See & Be PR

Facebook at work? Me ‘like’y

Media, Social Media, Uncategorized 1 Response »

Jul 272011

I must admit, that when I first joined C&B, I was a little nervous about logging into my Facebook account for the first time. Not that there had been any clear instruction not to, but because I know of a lot of companies who have access blocked to social sites at work (and wasn’t too sure what my new employer thought of the matter – since I hadn’t dared to ask).

So while some friends started to get worried, and even others had organised search parties to locate my dead body, the sign that I had been waiting for all along came in the form of a beautiful email on my third day:

“As you know, C&B is on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
I expect you all to have accounts on the three channels and follow C&B.
Please make sure that this is done before Thursday noon.”

Umm, ok, sure, no problem. (Jumped right onto that task to make sure I was a model employee) I was overjoyed and glad to be back, and (if management is reading this) not only to socially engage with my friends, but also for a lot of other ‘professional’ things. Like what? Finding interesting topics for the blog (that’s how I came up with this topic), scouting interesting PR information to share with the team and harassing my friends into liking my blog posts (yes, if you like me, you had better ‘like’ my post). So while 50% of employees are banned from social networks, here’s why I don’t think that’s such a good idea. Continue reading »

Broadcast Yourself – Your Company, and Your Brand

Media, Public Relations No Responses »

Jul 252011

SmartWater teamed up with Jennifer Aniston to make a video; a sensational success. With a humorous take on what people look for on YouTube, and giving props to viral videos that were hits, the campaign has drawn in millions of viewers.

Beginning with a domain name registered in February 2005 and the first video uploaded two months later in April, the way YouTube has grown, to become a communication phenomenon, is nothing short of an online revolution.

Along with social media tools like Facebook and Twitter, PR practitioners are increasingly using YouTube to bridge the gap between their clients and the audience, directly engaging through original content and messages. Making online marketing even more important, the developments in connectivity and the availability of new technology and applications on your very own phone, means you don’t need to be glued to a chair or carry around a laptop to access the Internet.

By the people, for the people
It is commonplace to see people in huge numbers with mobiles filming the launch of the world’s tallest building and uploading on YouTube the same day. Today the news is no longer brought by a small group of elite, rather, you find anybody, anywhere, with a camera and some initiative sharing information about pretty much anything. Continue reading »

Inbound Marketing, the Pool Way

Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media No Responses »

Jul 202011

Let me tell you a story. It’s about a little company with big dreams (doesn’t it always start that way?) And no, this is not another Cinderella story; there are no magic mice and no carriages that turn into pumpkins at midnight. This is a tale of how one little fish made it big in a pool of sharks, and got there without the help of a fairy godmother.

How did they do it? Let’s jump to the beginning, where all start-ups find themselves. River Pools and Spas started out like any other company who had to ask themselves a very important question, ‘How do I go about generating leads?’ I’m sure some of you could guess where that took them. They found themselves turning towards traditional marketing techniques – like many other companies who begin shelling out big bucks for trade shows, seminars, pay-per-click online campaigns, email blasts, cold calling and advertising. That’s called outbound marketing, which is pushing your message out really, really, really far in hopes of grabbing the attention of a diamond in the rough.

The problem is that this is getting less and less effective, and increasingly expensive, because your ‘average human is bombarded with over 2000 outbound marketing interruptions per day and is figuring out more and more creative ways to block them out’. Continue reading »

4 PR lessons we can learn from Lady Gaga

Media, Public Relations No Responses »

Jul 182011

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta – one of the biggest, and arguably most controversial, stars of the 21st Century. Well, you might know her better by her pseudonym, Lady Gaga. I’ve even heard her being described as ‘the very thing the music industry needed to shake things up’ by some, and as ‘an over the top gimmick in a meat dress’ by others (I’d personally have to agree with the latter). Whatever your opinion, you can’t deny that she must have done something right to have established herself as a globally-recognised household name with a net worth of over $110 million. In my last blog post, I shared some tips on ‘How to Get Your Brand Name Out There’ – like any other superstar, Lady Gaga is a brand, and a highly successful one at that. So let’s take a closer look at what PR strategies she’s implemented to reach where she is today:

‘Just Dance’ even if it’s to your own tune
It might be a bit intimidating at times, but don’t be afraid to push the limits and try something a little different. Lady Gaga has done that with everything from her music to her somewhat eccentric dress sense (a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘mutton dressed as lamb’). Of course, one has to be prepared for the barrage of criticisms this might attract (let’s be honest, not everyone is going to ‘understand your art’ or see eye to eye with your vision), but there’s something to be said of the ‘high risk = high return’ philosophy. I would have to advise that whatever risks you do take, try to make sure they’re well-calculated ones. Continue reading »

