Black cat for good luck

A black cat is supposed to be a sign of good luck - which I wish to all supporters of the Greenbanana website as we come to the end of 2007.

You certainly need a bit of good fortune when your black cat decides to sit half way up your Christmas tree - as in this photo of one of my parents’ cats, Peppie.

Perhaps he is simply demonstrating his climbing skills or maybe his artistic ability.

Whatever skills and abilities you wish to demonstrate in 2008, I wish you much success in achieving your goals.  If 2007 is anything to go by, the year ahead will travel by at a zillion miles per hour.  So my main resolution is to take the time to enjoy whatever comes my way.

Happy New Year to you all.

Facebook hoax - early warning signal?

Several of the quirks of online communication are revealed by a Facebook hoax.  First, Brandon Na’s blog reveals the amount of traffic he has received as a result of people using search engines to check on the authenticity of the message.  Just by discussing the hoax, his post is popping up high in Google and hence, added oomph, which gives it search engine juice etc etc.

Back to the hoax itself, I have only received it from a couple of my Facebook Friends, it says:

Attention all Facebook membeRs.Facebook is recently becoming very overpopulated,There have been many members complaining that Facebookis becoming very slow.Record shows that the reason isthat there are too many non-active Facebook membersAnd on the other side too many new Facebook members.We will be sending this messages around to see if theMembers are active or not,If you’re active please sendto other users using Copy+Paste to show that you are activeThose who do not send this message within 2 weeks,The user will be deleted without hesitation to create more space,If Facebook is still overpopulated we kindly ask for donations but until then send this message to all your friends and make sure you sendthis message to show me that your active and not deleted.Founder of FacebookMark Zuckerberg

There ought to be a number of clues that this is not a credible message.  The poor presentation alone is a red flag.  In addition, why would Facebook rely on us proving that our account is active when they have the backroom data to see what we are doing?  One of the key aspects of Facebook is that it records our every move and hence recent concerns over the use of this information.

The second big warning is the mention of donations.  I’m not sure if the originators just get pleasure from seeing their message passed around or if there is some scam going on.  But in any case, it is interesting from a public relations perspective that Facebook does not appear to have picked up on the hoax itself.

One of the considerations of why this hoax is being passed on is that it picks up on something that people feel may just be true in terms of too many people using Facebook.  This also ought to be a warning signal to the Facebook folk - is the bubble about to burst? 

Anyway, I have informed my kind Friends that this is a hoax - so if like Brandon’s visitors, you’ve come here for verification, then you too can feel smug enough to have avoided passing it on.

PR has real value when journalists recognise its strategic importance

Shel Holtz identifies how not all journalists equate PR with media relations.  In this case, he is referring to Mark Phelan of the Detroit Free Press writing about “the value of communications.”  Phelan rightly identifies:

Communications must have a seat at the grownups’ table

He is commenting on the decision by Chrysler in the US to have its communications department report to human resources.  Grunig and his colleagues identified in their Excellence study the importance of the communications function having a direct report to the “dominant coalition”.

As a private company, Chrysler’s decision may signify a belief that strategic communications are only important when an organisation has external shareholders and is under the public spotlight.  This has proven to be a mistake now being addressed by some private equity companies in the UK - such as with the appointment of PR expert, Edmund King as President of the AA.

Colleagues in HR may recognise the value of internal communications - with employees and the critical union stakeholder group.  However, specialists in that field such as Liam Fitzpatrick argue for IC to be a distinct function.  And HR certainly isn’t the best place to offer the holistic approach necessary to ensure an organisation communications successfully with all its publics.

In contrast, putting communications under the marketing function might provide an external and commercial focus - but this ignores the subtleties of communicating with those who do not have a direct customer relationship.

It is interesting to see a journalist challenging management on the use of public relations beyond meeting their own interests. But Detroit is the home of the Big 3 Car companies and over the years there have been many senior public relations executives who have shown the hometown media the true value of their activities.

This was a topic raised by a MIPAA member, now retired but formerly employed by General Motors in the US and Europe.  He was emailing me in response an article in the MIPAA Revolve members publication about Motorshows.  Our discussion centred around the importance of developing relationships, especially in the context of increasing pressures on the media and PR practitioners.

I believe this is evidenced in the fact that a journalist of the Detroit Free Press - which is respected and read at the top table in the US car companies - stands up for PR as a strategic function.

When you have an effective relationship, based on long-term respect and benefits for both parties, then there is much greater recognition of the pressures you both face and how together you can overcome these.

