Run For Your Lives!

I like horror movies.  I do.  There's nothing better than sitting back and getting a good scare.  The kind of scare that makes you jump out of your seat and scream and spew popcorn across three aisles in front of you.  Sadly, my love of horror hasn't helped me much in my professional life.  Truth be told, it hasn't helped me much in my personal life either, but that's a different story. 

As it turns out, I just wasn't thinking far enough outside the box.  This realization came to me today as I ripped through my Twitter feed checking for any interesting stories.  That's when I came across THIS little gem from the Los Angeles Times and local TV station, KUSA (click on the links to read the entire article or watch the video)

Preparing for a zombie apocalypse? The CDC weighs in

Zombies take over Hollywood Boulevard in a 2009 zombie walk. Would you be ready if they came to your neighborhood? (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

By Amina Khan, Los Angeles Times / for the Booster Shots blog

May 19, 2011, 11:37 a.m.

Preparing for disasters has always been part of the mission of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from hurricanes to flu pandemics.

It was only a matter of time, then, before they decided to weigh in on another calamity of great concern to the public: the zombie apocalypse.

"That’s right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you’ll be happy you read this," Dr. Ali S. Khan, an assistant surgeon general with the CDC and head of its office of Public Health Preparedness, wrote on the CDC's Public Health Matters blog.

I have to tell you, the instant I saw this article, I laughed, I chuckled, I shared and I laughed again.  But then I took a moment and thought to myself, "THIS IS BRILLIANT!"

I wasn't talking so much about the articles themselves, although the LA Times writing is excellent.  No, I had to marvel at the creativity and cleverness of the Center For Disease Control.  This, my friends is what we call a PR Home Run and there are some lessons to be learned from this particular news gem.

A "Newsy Sense of Humor":

Before I go on, I have to admit, I wish I had thought of something like this.  I also desperately wish I had been in the room when whoever it was pitched this idea during the PR meeting.  In my mind it goes something like this:

Person 1 - Any ideas of how we can make emergency preparedness more interesting and newsworthy?
Person 2 -  We could use the recent tornado and earthquake tragedies as a news peg.
Person 1 - We could, probably too soon, a little depressing, but a good idea.
Person 3 - Terrorism?
Person 1 - Bin Laden's dead, not timely.  Anyone else?  Anyone?  ANYONE?!
PR Intern - uhhhh....Zombie Apocalypse?
Person 1 - (choking on water) WHAT?!
Person 2 - BWAAAHHHHH HA HA HA HA HA HA!
PR Intern - I'm serious...how about a zombie apocalypse?
Person 1 - Errrrr....yeah, you know what?  Okay!

Allright, I'm pretty sure it didn't go down that way, but a man can dream, can't he?  Before we get too deep into the analysis here, I'm going to make a few assumptions.


1. The CDC is trying to reach a younger, more apathetic demographic
2. The CDC probably feels that their message is getting old and that they needed to spice it up a bit

By now, you've probably seen this story on the network news, in your local papers, on your local affiliates, heard it on the radio, heck, even NPR is running the story.  So how does a "fake" news story manage to get massive amounts of news coverage across the globe and shared millions of times in social media circles?

The answer is that the CDC did a masterful job of blending popular culture with a real news story with a real news peg.  And the incredible part is that they managed to do it about an issue that is generally VERY serious and, at least lately, involves stories centered around real life tragedy.

Zombies Rock:

Let's face it.  Zombies are awesome.  It doesn't matter if they're the slow-moving, dimwitted zombies from the 60's, or the lightning-fast brain-eaters from the late 90's.  They're popular, they're scary (usually) and everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, is familiar with them.  Zombies have replaced vampires and werewolves as top monster (despite the best effort of that Moonlighting show...wait, not Moonlighting...you know what I'm talking about). 

That's what makes this latest CDC PR effort so effing genius.  The American public has been listening to the emergency preparedness message for decades now.  We've heard it so often, that for many of us, it's become a dull roar against the background of the rest of the news we're inundated with on a daily basis.

And yet, even though we see new zombie movies just about every year, we continue to love them, watch them, read about them; we can't get enough of them.

Zombies have enjoyed fifty years of mass appeal even as the emergency preparedness message has been relegated to the back pages of media outlets everywhere.  At some point, it probably occurred to someone that, hey, what could be more of an emergency besides a zombie apocalypse?  The nuclear threat has gone the way of the cold war, the threat of terrorism seems to have diminished a bit, the economy is picking up. 

What's left to be afraid of?  The answer, of course, turned out to be zombies.  So what if zombies don't exist outside of certain New Orleans neighborhoods?  If ever there was an emergency situation we can all get behind, it's a full-scale zombie attack.

Still Newsworthy:

But here's why the story REALLY works.  There was an actual newspeg behind the effort.  Yes, that newspeg happened to be the tragic deaths of hundreds in the U.S. and across the world due to severe natural disasters.  Within our own borders, the need for emergency preparedness plans is all too evident after watching the Mississippi jump its banks and twisters tear apart town after town in the South.

Yes, the loss of life is tragic.  The financial impact and the social upheaval is disastrous.  But we already know that.  We've all seen the pictures and, unfortunately, too many of us switched away to instead watch American Idol or Dancing With The Stars.  The stories themselves have become a bit old hat.  We're not only not shocked anymore by these disasters, we generally aren't paying much attention anymore.

Now, the CDC couldn't send out this release after the tornadoes, or after the initial flooding in the Midwest.  That would have been seen as insensitive, and rightly so.  But now, the flooding isn't as big of a threat, and enough time has passed since the tornadoes did their damage. 

Yet the newsworthiness of the story remains.  Being prepared for any kind of emergency, regardless of what it is, is still important.  Newsrooms realize this.  They KNOW it's a story they have to cover, it's just that they don't do it with any gusto anymore. 

Right after 9/11, emergency preparedness stories received ten minute, in-depth packages and three page spreads in the media.  In recent days, the same stories were lucky to get a :30 second VO or a sidebar mention.

One of the reasons I think this story really works is because the reporters, producers and editors immediately recognized the cleverness of the release.  The Tweets I saw from my friends still working in newsrooms seemed downright giddy.  They loved the story.  They giggled and guffawed as they posted the story on their websites, read it on the air and printed it in their papers.  They Tweeted it with lead-in's like, "I LOVE this story!" and "Thought everyone would enjoy this!"

The Breakdown:

So let's take a quick look at how this story worked, blow-by-blow.


1.  There was an actual newspeg (recent natural disasters)
2.  The information was wrapped inside a popular culture beast (literally and figuratively)
3.  The CDC made the connection between the fictitious event and a real emergency and the need to 
     be prepared in both instances
4.  The release made no overt effort to be jokey.  It was tongue-in-cheek serious and made its point as   
     if it were discussing a real event
5.  It was timed in such a way that it was still relevant without being insensitive

Trust me, this isn't as easy as the CDC made it look.  It took skill and knowledge and some creativity to pull this off, which they did in spades.

Extra Benefits:

Another stroke of genius is the social media aspect of this story.  Traditional emergency preparedness stories never make it as a social media viral posting.  When is the last time you saw a Facebook post about being ready in case of a sudden snowstorm or epic hailstorm?  The answer is, never.

And yet this story was burning up Facebook, it was blowing up on Twitter.  In a day it became about as popular as the "Talking Dog Tease" on YouTube.  I don't know if the CDC considered the social media aspect of the story, but because of the pop culture reference, and the uniqueness of the approach, the public saw exactly what the media saw, a funny, interesting story packed with real, useful information.

