Archive for January, 2012

Stuff PR People Say

{ January 24, 2012 @ 1:58 pm } · { Business Public Relations, Consumer PR, Corporate PR, Online PR, PR, PR Brisbane, PR Communications, PR management, PR Marketing, PR Melbourne, PR Sydney, PR Tips, Public Relations, Publicity, Publicity Queen's Blog, Strategic Public Relations }
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Never let it be said that PR people are either lacking in a sense of humour, or that they are out of touch with the latest online and social media trends.

In defence of this position I present to you exhibit A: a YouTube video entitled “Stuff PR People Say” which is fashioned in the manner of one of the latest YouTube sensation (Stuff) Girls Say which has had millions of views in recent weeks.

This neat little video has captured some priceless PR moments and expressions that I am sure we are all guilty of saying in the course of a hectic and fast-paced day in the life of the exciting world of PR.  These include: “Am I on speaker?”,  “Did you get my email?” and “you’re following me on Twitter, right?”

I commend this video to you, which was created by the clever folks at Hunter Public Relations of New York.  It makes enlightening viewing, particularly if you work in PR or are interested in doing so some day.  You can view it in full here

It did prompt me to think of what would be the top 5 phrases overheard here at Publicity Queen headquarters (otherwise known as PQHQ) and they are:

1. “No, didn’t you see it, it was on the FRONT PAGE!”
2. “Oh yeah, he’s one of my Twitter contacts, I can definitely get in touch with him today.”
3. “They said they would run it in the next issue.”
4. “Just got the proofs back from the photoshoot, they look AMAZING!”
5. “Well, the Herald Sun ran it, and then talkback radio got a hold of it, and then…”

I would love to know the 5 most often overheard expressions in your office.  Be sure to drop me a line and share.


Yours in PR

What It Was REALLY Like to Work With George Clooney

{ January 17, 2012 @ 9:56 am } · { Business Public Relations, Consumer PR, Corporate PR, Online PR, PR, PR Brisbane, PR Communications, PR management, PR Marketing, PR Melbourne, PR Sydney, PR Tips, Public Relations, Publicity, Publicity Queen's Blog, Strategic Public Relations }
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Recently I wrote to you all about the highlights of 2011, and certainly at the top of that list was the extraordinary 48 hours I spent inside the media bubble that surrounds Hollywood A-lister, George Clooney.

Having worked in PR for entrepreneurial companies for many years, where I have worked hard, with the support of my team, to generate media interest and coverage on our clients’ behalf in a tight and highly competitive media market, it was a complete shock to the system to work with someone for whom the media, quite literally, could not get enough.  The exposure and attention that George Clooney received, sadly was at the expense of the other five stellar business leaders who also attended the Global Leadership Forum in Sydney, including Martha Stewart, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, music industry mogul Russell Simmons, and pioneering webpreneurs Jeff Taylor of Monster.com and Michael Fertik of Reputation.com

These exeriences are now the subject of front page news, as Publicity Queen this month is featured in glorious colour (red, of course!) on page one of January’s PR Report.

In the article, you can read all about exactly what it was like to get up close and personal with Mr Clooney (an experience I highly recommend) and also the curious experience of being at the centre of a media maelstrom, the proportions of which I have never previously encountered.  Big thanks to Glen Frost of Frocomm for the shout out – love your work!

You can also read all about it in full at the news article on Publicity Queen‘s website, so feel free to click here to read more.


Yours in PR

 

Getting Personal Key to Social Media Success

{ January 10, 2012 @ 9:30 am } · { Business Public Relations, Consumer PR, Corporate PR, Online PR, PR, PR Brisbane, PR Communications, PR management, PR Marketing, PR Melbourne, PR Sydney, PR Tips, Public Relations, Publicity, Publicity Queen's Blog, Strategic Public Relations }
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It is an interesting conundrum that as we live in an increasingly digitised age, that what people crave, and what they respond best to, is personalisation.  We saw this approach used recently, and to remarkably good effect, in an advertising/social media campaign by Coca Cola.