All too often, particularly in automotive PR, the focus is on the tactical tools of the job, but the real value in communications comes from the depth of understanding that is provided to senior management by those who have the respect of those with whom they communicate.

[Thanks to Judy Gombita for reminding me of the topics I should be blogging about]

Lessons in PR from the little train that could

One of my favourite philosophers is Dolly Parton - I love her quote: “the way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you’ve got to put up with the rain.”

Dolly was recently in the unglamorous English town of Rotherham where she opened her first Imagination Library in Europe (the scheme, which operates in 566 counties and across 36 US states, aims to encourage young children and will provide every pre-school age child in Rotherham a free book every month.)

I heard Dolly on the radio discussing one of her favourite books as a child, The Little Train that Could.  This is a great story of self-belief, with the mental mantra of “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can” demonstrating the power of determination.

At this time of year, most of the students I have been teaching this term are either preparing for, or working on, a public relations assignment.  A number have recently been in the “valley of despair” as they worry they will not be successful - but I remind them that ahead of them is the “slope of hope” (I know it is cheesy).

Not only should we visualise ourselves moving forwards and upwards to tackle the challenges we face, but we need to recognise we can often do better than we think we can. 

A trick I’ve used to show students how we limit ourselves (borrowed from PR creativity guru Andy Green) involves standing with your arms held horizontally and, keeping your feet still, spinning round from your waist clockwise as far as you can go - you should point with your left hand and note how far you have reached.  Then return to centre and this time spin further.  Everyone always reaches further the 2nd time.

This difference between perceived and real best performance is considered in an interesting article: I’m Not Really Running, I’m Not Really Running from the New York Times, where a technique called “dissociation” is discussed.  It involves separating your mind from your body in order to avoid applying limitations on yourself.

Of course, you need to put in the hard work and not just imagine that you can achieve great things without any effort, but in stretching for the moon, we may just grasp a star. 

One way in PR that we can be a “green banana” and continue to grow, is to learn to critique our own work.  Even when we think something is good enough to go (whether a planned event, press release, or an assignment), building in the time for a final reflection - like the swing of our arms - is likely to enable us to add in some final improvements.

Ask yourself, what little thing would make this better?  It need not involve considerable time, effort or budget, but there is bound to be something you can do to get closer to the best you can be.

For students, that extra stretch might just raise you up to the next grade.  At this time of year, think of it as a little glitter or sparkle that can raise your best to better - great to amazing - enjoyable to memorable.

Then when the results are assessed, like the little train, you can shout out “I knew I could, I knew I could”.

Behaviour not words count in recycling

Two weeks ago, my local council gave every household in the village a black plastic recycling box - I am not aware of any direct correspondence before the box was thrown outside our homes, but it contained leaflets giving detailed instructions about what could be recycled, when and how.

Being good obedient Brits (this is Wiltshire after all), yesterday every householder appeared to have followed the instructions and neatly at the side of the kerb placed a box containing glass bottles and jars (washed), cans (crushed), paper (no cardboard), plastic containers (squashed) and clothing (tied securely in a plastic bag).

But, no-one came to collect them.  The waste disposal truck (or dustbin lorry as we used to call it) came as usual, but not to empty the black boxes.  So what do we do?

At the moment, everyone seems to have left their box on the kerb, presuming maybe the collection will be today.  Or perhaps the leaflet is wrong and collections start next week?  It can’t be the week after as that is Christmas which has different collection dates.

I’ll probably leave it until Sunday and then carry the box the few hundred yards to the local recreation area where there are perfectly good recycling facilities (which presumably will soon be removed, despite the significant cost involved in building a cement platform for the bins earlier this year.)

From a communications point of view this is so stupid.  Clearly there is motivation to recycle in the village and as PR professionals know it is hard to get behaviour change.  In failing to reward our compliance, it is possible the positive first steps will not be continued.

Lesson for public relations?  Clearly actions speak louder than words.  Or when you’ve got the momentum of behaviour change, you have to deliver your side of the transaction.

Why I hate top lists, hokum and hype

I should resist directing you to Top 10 Blogs for Writers – 2007/2008, the latest list from Michael A Stelzner - because that gives link love that is not deserved.  

There is no indication of any methodology (although the unscientific approach can be found at an earlier post).  However,  “nominees have been carefully examined, with the greatest weight on the quality of their content” - of course, views on the chosen ten blogs are gushing rather than robustly analytical. 

