Before starting any campaign, I ask myself "what are we trying to achieve here." Every client is different. PR goals are typically in line with business goals, which range from increasing revenue to increasing users. Whenever a client (or fellow team member) suggests a campaign or initiative that isn't in line with our current mandate, I compare it to grocery shopping. Anyone can blindly enter the supermarket and buy anything that looks appealing, but at the end of the day, you still don't have anything for dinner.

As digital integrations become more and more commonplace in the industry, it becomes painfully obvious which campaigns were executed with a clear goal in mind, and which were not. A good example of this is a promotion launched by the new AMC show "The Walking Dead." They are running a contest that gives viewers a chance to win a "stagger on role" on the show. Anyone that knows me knows that I'm a die hard zombie fan, so I suffered through the commercials to find out how to enter. The rules: At some point during the Sunday program, a code will be given. Viewers simply have to go to a landing page (on the AMC) site, enter the code, and their contact information and press send. Upon doing so I quickly looked for the sharing tools. Obviously I wanted to share this great contest with my social networks. No. No sharing tools. No "Share on Twitter"; No "Post to Facebook"; No "submit to Digg." You would think that the goal of the network would be to increase viewers of this new program. The logical thing to do would be to give existing viewers the opportunity to become advocates, and share the show with their friends. It isn't that difficult to integrate these tools, but somehow AMC failed to recognize the opportunity. They went to the grocery store and bought a microwaveable dinner.

On the other hand, they have an active and engaged Twitter account at @WalkingDead_AMC with more than 26k followers, and an official Facebook page with more than 354k likes. These tools, however, were created to inform and maintain the existing fans of the 5-episode strong series, not increase viewership (I may be wrong, but you would assume a network with a new series would want that).

This can be easily remedied. Below are my top 3 recommendations for AMC:

1. Heard of chicklets? Add links to Twitter, Facebook and Digg that enable fans to seamlessly share information on the show, contest, video content, etc. with their friends
2. Use what you got! Add embed codes to the videos on the main site that enable fans to share them on their blogs.

3. Promote the newsletter! I've spent the last week obsessing over this show, and didn't realize until a few moments ago that a newsletter existed. In addition to encouraging e-mail signups, create an interactive newsletter that will live on Facebook. The newsletter tab will become the main page for the Facebook fan page and include the great content that already lives on The Walking Dead website. But since it lives on Facebook (where a majority of the show's fans already live!) it makes it easier for fans to share it with their friends.


The only way a show can survive is if it has a strong, growing community. I implore AMC to give their fans the tools to make that happen.


PS: Don't forget to to TiVo "The Walking Dead" (Sundays at 10:00 p.m. ET)

There are lots of opportunities in public relations. There are industries to choose from (from tech and beauty, to media and beverages), focuses to master (consumer, enterprise, corporate), and company type to consider. I've been a member of the Bite Communications team for the past five months, and have noticed significant differences (and surprising similarities) between working for a medium/large sized agency to a small/boutique agency. Whether you're new to the industry, or an experienced professional looking to make a change, you have a lot of options ahead of you. Below are a few of my findings.

DIFFERENCES

- Small agencies are more like a family (yay, that would make your bosses like your parents)
- Large agencies are more impersonal, it's easy to get lost in the shuffle. You'll need to learn to stand out and prove yourself quickly.
- In order to maintain great employees, small agencies keep a focus on the professional development and growth of their employees (and tend to promote quicker)
- In order to maintain and obtain great employees, large agencies focus a portion of their budget on professional development and personal development, such as classes, courses and professional membership organizations (although you have to fight for the raises and promotions you believe you deserve)
- Large, public agencies, have fiscal year budgets to consider when yearly bonuses come around vs. small agencies that don't have the same sort of rules when it comes to employee bonuses
- Although there are fantastic people on both sides of the fence, I have noticed that you get more respect when you work for a well-known agency
- Smaller agencies have smaller account teams, thus allowing junior staff to take on much more responsibility than at larger agencies. It is a fantastic place to start a career.
- Larger agencies have more of a focus on titles and a clear division of responsibilities. You really need to voice your desire to take on new responsibilities.
- Senior staff at larger agencies are more likely to take professional development classes themselves vs. smaller agencies that (in my experience) want employees to take classes and report back to the team.
- Smaller agencies are more nimble and willing to change policies vs. larger agencies that tend to have the motto "It's always been this way"
- Larger agencies tend to have a mix of senior to mid-level staff working the day-to-day activities of an account vs. smaller agencies that tend to have junior staff as a main point of contact, and senior staff focusing more on overall strategy