Their recent ‘Share a Coke’ campaign encouraged consumers to write in and submit names of people with whom they would like to share a Coke.  Just as a casual observer, I have watched people as they waited in line at the supermarket, turning around the labels on many bottles of Coke in the hope that their own name, or that of their partner or child or friend, or even themselves, would appear – it would be a difficult proposition to turn down a drink that quite literally had your name on it.

I also saw many friends uploading to Facebook photos they had taken of bottles of Coke with their names on or of friends and family, and all of this activity does much to reinforce the power of the brand, by personalising it.  The campaign has been a runaway success – according to Trefis.com, there was a 92% increase in the number of posts on the company’s Facebook page with 29,000 posts about the campaign itself.

This approach makes good sense – the more disconnected we are, by geography, by shortness of time – the more we seek out connectedness and the personal touch.

One can also apply this personalisation strategy to social media, and in particular, to the use of Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you are using Twitter (as I do) to make connections with people, in order to generate more followers, it pays to invest the time and to get to know the people you wish to connect with, and to tweet about the topics they are interested in.  And it throws up another challenge too, in that I have my doubts that this strategy could be used on behalf of a corporate twitter account per se, but is highly effective when conducted by an individual, on behalf of a company.  Which makes the case, that I have long believed, in maintaining a dual-track system for Twitter – save your corporate account for disseminating media releases and blog entries, and making corporate connections; while also tweeting on a personal level for sharing personal insights and making personal linkages.

The same goes for LinkedIn.  When you identify crucial people that you wish to connect with, don’t just click ‘connect’ and expect people to add you to their list of contacts.  When you write to them, personalise your message, and explain how it is you heard of them, or share an insight that you know may be of interest.  This small investment you make will pay big dividends, and has enabled me to make connections with critically important people whom otherwise would have remained out of my league.

So, in essence, learn from our friends at Coca Cola, and get personal in your social media outreach, and you too will reap the benefits.

Yours in PR

 

 

What Are The Big New Media Trends for 2012?

{ January 9, 2012 @ 8:02 am } · { Business Public Relations, Consumer PR, Corporate PR, Online PR, PR, PR Brisbane, PR Communications, PR management, PR Marketing, PR Melbourne, PR Sydney, PR Tips, Public Relations, Publicity, Publicity Queen's Blog, Strategic Public Relations }
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For most Australians today is their first day back at work after the Christmas break, and it is opportune to ponder just what 2012 holds in store for us folk working in the dynamic and ever-changing world of media and PR.

One man who well and truly is FOP (finger-on-pulse) on the local media scene, with an enviable black book of contacts, and who last year predicted with remarkable accuracy major changes in the radio industry is Brett Debritz.

He wrote recently about his predictions for what will be ahead for the media industry this year, and I have extracted some interesting highlights for you.

Among his predictions are:

* Continued drift away from old media will continue, with tradional radio audiences exploring online alternatives.

* Increased pressure on advertising expenditure with greater results-based evidence on media outlets to provide quality research on exactly who is tuning in, and how to reach them, again with pressure moving from traditional channels to online outlets.

* Ongoing volatility for on-air talent as viewers have both little patience for both hosts and programmes that don’t ‘fire’ straight away.

* Further consolidation of managerial power in media companies.

* Increased pressure on the Fairfax Radio group, underlined by the need to make inroads in the Sydney market.

* Questions lingering over the long-term viability of digital radio with issues persisting over lack of access for regional and remote areas and the need to breakdown the dominance of analogue radio reception in motor cars, which is where most people tune in.

* Increased commercial pressure upon the ABC.

* Enhanced market position for community radio offerings.

* The power of radio stars waning (the Kyle Sandilands saga has surely assisted this trend) with increased need for traditional media to engage their audiences through interactive and social media to lock in the loyalty of the listening community.

To read Brett’s insightful comments in full, click here  If you have your own predictions about what this year has in store for us, write and let me know!

Yours in PR