Thought-Provoking Conversations in 140 Characters or Fewer? #Possible.

Last night I had a revolutionary experience in the “Twitterverse” as I participated in my first live Twitter chat. As I am sure many other Twitter novices can relate to, the idea of tweeting can sometimes be intimidating in the sense of “why should anyone care about what I have to say?” My tweets are often inconsistent (sometimes I will tweet 10 times in a day and forget to log-in again until four days later) and a lot of my tweets are highly conversational, applying only to the person I mention in the tweet.

Last night I learned how Twitter can truly be used in an effective communications manner. With a live Twitter chat, you can target a single niche group about a specific topic that everyone involved would like to discuss. Live Twitter chats are cool because you can receive valuable information about one topic, rather than finding your Twitterfeed flooded with random, unconnected information (which is often a good way to explore and learn but not so conducive to time management!)

So for those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept, I will explain how this “chat” worked. The conversation led by @PRStudChat, a Twitter account that leads conversations between public relations students, educators and professionals. The account was created by public relations practitioners Deirdre Breakenridge (@dbreakenridge) and Valerie Simon (@ValerieSimon). The group invites influential speakers to participate in the scheduled chats (last night it was Chris Brogan, a public relations and advertising guru) and everyone tweets to the same hashtag: #prstudchat. @PRStudChat would tweet public relations questions about every seven minutes, and everyone participating could tweet their responses, reply to others or retweet strong answers.

I have to admit that I was a little hesitant on my first attempt, but after seeing how it flowed, I will be better prepared to jump into the conversation on my next live Twitter chat. One thing that I plan to do next time before I join a live Twitter chat is look into the topic that will be discussed so that I can contribute more developed answers and commentary.

When it comes down to it, you have 140 characters to respond, so you must be short and sweet. While I was skeptical of the idea before I participated, simply because it seems challenging to have a meaningful conversation when your words are strictly limited, it turned out that people produced poignant, thought-provoking answers, which in effect, spurred further discussion. I’m still all for a good ol’ fashion face-to-face discussion over coffee, but this allows you to speak to thought leaders around the globe who probably can’t meet you at your local Starbucks. Overall, my advice to you is to give it a try!

There’s an Elephant in the Room. His Name is Reputation.

Photo by Gillcash Public Strategies

Yesterday in one of my anything-but-conventional advertising classes, we spent the full hour and 20 minutes of class discussing something I haven’t given much thought to since I learned about Hiroshima in the sixth grade. Yesterday’s flavorful topic? Nuclear war power. Our professor Dave Koranda, who loves to stir the thinking pot by sparking controversial class discussions, divided us into groups of three. We were instructed to discuss the possibility of forever ridding the world of nuclear weapons.

After 20 minutes of discussion with my  three person group, we came to the conclusion that the idea was simply impossible. We soon found out that our entire class agreed. Our generation is know for its pervading optimism isn’t it? There was a sudden negative energy in the room. But when it comes down to it, once something exists, it never truly goes away.

This discussion got my mind stirring about the concept of reputation in public relations, and why it is so important to maintain a pristine one. In our discussion of ending nuclear war-power, one student said, “think of the internet. If the government suddenly decided to rid of it, it would not be gone for long. Since the technology exists, people will be able to re-create it, even if it’s on a black market level. You can’t wash it away.” Similarly, once a company’s reputation is defamed, there is no true and pure way to turn back. Compensation via good works after a reputation blunder will not take away the past. People are always there to remember when you messed up.

In public relations, it is important to be pro-active so you do not have to be reactive. The term “public relations” has gained a negative connotation since many relate it to “spin” or “covering up” after a negative situation has arisen.

Here are some ideas of how public relations practitioners can work to maintain a healthy reputation for their client or company:

1) Communicate, communicate, communicate.