Naturally this leads to a flood of comments of the tearful Oscar acceptance speech variety.  What is it about bloggers that a little bit of recognition, or even better a freebie, takes away any sense of rationality? 

A Google blog search shows that this Top 10 list has achieved its aims - lots of love back to Michael, aka easy promo for his blog. 

As a cynical Brit, I find that self-styled “guru” Michael adopts many of US marketing techniques that irritate the hell out of me; from the chirpy “hello” audio opening on his book site to the hyperbolic writing style. 

Michael has set out to own the concept of a “white paper”, which he claims “is a crossbreed of a magazine article and a brochure”.  It might be a cultural thing, but I believe a white paper should be a serious document, undertaken with some semblance of verifiable research and providing a considered opinion.  In the UK, they generally set out policy or an action plan after a “green paper” has outlined proposals for discussion and reflection. 

Like many other useful communications tools however, in the US, this appears to have been perverted into a piece of hokum, which as Wikipedia states:

As a marketing tool, it is important to note that these papers will always highlight information favorable to the company authoring or sponsoring the paper while minimizing any negative aspects related to the company’s involvement with the issue, product or technology.

Mr Self-Publicist himself is evident on the same Wikipedia site advising:

Because of their persuasive nature, white papers should be carefully crafted to avoid the perception of salesmanship. This can be easily accomplished by inserting key educational content that is relevant to the intended readers. White papers should begin by focusing on the needs of readers, rather than the specific solution suggested by the paper’s sponsor. The book Writing White Papers explains, “leading with problems or needs early in your white paper is a very powerful method to gain the interest of your readers.”

This use doesn’t sound very ethical to me, but then last month, as Bill Sledzik and Jenn Mattern found, Michael appeared to have censored their comments on an earlier blog post. 

Actually, what Michael is advising seems a pretty standard use of rhetoric - and anyone reading these “white papers” should be savvy enough not to rely on an overtly one-sided source when making decisions.

I have no problem at all with anyone or any organisation marketing itself - putting forward your best face is natural (although psychological research shows a self-effacing approach and acknowledging counter-arguments to be more persuasive than out and out puff).

But if you have something worth buying (or saying) do you really need to use tactics that are phrased in a way that seems less than ethical?  It just seems like you’ve something to hide.

(Original link from Judy Gombita)

Diva dog in the snow

Regular readers will remember that Ivory, the Landseer Newfoundland diva dog now living with my parents in France is not a natural swimmer.

Numerous attempts to discover an innate skill in this regard have proved pointless.  But, apparently she loves the snow.

Maybe all she needs now is a barrel of hot tea round her neck, after all she is an English dog.

Public Relations - it’s all in the name

Good to read justification of “publics” in the Priscilla’s World post The”P” in PR.  As she states, our function is not simply press relations - or media relations if we wish to expand the P to reflect broadcast and online. 

I prefer a more dynamic definition of publics than that used by the PRCA (full quote at Priscilla’s post).  Seeing groups purely from the perspective of the organisation simply identifies stakeholders - and encourages us to exclusively think about them in relation to our organisation.  That implies they are static audiences just waiting for our messages - a simple one-way communication of source to receiver.  That isn’t the reality of communications.

So the more interesting concept of publics is to identify those who are affected by, or involved with, an issue or problem.  As such, these people can clearly be seen as active rather than passive (even if this is only to the extent of processing or seeking information).  This is communication with not to and reflects more complex (but valid) models of communication where frames of reference, other sources of information, inter-relationships, societal context and other dynamics need to be considered.

Once we recognise that organisations need to build and maintain relations (the R word) with such publics (the P word), then PR can truly move beyond thinking just of static media coverage into resolving problems that present threats or opportunities to those with whom we work - and those who are connected to such issues.

Books, blogs, reading and reflection

Adrian Monck points out the “magnificent writing” of Doris Lessing in accepting the Nobel Prize.  Reading her speech at the Guardian: A hunger for books, as well as the use of language, there is a reasoned point being made.

But her argument in favour of books over the internet ignores the benefits of reading regardless of the source.  One of the great things about online is that there is free access to books via a computer regardless of where you are in the world (provided of course that you have access).  Google offers up samples or whole books that would probably never have their dusty covers opened in a physical library.

Lessing is right that the invention of print changed humankind, opening up knowledge of the world.  But not all that has been printed is good - there are many inanities in books, magazines, newsprint; such things are not the preserve of the internet.