SIMILARITIES

- All agencies are afraid of losing clientele.
- All agencies over-service from time to time.
- You need to find allies (above, below and at your level).
- You have to work hard no matter the agency size.
- You should take junior staff under your wing.
- You should meet frequently with your professional manager (if you're at a small agency where your boss is your PM, find others above you can also go to for guidance)
- You will never stop learning (unless you choose to become complacent).
- You will always be proving yourself to clients and coworkers.

I don't have a preference when it comes to agency size. I'm thankful my time at a small agency, and thankful for my current job at a larger agency. This is just a list of my findings. I'm sure I'll modify and add to it as time passes. Do you have any findings of your own?

I have found that some of the most successful people have a knowledge and background in multiple areas of discipline, not just their own. So, in an effort to sharpen my communications skills, and become a better public relations professional, I have decided to earn a Certificate in Marketing from UC Berkeley. The program is comprised of six courses, four required core classes, and two elective courses. Tonight, was the first required class - Introduction to Marketing.

I am the only PR person in the class. The background of the students is primarily in engineering and science. It will be an extremely interesting Summer session!
The textbook: Perreault, Cannon, and McCarthy, Essentials of Marketing Irwin, 11th Edition, 2008. The Professor: Bill Hess

What I learned today...(to be updated after each class)
June 29, 2010

• There are two major components to any new business: Sales and Manufacturing
• There are four marketing components: Product, Price, Promotion and Distribution
• Definition of Marketing: Direct the salesforce in the obtainment of the current year forecast while developing plans and programs for long term growth, consistent with company growth
• The two responsibilities of any marketer: Drive sales this year, while developing plans to do it again next year
• The Five Stages in Marketing Evolution:
  
  • Simple Trade Era: Families trade or sell surplus to middlemen, who resell
  • Production Era: "We make this, you sell it." Founded by Henry Ford. A company focuses on production of a few productions.
  • Sales Era: An emphasis on selling to increase and beat competition.
  • Marketing Department Era: Sell what the consumer wants. All marketing activities are brought under the control of one department. Tie together the company's efforts in research, purchasing, production, shipping and sales.
  • Marketing Company Era: Sell what the consumer wants, and is socially acceptable. Develop plans to guide the direction of the company long-term.

• Marketing Ideas vs. Production Oriented Ideas
  
  • Marketing
    
    • Make what you can sell
    • Think about the needs and satisfaction of your target consumer
    • Watch for new opportunities
    • Think of ways to bring existing customers back
    • Work to build relationships with customers
  • Production Oriented Ideas
    
    • Sell what you can make
    • Think of ways to cut costs
    • Focus on product features
    • Focus on selling vs. coordination with other departments, such as PR
• I am just as nerdy as I was in college.

Next Class: July 6, 2010

Today was my last day at K/F Communications. Working at a boutique public relations agency enabled me to do far more than what was outlined in my job description. For the last three years I've had the opportunity to work on major (and minor) campaigns for some incredibly innovative companies, including: Flock, TwitVid, RowNine, Covia Labs and of course, Digg. For two years I was lucky enough to be half (yes, two people) of the Digg PR account team. Promoting (and protecting) a pioneer in social media was not as easy as everyone assumes it was, but it was just as fun. Jay Adelson and Kevin Rose are not only brilliant entrepreneurs, but also some of the nicest people I've had the pleasure to work for. It's easy to produce great work when you care about your clients.

