Guy Kawasaki has a clever format for many of his blog entries….. Top 10… somethings about something by someone.
This one is a pretty long list of excuses for mediocre work, poor briefing and a lack of honesty on both client and agency side.
I had elegant green tea with Hugh Birley and we chatted about the PRCA conference.
there’s a ‘holy huddle’ of top PR managing directors who meet at the event for a private briefing.
He told me he wanted to be controversial and so suggested that the Future of PR will be an outsourced call centre in Poland doing media sell-ins to UK based media.
It’s not so far fetched, really. Let’s face it. Nowadays few PROs actually ever meet journalists. They form ‘relationships’ by phoning and emailing them. Who actually needs to meet to sell in a story?
A subject I’ve noted before. And it raises its head again in US via BL Ochman.
Here is my comment….
Fine words all round: my clients are often PR firms.
BUT don’t you notice that people see the world through their own personal lens? The church of the customer is about one thing… getting customers to do the selling / marketing / PR for you. That’s their story. Every story is interpreted through that lens. Nothing wrong with this (I loved their first book enough to give it to several clients).
I found the same thing when working for Don Peppers and Martha Rogers at 1to1.com They thought 1to1 marketing or CRM was the solution to every business issue. It isn’t.
Realising that the all-round picture is probably different is what a holistic, experienced business adviser or business manager can bring to the situation. And, as Doug says above, it’s horses for courses and good relationships smooth a lot of paths.
Rebecca Caroe
I took Stephen Horn and Eddie Buckley to the Cass Business School event - the usual panel discussion. They said the subject was "the changing relationship between PR and the media"
What they actually talked about "Too much journalism is PR-led"
Panel Chair - Adrian Monck, City University
Julia Hobasbawm, Editorial Intelligence [but look at her Google search page ;-)]
Scott Leamouth, Media Strategy
Carol Lewis, The Times
Martin Moore, Media Standards Trust
Adrian has written his position statement in his blog and puts his case succinctly.
Martin: News reporting is so intertwined with spin that the quality is visibly weakened. Should we care? The news media sees its elf as accountable to the public but PR companies are accountable to their clients. PR is a legitimate part of a free society.
BUT it exists, Martin and journalists (whether lazy or time-pressed are susceptible to its wiles - not checking stories, repeating press releases verbatim etc).
Scott: The ability to damage reputation via journalists has increased and led to the opportunity for the PR sector to prosper. However PR won’t drive the future of the media because it is user-generated and content-led. But it’s impossible to unpick the relationship between PR and the media. In the UK we have a healthy, sceptical media.
Presumably you mean people buy more PR because of scare stories of vicious journalists and buy time to be shielded from their fangs?
Carol: Professionals have roles and there are boundaries… this is the key issue. As a journalist I find facts, research them in context and give a balanced view. Journalism should always include some degree of investigation.
Yes, right. It should. But does it?
Julia: [plugs her latest book] Journalistic careers ar enot growing as fast as PR careers (11%) the the love:hate relationship between us is about power. Journalism is fragmented adn diluted by the 24 hour media and blogs. Reputation increase is important to the corporate agenda and that’s why they spend ££ on PR. A new pact is needed between those putting information into the funnela nd those taking out of it and taking it to the public. Although journalists are accountable to the public it has its own ‘truth’ and bias. You know your readership. I call for ‘content labelling’ for news. This story is brought to you with 5 off the record briefings, one press rlease and has been checked by the PCC.
Julia speaks in wonderful sound bites. Get to hear her in person if you can, she’s marvellous. But she don’t ‘arf plug her organisation all the time.
Adrian: thinks online hyperlinking is the media’s opportunity to do content labelling…. oh and then he plugs his book!
And so it ended…. not much new discovered - some fantastic anecdotes and a few insightful questions.
Come next time. These are great events.
Oh, this is how Cass wrote it up for their own news.
I had a delightedly excited phone call from Emily at BCP yesterday - they have won the Grand Prix award for their region from the CIPR for the second year running!
Naturally, since I work with them, I want to claim my small part of the credit…. but that’s useless posturing. They did it themselves fair and square. And I’m delighted for Emily, Sam and the team.