This cannot be emphasized enough. Everyone needs to be on the same page, working toward the same goals and delivering the same messages. As soon as there is a “miscommunication,” which probably means that there was no communication, public relations practitioners are looked to for damage control. During the height of BP’s oil spill crisis, there was not one clear spokesperson to deliver responses to the public. This caused messages to be inconsistent and untimely. In a situation like this, it would be beneficial to have one set of guidelines provided to all BP message deliverers  so that they can provide the same correct facts.

2) Be consistent with message timing.

Especially with the rise of social media, it is important to use consistency in your message delivery. If your Facebook or Twitter fans or followers feel that they are not being listened to or that you are not communicating at an important time (e.g., BP during oil spill!), you will lose credibility and trust. If at anytime stakeholders find you to be unreliable, they will likely never forget their frustrations.

3) Be transparent.

Mistakes are part of human nature, and behind every big corporate name there are real people who develop messages. It is impossible for a public relations practitioner to prevent every possible mistake that can occur within a company, but the handling of the situation has everything to do with reputation management. Forgiveness is a huge part of American culture, and if we as publics are apologized to, in addition to provided with all the honest information, we are prone to forgive the company and move forward with life. If, however, the spokesperson of the company hides behind the big corporate name and neglects the duty of admitting to serious faults, we as publics are likely to become annoyed and wary of ever investing trust again.

Reputation is something that can easily, positively be maintained, but it requires communication, care and honesty. As public relation practitioners, let’s be proactive in reputation management, so we don’t have to look like sleazy spin doctors.

On a side note– Optimism reigned after Dave told our class that he staunchly stands by the hope that the end of nuclear war power is in our future. Our class came up with some pretty inspirational ideas to work toward a more peaceful future for the world. My favorite idea came from a fellow student who brought about a human relations perspective: Oregon does not have nuclear bombs saved to send to California in the case of a world war, because pretty much everyone in Oregon knows and/or loves someone in California. If we can find a way to build relationships between today’s children from Luxembourg to Dubai and Seoul to Denver, we can create a future generation that has personal connections with otherwise strangers around the world. Our class agreed that Skype would be the best tool to use to accomplish this.

Pepsi’s Priorities

After quickly gaining negative media attention for their Super Bowl advertisement, which many believe to be racist, Pepsi is once again under public scrutiny for their new Diet Pepsi “skinny can.”

Last week, Pepsi announced that Diet Pepsi’s new look will premiere later this month during New York Fashion Week in a “taller, sassier new Skinny Can” in “celebration of beautiful, confident women.” So what is Pepsi trying to say about women? And why does it have anything to do with a can?

According to The National Eating Disorders Association, Pepsi has made a huge mistake with the campaign. They claim that it is denigrating to women to associate “skinny” with beauty, power and confidence, and it is campaigns like this that promote negative body image.

Many are defending Pepsi, such as fashionista Simon Doonan who says in an Forbes op-ed, “Oh, it’s so silly. ‘Skinny’ refers to objects — skinny can, skinny latte — not people.”

Picture by Diet Pepsi

The new face of the skinny can is coincidentally Sofia Vergara, a Colombian actress who is known for her curvaceous, healthy figure. In this advertisement, however, it is clear that Pepsi is not trying to promote a healthy figure but is rather pairing bony shoulders and skinny arms with their new “stylish” product.

I personally think that Pepsi is irresponsible for this campaign. They are promoting their product in a way that appeals to a small portion of their target audience, and it is potentially offensive to a large part of their target. The campaign is both insensitive and illogical. There is one question we are left with: What action should Pepsi take to stop offending important publics?

At this point, Pepsi’s public relations team needs to communicate to all who have been offended by the campaign, admit that their comments about “skinny, beautiful women” were not in good taste, and find a new way to frame the campaign and their association with New York Fashion Week.

I do not think that there is anything wrong with putting the drink in a new can. I do, however, find it socially irresponsible to make statements about what kind of women are beautiful. It makes me wonder, what is Pepsi’s priority? It seems that in this campaign they care more about looking cool and stylish than maintaining relationships with loyal customers that care about the product and the traditional, All-American “Pepsi Lifestyle.”