I suppose this story could have been couched in an alien attack, or a vampire scourge or an explosion of werewolves or teenage witches, but somehow I don't think it would have enjoyed the same success.  Had they picked aliens, it would have seemed a little too much "War of The Worlds".  Had they picked vampires, werewolves or teen witches, it would have seemed too cheesy.  It would have looked like they were trying too hard to connect with a younger generation and see relevant. 

By going with zombies, they managed to cross generational lines, be funny and informative at the same time, and look clever instead of desperate.  The particular pop culture reference made all the difference.

How To Do It:

Generally, I encourage you, as a small business owner or non-profit director to take risks, to think outside the box.  And trust me, I still do.  However in this case, I have to say, be careful.  Again, this isn't an easy thing to do.  You can see how the choice of choosing the specific pop culture reference made all the difference.  You can see how the timing had to be impeccable. 

Plus using a fictitious event to promote real information can be tricky if not properly presented.  The CDC got away with it because it's so well known and the story was one which had been presented regularly for decades.  Try doing this with a first-time pitch and you could run into trouble, or run the risk that journalists think your a bit batty.

However, with that said, if you want to use this technique to spice up your story pitch keep these things in mind.

1.  Make it useful - Your pitch has to have quality information, stuff that the everyday person can use and needs to know.  This makes it difficult for a lot of small businesses to capitalize on this technique


2.  Time it right - Like every other pitch, your story has to be timely and have a newspeg.  If it deals with serious, sad or tragic events, you'll have to wait and catch that tiny window between not being insensitive and still being relevant


3.  Choose your reference correctly - If you use this technique, you don't want to appear like you're just using a reference to attract a specific audience.  You want to look clever and smart, not like you're working too hard.  Your pop culture reference has to be something everyone can immediately relate to, like, you know...zombies!


4.  Don't try to be funny - Again, funny is in the eye of the beholder.  The CDC played it right by presenting the information as a real release, complete with background information and fictitious studies.  Yes, the story was humorous, but the CDC didn't present it that way.  There was a subtle wink to the reader, but we all knew what was happening right away and didn't need to be drawn in by jokes or overt humor.


5.  Use it sparingly - This isn't the kind of approach that will work over and over again.  This release worked because it came from a normally staid and conservative organization that normally doesn't do this kind of thing.  It caught the media off guard, it caught the general public off guard.  It was unique in both its presentation and in the fact that it hadn't been done by the CDC before.  However, if the CDC tries to use this approach too often, it will backfire and the media will simply stop paying attention to it.
***NOTE*** The exception to this is if the CDC uses this same approach in a year when it releases its annual emergency preparedness story.  Next time they might try "What to do if attacked by massive flocks of birds" or "How to be prepared in case the Mayan Calendar is correct."  This will work for a few years, but only if used once a year, as if part of a series.  Even then, in five years or so, it will get old and the media will have moved on.

So there you have it.  The breakdown of an honest-to-goodness PR homerun.  it doesn't happen everyday, and I rarely get as much joy writing about a particular press release or news story as I did with this one. 

In the end, what small businesses and non-profits can take away from this story is that it's okay to think outside the box, to be creative and take risks.  Yes, sometimes you'll fall flat on your face and your story won't be picked up.  But then there are those times when your story might actually become a news blockbuster and an internet sensation. 

Hey, it can happen...just like a zombie apocalypse.

The Human Brand

Branding.  It's like the holy grail for most marketers.  Creating an instantly recognizable brand is one of the primary objectives for the majority of marketers and organizations spend thousands of hours and millions of dollars to do so.  And yet, with all that effort and with all the products, companies and services available to the consumer, the number of insta-brands (or instantly recognizable brands) is quite small.

Of course, small businesses and non-profits just don't have the resources that major companies do when it comes to branding their organization, product or service.  But, as we've seen in this blog before, you don't need the massive resources of large companies to do something well and be effective.  You simply need a plan and a little know-how.

The Obstacles:

First, branding isn't just getting your name out to the masses.  It's about creating an image that is instantly recognizable.  You want folks to have an immediate connection to you when they hear your name, product or service.  This isn't just about having folks recognize your name, but about having them really connect with you.  Maybe you want your name associated with quality, reliability, new and hip, it's really up to you. 

The problem is, folks don't automatically relate to "things," they relate to people.  It's hard to relate to a plate of spaghetti or a sandwich or a car.  You can WANT those things, you can think those things are cool, or nice or desirable, but you can't really relate to them.  The same holds true for most organizations.  You can admire a business or what a non-profit is trying to accomplish, but at the end of the day, it's still a faceless organization, often a name without a personality.

And using social media to create meaningful, integrated relationships between a brand and consumers is simply harder than creating the same kind of relationship between people.  In essence, all of the social media networks out there were designed to connect people with people, not people with brands.

For instance, you own a small business or run a non-profit.  You're online as yourself, but also have pages for your organization.  On your personal pages, you most likely interact with your friends in a more casual, conversational manner.  Now think about how you interact on your organizational pages.  You most likely use those pages to simply announce specials, deals, make a plea for donations or let folks know about an event.  Unlike your personal profile where you're involved in conversations, these types of organizational postings are primarily one-sided.

This isn't how humans interact with other humans.  Even on sites like LinkedIn, where your interactions are more professional and formal, you're still often having a conversation, it's rarely just a one-way street.

The problem is, if you attempt to involve yourself in more casual conversations from your organizational pages, it may not be received very well by others in the group or conversation.  They'll probably look at it as an awkward intrusion by a company trying to sell something.

You can certainly build a network on your social media pages of people who "like" or are "fans" of your brand, but that still doesn't mean they want you involved in their personal conversations.  Plus, commenting on various personal posts can potentially damage the brand image you have worked so hard to build.

So does this mean you have to continue the one-way conversation rut that you're probably already in?  No, you don't.  You may never be able to get folks to view your brand as a warm, fuzzy friend that can converse in casual conversations at will.  But you CAN humanize your brand to the point where your network contacts feel comfortable interacting on a less-than-formal level.

The Solutions:

First, understand that we're talking about "humanizing" your brand.  In other words, you want to make your brand feel less than a faceless entity and more like a welcome friend that can be trusted and conversed with regularly.  At worst, you want them to feel like you're brand is a familiar acquaintance.

You can do this easily without breaking your bank. 

1.  Put a human face on your organization
2.  Be more interactive

There you go.  Simple, right?  Actually yes, and we'll show you how.

The Human Face:

Think about the 'O' Network.  Think about Virgin Records.  Think about Maytag.  What do all of these things have in common?  They each have a human face attached to their names.  Oprah Winfrey is literally a corporation unto herself.  She owns magazines, runs a TV network, makes movies and television shows.  And yet, she is, in the end, simply Oprah. 

Virgin Records IS Richard Branson.  He jet sets around the world, loves music, give generously to charity.  He's a playboy adventurer that exudes confidence and fun.  Oh, and he owns one of the largest music retail outlet chains in the world.  Virgin isn't just a music label anymore, it's virtually a way of life.  And that's because, as an organization, it's practically synonymous with Branson.

Both of those organizations have real-life individuals behind their brands.  In fact, those people ARE their brands.  They embody everything about their brands.  But what about characters, a fictitious face to an organization?  That's where Maytag comes in.  You know the guy.  The loveable loser repairman who has nothing to do because of the quality of his product.  Like Mr. Whipple, Mr. Peanut, Mr. Clean, Tony The Tiger, the Travelocity Elf, Charlie Tuna, the list goes on and on, The Maytag repairman doesn't really exist.  And yet, each of these characters have helped to create a brand that consumers love.  Perhaps the most famous of this type of branding belongs to one of the most successful companies in the world, McDonalds.  What would McDonalds be without the clown?  Just another burger joint?

This type of branding works because now you have a face to front for the organization.  Just like you should have a human face when pitching a story to a news outlet, having a character to represent your brand works.  It works because now consumers have something or someone, a person or character that they can relate to. 

