As the decade comes to a close, everyone is weighing in on how we will remember the 2000s. My personal favourite is Vanity Fair’s ‘Aughties’ column.
The 70s had shag carpets, lowriders, and lava lamps. The 80s had stonewash, Ray Bans, and Flock of Seagulls hair. The 90s had flannel shirts, Clintonisms, and heroin chic. But what will the decade that began with Y2K panic and ended with recessionistas yield in terms of funny and embarrassing nostalgia?
Check out the full article here.
How would you characterize the decade?
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Tiger Woods: your sins require a press release
According to Tiger Woods, your sins should not require a press release. In an ideal world I would agree with this statement but this is not our reality when you are a public figure. With fame and fortune comes a life under the microscope and managing that image is just as important to building and protecting your career as is your golf game. As we’ve seen time and time again from Britney Spears to Michael Jackson, celebrities are not permitted to reap the benefits of fame and then shun the very thing that gives them their status when things don’t go their way. Unfortunately this is the price of fame.
And while this is nothing new, celebrity after celebrity learn this lesson the hard way. With all the resources and expertise that surround them, it never ceases to surprise me how poorly they handle their communications around their indiscretions. It would be nice if the embarrassing incident could be swept under the rug, but the more attempts to hide it, the juicier it becomes, and the more aggressive the media become to get to the bottom of the story.
Celebrities can’t give the tabloids this power – they have to diffuse the situation immediately. That’s the only way to shorten the lifespan of the story. Coming clean will actually earn them points – we see the human behind the personality and that puts them on an even higher pedestal. So, Tiger, take a lesson from David Letterman, swallow your pride, apologize to your fans and your wife and move on. Yes, a press release is required.
And while this is nothing new, celebrity after celebrity learn this lesson the hard way. With all the resources and expertise that surround them, it never ceases to surprise me how poorly they handle their communications around their indiscretions. It would be nice if the embarrassing incident could be swept under the rug, but the more attempts to hide it, the juicier it becomes, and the more aggressive the media become to get to the bottom of the story.
Celebrities can’t give the tabloids this power – they have to diffuse the situation immediately. That’s the only way to shorten the lifespan of the story. Coming clean will actually earn them points – we see the human behind the personality and that puts them on an even higher pedestal. So, Tiger, take a lesson from David Letterman, swallow your pride, apologize to your fans and your wife and move on. Yes, a press release is required.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Two Sides to the Story
The tragic bike accident that’s dominating the news in Toronto these days happened just a few blocks from our offices. A very unfortunate event where tempers flared resulting in the death of the biker. Humanity at its worst. But in a city where bike incidents happen often, why is this story still front page news days after? For two reasons: the animosity between Toronto drivers and bikers has reached a boiling-over point resulting in protests taking over Avenue and Bloor Streets – but even more shocking is that the driver was former Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant.
What are we to take away from this? When the news first broke and both driver and biker were anonymous there was an assumption in the media coverage and by the public that the driver was to blame. And this may still be the case. But new details are emerging daily since that fateful night, shedding light on the behaviour of both driver and biker and demonstrating what we all intuitively know but often fail to remember: there are two sides to every story.
As public relations professionals who work hard to build positive images for companies or often end up defending the reputation of clients when they get into trouble, prejudices are a reality of the world in which we work. Regardless of how innovative a company is or its dedication to corporate social responsibility programs, people often make snap judgements and these opinions, which, admittedly, sometimes prove to be accurate, are often difficult to change.
So how can we ensure our side of the story is told? We can’t always see how a story will evolve or what facts will emerge that will change the public’s perception, but what we can do is stop the rumour mill by listening to what is being said and communicating the facts. And if the facts aren’t yet known, then say so, but don’t stay silent. Sometimes we can’t win them all and some situations are simply out of your hands no matter what you say. When this occurs, rest assured that another front page media story will come along soon and you can get back to proactively building the corporate reputation that will help fend off, or at least help you bounce back more quickly, from negativity.