It’s Not About What the Car Does, But How it Makes You Feel

Today my ‘Curiosity for Strategists’ Advertising class had the honor of hosting guest speaker Edward Boches, the Chief Innovation Officer at Mullen in Boston. He presented 10 Suggestions for Strategists; all of which were insightful and backed by extensive experience in the industry.

One point that I particularly took interest in was the idea of “learning to dissect.” To explain this concept, he first played the Darth Vader Superbowl favorite from Volkswagen. After we watched it, he asked our class, what is the message that Volkswagen is trying to send to consumers? Is it simply, “Buy a Passat”? After dissecting the ad, it becomes clear why this commercial is so effective and enjoyable. It’s not about selling the product. It’s about selling a lifestyle.

Boches pointed out key messages  in this ad that make this “Passat Lifestyle” so appealing:

1) Instead of sitting criss-cross applesauce, two feet in front of Nickelodeon cartoons, the child in this commercial uses his curiosity and imagination to explore and play.  Every parent wants their child to grow using creativity.

2) The mom in the commercial is at home making lunch for her child. She is able to spend day-time with her family, rather than rely on daycare. Wouldn’t it be nice if every parent had the luxury of doing so?

3) The parents are not, in Boches’ words, “helicopter parents.’” They let their kid be a kid instead of watch his every move to make sure he is 100% safe and obedient.

4) Also in Boches’ words, the dad “probably works a boring accounting job” but he still knows how to have fun. He is a playful, ‘cool’ dad who probably bought the iPad the day it came out.

When it comes down to it, Deutsch was dead-on with the Darth Vader commercial because they drew on emotions and values that run much deeper than a commercial that simply shows new car features. It is important to break apart the pieces of an advertisement to truly understand its creative direction. I think that this “dissection”  method can help a lot in the creative process in order to find ways to get your intended message across.

How to Not Pull a “Kenneth Cole”

Picture by Ben Heine

Amongst turmoil in Cairo at Tahrir Square, social media is a hot topic as the Egyptian government has tried to find an Internet “kill switch” as a means of censorship. Kenneth Cole, chairman and chief creative officer of his self-named clothing brand, decided to use social media to discuss the issue. Unfortunately, he did so in a tasteless tweet.

His tweet read, “Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is available online at http://bit.ly/KCairo-KC.”

Memo to Mr. Cole: #notagoodidea. Within 140 characters, he essentially re-branded his company. This arrogant post will not likely be forgotten soon and has put a negative connotation on his brand that cannot be simply washed away. Although the tweet has been deleted and apologized for, everyone has taken note of his audacity.

Public relations blogger Todd Defren recently wrote about Kenneth Cole’s Twitter #mistake. In four simple points, he explains how to avoid a situation like this:

1) Don’t be stupid. Think before you tweet.

Not everyone realizes how important it is to give what you are putting on the Internet some serious thought. Social media has a wide reach, and this is an example of how you can easily destroy your personal image or brand image.

2) “What goes online stays online.”

Again, the tweet has been deleted, but we are still blogging, tweeting, hashtagging, and Facebooking about it. Every time we hear Kenneth Cole’s name for the next couple of years, we will likely think of this incident.

3) If you are a jerk, don’t let everyone in social media know about it.

Before this tweet, most people probably didn’t have much of an opinion about Kenneth Cole. When I heard his name, I thought of shiny men’s shoes.  After this tweet, we all can think of a few words to describe what kind of guy he is. And it’s only based on 140 characters! Be careful of the tone you use in social media. Error on the side of too kind, respectful and positive.

4) If there is not a ridiculously good reason for the CEO of a company to be the voice behind social media, find someone else more qualified.

Kenneth Cole clearly does not have expertise in effective public relations strategies or in using social media to get a company’s message across. Obviously it was a huge mistake for him to be the voice behind the tweet, and to prevent situations like this, every company should have a designated social media director who can partner with the CEO to send messages in a strategic, tasteful manner.

