Strategic Public Relations

"...kind of a big deal" | Friday Flickr Fix/Four Links | 01.02.09

When Ron Burgundy said “I don't know how to put this, but I'm kind of a big deal,” he believed it. I on the other hand refuse to believe my own press. But there have been a few self-serving links of note recently that I shamelessly humbly offer up below.

1) The Single Best PR Advice for 2009 – Think Like a News Organization | Marketing Edge Podcast
Albert Maruggi invited me to join him for an episode of the Marketing Edge podcast. We focused on media relations, social media and the Bad Pitch blog.

2) Plugging into social media across Cincinnati | Soapbox Cincinnati
In this article about a recent social media event, Jackie Reau refers to me as the "Godfather of social media in Cincinnati." Despite my urge to segue way into quotes from the Godfather trilogy, I’ll simply note that I appreciate her saying it and I appreciate Soapbox Cincinnati publishing it.

3) Cincinnati Social Media Breakfast 4 - It’s All About Sharing | Kribaby
Bryan Person’s Social Media Breakfast has been a hit in Cincinnati. Krista Neher gives us an overview of the latest event and I also created a quick video recap.

4) Werner-VonderHaar-Bogart Award | PR Visions
This news merits its own post, but I’m trying to downplay my pride in winning it. The Werner-VonderHaar-Bogart Award is the highest honor the Cincinnati PRSA chapter bestows upon a public relations professional. It’s named after three Cincinnati chapter presidents who advanced to national PRSA president. It is a genuine honor and surprise to learn I am this year’s recipient.

i don't know how to put this, but i'm kind of a big deal. uploaded by sevenworlds16
tags | public relations | PR | media relations | media | marketing | Kevin Dugan | Cincinnati

PimpMyNews Interview with CEO John Atkinson

“I heard the news today, oh boy…”

PimpMyNews is a new, free service allowing you to hear the latest news from your personally selected mix of news sources and blogs. Anyone with an MP3 player and Internet access can use it. CEO John Atkinson will be speaking at the next Cincinnati Social Media Breakfast* so we did a quick Q&A with him to give some background on the event’s special guest.

1) PimpMyNews is a great name and service. What’s the inspiration behind each?
My Co-founder Roy Georgia and I used to always struggle to keep up with news and current events (editor’s note: John and Roy are pictured here to the right and left respectively). Before starting PimpMyNews, we were both "road warriors" in our previous jobs and we could never find the time to read newspapers, or to tune into scheduled TV or radio news broadcasts.

Using the Internet for news and blogs required us to be at computers- searching, sifting and reading. So, we came up with the idea of a service that would automatically find breaking stories from your favorite sources on the Internet and read them to you wherever you happen to be - kind of like TiVo for news and blogs.

Our users say that the strongest benefit is the "productivity benefit" of being able to get current on their favorite news and blogs by listening on-the-go, while they do other things like, drive, workout, ride the train and more.

After considering over 200 different names, we chose "PimpMyNews" because we feel that it conveys the "personalized news" aspect of the service - and because it seems to get people's attention ;)

2) How do you determine which news sources you cover?
We pride ourselves on PimpMyNews being a source of solid, trusted and obscure news and blog content.

There are so many news and blog sites out there that "information overload" is a real issue. Technorati reports that it tracks over 112 million blogs world-wide. To arrive at the roughly 1,200 sources we have in PimpMyNews, we reviewed tens of thousands of the world's most popular blogs and categorized the blogs that passed our editorial review into 59 unique categories.

So whether you're interested in Technology, Politics, Business, Sports, Entertainment or something else, there's a good chance you'll find it on PimpMyNews. We also receive a lot of suggestions from users. Anyone can suggest a blog by emailing Feeds AT PimpMyNews DOT com.

3) What's next for PimpMyNews? Scoble dubbed PimpMyNews as one of the best iPhone apps prior to the 3G release. Any plans to offer PimpMyNews as an application?
Because of the uniqueness of our service, we've received a lot of press, for which we're very thankful. Our current iPhone Web Application works on all iPhones and iPod Touch devices, including iPhone 3G. Anyone with a computer or an MP3 player can also use the service.