As for the deceased biker who can no longer defend himself, let’s reflect on the tragedy of the situation and how we can avoid such an unfortunate event in the future; and as for Michael Bryant, let’s not pass judgement too soon.
What are we to take away from this? When the news first broke and both driver and biker were anonymous there was an assumption in the media coverage and by the public that the driver was to blame. And this may still be the case. But new details are emerging daily since that fateful night, shedding light on the behaviour of both driver and biker and demonstrating what we all intuitively know but often fail to remember: there are two sides to every story.
As public relations professionals who work hard to build positive images for companies or often end up defending the reputation of clients when they get into trouble, prejudices are a reality of the world in which we work. Regardless of how innovative a company is or its dedication to corporate social responsibility programs, people often make snap judgements and these opinions, which, admittedly, sometimes prove to be accurate, are often difficult to change.
So how can we ensure our side of the story is told? We can’t always see how a story will evolve or what facts will emerge that will change the public’s perception, but what we can do is stop the rumour mill by listening to what is being said and communicating the facts. And if the facts aren’t yet known, then say so, but don’t stay silent. Sometimes we can’t win them all and some situations are simply out of your hands no matter what you say. When this occurs, rest assured that another front page media story will come along soon and you can get back to proactively building the corporate reputation that will help fend off, or at least help you bounce back more quickly, from negativity.
As for the deceased biker who can no longer defend himself, let’s reflect on the tragedy of the situation and how we can avoid such an unfortunate event in the future; and as for Michael Bryant, let’s not pass judgement too soon.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The Role of Social Media Expertise in PR Firms
As we grow our social media practice we are debating what skill-sets to develop in-house and what to outsource. It’s a difficult decision to make because without knowing how this whole sector will evolve, where to make the investment can be a bit of gamble.
While many PR firms are hiring social media specialists, others are opting to partner with companies specializing in the space. I’m not convinced either avenue is the right choice because it conflicts with two beliefs I have: PR professionals who don’t embrace and integrate social media into their practice won’t survive; and those who specialize in social media risk failing to amalgamate the online strategy with the PR and marketing program as a whole.
Social media is another vehicle of communications. Like TV, print or radio, it is another means of communication – albeit with a far more interactive, instantaneous component that comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. But it’s because of its nature, communicators are rethinking their approach: after all this is about everything from direct, authentic discussions with individual customers to reaching large groups of engaged audiences with brand-building campaigns. It’s both empowering, and for some, intimidating.
In other words, admit it or not – even the social media specialists themselves are still figuring it out. There are no tried and true rules and probably never will be. And it’s because of that I believe the best approach for us is a little bit of both: our team is dedicated to enhancing our social media expertise while other aspects we would consider outsourcing, such as the monitoring and analysis of social media content. That way, our team continues to evolve as specialists - but as PR strategists delivering superb client service.
While many PR firms are hiring social media specialists, others are opting to partner with companies specializing in the space. I’m not convinced either avenue is the right choice because it conflicts with two beliefs I have: PR professionals who don’t embrace and integrate social media into their practice won’t survive; and those who specialize in social media risk failing to amalgamate the online strategy with the PR and marketing program as a whole.
Social media is another vehicle of communications. Like TV, print or radio, it is another means of communication – albeit with a far more interactive, instantaneous component that comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. But it’s because of its nature, communicators are rethinking their approach: after all this is about everything from direct, authentic discussions with individual customers to reaching large groups of engaged audiences with brand-building campaigns. It’s both empowering, and for some, intimidating.
In other words, admit it or not – even the social media specialists themselves are still figuring it out. There are no tried and true rules and probably never will be. And it’s because of that I believe the best approach for us is a little bit of both: our team is dedicated to enhancing our social media expertise while other aspects we would consider outsourcing, such as the monitoring and analysis of social media content. That way, our team continues to evolve as specialists - but as PR strategists delivering superb client service.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Silver Screens Arts Festival
With the official kick-off of the 2nd Annual Silver Screens Arts Festival, presented by Ryerson’s The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education, in partnership with the LIFE Institute complete and the Festival well-underway, I thought it an appropriate time to talk about media relations around events. Having a background in event planning, it was an interesting switch to be responsible for the media relations side instead of the event logistics and development. Here is what I found:
Challenges:
· There are so many events going on all the time, how do you make your event stand out?