So, what have we learned from this PR blunder? Always choose your words wisely. You will be judged for what you say, whether it is vocally or on the Web. Maybe we should all strive to be more like the three wise monkeys.

The Value of Conversational Writing

Writing is unarguably one of the most, if not the most valued skill in public relations. We all know that writing can be tedious and it is not easily done well. Usually when we think of good writing, we think of incorporating thoughtfulness, interesting language and attention to the grammar details that have been taunting us since grade school. However, there is one key component to writing that makes reading enjoyable but is often overlooked. What key component? Simplicity.

After years of school learning words for the SATs and terms in our array of college courses, we think that our new collection of “smart sounding” words should be put to use. That is what we should do right? Wrong.

According to a podcast I listened to yesterday on Trafcom News, verbose language is not the key to making your writing readable. Barb Sawyers, author of Write Like You Talk–Only Better, gave tips on how to make writing more conversational.

She gave three key messages:

1) Say what you want to say outloud to yourself and type that version out. Then go back and edit it.

I think this is a good strategy because when I sit down at the computer, the editor in my brain immediately re-arranges my words and looks for better vocablulary to make my message sound more professional. If you say something outloud, your personality shines through, and it sounds more human. You can always go back and polish things up in your editing process.

2) Don’t waste effort on something that people will not enjoy reading.

Although this should be a no-brainer, I often lose sight of my message and get caught up in the delivery of it. My favorite books and essays are always conversational and make me feel engaged in the reading, rather than intimidated by terminology. By keeping your writing conversational, the reader will stay tuned-in to what you are saying.

3) Jargon cannot always be avoided but avoid whenever possible.

Sawyers points out that realistically, you will not always be able to avoid “big words” and in certain industries they are essential. Jargon can be inevitable if you are working with a traditional client that does not like to make changes in its practices or if you are working with a client such as a technology firm. However, there are often scenarios when boring terminology can be rid from your writing.  It is likely that your audience will appreciate that you vacuum up the fluff and clutter that so many voices never say, yet fingers love to type.

Bottom line: If it is hard to read, people will not enjoy it. If people are not enjoying what they read, it is likely that they will not want to give it a second chance. Do yourself a favor and keep things simple.

Joining The PR Blogosphere

Hello, readers! My name is Sarah Kirsch. I am an information junkie, I want to travel the world, I love to dance (even though my moves are questionable), and I am a blogging rookie. As a senior studying public relations and advertising at University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication, I aspire to one day work in sports public relations or in international communications. I know I have a journey full of learning ahead of me, but my inquisitive mind and adventurous spirit are eager to take on whatever communication experiences I can find. I’m ready to hone my skills to one day become a public relations professional.

At the ripe old age of 21, I’m what you might call a public relations newbie. With this blog, my intent is to provide interesting public relations-related information that will educate and spark interest in public relations practitioners, my fellow students and anyone mildly interested in the world of communications. I will write about what I learn in class, tidbits I find through research, my communications experiences, and pretty much anything else I come across that is relevant to public relations. Like other communications enthusiasts, I appreciate the ever-changing climate of the industry and will work to keep up with it via following current events, changes in social media and global issues.

My curiosity in anything and everything has turned me into a self-proclaimed search engine queen. I think it is important to not only keep up with what is going on in the world but to also look into information that would not normally interest you. I find it necessary to broaden your knowledge and insight on a constant basis to keep up with the world of public relations.

My college experience so far has been quite adventurous. I was fortunate to spend five months in Seville, Spain, studying the Spanish language and last summer in Accra, Ghana, as an advertising intern at Universal McCann. More than anything, these experiences abroad made me realize how important the world of communications is, and I hope to use these unique experiences to both provide insight and generate further learning about international communications.

I hope that my curiosity helps me to share information that is worthwhile to you as a public relations information-seeker. If I have not already bored you to death, thanks for taking interest in my blog. I would absolutely love feedback on my posts to help with this learning experience.

Sarah

Ronda, Spain.