K/F has been the ideal place to start my career. I actually liken it to dog years. Working three years at K/F is equivalent to five years at a larger agency. How many PR professionals, early in their careers, can say that in one year, they secured three magazine covers, and appeared in a magazine photo spread with one of their clients? (Yupp, that's me, in the teal shirt.)

It's difficult to leave to an agency (and the people!) that have been so good to me, but I know it's the best decision for me right now. I am very excited to start the next chapter of my professional life on June 1st with Bite Communications in San Francisco. What I know so far, is that I will be joining the Hewlett Packard PR account team, working on HP corporate and promoting HP Labs' innovative projects.

So, I say thank you, and goodbye, to the great people I've had the pleasure of working with over the last three years. I know we'll stay in touch, and I look forward to seeing where we all end up.

Also seen in...



By Lacey Haines (@laceyhaines), and Adam Vincenzini (@adamvincenzini)

Social media has created incredible opportunities and challenges for public relations professionals. While the challenges have been well documented, the opportunities that have arisen are just as important. Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, if used effectively, can help build relationships, identify new trends and help facilitate networking with like-minds throughout the industry. One of the most profound and positive developments has been the breaking down of the walls between PR and the media. In one click you can find the most relevant reporters to the story you’re pitching, obtain a better understanding of what they like and what they’re interested in by reading their feed, get a direct link to their blog or website, and network with them via @reply or DM.

But what does the media think about this transparency? Using social media, we asked our press network in the USA and UK how they felt about being pitching on social media sites. While responses were mixed, we noticed some trends.

1) KEEP YOUR PITCHES SHORT: E-mail pitches are still too long, and several people we heard from preferred a 140-character pitch on Twitter, to a traditional one via e-mail.

2) DIRECT MESSAGES ARE BETTER THAN @REPLY: Reporters can’t “opt-in” to pitches, but they can with Twitter. If there is a mutual following between PR people and a reporter, it usually means they know each other, and may welcome a direct message more than a longer e-mail pitch. A reporter for a major US business daily (who asked not to be quoted) said that he only follows PR people he knows or has worked with in the past, and prefers DM to @reply because he wouldn’t want competitors to know who he’s speaking with.

3) TWITTER PITCHES ARE UNIQUE: A journalist for News of the World (UK) said that reporters get hundreds of e-mails a day, but only one or two direct messages, so pitches made through Twitter stand out more. And even if there isn’t a direct relationship in the beginning, pitching on Twitter has helped reporters and PR people build relationships that continue on e-mail.


USA Examples



UK Examples



One of the more detailed responses was courtesy of Martin Stabe, Editor of Retail Week, one of the UK’s leading trade publications:

“For me, Twitter is a place to share ideas and links with like-minded friends and colleagues in online journalism and increasingly, to monitor sources of news and information.

By all means, join our conversation, but don't "pitch" me anything out of the blue unless we already know each other and you know that it's relevant.

I probably follow you if you've joined the conversations I'm part of before, so DM me with your idea, or look up my email and ping something over.

Some of the best relationships - on email and on the phone - I have with PRs are people who I also know on Twitter.”

But not everyone was for social media pitching. A features writer for Style Magazine and a Businessweek editor both said they preferred e-mail to Twitter pitching. And one Brandweek editor said that a big problem with Twitter DMs is that not everyone checks their direct messages often enough. Another trend was that several preferred all Twitter pitches be followed up with an e-mail.

Start building relationships with reporters online, learn what THEY want to write about (vs. what you want them to write about), and your pitches (social media and traditional) will be much more effective.