Problems managing your client accounts? Learn to communicate

How to, Public Relations No Responses »

Jul 132011

The perfect client – is there such a thing? If there was, how would you define it? Open and honest for sure, never flaky or indecisive, realistic with expectations and ready to take on your advice whole heartedly – time to wake up. Clients will never be perfect, because people aren’t perfect. That’s not something to be upset about, the challenges you face along the way – and the changes you adopt to accommodate, are part of becoming a better agency. If you never had to deal with obstacles, how would you know what to do with one?

So rather than see them as problems, here are a few challenges a PR agency will face when dealing with different accounts.

The ancient snail account
Some accounts have been with the agency for years but are little more than ‘ad hoc’ projects. They are ‘stop-and-go’ by nature, leaving time gaps between assignments. For instance, you might only issue their quarterly newsletter or develop their annual report each spring. They might only call you in crisis situations or only when their internal staff needs support.
Continue reading »

Don’t sweat through the questions of your next television interview

Interviews, Media 2 Responses »

Jul 112011

Now that we’ve learned a little about the history of Television and what that all means to PR, it’s time to move on to one of the most fear-inspiring ways to get your message out there – TV interviews.

When I first started working in PR, I couldn’t really understand what all the fuss was about when it came to TV interviews. The CEO of a multi-national company meets with dozens of people for business a day and answers countless questions. Then what is the big deal about talking in front of a camera – a lifeless piece of equipment, and what do they need media training for? It’s not like they are facing Russell Crowe, dressed as a gladiator, about to square off in a duel to the death.

But that was until I faced the music, the camera in this case, for a mock interview. What I heard wasn’t Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9; in fact, what transpired was far from it. Instead I was sweating bullets and talking gibberish.

That was when I realised that the camera may just be an inanimate piece of technology, but it can either intimidate even the best of speakers or make superstars out of those who know how to befriend it, depending on who is calling the shots i.e., asking questions at the other end and if the person facing the camera measures up. So after my first disastrous experience, I made sure I attended as many media training sessions as possible, to become the speaker I know I could become, because each time I learned something new and interesting.

Here are some great examples I’ve come across along the way. Continue reading »

Interview questions? These can get tricky for anybody

How to, Interviews 9 Responses »

Jul 062011

Ah, interviews: sweaty palms, racing heartbeats and for me personally, never knowing what to do with my hands. You’d think you were getting ready to meet your mate to an arranged marriage for life. But if you think you’re the only one that’s nervous, think again. Have you ever stopped to consider what the interviewer is feeling? If you think all of the pressure is on you, well think again, because a lot of it is on the person sitting behind the desk as well. Not only do they have to pick and choose from quite a few candidates, but determine if you are their one and only (like mingling, dating and getting married all at a speed faster than light), and that’s quite a feat to take on.

So, let’s give a shout out to all you interviewers and discuss the hardships you face, because it definitely isn’t easy. As an interviewer, your job is to play psychologist to uncover the interviewee’s personality, abilities and capabilities (without the help of a degree in psych), and while you may think you’re on track by asking weird questions like, ‘If you were a fruit, which one would you be?’, there has to be sound reasoning behind what you ask. That is because the job interview is the most critical step in the process of hiring new people for a company. It’s an important opportunity for both the interviewer and the interviewee to evaluate the potential business relationship.
Continue reading »

Is that how you’ve been marketing your company?

How to, Media No Responses »

Jul 042011

Please excuse me if I’m stating the obvious, but there are some things people still don’t get. Marketing has changed because people have changed. We live in a world of the flashy and new, and sorry to say it, but you will have to work harder to get us interested, and yes, that means you do have to change (if you haven’t already, seriously, what are you waiting for?). That also means, dare I say it, you have to be creative, because customers aren’t going to give you money for anything anymore (especially after that unfortunate little financial crisis, that I’m sure you’ve all heard about), you’re going to have to earn it.

So starting with baby steps, because we all have to start somewhere, let’s cover the basics. The most important thing you have to do is make sure you have something worth taking and let people know that you do.

Pay cheap and you pay twice
Companies, now more than ever, have to really prove the value of their product in order to justify costs. You can’t just charge an obscene amount of money for anything anymore, because somebody else will offer it for cheaper. So, while you could go to Dragon Mart for a massage chair that costs a fraction of the price, are you sure it won’t break the minute you get home?
Continue reading »