Reading is essential to education - and I was delighted to see empty shelves in the library at Bournemouth University yesterday (even though it meant the text I was looking for was already taken).  The motivation for reading might be completion of assignments to imminent deadlines rather than education itself - but the students are continuing to read and expand their minds.

In addition, students can access journals and ebooks online - making it more likely they will read widely when directed by their tutors.  They can also engage with the real people behind the “printed” words through their blogs and other online discussion of ideas. 

We also have the benefit of broadcast media as a learning resource - there are many excellent films, documentaries, radio programmes and an opportunity to hear the voices of real people and gain from seeing their faces.  The written word is powerful, but we can experience understanding beyond reading books.

Lessing observes an imbalance between desire for education of people in Africa and their lack of books, and those of us in a prosperous world who have access but little respect for learning.  This can seem true when newspapers report that girls value looking pretty over being bright.  However, this polemic by Rosie Boycott is promoting the opinion of Carol Platt Liebau as expressed in her new book “Prude: How the Sex-Obsessed Culture Damages Girls (and America, Too!)”.

An obsession with appearance is noted also by Lessing in her claims of good-looking authors being feted and hyped - at the expense of their ability to harness their writing abilities.  She also observes that voices of writers in places such as Africa are unheard because of a lack of publishers.

Again, we can look to the internet as enabling everyone to become a publisher for free.  This is empowering in itself - although it is noticeable that those who are already successful tend to decry this capability of new media. 

It is not just an ability to read, write or love literature that is required in the modern world - but the skills to sort the good from the mediocre; the valid from the superficial.  We need to be capable of reflecting on what we read - regardless of its source - and be able to question the motives of authors.

Today, literacy involves much more than knowledge and access to reading materials - although these are vitally important.   We need the desire and willingness to open our minds to new ideas, to empathise with others, to recognise good writing and relish it.

We also need to be aware of where messages are biased - and not just those from organisations with commercial interests.  We need to be literate in a world that is over-stuffed with content - where words are devalued by their overuse; where open, message-free, space is rare.

This ability to question and reflect is a defence, but we must not become defensive and cynical.  We’ve learned not to trust the voices of so many people.  Rather than being inspired, we often feel manipulated by those who are clever with words.

But a curiosity about life, about others, about the world, is what fires education.  Wanting to improve ourselves; to find out new things; to look back in history, around us at the contemporary world and imagine the future. 

Books enable us to do this - in neat packages that have a benefit of portability and easy access.  I love books but also recognise the value that can be gained from new media.

Of course, not everyone has access to online either - and if they do, can they find the good from the superficial nonsense.  The same applies to the printed word.

What the world needs most at present is inspiration, fire for our natural enthusiasms, recognition of the potential that is around and within us and encouragement to learn for ourselves.  That is real education, in my view.

EuroBlog2008

Philip Young has asked me to spread the word about the EuroBlog2008 Spring Symposium     taking place in Brussels, from March 13-15.  I have heard good things about the former events under this banner and given the number of new/social media conferences around at the moment, it is essential to know which are really good value.

I regularly encounter PR professionals whose organisations have spent several hundreds of pounds on them attending various events on the topic of blogging, podcasting, social networking etc.  There is undoubtedly much interest in the PR world about everything online - although how many attendees are translating their interest into useful practice is another issue.

You also have to question the huge costs of attending many of these conferences, which seem to consist of talking heads presenting “case studies” (although they aren’t scientifically robust enough to warrant this label being little more than personal promotion/reflections).  One-off examples such as Cadbury’s Wispa bar and the HSBC student loan are bandied about as being evidence of the power of Facebook - without any checking of the actual facts.

What about the millions spent by brands so far that have not led to any noticeable outcome?  It isn’t reasonable to generalise from isolated cases - and I certainly wouldn’t recommend every company rushing into social media PR campaigns or strategies, but that seems to be the view of many “evangelists” at these events.

And, it seems every PR agency is establishing itself as an expert in the social media arena and urging clients to bung budget their way for spurious campaigns involving Facebook, SecondLife and “viral” word of mouth campaigns.

The EuroBlog symposium will seek to bring:

“together the latest academic thought with leading edge practice from Europe, the USA and elsewhere to draw new theoretical insights and encourage and shape practitioner innovation and implementation. By identifying and presenting examples of best practice, empirical investigation and new concepts for modelling and understanding the rapid changes in relationship management, EuroBlog 2008 will shape the agenda for social media discussion.”

Of course, even academic conferences can be full of rhetoric and questionable “best practice” examples.  But maybe a more reflective approach will help question not just promote universal pursuit of new media strategies.