What has worked for us? [Lacey] After a reporter covers a client of mine, I’ll tweet it out, with their Twitter handle attached. For time sensitive pitches, I’ll @reply the reporter I need to reach and ask for them to follow me so I can DM. I would never do this if I wasn’t positive that my story was relevant to the reporter. This has been very helpful as not only gaining coverage for clients, but building long-term relationships. [Adam] I like the push-pull element of Twitter and the media. If I spot a journalist I follow tweeting about a subject that has links to my client, I can approach that journalist to provide help / assistance. It makes being collaborative a much easier and beneficial process.


**Thank you to Matt Honan (Freelance writer, and WIRED magazine contributing editor), Maggie Shiels (Silicon Valley Correspondent, BBC), Scott McGrew (tech reporter for NBC Bay Area; host of Press:Here, and producer of TechNow), Christina Warren (tech blogger for Mashable), Harry Wallop (Consumer Editor of The Daily Telegraph), Vikki Chowney (Editor of Reputation Online), Leila Makki (Telecom.TV), Chris Milton (veteran independent journalist), Martin Stabe (Editor, Retail Week), Dan Martin (Editor of BusinessZone.co.uk) for agreeing to be quoted for this article.


_____________________________________________________________________________________

Lacey Haines is a PR professional in San Francisco, CA. At K/F Communications, manages the day-to-day activities of her account teams, as well as the long-term PR and social media plans for her clients, which have included Digg, TwitVid, Flock, and RowNine. She met Adam on Twitter. Follow Lacey on Twitter here: @laceyhaines
Adam Vincenzini is the lead social media consultant at Paratus Communications in London where he advises the agency's clients on how to shape communications activity around the end-user / participant. Adam was previously responsible for digital communications at Cricket Australia which included managing the 150,000-strong official fan community of the Australia Cricket Team. Adam blogs regularly at the COMMS corner and can be found on Twitter here: @AdamVincenzini

The element of surprise is key when making announcements. Whether it's a new product announcement, a funding announcement or a new company, your best bet when going to the press is to ensure that you have control of the situation. Generally, press people do not want to cover what others have already written about (journalism is a business), which includes anything from tweets to blog posts. South by Southwest was filled with entrepreneurs eager to spill the details about their new product to anyone that would listen. The problem with this, is that you have now put that information into the public domain, and when it's time for your product to finally launch to the public, all a reporter has to do is a quick Google search, and find a tweet, post, or image of what you're trying to announce, and decide it's not "news" anymore.


And for startups, the key is to get in front of as many relevant press people as possible, prior to the launch, under non-disclosure (exclusives are great too, but that's for another post). What is non-disclosure? An agreement (preferably written, but verbal works too), that the individual you are providing the information to, agrees not to write anything about it until the date you specify.


Why is this important? Why not just tell TechCrunch and hope that other reporters see the article (assuming they decide to cover the announcement), and write about you too? Well, that depends on who your target audience is. If your target audience is the average consumer, for example, then TechCrunch is not the right outlet for you, as most consumers don't read it. If your target is the venture capital community, then yes, TechCrunch could be the right outlet for you, but you're also potentially alienating other relevant publications that competes with TechCrunch (ie, Mashable, VentureBeat).


So, to sum up, if you're an entrepreneur with an exciting new "something," keep it a secret. I saw several entrepreneurs at SXSW hoping to get feedback from other business leaders on their product. Advice is great, but one must still take precautions. And from a planning perspective, don't wait until a month before the big launch day to plan how you're going to tell the world. Most announcements (the successful ones) take months to plan. And if you want to make a big splash, don't wait until after the launch to engage public relations. Pitching the press is much more effective when you have a strong news hook (something important to say), than after you've said it.

Highlights from yesterday's Churchill Club event, "What the Public Believes: New Trends in Corporate Reputation Management."

Panelists-

Paul Bergevin, VP, Sales & Marketing Group; General Manager, Global Comm Group, Intel
Peter Diamandis, President, Chairman & CEO, X Prize Foundation
Richard Edelman, President & CEO, Edelman Public Relations
Frank Shaw, Corporate VP of Corporate Communications, Microsoft

Moderator-

John Byrne, CEO, C-Change Media (a fantastic moderator, btw!)