· Timeliness-getting all the information you require far enough in advance that you can run an effective media relations campaign
· There are so many events going on all the time, how do you make your event stand out?
· Timeliness-getting all the information you require far enough in advance that you can run an effective media relations campaign
What worked:
· Having a high profile and interesting speaker, in this case, Dr. Gene Cohen, MD, PhD, Director of Center on Aging, Health and Humanities at George Washington University
· A very targeted market with relevant media outlets, individuals aged 50+
· Having a high profile and interesting speaker, in this case, Dr. Gene Cohen, MD, PhD, Director of Center on Aging, Health and Humanities at George Washington University
· A very targeted market with relevant media outlets, individuals aged 50+
Through a mix of event listings, and targeted media outreach far enough in advance, we were able to secure coverage in outlets such as Forever Young, YoungRetired.ca, CIUT 89.5FM and secure interviews with The Globe and Mail, as well as, Zoomer Magazine. Not only does that bring satisfaction to the client, is also helped in quadrupling pre-purchased ticket sales from last year’s totals.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Connected Parenting - Jennifer Kolari launches first book
BlueSky’s long-term client, Jennifer Kolari, founder of Connected Parenting has officially launched her first book in Canada and the US. The book, Connected Parenting, transform your challenging child and build loving bonds for life (Penguin) will be available at all major booksellers this month. If the launch event last week at Parentbooks in Toronto is any indication, the book will be hugely successful and a must read for all parents.
Jennifer’s ground-breaking approach shares techniques that therapists use to help you soothe your child as well as enhance the parent-child bond. By showing you how to model compassion, empathy, responsibility, and understanding, Connected Parenting allows you to parent from a place of compassion rather than anger and frustration will bring out the best in both you and your child.
Congratulations Jennifer! We've had a lof of fun working with you and we look forward to helping you make this book a huge success!
Jennifer’s ground-breaking approach shares techniques that therapists use to help you soothe your child as well as enhance the parent-child bond. By showing you how to model compassion, empathy, responsibility, and understanding, Connected Parenting allows you to parent from a place of compassion rather than anger and frustration will bring out the best in both you and your child.
Congratulations Jennifer! We've had a lof of fun working with you and we look forward to helping you make this book a huge success!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Twitter for Small Business
I thought I would share an article by Rick Spence published in the National Post today encouraging businesses to look beyond the challenges of Twitter and explore the opportunities. I like this article because it gives concrete examples of how small businesses can get in the game. Rick says:
...What can you say in such a tight space? Surely not anything of significance?
Actually you can. You can thank someone. Announce a new product or special sale. Praise a staffer. Promote a cause. Congratulate a supplier.
Restaurants can relate daily specials. Realtors can promote new listings. Service firms can dole out free advice that makes them look smart.
With Web-based social media, you don't judge a medium by how others abuse it. The question is, can you use it to reach your target market?
We all recognize that Twitter has flaws and limitations, but it’s also a proven, effective tool to get a message out there. Thanks to Rick for showing how effective of a tool twitter can be for Small Business.
...What can you say in such a tight space? Surely not anything of significance?
Actually you can. You can thank someone. Announce a new product or special sale. Praise a staffer. Promote a cause. Congratulate a supplier.
Restaurants can relate daily specials. Realtors can promote new listings. Service firms can dole out free advice that makes them look smart.
With Web-based social media, you don't judge a medium by how others abuse it. The question is, can you use it to reach your target market?
We all recognize that Twitter has flaws and limitations, but it’s also a proven, effective tool to get a message out there. Thanks to Rick for showing how effective of a tool twitter can be for Small Business.
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