Our goal is to continually increase the mobile platforms we run on. In the near future, we'll be rolling out a native iPhone application that will be accessible through Apple's App Store, as well as applications for other mobile devices.

4) What do you think the news landscape will look like five years from now?
There's never been a more exciting time, or a more volatile time, in the news industry than right now. According to Pew Internet, nearly one-third of Americans now use the Internet for news. Ten years ago, only two percent of us used the Internet for news. The trend of people shifting from "traditional" news sources to "new media" sources will continue and accelerate. Personalized, mobile, social news is the new frontier, and we think that the smart phone explosion - sparked by the iPhone - will bring the market to a "tipping point" in the next couple of years.

Mobile "applications" (versus "sites") will instantly deliver the exact news you care about from thousands of sources - in the format you desire, no matter where you happen to be. Publishers who have great content and who embrace new digital distribution methods will thrive.

5) What are your personal favorite news sources? Same applies to gadgets (top 3 favorites).
I have the following sources in my PimpMyNews Playlist - I listen to them every day.

TechCrunch - A great source for news on Web 2.0 startups.
Mashable - I love their focus on social networking & social media.
Seth Godin - The world's best marketer

My number 1 favorite gadget is the iPhone - no surprise there. I'm curious about all of the alleged "iPhone-Killers" being rolled out by the wireless carriers. I'm also intrigued by the Amazon Kindle, but I haven't purchased one yet.
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*The Cincinnati Social Media Breakfast is SOLD OUT. However you can get on the waiting list by sending me an email.

Cross-posted to the Bad Pitch blog and Social Media Breakfast blog.
tags | John Atkinson | PimpMyNews | social media | media | news

Come to Cincinnati’s 2nd Social Media Breakfast on Tuesday, August 12

Come to the second Cincinnati Social Media Breakfast to listen, share, network and learn along with other area marketing and new media professionals.

Making communications more effective with multimedia is the theme of the free morning event as the definition of content continues to morph and include everything from 140-character Twitter bursts and Flickr images to Flip videos pushed to YouTube and of course the social media news release.

It’s a FREE event thanks to Marketwire’s sponsorship.

Our special guest is PimpMyNews CEO John Atkinson. PimpMyNews is a free service bringing you news in audio format. Anyone with Internet access or an MP3 player can listen to thousands of breaking text news and blog stories. Users create podcasts pushed to them daily based on their customized profiles.

Attendees will also be registered to win a copy of Pete Blackshaw’s new book “Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000: Running a Business in Today's Consumer-Driven World"

Albert Maruggi and Bryan Person inspired this event. Maruggi held the first Cincinnati event and Bryan Person created the concept. Together they’re kind of the Johnny Appleseed of social media.

RSVP info is forthcoming, but Mark your calendars with these details and be sure to RSVP as space is limited.

Date: Tuesday, August 12, 2008, from 7:30 to 9:30 am
Location: Rookwood Pavilion First Watch on 2692 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45208.
Cost: Did we mention it’s free? Thank Marketwire.

Uros Petrovic - Good Morning! uploaded by Uros Petrovic
tags | public relations | PR | media relations | media | advertising | marketing | social media | PimpMyNews | Marketwire

Research Shows Web 2.0's Future is in Business Collaboration

Web 2.0 is being taken seriously by businesses.

New research from McKinsey shows businesses are bullish on Web 2.0 technologies like wikis, blogs and social networks.

In fact, “more executives said they should have acted faster than slower” in bringing Web 2.0 technologies into their companies.

Why? Executives see Web 2.0 technologies helping companies to refine strategies by communicating with customers and partners and fostering internal collaboration.

Another benefit is that companies are learning “a new way of bringing technology into businesses, one that is easier to implement and more flexible than traditional top-down approaches.” So is corporate IT letting this organic implementation occur; or is it occurring despite the raft of well-intended rules and regulations IT puts in place?

The sample is pretty impressive with nearly half of the 2,800 respondents being C-Level executives. The study also defines terms. Collective intelligence refers to any system that taps the expertise of the group to make decisions. As a result, wikis are in much greater use than the chart suggests.

It's interesting that podcasts edged out blogs. But it's not surprising that the technologies grabbing headlines were lower on the list. This mirrors the usual technology maturation process.