One of the primary reasons this tactic works is due to a few important elements:

1.  The characters are relatable - They're funny, charming, frustrated, in love, pursuing a goal.  They represent many of the human hopes, strengths and frailties that people instantly connect with.


2.  They are personable - These characters don't preach, they don't yell or scream at the consumer, they simply talk.  This is important.  They interact with consumers.  Even in ads, you often see them interacting with regular consumers. 


3.  They stick around - Repetition matters.  Like radio and TV ads, quality is important, but quantity is vital.  You can't just toss out a character a few times and hope consumers catch on.  You have to use your character all the time, over a long period of time. 

Being Interactive:

This second part is perhaps the most important part of humanizing your brand.  We've discussed this in this space before, but it's so vital to your social media success, that it bears repeating.

BE INTERACTIVE!

There, that wasn't so hard, was it?  When you post, whether it be on LinkedIn, or Twitter or Facebook, don't just tell people about your specials, or your product or your service.  Ask questions, look for feedback, get your network involved in what you're doing.

An example of a brand that is using social media to successfully interact and build their brand is "TempurPedic".  This is where I say I'm not being paid by any organization mentioned in this posting...so you know.

TempurPedic is running ads that don't just tell the consumer how good their beds are.  In fact, the ads make very few claims at all.  Instead, they ask consumers to interact with their social media and online platforms.  The ads ask viewers to go to their website, check them out on Twitter and Facebook and find out what OTHERS are saying about their product. 

This is a brilliant approach.  Particularly since they actually use the phrase, "join the conversation" in the ad itself.  It's not asking them to log in and receive information, it's asking them to be PART of disseminating opinion and information.  It makes the consumer feel like they are an active part in building the brand.

I know what you're saying right now.  "But I don't have the money for a national television ad campaign."  I get it.  Who does?  But that doesn't mean you can't have a similar message in your postings.  You can encourage your network to participate in conversations.  Ask questions, solicit for advice, open a forum to discuss specific things.

Then there's the issue of video.  One of the best things about living in 2011 is that anyone, ANYONE, can shoot video, edit it and post it as a kind of ad for your brand.  You can use a character as part of these videos, you can have a call to action, you can open conversations with these "ads".

In fact, if you're NOT using video on your social media platforms yet, you need to start, immediately.  People like watching videos, they will share videos, all of which helps build your brand. 

When you do put your video together, here are a few things to remember:

1.  Keep them short - Anything over 30 seconds isn't likely to be shared or watched all the way through unless the video is REALLY good.


2.  They don't have to be funny - Funny is relative.  What's funny to you, might be offensive to others.  Simply consider your message and the best way to deliver your message.  You want the feel and image of your video to reflect and build on the image you are creating for your brand. 


3.  Have a call to action - At the end of the video, or during the video, make sure you let the consumer know what you want them to do.  If you want them to join a conversation, tell them.  If you want them to do something else, tell them.  Just watching a video will help raise awareness, but it doesn't necessarily get consumers to support your brand.

That Human Touch:

In the end, you want your social media network to not only like your brand, to feel affection for it, you want them to help you build your brand.  If your friends and fans can start relating to your brand on a human level, they will start to relate to your organization on a more personal level.

Eventually, you'll find that your network will begin to actively help build and humanize your brand through conversations with their own network and mentions of your brand as they might mention other friends they have. 

This doesn't happen overnight, but it DOES work.  Just make sure that the human face to your brand has a warm smile.  I mean, we may live in a technological era, but some things never change.

How The World Has Changed!

So, where were you Sunday night when you heard the news about the death of Bin Laden?  Actually, a more pertinent question should be, HOW did you hear about the death of Bin Laden?  This question matters because it reflects how technology has fundamentally changed how we receive information.  Again, this isn't a newsflash like lightning from the sky.  Technology has a history of changing information gathering and dissemination.

It started with the printing press, moved along into radio, then television and ultimately computers.  There's no denying that smartphones have been the next evolution in that process.  But what happened Sunday night was surprising. 

 

I started a tweet...that started the whole world cheering!

I actually found out from a post on Facebook.  A friend of mine works in a Washington D.C. newsroom and posted the news on his Facebook page just minutes before I received the breaking news alert on my iPhone.  I was watching some cable TV show, blissfully unaware of the world-changing events taking place.  But once I saw the FB post, I immediately switched to the networks in an effort to make sure it was real. 

Being the news junky I am, I switched between CBS, ABC, FOX (always interesting to see how they handle their news).  I even took a moment to peek at ESPN, just to see how they might be handling the information.  Remember, this was about 40 minutes before President Obama made the official announcement on television. 

Of course, the networks were all over the breaking story.  However the most fascinating moment of the night for me emerged from Philadelphia, where the Mets and Philly's were playing a usual early-season nighttime game.  Suddenly and without warning, a buzz started to rise from the crowd of 40-thousand in attendance.  Within minutes, the crowd erupted into an impromptu chant of "U-S-A, U-S-A!"  There had been no official announcement made over the P.A. system, or flashed across the scoreboard at that point.  Just thousands of folks receiving the news on their smartphones.

Instead of waiting to hear the news on network TV, instead of dealing with vague rumors until the President confirmed the facts, Americans, heck, the world, was flashing the news as quickly as millions of fingers could type and hit send.

An Avalanche of Tweets

And the numbers back this up.  According to Twitter on Monday, a record 12.4 million Tweets were sent per hour following the revelation that Bin Laden had been killed.  Mashable.com noted the following from Twitter:

"At 11pm ET, just beore Obama's speech, users generated 5,106 tweets PER SECOND, the highest single volume of tweets during the night.  At 11:45pm, just when he finished his speech, Twitter users were sending 5,008 tweets per second."

Even the average from 10:45 pm to 12:30 am ET, three-thousand per second, resulted in a whopping 27,900,000 tweets in just two hours and 35 minutes.  That's impressive, no doubt.  But, like everything else, these numbers need to be placed in context.

There's no doubt that the flood of Tweets prove, once again, that it is a powerful tool to relay information.  It's easy to type in a few keystrokes, hit send and now someone else knows what you know.  But what happens to that information?  Certainly getting the news at light speed is valuable, however what happens after that initial blast of information remains crucial.

News has been changed forever by Twitter and Facebook and other social media sites.  But ask yourself what you did immediately after you heard the news.  The majority of individuals, when possible, did what I did; turn to a news network to get more information. 

Twitter hasn't destroyed news.  In a way it's enhanced it.  It has opened the lines of communications between newsroom and the average Joe.  It increased the speed in which we get news headlines.  What it hasn't done is replaced news itself.  In the end, all Twitter can do is provide headlines.  While those may catch the eye and raise interest, we still need those headlines, those bits of information to be filled out with details and context.

I didn't sit around waiting for more Tweets to tell me what had happened.  I went to my BBC app on my iPhone right away for any details.  I then checked out my AP app., all while switching around the networks to get more information.  Twitter can only raise the flag, it can't tell the whole story.


So what does this all mean?

From a news standpoint, it's a bit comforting.  When news breaks, it alerts folks to tune into their local tv stations or check out the networks, or news websites for more details.  And as long as the headlines continue to be newsworthy, people will continue to tune in. 

Ultimately, though, it means that despite the power and the reach of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, they're only good up to a point.  At some point you have to provide them with the meat of the story.  FB and Twitter can tease and inform, but they can't tell the whole story. 

As a small business or non-profit, you should pay attention to this point.  It really comes down to the old problem with advertising.  If you advertise one thing, and the product or service is completely different, eventually consumers will get wise.  The same thing goes for quality.  You may do a great job getting people to try out your latest dish, but if it's not good, you can be sure they won't be coming back.  Worse yet, they'll tell everyone they know how awful it was.

