Internet has raised the stakes big time. If the news is sexy enough (say, a merger by two large companies, a significant new product, a new venture by a Silicon Valley star), there's huge upside now for journalists to jump before they hear that pistol shot. They get credit for having been first to the story, sure, but they also get the links, the traffic, the money.

My experience mirrors Kara's, though. Intentional embargo breaks are extremely rare, and there's usually a pretty harmless explanation when it happens: a time zone mistake, for example.  Some outlets won't honor embargoes to begin with, so you can't break a promise you didn't make in the first place. Some PR people forget to make sure terms are clear and agreed before they offer news.

And there's a huge distinction between a Microsoft or Google's ability to send an offending reporter or blogger to Siberia and the startup's subtler recourse; after all, there are disclosure requirements for public companies, which elevates the issue to legal before you can say boo. 

But beyond the immediate Sturm and Drang of this whole issue (of which the whole "hating the PR people" thing is only a symptom), our common reality is that the search-centeredness of news has changed everything about our relationship with media.  And we need to wake up. 

Whether or not we like it, traffic is king, as much for TechCrunch and other online outlets as it is for our clients--more so for many of them, depending on the revenue model. So guess what? Our goals are fundamentally the same.

So before we go all hand-wringy on this, we had better look at the second point that Arrington implicitly made--no less true for being screamingly obvious: trust is everything. 

So while a) I think his conclusions are dopey and theatrcal (dopey like a fox: look at the link love today, for heaven's sake), and  b) I am not, as far as I know, fortunate enough to be one of his anointed trusted PR people, I will tell you this:

If PR people get hung up on the set-dressing behind all of this, we're dead. The Internet has changed a lot, but it hasn't changed human nature.