TOPIC: What should the first step be when faced with a crisis?
Microsoft, "You must first decide if what you're having is a business problem, or a communications problem." In the case of Toyota, it was a business problem. In the case of Tiger Woods, who waited months to speak out and talk about the issue, it was a communications problem.
Edelman, (Re: Edelman's Trust Barometer) "1. Quality, 2. Transparency" are the top things people trust in a brand. Several years ago, a "great CEO" was the most trusted part of a company, it is now in the bottom 10 of qualities people trust. Because of this, companies should focus on what they do, not what they say.
Edelman, "Steps to take when first hit with a crisis:
1. Create a roadmap, and go public so you're judged by criteria you set yourself
2. Have a spokesperson who owns the evolution of the product (in the case of Toyota, they needed an engineer who knew the technology and had the authority to make changes. Not the CEO)
3. Communicate with your employees

TOPIC: What are your thoughts on a brand aligning themselves with a celebrity?
Edelman: In the case of Tiger Woods and Accenture. I would have recommended they expose everything at once and see what happens. Brand equity cannot survive with partnerships like Tiger Woods. In this case, would have recommended Accenture pull out early. I'm surprised it took some people so long. In the case of Gatorade, trust is not at the core of their brand. They could wait longer, look at the brand that is Tiger, and make a decision. They chose to back away when Tiger said he didn't know when he would return to golf, and Gatorade needed a sports spokesperson.


TOPIC: How has social media changed corporate communications?
Microsoft: Social media means more ways to communication. It's good if it puts a face on a brand. The downside is that these conversations are out in the open.
Edelman: Companies have to be their own media companies. Encourage comments, and involvement online. Small companies have a way to get more exposure than they did two years ago.
Intel: Social media is about authenticity. Need to democratize information. "At Intel we have easy guidelines: Talk about what you know, not what you don't."
Microsoft: "Be smart." The lines between your personal and professional personas are blurry.
Edelman: Companies should have "digital embassies on Twitter and Facebook to ask for questions." Companies need to distinguish who to respond to, and who not to. For example, only focus on your target audience. It is time consuming and overwhelming to focus on everyone.
Microsoft: "Don't over promise. If you're listening, you must also act."
Edelman: "The concept of the celebrity CEO is passe. The CEO cannot be the only spokesperson."

TOPIC: Is it ever good to be silent?
Microsoft: It is a mistake to respond to and bring attention to lies. It's time consuming. Decide which issues are brand damaging, and go from there.


TOPIC: How should companies re-allocate marketing budget?
Microsoft: Integrated plans work best. Advertising only works when it's really good advertising. The best campaigns I've seen are advertisements, integrated into a social media campaign, with a microsite encouraging engagement. The planning and execution sides to any campaign should be equal efforts.
Intel: Companies should spend less on product, and more on reputation.
Edelman: Product placement is ineffectual

NOTABLE QUOTES:
X Prize: "True innovation takes real risk. Companies must be upfront about the risk, and the public will respect them for it. Large companies may be risk adverse because it is more visible for them."
Edelman: "People must hear something five times to believe it. Be omni-present across different platforms to achieve this."Edelman: "Brand = the promise; Reputation = sum of what a company actually does"

OTHER STUFF:
Also, the people at Excite Social did a fantastic job managing the social media efforts as the Churchill Club's official social media partner. I look forward to seeing the video compilation of interviews conducted by Gabriel Carrejo and Aaron Lewis, with Edelman's Michael Brito and Steve Rubel (and me)!

Unfortunately, not everyone is born with common sense, and they don’t teach it in school. But I've found that the most common mistakes are made by PR people who lack good judgment. Below are the four most common mistakes made by public relations people (if you're in the media, please chime in with your own examples).