If you're using Twitter to get information out about your latest special or deal or interesting tidbit, you have to follow up on that tweet with real quality.  If you tweet about a blog, that blog had better be worth reading, otherwise, it will eventually be ignored and your readership will decline. 

What we did after we saw the initial tweets about Bin Laden's death is typical of what folks do when they see an interesting tweet about any topic.  The first thing they do is to check it out.  People are cynical, they are cautious, particularly when it comes to their pocketbook.  Your tweet may get them to check out your website, business, non-profit, blog, YouTube site, etc., but if you don't have the quality to back up your Twitter headline, you'll lose those followers and Twitter will become useless to you.

Don't think of Twitter as a singular marketing tool.  Think of it more like one part of a bigger machine.  Before you can even begin to use Twitter effectively, you HAVE to spend time creating your product or service.  You have to make sure your blog is interesting.  You have to make sure that the final destination is worth the trip. 

Because remember this.  Twitter can be used by larger entities to get the message out.  But it's at its most powerful when in the hands of the individual user.  You may get your tweet out to thousand of people, but that is only the beginning.  Once those people have tested your product, they'll have the last word.  If they liked it, they'll tweet their friends and let them know.  They may even retweet your future tweets. 

If they didn't like what you're selling?  Then you could be in trouble.  Because just as they'll tell friends if they like you, they'll tell EVERYONE who will listen if they don't like you.  That aspect hasn't changed, despite the influx of technology.  In fact, it's just enhanced that typically human behavior. 

In the end, if you can't produce what your Twitter headline promises you could end up in the worst place of all, and that's simply being ignored.  If people are complaining, they're at least talking about you and you have a chance to answer the critics.  If you are ignored, your organization becomes persona-non-grata.  And on Twitter, there's nothing worse.

The New Media

Relationships...

It's a simple word.  It's a simple concept.  Relationships matter in business, they matter in your personal life, they matter in your public relations and social media efforts as well.  An interesting turn of events reminded me of just HOW important relationships are when it comes to getting your message across to the audience you're targeting.

As part of my responsibilities handling public relations for my clients, I work hard to build relationship between my clients and local newsrooms.  My clients are small business and non-profits.  They rarely have met a reporter, almost never have been in a newsroom, let alone built a working relationship with a journalist.  Part of my job is to get them in front of reporters, producers and editors that can, ultimately, help them tell their stories.

Unfortunately, building relationship with the media is harder today than it has ever been before.  There are a number of reasons for this, but regardless of the hurdles facing small businesses and non-profits, it IS possible, you just have to be diligent, creative and smart.

Things Have Changed:

One of the biggest reasons why building media relationships is so much harder today is due to the economics of news.  20 years ago, when I started working in news, payrolls were tight.  Expense accounts were smaller, less time was being devoted to investigative and in-depth stories that took longer and cost more to produce. 

At the time, there was angst among journalists that the nature of news and reporting was changing, and not for the better.  It's not like news was a treasure trove of riches at any point in history.  But it seemed as if the money was disappearing at a historic rate.  Despite the warning signs, reporters still took time to chat with potential experts, spend time with individuals that might make good stories at some point, linger just a bit longer while covering stories.  They did this because they had a bit more time, but more importantly, it was part of their job.

Digging for stories was vital to their success.  And digging took time.  They understood that great stories don't always just walk in through the front door.  They had to go find them.  That meant building relationships of all kinds. 

Fast forward 20 years and the scorched landscape of news looks like the aftermath of some kind of financial armageddon.  Staffs have been slashed to truly the bare bones.  Time constraints are tighter than ever before.  Journalists simply don't have the time to go digging for stories and build relationsips, they're merely trying to survive.

Some of this is due to the competition from new information outlets and the explosion of social media.  But most of the problem is that journalists are doing jobs that, even just a few years ago, they weren't being asked to do. 

For instance, in Denver, a top feeder market in the U.S., is now asking many of their reporters to shoot their own stories.  Reporters and producers are being asked in some cases to edit their stories as well.  Nearly every discussion I've had with fellow journalists has centered around the increased workload and spike in stress.

One photographer lamented to me, "They even asked us to report on stories at one point..." he said laughing.  "We're photogs, not reporters, that's how bad it's getting."

What this means is that, whereas in the past small business owners, pillars of their communities, the ones who live, work and play in the local neighborhoods, simply don't have the access to journalists they used to in the past.  This lack of access ultimately makes it difficult for small businesses and non-profits to grow the kind of relationship that can help them in their PR efforts.

Tight Security:

There was a time when PR pro's were able to walk into newsrooms, shake some hands, drop off a case of beer or a couple of pizzas and leave behind some press releases or clever media kits.  Reporters would stop by, say hello, munch on some food and get a chance to meet the client as well as the PR person. 

Today, with budgets tight and competition fiercer than ever before, not to mention the rising violence rate against journalists, strangers in newsrooms raise flags and set off alarms.  This was brought home to me this past week as I took a client around to all the local newsrooms to promote a new campaign.  My group included me, two lovely ladies from HOOTERS and my client.  We came armed with envelopes containing press releases and other campaign/client info., as well as boxes of Buffalo wings.

In years past, this alone would have granted me access to just about every newsroom in the city.  Last week, I was able to walk into only two of them.  Fortunately, the two newsrooms I was able to enter happen to be the two most popular news outlets in town.  But the point still hit home. 

New rules and procedures kept me and my group from getting into newsrooms I ordinarily would have simply walked into.  When the two HOOTERS gals asked me why the security was so tight around these newsrooms, the answer sounded lame.  Sadly it's true.  The reason for the increased security is the result of competition and fear.

Competition with an increasingly growing number of information outlets, all battling for a smaller piece of the audience pie, is one main aspect.  Each newsroom likes to think it has secrets that, if found out by their competitors, could destroy them.  The working journalists know this isn't true, but the fear of spies remains high in most newsrooms, especially on the local level.

Of course, the rising violence against journalists is legitimate fear, and one that I understand, having lived through a newsroom shooting while working at a local TV station ten years ago.  Limiting access to complete strangers makes sense.  Limiting access to experienced and qualified professionals, doesn't.

Get Lucky:

Fortunately, I got lucky and was able to call in a favor at one station.  This individual managed to wrangle a representative to come down and spend some time with me and my group.  We had a wonderful conversation, arranged a future meeting and left the station feeling as if we'd accomplished something.  In one newsroom, they didn't allow us to leave our food.  At a third station, we lucked out and I managed to run into an old colleague who just happened to be one of the individuals I'll be pitching the campaign to.  She was busy, so I didn't take much of her time.  It was enough that I ran into her, said hi, left her the release and the wings and let her do her job. 

The point is, if a seasoned PR pro with longstanding newsroom relationships who also happens to be a former journalist has problems getting into newsrooms, what chance does a small business person or non-profit director have with no connections at all?  The answer, not much.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't continue to try to develop those relationships.  Here are a few tips on gaining access to newsrooms even in this era of closed doors, tight security and overworked journalists who just don't have the time they once did to meet with the public and build relationships.

1.  Target specific journalists to begin a dialogue with:  This could be a reporter or a producer or an editor.  It doesn't matter.  What you want and what you need is someone who will carry your flag (story) into the news meetings and fight for you.  Obviously they won't be able to do this all the time, but if you give them a good story, they'll fight for it to receive coverage. 

2.  Start your dialogue with an email, a press release, a hello, almost anything will do:  In many cases, you'll start with a press release.  But you can also simply send a small electronic media packet with a short note that introduces your organization to them.  Let them know who you are, what you do and that you'd like to hopefully work with them in the future on a quality story.

