August 11th, 2010 · 1 Comment
“Nuts…Knew It Was Too Good To Be True”
That’s the post one of my Facebook friends put up today upon learning that Whiteboard Jenny was a hoax. Dontcha just hate it when you find out you’ve been hoodwinked? I do. So why is it becoming more commonplace and seemingly acceptable behavior?
In the past 72 hours I’ve read two stories about “faking it”:
http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/100210139_Housewife_faked_the_fabulous_life.html
NJ “Real” Housewife faked the fabulous life. For Teresa Giudice of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” — and the Bravo cable network — bankruptcy is proving to be an inconvenient truth. Over a season and a half, the Bravo star has been a poster girl for conspicuous consumption.
http://muckrack.com/search/Whiteboard
The series of photos, posted to the website The Chive, told the story of “Jenny” – a broker’s assistant who dramatically used scribbled white board messages …
So, besides being most disappointed that Whiteboard Jenny wasn’t the hero every working slob who has ever had a bad boss wishes she was, I am left to ponder why it is that our society is so eager to believe every sordid and outrageous bit of gossip or news we hear. Hoaxes happen all the time but it seems that now they happen with an agenda more than for the fun or sport of it, as was the case before the age of reality show fame and fortune. From last year’s balloon boy to this year’s fake lifestyle of the incredibly obnoxious Teresa of NJ Housewives fame, it seems far too easy for scammers and scumbags to stage events and lie and even endanger others just to glean their 15 minutes of fame (and millions in book and movie deals).
Who is to blame? Do we blame the producers of the scams? Do we blame the individuals? Do we blame ourselves for naively feeding our own perverse curiosity? I don’t have an answer to that question. However, I do fear where this is leading us as a society. And I believe it is directly related to the shift away from reporters and media gatekeepers to citizen journalists and bloggers. There are no fact checkers anymore. Just a blind rush to publish or air things that will shock, mortify, amuse or sooth people. And as the hoaxes and lies become larger and more elaborate, more and more people start thinking that it is acceptable to follow suit, act unethically and chase their RIGHT for fame and fortune on THEIR terms.
That brings me to yesterday’s JetBlue incident. While this news seems to be very real, in some strange and sad way I have to believe that the outrageous behavior of Steven Slater was preordained and validated by the likes of Whiteboard Jenny, Teresa Guidice, Balloon Boy Dad Richard Heene and many others. So where does it end? What will it take for us who despise this behavior and shameless self-aggrandizement to finally say enough is enough? Let’s hope and pray that a sanity check comes soon because it’s only a matter of time until some unstable person in a position to hurt (or worse) scores of people decides it’s his/her time to claim their right to fame.
Thoughts?
Tags: Public Relations and Communications
April 27th, 2010 · 1 Comment
Please share this with friends and family: http://mynewyorkminute.org/ It is a new blog written by a friend and professional colleague who works for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and who was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this month. It is an informative and emotional chronicle of his personal battle with prostate cancer and will motivate others to get tested and potentially save lives. Thank you!
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Here’s how I came to know Dan Zenka of Prostate Cancer Foundation:
Dan and I met a few years ago over a typical business breakfast meeting at a hotel on Park Avenue in New York City. He was in town for a fundraising dinner for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and I was meeting with him to discuss public service announcement services my company could provide to his organization. I remember our meeting clearly for two reasons; first, for Dan’s laid back and cheerful demeanor that somehow told me we’d be keeping in touch in the future despite whether we ever did business together and for the unique marketing proposition he was about to champion through his new position as head of communications for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Dan shared with me that he intended to promote prostate cancer to women. ”Huh?,” I said. ”Yes, women,” he replied. You see, research had apparently shown that men don’t take care of themselves well enough on their own and often avoided going to see their doctors for physical exams and critical testing (such as PSA tests). It seems that the old saying is correct, behind every successful man stands a woman. Women motivate men to do what they should do for themselves…and in the case of prostate cancer, it can save lives. ”Brilliant,” I thought.
Fast forward a year or so. Dan and I still had not done any business together. That was okay, though. I know from experience that some opportunities take longer than others to come to fruition. However, true to my original suspicion, Dan and I were still in touch and like any good salesman, I continued to check in every six months. I even got to attend one of Dan’s “Stand Up To Cancer” media events on December 4, 2008 in Times Square where I had the opportunity to meet Dick Vitale, Ted Danson, DL Hughley and Joe Theismann. At that time, everything seemed normal and routine.
All that changed a few weeks ago. Dan and I had agreed to meet again when I was in Los Angeles on business. As we sat in his office on the morning of April 15, 2010, Dan opened our meeting by stating, “as of two days ago, I’m now one of the one-in-six men who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year.” What does one say to that? ”Gee, sorry to hear that…uh, how’s business?” Or, “Wow, that sucks…but look at how ironic it is that you work for the PCF…”
Honestly, I didn’t know what to say. I was uncomfortable and at a loss for words. At the same time, my mind was turning and wondering how Dan must be feeling at that moment. I was also thinking back to my own father’s shock when he was diagnosed years before and then thinking that someday, I could be on the receiving end of the same diagnosis. ”Gee,” I then thought. ”What if this HAD happened to you? What would you say if it was you sitting on the other side of this desk? What would you do? How would you react?”
My heart went out to this man and yet I could see something in his eyes beyond the fear and shock I imagined he must have been feeling. What I saw was resolve and a commitment to use his misfortune and new reality to benefit others. That manifested itself in what he said next, “Ed, they say to tell everyone you know about your diagnosis and, well, I’m doing just that.” Then, true to his jovial character, he added, “and my friend told me the other day that, hey, at least now you’ll have credibility with the media.” We laughed. I felt better…for him…and for me.