The bottom line is that businesses realize the benefit of “the conversation” and are investing in the technologies that help them achieve it.

tags | McKinsey | Web 2.0

Four Links — 03.01.07 — The Delta Zeta Crisis, Podcasting, Social Media, and Second Life

1) A Media-Created Crisis? The Delta Zeta Sorority Problem: Crisisblogger
Gerald Baron starts a great conversation on the Delta Zeta Sorority’s “Media-Created Crisis.” Be sure to check out the comments.

2) Podcasting 101: podLife Network
Jay Hopper presented to the Cincinnati Chapter of PRSA and posted the presentation for download. In addition to the mp3, he combines his slide show and the audio to create a video format.

3) PRSA Boston Social Media Recap: PR Communications
John Cass moderated a panel discussion on social media with Todd Van Hoosear, Todd Defren and Paul Gillin. Greg Peverill-Conti provides a thorough recap here.

4) My PodCamp Toronto presentation on Second Life: Bryper.com
Bryan Person tops them all by serving up slides, notes, audio and video on his Second Life presentation at PodCamp Toronto.

RSS + MP3 V.2 uploaded by Everything Digital

tags | Delta Zeta | PRSA | podcast | social media | Second Life | PodCamp Toronto

Four Links — 02.17.07 — PR In Stereo, Bloglines Image Wall, Power 150 and “Gorilla” Marketing

1) PR in Stereo: Podcasting Tips
If Shel and Neville haven’t inspired you to sound off, NPR has 80 million reasons to check out podcasting. There are many creative ways a podcast might enhance your marketing efforts.

If you have something relevant to say, there are several ways to do it. You can start from scratch, get some help, or use a service like BlogTalkRadio.

BTR combines the simplicity of social media with the conversation of a radio talk show. Just make sure you sketch out roughly what you want to discuss or it will sound like paint drying.

2) Bloglines Unveils River of Images: Bloglines
Bloglines’ new Image Wall means well, but it’s really nothing more than a soft core river of news. It’s “comprised of dynamically generated images from user feeds and may contain material of an explicit sexual nature or other adult content.” So it’s NSFW eye candy that you have no control over as it continually refreshes. Hopefully version 2.0 will be more useful.

3) The Power 150 - Top Marketing Blogs: Todd And
I need another feed like I need another coat hanger. But Todd’s put together a good mix of marketing blogs, including this one, into one giant feed. Todd, congrats on the link bait experiment. If you could identify the blog author in the feed before we click through, it would be even more useful. Just sayin'.

4) What’s Wrong with Guerrilla Marketing: Canuckflack
If you’re getting drunk on your own Web 2.0 wine, Colin McKay will sober you up---and make you laugh.

tags | public relations | PR | social media | podcast | Bloglines | marketing

Four Links — 02.09.07 — Self-Policing Blogosphere, Listening to Consumers/Creative Class

1) Shady Ethics in the Blogosphere: Paul Gillin's blog
”The blogosphere is self-policing, and any popular blogger who tries to deceive his or her audience will be quickly smoked out. Any blogger who wants to build a long-term franchise will be very careful not to cross that line. There will always be con men in social media, but their influence will be limited. The readers will see to that.”

2) Giving the consumer a seat at the table: (3i)
”Adding in customer perceptions [to a SWOT analysis] adds a depth of understanding to what your true strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are. Without accurately addressing what people are actually thinking you may miss a key insight.”

3) 12 Podcasts for the Creative Class: FastCompany
Tune in to some sound content here.

4) From 1.0 to 2.0 In Under 60 Minutes: Logic+Emotion
David Armano gives three quick and easy ways to pimp your blog. So what am I waiting for?

www.myspace.com/steedlord uploaded by Saga

tags | marketing | blog | design

Tune in to the Dallas Marketing Zoo

Scott Baradell looks to be having a blast with social media. From his popular blog, to his Marketing link farm Spin Thicket, he covers a lot of ground.

So I was impressed, but not surprised, to hear he started a radio show using his client’s technology.

The Dallas Marketing Zoo (DMZ) is hosted by Baradell, Cam Beck, Paul Herring, Paul McEnany and Copyblogger’s Brian Clark.

Their first show received more than 8,000 downloads. I crashed their second show (you can listen below), but I doubt I crashed their servers.