3.  Be respectful:  If they know that you understand their business, their time constraints and their deadlines, they will be much more likely to respond to you.  Don't pressure them too much, particularly in the beginning.  You don't have to call them, or send a ton of emails.  Start with your introductory email and follow up when you think you have a good story to pitch.  The better the story, the more they'll take notice of you.  Even if they don't pick your story up, they'll at least know that you understand how to pitch and what to pitch.  Remember, news decisions are made by committee in many instances.  They may have fought for your story but it was turned down.  Keep your lines of communication open.  Keep pitching them good stories and eventually, you'll hit one.

4.  Invite them over for drinks:  Okay, this isn't as creepy as it sounds.  At some point, like many businesses, you'll want to consider a special "media night" where you offer specials and deals specifically for members of the media.  You can throw a party and invite members of the media to take a look at your new location, or new product or sample your food and drinks.  You DON'T want to say something like, "I would love to meet you some time, let me buy you dinner sometime."  That sounds a bit stalker-ish, and your emails will most likely end up directly in the junk pile.  Wait a bit, and then invite them to a night when all the media is invited to attend.  And remember this; if and when you Do manage to entice members of the media to a party or special event, don't hound them with pitches or just talk shop.  Just talk with them like ordinary people, because that's what they are.  Share a drink, tell some stories, get to know them and let them get to know you.  They'll appreciate not having to talk work.  Let them relax and enjoy themselves.  Oh, and if you REALLY want to get the media to your event, offer an open bar.  Seriously, an open bar works.

5.  Take advantage of the coverage:  If after all your pitching you finally get a story covered, you'll at least end up with a photographer on your doorstep to take photos or shoot video.  The reporter may or may not be in attendance.  However, if you're lucky, the reporter will show up as well, or at the very least, spend time interviewing you on the phone.  If it's a phone interview, don't wander in the conversation.  Answer the questions, thank them for their time, and at the end, simply say something like, "I really look forward to meeting you sometime, thank you for the story."  If they show up in person, you have a much better chance to chat while the photographer sets up.  Be casual, just talk to them, compliment them on a recent story they covered.  Flattery, like bribery, works.  You don't have to roll out the red carpet for them.  Just be nice and be respectful.  Don't fawn all over them, and treat them like you would want to be treated.  They have a job, let them do it.  But if you see an opening to chat with them about life in general, take it.

Because newsrooms are trying to do more with less, you have to know that stories that would have been covered just a few years ago, simply aren't getting covered today.  They don't have the resources they once had.  Because of this, even really good story pitches aren't making it into rundowns.  Don't get discouraged.  It takes time to build these relationships, but if you persevere, you WILL be able to make a connection.  You probably will never be best friends with these folks, and that's okay, you don't need to be.  You DO need to have a professional relationship with them.  One where they know who you are, trust you enough to listen to your pitches and respects you enough to fight for your story if they like it. 

It's not always easy, and it won't happen overnight.  But if you work at it, you CAN make a connection.  And once you do, don't abuse that relationship.  Ultimately, you need these individuals and these newsrooms to help you get your message out to the public at large.  Now, go out and buy a case of beer, a box of wings and a cute greeting card with an insert that says, "My name is _____, will you be my friend?"

Okay, forget the card, but the beer and wings are still a good idea.  Journalists may be overworked, underpaid and stressed to the hilt, but they'll always appreciate a quality tribute.  And that, my friends, could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Solving the Charlie Sheen Riddle

In case you haven't noticed, there's been a bit of a buzz the past week or so about an actor with a rich acting family tradition and a list of movie and television hits to his own credit.  You might have heard of him.  His name is Charlie Sheen and he's apparently composed of tiger blood and adonis DNA.

Now, if you're like most people, you're probably a bit fed up with the all-Sheen-all-the-time coverage on what seems to be every television station across the cable dial.  He's been interviewed, quoted, mocked, been the butt of late night talk show jokes and he's been burning up Facebook and Twitter like a mid-summer wildfire on drought-ridden Colorado mountain.  In other words, it feels a bit out of control.  You want to avoid it.  You try to ignore it.  But it's everywhere...you just can't.

Chicks, money, drugs...Duh...WINNING!

We all know some folks who've actually tried to stay above the fray.  And yet, one-by-one they fall.  Just today, I ran across two Facebook posts from friends who finally gave in and posted something about the Sheen-ster. 

The problem is, it's just so invasive.  No matter what you do, you simply can't get away from the hurricane that has become Charlie Sheen coverage.  It's part of the national consciousness by now and it's not only THE conversation that people are having, it's become a cultural, nearly iconic monster.

Yes, it's insane, it's confusing, it's infuriating.  But from a PR standpoint, there is a lesson to be learned from all of this, and it's NOT the old standby that any PR is good PR.


Asking the "What-Ifs"

From a PR standpoint, it's hard to imagine something like this happening without a plan or at the very least some kind of handler in the background working tirelessly to manage damage control.  And yet, at every turn, Sheen has popped up on talk shows of all stripes.  And more remarkably, he's been just as crazy, if not moreso in each follow up interview.  Now, as anyone knows, actors, especially big-time actors, have agents, handlers, PR experts and image consultants that are constantly working behind the scenes to manage every public appearance, monitor every word and dictate the message.  Actors associated with major production outlets have an extra layer of handlers doing pretty much the same thing, only on behalf of the production company.  This is TWO layers of handlers for an actor to fight through to let his or her own personality shine, or explode, whichever it may be.

So when an actor does go off the reservation and gets wild or does ANYTHING to tarnish their image and reputation, or that of their production bosses, there's often an army of handlers scrambling behind the scenes to put a cork on the problem, spin away the issues and begin to fix anything that may have been broken.

Yet, surprisingly, this hasn't happened in Sheen's case.  Not only have the handlers apparently sat by idly while Sheen ran rampant all over the public airwaves, it seems as if they've encouraged his behavior by booking him on every show known to man with either little or no coaching whatsoever.

I don't know about you, but this seems a bit odd.  More than odd, it's almost criminally negligent.  IF Sheen is doing this all on his own, and his handlers are sitting back doing nothing, they should be fired, then sued, then thrown in jail for stealing money from Sheen.

However, if this is, instead, some kind of a larger plan, then it would seem that they have done their job.  Not because they unleashed a wild and crazy actor onto an unsuspecting public, but because, if this was all planned, it was, in a word, brilliant.  Brilliant because the whole thing began so spontaneously.  It didn't feel concocted or contrived.  One minute Sheen was dealing with some very serious personal legal issues, and the next moment, he is the cover boy for "Insane Weekly."

As a former journalist, Sheen's actions look like the very real ravings of a man on the edge.  From a PR perspective, this entire situation feels like part of something much bigger.  The inaction of his PR team sends up red flags to me.  No one, and I mean NO ONE, would allow their client to perform like this under the glare of the media and public spotlight without either having given up completely or having a plan in place. 

Why Does It Matter?

One of the biggest questions I've heard over the past couple of weeks is from clients and friends alike who simply want to know why.  Why has the Charlie Sheen spectacle taken over our broadcasts?  Why has it invaded our social consciousness?  Why is it suddenly our cultural touchstone?  Most importantly; why is the media continuing to make this an even bigger media circus than it already was?

The answers are pretty simple actually.  Let's take a look back at the elements of what makes a good news story.  You have proximity, impact, timeliness, relevance and WOW factor.  Breaking down these elements into this particular story, it's easy to see that timeliness and WOW factor are the driving forces behind this continuing story.

Sure, it has little to no impact on our daily lives, for most of us, there is little relevance.  Although some news organizations are using this epic implosion to focus on mental illness, drug abuse and domestic violence, which is noble.  And while we all might feel like we know Sheen at least a little because we have seen so many of his movies and TV shows, there's really no proximity. 