They also told me that they have just won a high profile new client and are working for OC Events, part of Ellen McArthur’s company, OC Group.
Now how exciting is that?
Did you read it?
It quoted Adriana Lukas [note spelling] with her pretty normal message about how corporate organisations have to transform their attitude to external communications to allow transparency before social media will help them build brand profile. She’s been speaking and writing on this subject for about three years…. so she knows the area.
BUT they got parts of it badly wrong…. read Jackie Danicki on the subject. A classic work of fisking.
And I have previously posted on the potentially fatal combination of PR and social media so this will be a theme I anticipate growing over time.
Everyone loves a good / bad social media versus the PR industry story. Well this one involves Microsoft and Wikipedia. Opposite ends of the IT industry - paid versus free, David versus Goliath.
Here’s a good summary of the issues from B.L. Ochman.
BUT really - why do it? The clear answer is public honesty and user group approval for products.
if you ain’t got good enough products you can’t spin the story without getting found out.
Full Stop. End of Story.
Think about it. How good are my products? Are they written up in Wikipedia? Could my best customers write the Wikipedia entry for me? And would I blog about the experience?
P.S. reminder to self. Get on and do this for Rowperfect!!!
P.P.S. it isn’t my company, I’m just the UK agent. But I could do with more publicity online for the product and so maybe I should pull my finger out and do it!
When I worked with Americans during the dot.com boom they were over-fond of the phrase ‘business model’ The discussion usually focused on how an online business could destroy your offline company.
Well, since then, most of us set up websites and those selling physical goods set up online shops.
The new threat comes from a different area: consumers bypassing traditional brand communication channels to market. When a consumer and a brand can speak directly to each other - who needs an advertising agency, a PR agency, a direct marketing agency?
The IPA has published a report recognising this issue and making some rather broad-brush and namby pamby suggestions about how agencies can counter this threat. Re-inventing the Agency
This is the future….I love working with interesting people who challenge me and push new ideas out for testing to see if the idea will improve whatever we are working on.
This applies at work and in my leisure (rowing) life…. and at home too.
I have worked with great people who have helped me along the way Honor Chapman, Pip Errington, Mark Adams, Richard Sheahan, Adriana Lukas, Marianne Grand, Julian Wells [where are you now?], Vyla Rollins [ditto].
I have also worked with great people who have NOT helped me along the way. Sad but true.
Time for payback. These people are GREAT. They have skill, ability, strategic thoughts and they are very generous with their ideas. And so here is my manifesto.
The Advice and Guidance Manifesto
Ever noticed how great, talented peoplet are free with advice and guidance? Why do they do it?
1. Because they aren’t threatened by sharing their ideas
2. Because even if I could use every idea they tell me today there are dozens more they are formulating which will keep them ahead of me for a while yet
3. Giving for free brings payback multiplied many times over (client referrals, new speaking opportunities, new ideas, building reputation….)
4. Because someone helped them when they were starting out and the responsibility cascades down the generations
5. So start doing it yourself - TODAY!
I know this. It happens here, on this blog. As I write 9.72 unique visitors read this site daily. Who are you? Delighted you are visiting. Presumably one or two are re-visiting - particular thanks to you, the faithful. Wow. Cheers. Pass the message on.
Received this email this morning
NESTA
is a lottery funded organisation that invests in business and supports
creativity. Their Insight Out programme is a training and funding programme
designed to support recent graduates set up interesting new businesses.
Anyone who has
graduated from a higher education course in the creative industries and plans
to develop an exciting and original business can apply to one of the
participating regional areas.
Divided into
four phases Insight Out offers a unique approach to business and professional
development through a series of workshops and one-to-one meetings led by key
experts in the fields of finance, law and business. Regionally based each
Insight Out programme accepts up to 20 business ideas. Those who attend will
have the opportunity to apply for up to £5,000 in business start-up funding
from a total pot of £20,000.
The following
Insight Out Programmes will be accepting
applications from August to October 2006:
Northern Ireland - application deadline: 29 August
North West – application deadline: 31 August
Read more, and apply here:NESTA