1. Stay in your bubble and assume that all reporters have time to speak with you about what YOU think is news worthy – Before you even think of picking up the phone to pitch the press, and before you begin identifying the most appropriate people to pitch the story to, make sure you're well aware of what is going on in the industry. Reporters are always busy, so you should make sure you know what's going on in their world before you pitch them about yours. For example, if you're pitching a client in the consumer-tech space, and it's the month of March, it's safe to assume that a majority of the press you're pitching will be at (or preparing for) South by Southwest.

2. Assuming reporters don't have deadlines – If you've gained interest from a reporter on a story you're pitching, and they ask for more information, make sure you ask when their deadline is (and get it to them earlier). Reporters get hundreds of pitches a day, and if you fail at getting them the information they need to do a story on your client, they will write about someone else more accessible.

3. Communicate with the press like they were your college dorm buddy – This really irritates me. It's possible to be professional and friendly at the same time, but it takes practice, and you must always remember that you not only represent yourself, but your client, your company and the industry. Major don'ts (with reporters you haven't worked with in the past):

Email - use slang, colored font, excessive exclamation points, or unnecessary happy faces;
Phone/In person – Over use of the words "like," "uhh," and "umm," rambling and not getting to the point (instead, pause, take a deep breath and be direct), and ending each sentence as if it were a question (leave the valley girl speak at the door).

4. Assume that reporters have time to answer your questions – DO YOUR RESEARCH. Yes, it takes time, and yes, your boss/client probably wants you to get the job done quickly due to budget, but it's your professional reputation on the line, not theirs. Before you pitch the press, make sure you know if they are already familiar with your client as that will drastically change the way you approach them (that does not mean they have written about them – not all interviews or meetings result in media coverage). And if you're pitching a client for a specific editorial feature, make sure you look to see who was included in the past, see how your client measures up, and use your best judgment. I can't tell you how many times I've had to remind my team that e-mailing or calling an editorial assistant is a waste of everyone's time and budget if you can just Google the feature and find the information out yourself.

Promoting a company can be fun... if you love what they do. I said in an earlier post that I knew public relations was the right career path for me because making noise about the things I care about most comes naturally to me. PR agencies, for those who don't know, assign clients to their employees based on experience as well as monthly billability. Overall, agency practitioners don't have a choice when it comes to the companies they are tasked with promoting, but they can choose how they approach the situation.

I currently rep five companies (six if you count the social media efforts I do for my agency). I respect all of my clients, but love only two of them. For obvious reasons, I won't disclose who they are, but if you Direct Message me on Twitter or Facebook me, I'll disclose my full client list which will make it pretty obvious who my favorites are. This doesn't mean I won't or can't produce great results for the other three. But what it does mean is that coming up with creative programs for the first two is easier and more fun for me. (I’m sure this is true for any PR people who have been in my position…)



On the flip side, clients notice. I was speaking to one of my mentors who had an issue with his PR firm. He felt that his account team was not enthusiastic or motivated enough about their products. It is unrealistic to expect that you'll love all of your clients, but there is no excuse for making your client feel like a second-class citizen. Now, being the type-A person that I am, I came up with a few ideas for how he could motivate them (which will also work for PR people looking to change their attitude):


1. Go on a field trip: I've done PR for a wide array of companies, including Digg, Flock, Equinix, and TwitVid, and this is the easiest way to learn about a company's business. PR people should meet team members from different departments (even if they aren't involved in the PR program), AND physically go to the headquarters for a tour.


2. Use their product: If it is a consumer product, PR people must use it on a regular basis. If it is a B2B product, sit in on a customer meeting, read case studies, or tour the production or testing facility.


3.Success stories: One component to virtually any PR program is the case study. The case study is an unbiased validation of a company’s product or service. PR people should read these. If a company is new and without a case study, they should take the initiative to speak to customers, and create one.