That leaves us with timeliness, which is and easy one, since this story grows bigger with each passing interview.  He goes on the Howard Stern show on a Thursday, and by Thursday afternoon, he's headline news again and the social media platforms are burning up with his quotes. 

But it's the WOW factor that is the real meat of this story.  It's part voyeurism, part fireworks show.  Many following the story do so because they enjoy watching someone rich and famous crumble right before our eyes.  Others follow because they are simply amazed or dumbfounded by his actions.  Even others follow the story because it's fascinating to see a person who seemingly had it all, throw it all away.  Americans like to root for the underdog, we also like winners (WINNING!) and then, at some point, we eat our own.  We eventually like to see our hero's fail because there's something satisfying in watching someone richer, or more famous, talented, good-looking, etc, fail.  It makes us feel better about ourselves on some level. 

Story Matters Here:

This is something newsrooms know all too well.  Journalists know that the American public likes to see people fall from high places.  It's even better when they do it to themselves and even better than that if they do it in such a way that leaves a flaming heap of personal debris along the way.  It's why the Michael Jackson stories were so big.  It's why newsrooms followed the Brittney Spears story so closely. 

Sure, entertainment may be seen as a diversion to those who prefer to keep an eye on events in Libya, Iraq and Russia.  But those problems always seem so far away and removed to an American public that prefers to watch American Idol to the BBC.  The Charlie Sheen story may not have the impact or oomph that the chaos in the Middle East may have, but it is certainly more entertaining and it has all the elements of a tragic story that appeals so much to the average person.

And it's those story elements that would make even Shakespeare proud.  You have it all.  Character, plot twists, intrigue, tragedy, comedy, love, hate, a moral.  In Sheen you have a talented, but deeply flawed individual who is adored by many, is well known, who seems to have everything. 

And, like any good Shakespearean play, the main character tragically tumbles from his ivory tower through a series of poor choices and myopia.  You see, journalists know a good story when they see one, and this one is as good as it gets.  There's a reason why Shakespeare was so popular, why romance novels routinely outsell NY Times Bestseller books and why "reality" TV watched more than PBS. 

So, What Can I Learn?

Like every other exercise here at RPR, the purpose is to take real-life events and glean valuable knowledge whenever possible.  So in this case, you might be wondering, "What can I learn from the Sheen overload that can help my small business or non-profit?" 

First, we hope you learned what NOT to do in an effort to get noticed.  You should NOT make outrageous statements that hint at massive drug abuse, misogyny and a blatant disregard for the law on your behalf.  While it certainly may get attention, the fact is, you're not Charlie Sheen and it likely won't help your business grow and prosper. 

However, there ARE some elements of the "Sheen Incident" that you CAN use for your future social media efforts. First and foremost, you should recognize the elements of WHY the Sheen story has captured our imagination.  As mentioned above, you have two things happening here.


1.  Some of the elements of news, including WOW factor
2.  All the elements of a great story

Now realize this; you don't have to publicly implode in order to get attention.  However, in order to catch the eye of folks on Social Media and in the press, you DO need a good story and you have to have some elements of news. 

Obviously, most of us don't have the name-recognition that a Charlie Sheen does.  But we DO all have great stories to tell.  You can tell a story with character, with plot twists and movement, with a moral with intrigue.  Your story can be funny or it can be a tragedy, but you HAVE to have a story to tell. 

With Sheen, we already all knew the backstory.  So we basically started in the middle, with his career blowup.  All great stories have a backstory.  But that backstory should be able to be told in a few, short sentences so that the audience can get right to the meat of the matter. 

For instance, if you're telling the story of a war veteran who has lost his house, you can tell his backstory in a quick two-sentence summary.  Man serves his country, loves his wife and children, follows the rules, and then, after returning home from service in a war zone, finds himself in financial trouble and at odds with his bank.  You have a main character, a bad guy which sets up conflict, you start in the middle with his return home and his struggles to keep his home and provide for his family.  It tugs at the heartstrings, it's a tragedy and audiences everywhere can relate to the the issues.

This is why it's so important to really put some thought into your story.  You have a good story, you have a great shot at grabbing the attention of readers, friends, followers and the media. 

The other element at work here is the WOW factor.  This is often very hard for small businesses and non-profits to generate.  You just don't have the cache that movie stars, sports stars and politicians have.  There's nothing wrong with that, but still the question persists...how can you use the WOW factor to enhance the profile of your business or non-profit?

Use Your Power Wisely:

Ultimately, WOW factor can either be celebrity focused, OR it can involve something so unique or eye-catching that people simply have to see it.  Online, this is what normally passes for viral videos.  A piano playing cat, a merengue-dancing dog, a waterskiing squirrel, these videos get viewed millions of times on YouTube because they're funny, unique and incredible.  But it doesn't always have to be dogs.  People can get in on the act as well.

In Denver 30 years ago, a man gained attention and fame by doing a series of stunts for charity.  He sat in every seat in Mile High Stadium.  He swam a lake 100 times, he used a pogo-stick to cross the state of Colorado.  All of these stunts grabbed the attention of the press and ultimately the public.

Think about how others grab attention.  They sit on a billboard for weeks at a time.  They stage protests, they organize things like massive bike rides through the center of town, disrupting traffic.  All of these things are headline grabbers.  Not all of them, however, will work to enhance the image of your organization.

Clearly, the WOW factor is great at getting attention.  But it's also risky.  If you do it in such a way that goes against your image or grabs attention in a negative way, then you risk damaging your organization.  You may, in the short term, gain notariety for your organization, but in the long run, bad publicity will cost you customers. 

What you want to do is grab attention by doing something big, something positive, something that fits into the image and values of your organization.  If you can do this, you CAN raise your profile and give yourself a pulpit from which to spread your message.

One example of this is a man who I used to cover when working in radio.  Ever year, starting right after Thanksgiving, this man would begin pitching his story to newsrooms across Denver.  He would drive his semi-truck around town, and then, dressed like a superhero Santa, complete with a mask so nobody knew who he was, would stand on top of his semi, encouraging people to bring him presents which he would later give to children.  This became an annual tradition and after a few years, the masked Santa was a local hit. 

While this story did have proximity and impact as well as timeliness, it was the WOW factor of being a "mysterious Santa" that garnered him much more coverage than the multitude of other toy drives taking place in the city at the same time.

In the end, as we watch "The Man They Call Charlie" continue his plummet into celebrity hell, we can look at it and understand why it's such a big story.  But more importantly, we can watch it and learn from his actions, his mistakes and the hidden strokes of genius.  You can learn what not to do, and take from this story the elements of story, news and character that you can use to make your efforts a success. 

And if that doesn't work, you can always go out and get yourself some tiger blood, fists of fire and adonis DNA. 

Join The Club

Human beings are interesting creatures.  Of course, like snowflakes, none of us is like anyone else.  We're all unique.  But as different as we all may be, there are still some similarities that binds us all together as a species.  For instance, everyone eats, everyone poops (someone wrote a book about that), everyone sleeps and loves and laughs and cries.  These are things that we can all relate to because we all do these things.  But sometimes what binds us together is a group, race, religion, culture, gender.  We may all be unique, but at the same time, we're all looking to belong...to something.

The need to belong to a group, something larger than ourselves, is very real for most of us.  People like to be around others that have similar interests, backgrounds, likes and dislikes.  It's this desire to be with others that have common interests that can have a major impact on your social media efforts.

 

I want you to help me grow my business!

Think about it.  Regardless of whether you're a small business or a non-profit, you most likely already have a base of customers you deal with regularly.  They are, in essence, part of your club, your gang, your posse, if you want to be a bit more "hip". 