I admire Dan and his newfound connection to the disease he was already working to make men (and woment) aware of. That’s not to say I admire the diagnosis he got but, understanding it can and does happen to many of us, I admire Dan’s decision to face it head on and use it to benefit others. He’s taking the concept of telling everyone he knows about this disease to a level that many others can’t. He has resources and friends at PCF that will enable the message to be spread far and wide…and I pray people listen and take his advice to get checked out. I know I have. I’ll be seeing my doctor in a few weeks. My father is also one of the fortunate prostate cancer survivors who caught his cancer early on and who just passed his five year clearance testing. So while the disease may not be curable and is scary to contemplate being diagnosed with, it is also treatable and manageable when caught early.
Dan, good luck and God bless as you embark upon your crusade and your personal journey. I know you’ll be successful on both counts.
Tags: Authenticity · Public Relations and Communications
I recently debated this question with a prospective client who had spent $25,000 to guarantee 6 Mommy blog posts from an organization that offers their network of “bloggers for hire.” Since the client’s agency is primarily advertising focused (rather than PR), it didn’t surprise me that they went with what they have know best…spending money to buy impressions. By way of comparison, most clients who invest $25,000 for an earned online promotional campaign are getting at least double that number…and oftentimes more.
Thankfully, the FTC regulations that went into effect last year have had a major impact on marketers’ thinking when contemplating paid blogger initiatives and blogger outreach has landed back where it belongs…in the domain of PR professionals who are masters of securing earned placements.
The secret to success lies in a non-traditional approach that combines spot-on message targeting, full transparency to the blogger (we’re contacting on behalf of…), upfront notification of any paid spokespersons or swag that was offered to bloggers and securing their permission to promote our clients messages before jumping into threads of conversation. You can also very effectively offer multimedia assets to bloggers since it gives them something “more compelling” to post on their site. The net effect of successful multimedia placements is that they drive exponentially more traffic to a campaign’s website.
Tags: Broadcast PR · Digital Media · Public Relations and Communications · Social Media · blog promotions
While attending the PRSA International Conference in San Diego last week, I found myself questioning why I had spent all that money and traveled 2600 miles only to listen to content that was largely repeated from other conferences and even from last year’s PRSA conference. It was very much your typical industry conference…attend, sit, listen, ask questions, stand up, move to next session with new speaker. I was left feeling as though nothing really tied together and that I was missing something critical in that the “expert” presenters were siloed and not able to debate or discuss important issues facing social media and all of the attendees. And let’s face it, since no one is doing social media exactly like anyone else, there are hundreds of points of view on how to create social media success.
Today’s conference is different (THANK GOODNESS) and the format of breaking the room into work groups to discuss topics and then putting the group facilitators/leaders on stage in a panel format to present their groups’ findings is incredibly effective. It brings real world strategies and tactics from EVEYONE in attendance into the discussion and voids the ”expert speaker self-promotion” problem so rampant in other conferences. Kudos to Bernaise Source Media and everyone associated with this great event!
Oh, and the best part is that I paid $199 to attend today’s conference vs. $1,600 to go to San Diego. If you see another opportunity to attend a PRCamp event, don’t miss it!
Tags: Public Relations and Communications
Broadcast PR firms’ survival hinges on innovation
The once-dominant broadcast PR industry has faced serious challenges over the past few years. That has never been more evident than in recent weeks, as The NewsMarket completed its acquisition of Medialink and On the Scene Productions (OTSP) filed Chapter 7 and shut its doors for good following financial hardship.
These developments are a bold illustration of a shift in the broadcast PR business model that has been underway for some time while the companies tried to adapt to a changing market, including the move to online.
“In business, if you don’t reinvent yourself every five years, someone will do it for you,” says Ed Lamoureaux, SVP of WestGlen Communications, another broadcast PR firm. “If you haven’t already changed and helped your clients find new ways to do broadcast PR, you’re in a world of hurt right now.”
Another determining factor is the simple fact that producing a video has become easier, and less of a specialized product.
“Technology has demystified the creation of content,” says Shoba Purushothaman, chairman and cofounder of The NewsMarket. She says there’s still a need for sophisticated content, but costs in the market will continue to decrease.
“There are some firms that are used to a pricing model that doesn’t work anymore,” says Purushothaman.
Still, as the broadcast PR firm model is shifting and contracting, the value of video production has clearly not dried up. NewsMarket found Medialink an attractive business because while it was focused on distribution of video, Medialink offered expertise and capability in creating the content, Purushothaman says.
Other broadcast PR veterans are also working to adapt.
While Doug Simon, president and CEO of DS Simon Productions, sees the latest developments as “the end play of the whole VNR controversy,” which decimated a whole sector of broadcast PR firms’ business, other offerings remain viable. For example, he says that SMTs, Internet media tours, and distributing content across media platforms are robust parts of his business.
“I was forced to diversify my business years ago because a key part of our branding was results for VNRs,” says Simon. “I realized earlier the need to make a foray into online media content. That’s a part of our business that’s growing rapidly in 2009.”
Simon adds that sales for this year are going to be within two to three percentage points of 2008 “due to growth of the Web video and Internet media tour business.”
Lamoureaux, too, says he has been shifting business toward reaching targeted audiences via both earned and paid media. According to Lamoureaux, WestGlen has established “microsyndication” deals and added products and services to reach more targeted audiences. This focus has helped WestGlen in a space that, he says, became “too crowded.”
“There are other companies still on the ropes,” he says. “I’m hearing stories of producers only working two- or three-day weeks. For every company that goes out of business, there are people who know what they’re doing, people with good ideas.”
Tags: Broadcast PR · Digital Media · Public Relations and Communications · Social Media