4.Get a sandwich: A good working relationship is difficult if you don't spend any time with the people you work with. A member of my client's marketing team recently asked me to lunch to chat. We had been e-mailing for months but had never met in person. From the time we sat down to the time the food arrived, we chatted and got to know one another. From the time I started eating my panini, to the time I paid the check, we brainstormed and came up with some great ideas to promote his company. If you find that you're having trouble relating to your client (or vice versa) ask them to lunch and get to know them.

I sent a tweet to the universe asking how (or if) others learn to love their clients. Brent Diggins (@BDiggins), a PR pro for Mindspace had a great answer, "Not every PR client is lovable, lol, but getting to know their industry helps you love how they fit in and what they contribute. " Anyone else have suggestions?

Expectations: They can a relief when exceeded, but a scary thing when not met. In public relations, especially on the agency side, client expectations can be some of the most difficult to deal with. Ideally, your point of contact would be the VP of Marketing or Director of PR, but sometimes, especially with cash-strapped start-ups, the point of contact is a founder or CEO. In the ideal situation, you work with someone who understands PR and the value behind its unique approach. On the other side, which is the case for many agencies in the Silicon Valley/Bay Area, you work with someone who doesn’t understand PR, and sets unrealistic expectations based on misconceptions about the industry.

I’ve found that many people hate PR people because of the companies they represent. Almost everyday on Twitter I see a tweet from a journalist complaining about a pitch they received from a PR person. Sometimes the complaints are valid because the PR person didn’t do their homework. But other times, it is because the PR person is forced to act like crazed door-to-door salesperson in an effort to meet a client’s unrealistic expectations for press coverage.

Here are a few examples of a few hurdles PR people face with clients who are new to PR:

1. PR is not advertising

2. In order to keep a company in the news, PR people need a consistent stream of great news announcements

3. Companies must be willing to listen to their PR team and discuss realistic expectations in advance

4. PR people need reference customers. Journalists will not just take the CEO’s word that it works

5. Public relations efforts need to be strategic in order to be successful. “Crying wolf” about every little thing a company does is a great way of getting ignored by reporters, investors, and customers when the real news occurs

6. Newsworthy announcements DO NOT include: Website launches; iPhone apps that are merely an extension of an existing company and do not serve a bigger mobile purpose; Executives speaking at an event or conference; Company is a finalist or runner-up for an award

In this uncertain economy where monthly budgets are lower, and the threat of losing business is high, many PR people focus on keeping their client happy in the short term rather than the long term… even if that means damaging the credibility of your agency or yourself in the process. Even agencies looking to acquire new business use this “short term” approach to lure companies into working with them. The problem with the “short term” approach is that it creates the misconception that PR people are a bunch of amateurs and busybodies who can get press coverage because of who they know, rather than what they’re selling. This approach does the PR industry a huge disservice, and supports this perpetual cycle of unrealistic expectations with companies and their PR team. How do we remedy this? Industry-wide movement? PR education policy for all new clients? Would love your thoughts.

Since I started my PR career, I noticed right away there was a negative connotation associated with public relations and public relations professionals. PR people have been compared to Pitbulls, gate keepers, busy-bodies, sensationalists and liars… but why? When people ask me what it is I do as a PR person, I reply with, “I promote people and companies.” Aside from the Pitbugg reference (which I kind of like), I don’t see any of those other descriptions tied to what I do day-to-day. I decided it was time to get to the bottom of this, and expose some of the reasons why people hate PR people, starting with us: The PR Professional.

Some People Are Just Bad At Their Jobs

Every day people in the industry hear about a PR person who pissed off a reporter. Pretty much, it’s for the same reasons:

1. Pitched a reporter who does not cover that beat
2. Don’t understand the company they are pitching
3. Was not sensitive to the reporter’s deadline

To help save money, cash-strapped PR firms (and even in-house marketing departments) have a tendency to put entry- to lower-level employees in charge of too much on certain accounts. What they tend to forget, is that they are at a lower billable rate for a reason. These PR people are not experienced enough to make final decisions, starting with the 1st complaint above. Pitching a reporter who does not cover your client’s beat is one of the biggest, and easiest, mistakes a PR person can make. Mistakes do happen, and in this economy, with reporters switching beats and publications everyday, it can be difficult to keep track. But with contact lists growing to the thousands, PR firms must be more diligent about quality control.