Some businesses have actually raised this mindset to a virtual art form.  We've all heard the term, "Membership has its privileges."  American Express has created a kind of exclusive club that many of us wish to belong to, but not all of us can.  AMEX has made it clear that we want to be part of their club, because members enjoy certain perks that the rest of us don't. 

Like a good nightclub that has a line stretching out the door, being exclusive can go a long way towards creating buzz and grabbing attention.  We all want to know what the big deal is.  What are the perks?  Why does everyone want to go into THAT particular club?  Eventually those questions turn into statements like, "I want to be a member, " or "I just HAVE to get into that club." 

You can use this same kind of marketing strategy to push your social media efforts and create buzz about your organization.  And you don't even have to be exclusive to be successful at it.

The Popular Kids:

Remember High School?  There were all kinds of cliques, ranging from nerds, to goths to jocks to the popular kids.  Some folks were able to mix easily with members of most cliques.  Some simply stayed put in their comfort zone.  But regardless of who you were or what clique you belonged to, you always wanted to hang out with some of the "popular kids".  Being seen with them instantly raised your credibility and stature among the rest of the kids dancing around the proverbial campfire.

The world of marketing and PR isn't much different.  It's why so many organizations latch onto certain celebrities to promote their cause or business.  At least that's how it used to be under the old school system.  Sure, businesses still rely on celebrity endorsements for the bulk of their advertising.  But in the world of social media, celebrities have very little impact.

What DOES have an impact is finding the social media personalities that already have established themselves and have major followings.  In most cases, these Facebook, Twitter and Blog pages have grown because the content is interesting, informative and fun.  In the world of "New Media," these are the new "popular kids" on the block, and you want to be associated with them in some way.

In a lot of ways, it's easy to hitch your wagon to these individuals.  You can simply follow them, or friend them if you're talking about Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.  If it's a blog, subscribe to the blog and then participate in discussions.  Become a regular reader and responder.  It's a bit like trying to pick up on the waitress at the bar.  You don't just go in and ask her out, you have to get to know her, she has to trust you, you have to make a connection before you can do anything with her.

Blogs are kind of like that.  We've discussed this before in this space.  It takes a little time, but getting to know the author of a popular blog can do wonders for your hit rate.

By connecting with these "popular" profiles, you wedge your way into their club.  You now have an opportunity to reach many more individuals with your message and posts.  Be clear, though, about the audience for the particular profiles you friend or follow.  Make sure that you're reaching a group of people that are either interested in your product, service or cause, or MIGHT be interested.  While it's always a good idea to go after groups of people that fall outside of your traditional audience, you still have to make sure that your posts will have an impact, otherwise, you'll still be shouting into the wilderness, despite how many friends or followers your new contact may have.

Let's Start A Club:

Up to now, we've discussed how to join existing groups or "clubs" on social media platforms.  But you can have just as much of an impact, maybe even more, by starting your own club or group.  There are a few ways to do this.  You can actually start a group or club page on Facebook, start a blog for that group or club, set up a Twitter account for said club or group.  This is the most obvious way to establish your group or club, but certainly not the only way, or even the most effective.

When I was in college in Boulder, I used to go to Old Chicago, on Pearl Street quite often.  I also went to a bar called Potters every Saturday night.  With all the bars in Boulder, why did I choose those places over all the rest?  Quite simply, I liked the atmosphere, the clientele and more importantly, I was part of their beer drinking club.  As a card-carrying member, I received discounts on beers at those locations.  The more I went, the more I saves, plus I racked up points that rewarded me with perks like mugs, t-shirts, etc.  Like the saying goes, membership has its privileges.

You could begin a similar kind of program for your customers or donors.  This isn't a new marketing technique.  Discount books or cards have been part of the marketing world for decades.  And as they say, if it isn't broke, don't fix it. 

There's another way to create a club atmosphere around your organization that can be even more successful than either of the above methods; Build a nation.


Nation Building:

We've all heard of the Steeler Nation, the Packer Nation, Arnie's Army.  While these are sports-oriented groups, the simply fact is that everyone who belongs to these groups are fans.  And fans matter.  I'm working with a client now that is trying to increase traffic to their veterinary clinic.  One of the ways they're trying to do this is to increase the number of spays and neuters they do every week.  As part of the campaign, we have created, "NOOTER NATION."  The spelling is a take off of HOOTERS, which is a partner in the effort.  Everyone who gets their pet spayed or neutered becomes part of "NOOTER NATION" and receives discounts on food and drinks at HOOTERS. 

Another client is considering starting "Amy's Army" to recruit volunteers to help trap and release feral cats in Denver.  By starting these various nations and army's, these organizations are calling for individuals who want to be part of something they believe in.  They can rally around a cause and feel part of a group with a name and a hierarchy and a vision.  Plus, once you create your nation or army or club or group, you can begin to market it as a way to help market your product, service or cause. 

People want to feel like they belong to a group or an organization that holds their same beliefs, has their same values.  If you own a restaurant, start the "Hoagie Hangout" or "Carnivore Club".  You own a theater, how about the "Actor's Circle," where regular attendees receive discounts on shows or refreshments.  The purpose of beginning a club based on your business is towfold.  First, you reward customers who use your service or buy your product.  The other purpose is to draw in others who may otherwise not have been interested or even aware of your organization.

In the end, you want people to take advantage of your service or product or donate to your cause.  By establishing a club or group, you give your potential customers something to latch onto, and a club, group or nation is just that something.

So get out there and start a club.  Ask folks to join and make it worth their while.  You'll find that, like the saying goes, "If you build it, they will come."  And that's a good thing.

We're Only Human!

Sometimes, as has been pointed out in this space numerous times, lessons can be learned from watching other people's mistakes.  And let me be very clear on this, we ALL make mistakes.  Journalists are just as human as you are and, as you have probably noticed from time to time, they make mistakes.

This isn't a posting about how to overcome mistakes in your PR or social media efforts.  You're going to make them.  In most cases, these mistakes are going to be minor in nature and you'll be able to overcome them with thought and diligence.

No, this is more like, storytime with Real Public Relations.  By the end, you'll hopefully have a bit of insight into the way newsrooms work, about how personalities can get in the way of doing good work, and how that can all have an impact on your pitches and PR efforts.

A couple of examples:

Ever make a mistake in your job?  Of course you have.  Usually when you do, the only one that notices is your boss, maybe your co-workers.  What you DON'T have is the general public breathing down your neck, pointing, laughing, cursing.  When a journalist goofs, that's exactly what happens.  Plus, mistakes don't do much for the reputation, which is basically all that journalists have to rely on.  But it happens, a lot.  Take this story for instance:

WESH News Van Gets Jammed Under Orlando Overpass:


 
A WESH news van got stuck under an Orlando overpass on Wednesday after the vehicle’s mast had been accidentally raised.
Reporter Greg Fox was riding in the van along with photographer Frank Burt when the raised mast struck the underside of a highway overpass, tipping the vehicle onto two wheels.
A fire rescue crew was called to the scene, according to the Orlando Sentinel, and rescue workers steadied the van using jacks so that Fox and Burt could exit safely.
Orlando CBS-affiliate WKMG reported on its rivals’ misfortune during the station’s  7 p.m. newscast.
The WESH crew told officials that the van had successfully passed under another overpass before the accident, leading them to believe that the mast’s deployment was a technical malfunction.