One topic discussed during the show is 2007 predictions. I stole paid homage to John Wagner’s prediction that we’ll “move toward a more human voice in corporate communications.” I call it the trend towards corporate personality.

Kodak provides a perfect example. An Ad Age story (reg. req.) reports on Kodak's "self-deprecating in-house video" that was leaked and went viral. Rather than being an embarrassing Kodak moment, it’s been a breath of fresh air and consumers are reacting positively.

Tomorrow evening (Monday, January 8, 2007), Baradell is having a “Naked Conversation” with Shel Israel. Be sure to check it out.

If you chart downloads of the first two DMZ Shows and Shel Israel's intervew, I bet you’ll see a big dip in the middle. That big dip is me. ;-)

Only a matter of time... uploaded by L!n 小米雪's

tags | public relations | PR | media relations | marketing | blogtalkradio | Dallas Marketing Zoo

Four Links – 07.28.06

There is a ton of great public relations work being discussed in the PR blogosphere. Here are links to four of them.

Anti-Astroturfing Campaign
Trevor Cook and Paull Young are asking bloggers to unite against astroturfing. Count me in. I’m encouraged that anything less than authentic in the blogosphere is usually sniffed out pretty quickly. For more on the campaign, check out the New PR wiki.

BlogTalk Radio
David Parmet has been busy with another social media launch. This one’s for BlogTalkRadio a new service that lets bloggers create their own live blog shows and have listeners participate via phone or IM. According to TechCrunch:

“BlogTalkRadio is targeting bloggers who want to hold a live telephone conversation with up to 5 people on a phone line at once. Anyone can listen live to the call on the phone or through Windows Media Player, like a live web radio show. Listeners can also download an archived copy of the conversation later. Revenue from contextual advertising is split 50/50 with show hosts.”

PR and Podcasting
Speaking of all things online audio, Neville Hobson is working with Speedo on a podcast to reach swimming enthusiasts. It’s interesting to see how businesses are tapping into podcasting.

On a related note, Hobson and Holtz’ weekly PR podcast is up for a People’s Choice Podcasting Award in the business category. Voting is open through August 11. Be sure to check out For Immediate Release (FIR),  if you haven’t done so already, and cast your vote.

SHIFT into Social Media
Todd Defren gets the “just do it” award. In addition to banging out a first draft of the social media news release, he has created a 30-page guide to social media in public relations. SHIFT Communication’s .pdf of essentials is a valuable resource and Todd clearly understands the value of online generosity.

Fony PayStation uploaded by mikek

tags | public relations | PR | media relations | social media | BlogTalkRadio | podcasting | astroturf | Fony Paystation

Video Marketing Savvy

Video can give your marketing efforts a boost in a variety of ways. Here are two small, smart examples, at either end of the budget spectrum. Let’s start with event promotion on the skinny.

YouTube Makes Event Promotion Easy
In the aftermath of a successful event, Philip Young created a video wrap-up and posted it to YouTube.

”London: The Movie” was created using a digital camera, Photo Story 3 and some podcast excerpts. It’s a great way to build interest in a follow-up event without adding a line item in your event budget for a videographer (Hat tip to Neville Hobson).

GM Sponsorship is About Access
From skinny budgets to big-boned, Ad Age (reg. req.) tells us that GM is sponsoring the Survivor Finale on-demand.

Survivor fans in select markets will be able to watch the episode for no additional charge through Comcast's video-on-demand platform. This will be the first time an advertiser has fully sponsored on-demand prime-time broadcast programming.

The program will air with only three commercials. The ads direct viewers to the GM Showroom, an on-demand destination that provides videos, along with in-depth product walk-arounds of various GM vehicles.

This is a clear payoff to the sponsorship, unlike Sprite and LOST where I had to figure out the connection/payoff on my own.

GM is doing more than cutting a sponsorship check here. They are creating customer good will and awareness by providing FREE access to VOD and tying themselves to the buzz of a popular show and VOD technology. This would be the polar opposite of what NBC created by pulling SNL’s Lazy Sunday/Narnia Rap from YouTube and turning it into an iTunes revenue generator.

tags | event marketing | YouTube | GM | video on demand | advertising | marketing | media | Delivering the New PR | Philip Young