For example, when my company K/F Communications landed a great new account, a major complaint they had about their old representation, was that they had little senior management and were primarily working with lower-level employees on a daily basis. While perusing the press materials provided by their old firm, we found that not only were the documents incomplete, but they were also inaccurate. Editorial calendars with items included that had nothing to do with the client’s business. Members of the press listed on their contact list that were not only completely inappropriate given the company’s focus, but also ones that have stated on numerous occasions they do not want to be pitched for any reason (ie Chris Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, WIRED). Not only does pitching the wrong people waste client time (and time=money) but it also pisses reporters off and can have a serious affect on the quality of coverage the company will receive from that publication going forward.

Not all PR people do this. The practitioners at K/F Communications (yes, I am biased ) go through every list multiple times to ensure it is targeted and the announcement is relevant to everyone on it. The practitioners that care, and take the time to study up on their clients' industries, don’t make these kinds of mistakes. For example, I spend a good part of my day reading the top tech blogs like Mashable and TechCrunch, top tier business press like BusinessWeek and TIME, and staying on top of the tweets by my favorite bloggers/reporters on Twitter. Not only does this keep me up to date with what is happening in my client’s industry (as well as my own) but also gives me a better understanding of industry direction and perception. Bottom line: If you don’t understand your client’s business, or their industry, you cannot do your job.

The problem is that not all PR people understand this, or care enough to try. This does a huge disservice to the profession, because to a reporter, everyone in the industry looks more like a sales person than a colleague.

Education is a major part of the 2nd complaint listed above. The only real way to understand your client, and have any hope of successfully pitching them to the press, is to learn as much as you can about them. Can you tell me in one sentence what your client does? Can you tell me why I should care about what they do? If not, you need to delve a little deeper (not just memorize their corporate messaging). Use their product (if that is possible), spend a day working at their office, get a tour of their facility, be a silent listener on a sales call. Do whatever you can to really “get it.”

Caring is a major part in the 3rd complaint above. PR people must care not only about their profession and the task at hand, but also the client they are working for. Not caring about these things means you are not going to treat the reporter (who you are trying to win over, let me remind you) with the respect they deserve. What I’m saying is, “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” And it goes both ways between PR people and reporters (I have definitely met my fair share of reporters who have forgotten this golden rule), but why can’t PR people take the first steps and educate themselves, be a little bit more considerate, take the time to care about their clients and their craft.

No one wants to be called out for doing their job poorly, but quality control definitely helps. Two years ago, Chris Anderson posted a blog with the names of every PR person he had blocked as a result of their spamming (The Long Tail, Sorry PR People: You're Blocked). Today, Rafe Needleman, editor of Webware.com/CNet.com, maintains a list of PR Pro Tips that result from the bad experiences he has had with PR people. By highlighting their flaws, one tip at a time, he has helped other PR people understand what not to do (as long as they’re listening). I respect Rafe, and was terrified I would end up on his list after meeting him in person at a client briefing several months ago. (No, none of my mannerisms were featured, and he ended up writing a fantastic review on my client’s new product - yay!) FYI - This month only, PR people can order a free copy of Rafe’s book, highlighting these tips. Visit PR Pro Tips for more information.

So, why do people hate PR people? It is because some PR people deserve to be hated on. Unfortunately, those who care about their craft, are bundled with those who don’t, and end up paying the price for their mistakes. But this isn’t the only reason. In future posts, I’ll explore other reasons why “public relations” leaves a bad taste in the mouth of some people. And if you’re a reporter reading this, and have something to add, please leave a comment, or contact me via the links on the right. I’d love to hear your stories.