Here's another one:  Have you ever worked in an office with someone you don't get along with? Have you had to deal with that person under extremely tight deadlines, forced teamwork and unrealistic expectation all in an environment of pressure-cooker proportions?  No?  Well, journalists often have to deal with these types of situations.  And this can be the result:

Newsroom Brawl Lands WCCB Anchor Brien Blakely in Hospital


 
Anchor Brien Blakely spent Tuesday evening at a Charlotte emergency room instead of the WCCB anchor desk after getting into a violent altercation with a news producer.
Moments before WCCB’s 10 p.m. newscast, Blakely got into an argument with a producer that escalated into a physical brawl.  During the fight, Blakely, who joined the Charlotte Fox-affiliate in 2005, was sent flying over a desk.  His nose was badly cut during the fall and he was rushed to an area hospital for treatment.
Police were called to the scene but no charges were filed.
“I was protecting the honor and integrity of our station,” Blakely told the Charlotte Observer about the fight.
The news producer walked out of the station after the altercation as Blakely went to the hospital.  Both men were not at work on Wednesday.
WCCB has had its fair share of turmoil recently.  In December, news director Ken Whitewas arrested for walking off with a bag of groceries at an area supermarket.
While the station is not commenting on the fight, Blakely says that the incident is behind him.
“These things happen,” he told the Observer. “It’s over. We’re buddies again.”

Take a look at that last sentence.  "It's over.  We're buddies again."  Sounds ludicrous, right?  That two grown men got into a fight in a newsroom in the first place, but then, after one of them ends up in the hospital, that they could be "buddies".  But it's true, it happens.  I know from personal experience.

Rumble In The Rockies:

There happens to be a newsroom culture that is kind of hard to explain.  But put simply, it's a high-stress, fast-paced environment full of strong personalities.  Things get tense, tempers flare, people clash, there are arguments.  Sometimes these arguments get very, ahem, heated.  But here's what you have to understand.  It's not personal.  Unlike politics and religion, the newsroom wars are typically short, intense explosions that burn out quickly.  Afterwards, you shake hands and you go out for beers together.

I've had several clashes with co-workers while working in news.  For instance:

When I was in radio, we used to have an area called, "The Pit" where all the producers and talk show hosts used to be located.  We'd discuss news of the day, as we all tried to put our shows together.  The arguments used to get so heated and loud that management issued several memorandums telling us, in essence, to keep quiet.

One morning, my host, Peter Boyles, and I got into a short but heated argument about which topic we were going to start the show off with.  We disagreed vehemently and at 4am tempers flared.  He told me to "F" off, I flipped him the bird, words were exchanged, he threw a piece of his bagel at me.  Fortunately, we were separated by several inches of soundproof glass as I was in the booth and he was in the studio.

Fast forward several years and I had just moved from one TV station to another.  I was producing the morning news and our show had been experiencing some serious technical difficulties.  As a producer who had spent hours crafting the rundown, writing copy, organizing guests, there's nothing more frustrating than technical issues.  From the booth I continued to press the technical and editing staff to get them on the ball.  Of course, they didn't take that well.  Immediately after the show, I made a beeline to the technical room downstairs and sought out the senior editor on shift that morning.

He defended his crew, I defended mine.  Again, words were exchanged, and an offer to "take it outside" was made.  We nearly went, too.  Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed.  We were ushered down to the News Director's office and reprimanded severely.  The fact is, by the time we reached the ND's office, we were fine.  We realized how stupid we had acted and it was completely forgotten.  There truly were no hard feelings.  To this day, that man is one of my favorite individuals that I worked with at that station.

Sh** Happens:

Sometimes, however, mistakes simply happen.  You'd be surprised how often the issue of a non-retracted tower plagues a newsroom, whether it be radio or TV.  Fortunately, the stations I worked at had the good sense to keep me from driving around any sensitive or expensive equipment.  I was relegated to holding a microphone or staying back at the station to report and write.  But I've witnessed some real doozies.

One Halloween night our station had decided it would be a great idea to broadcast live from the Denver Press Club, one of the most haunted places (reportedly) in Denver.  The shows were great radio.  Seances, wonderful interviews, compelling storytelling.  At 9pm sharp, the host signed off and the truck operator began to pack things up.  All the wires were coiled, the equipment placed and locked down.  Everything seemed in order.  With one big exception, the mast was still up.

As the truck pulled away, it carried off the awning in front of the building.  An awning that had survived fires, vandalism and a century of wear, tear and weather, was simply no match for a radio truck with a 20-foot broadcast mast.

The repercussions were swift and terrible.  We all had to train on the truck and learn the secrets of the mast.  Plus, suspensions were threatened if it happened again.  Of course, the next time a big remote was planned, the truck was operated by the manager of the department himself.  It was a great remote, again wonderful radio.  It was just after Thanksgiving and the show that aired right after mine decided to broadcast live from a hilltop above Golden where a man calling himself the "Real Santa Clause" resided.  He raised reindeer, lived in a wooden shack and dressed like Kris Kringle.

Once again, the show was a hit.  After signing off, the crew wrapped up.  With the manager in charge of things, no one thought twice to think about the truck mast.  of COURSE it had been retracted.  In a moment of serendipity, someone took a photo of the manager standing outside the truck, with the producer and talk show host sitting just inside getting ready to go.  In the background, you could see the mast clearly still raised.

Within minutes, the truck was on its way and promptly ran smack dab into several power lines directly overhead.  The power lines snapped and fell to the ground, some landed on top of the van.  This kept the crew in the van trapped inside as thousands of volts of electricity coursed through the van and into the ground.  They were safe as long as they stayed inside, but once they stepped outside, if they touched the van, they would have been torched.

Sadly, the mast also pulled some power lines out of the box at Santa Clause's shack, starting a fire.  Within ten minutes the shack was ablaze, and Clause was trying to put out the inferno with a water hose, which quickly melted.

Below, at the bottom of the hill, the fire department could see the flames.  The producer of the show told me later that she could see the firemen walk out of the firehouse and looking up at the fire, pointing and wondering what in the world was going on.  About an hour later the fire had been put out, the power lines had been cleared and the truck was back on the road.

The following morning, the picture that had been taken moments before the mishap mysteriously appeared on the door of the manager's office.  Someone had written in a thought balloon, "Hmmm, what am I forgetting?" with an arrow pointing to the still-erect mast.

True to their word, however, the manager was suspended for two days. 

Don't Judge:

There are a million stories just like those.  I alone could spend hours telling of similar events based solely on my experiences.  The point to all this is that everyone makes mistakes.  Reporters, editors, producers, they're only human.  They will, from time to time, mess up on a fact, not check a critical piece of equipment or simply misspell a name. 

I've heard many complaints in my time about how a newsroom got their name wrong, misquoted them or didn't get the right address for their business.  In some cases a wrong logo was put up, or the story simply didn't run when it was supposed to.  This happens.  Your best bet to deal with these types of mistakes is to be patient.  Don't lose your cool, get angry, yell or beat down the door. 

You can try to prevent these mistakes from happening by following up with the newsroom.  Email them the correct information in simple, easy to read fonts and short sentences.  Make sure they received the information and then follow up again to make sure they have everything correct.  Even then, it may not end up correct on the air or in the paper. 

When this happens, calmly and coolly contact the reporter or producer and let them know the information was wrong.  Ask them to make a correction and then, let it go.  Trust me, they'll feel bad about the mistake and do what they can to fix it.  By being professional about it, you'll earn way more points with the newsroom than if you yell and scream.  Because even though journalists are able to fight with a coworker and then immediately forget about the conflict, when it comes to people outside the newsroom, they have memories like elephants.  They'll remember how you treated them and the next time you pitch a story, you just won't be worth the time or effort.

You can learn something from the newsroom culture in this respect.  It's okay to disagree, even get upset, but don't make it personal and then, when it's done, forget about it.  Move on and focus on other more important things.  If you can do this, you'll quickly earn a reputation as someone who really cares about their business, but is easy to work with and handles things professionally.  Even if the mistake is completely theirs, it's best to chalk it up as an honest mistake and cheerfully thank them for their time before pitching them again in the future.  Trust me on this.  I mean, we're only human, right?