Projector notes for PR class DONT make the media your primary means of communicating on pending or current litigation

in progress. Journalists are not a reliable means of ensuring that your key audiences receive your messages, nor is it a reporters job to make sure everything you think is important gets to the right people. DO communicate directly with your important audiences, internally and externally, to ensure they have the information you want them to have about matters being tried in the media. DO consider the option of informing certain key audiences of the probability of media coverage on a legal matter before it appears in the press. DO remember that employees are a critical audience all employees are PR representatives for the organization whether you want them to be or not. DO integrate legal and PR strategy, because youll be educating the jury pool while also minimizing damage that could occur to your organization in the shortterm, even if you win the legal case in the long-term. DO explore the use of publicity about generic or related issues relevant to your particular case or client as a legitimate means of bringing attention to issues that might result in pre-trial settlements, or to develop similar examples to illustrate the issues in your case. DONT say no comment if you havent had a chance to review the case. Say Id very much like to comment on this as soon as Ive read whats been filed. If appropriate, add: I still dont have a copy of it myself, could you fax or email one over? DO tell journalists that you want to respect their deadlines, but would appreciate their respecting your need to have the information you need to make an intelligent response.

DONT attack the media. Ever. Neither directly, nor in communication with other audiences, because it will get back to them. The media can hurt you more than you can hurt them. Most media outlets LOVE being sued or threatened, it sells more papers or air time. DONT judge the impact of media coverage by the sensationalism of headlines or length of news coverage. Ask your important audiences, internal and external, how THEY are reacting to the coverage in some cases, youll find they dont believe it! DO consider becoming your own publisher, using the Internet to post your perspective on issues of public concern IF the general public is, in fact, an important audience for you. Or even on a password-protected website for selected audiences that are important to you. DONT assume that you know how to talk to reporters about negative news just because youre skilled at good news interviews get media trained. DO establish both internal and external rumor control systems to short-circuit rumors early on, before they do too much damage.

You have sent out your news release. Now what? Get back to what you do best? Take a walk? Sit by the phone and wait? Most people who dont have a public relations person in their company, or dont use a PR advisor or agency often make the mistake of thinking that just because the news release went out that it will get picked up. It might if the news is compelling, or it aligns with other stories like it in news cycle, and/or you have some history with the news organizations that you sent the release to. In my career Ive met many people who have let a release fly but never once made a callback to follow up. Media Relations are all about following up, but there are some basic rules to follow when making The Call.

Rule 1 Never call and ask if the news release was received. What you are really calling about is why your story is important or plays off something making headlines that day. Or your story has a strong local angle to something occurring nationally or internationally. Rule 2 Be succinct. If youre lucky enough to get someone live on the phone, you have precious seconds to convince the other party that it merits their attention and coverage. Create a script if you need to that includes your key message. Rehearse. Call a colleague and practice it. But sound natural and not like youre reading the ingredients off a can of soup. Rule 3 Put on your Telemarketer Hat. The next time an annoying telemarketer calls you, rather than saying, No thank you, you idiot, you are calling me during dinner yet again and there are laws to prevent these calls if only I wasnt so lazy to call the number and be registered as part of the no-call zone, I would not have to listen to your sorry spiel, you must be really hard up for work, or lazier than I am. Goodbye! Instead, listen to how they pitch whatever it is theyre selling, a politician, a new product, or service. Whatever it is, most likely the person has their message down and is ready to engage. Rule 4 Set a callback limit. As a general rule I go by the three strikes and youre out limit meaning, Ive tried three times and left three messages. Depending on the client or the urgency, I may not leave a message at all but just keep calling until I get a live one on the line. If Im using email, once or twice is enough. If I havent made my case but feel I really need to push and this story is really worth being

told by a TV station or section of the newspaper Ill keep trying and maybe reposition my pitch. Rule 5 Be discreet. Theres a fine line between being persistent and being a pest. It doesnt take much to land on somebodys black list if youve breached their tolerance level or filled up their email with the same message over and over again. To paraphrase the great Joe South song, walk a mile in their shoes, and make The Call confidently, expecting only good results.

Heres how the best communications teams do it. Know your media

Identify which media and individual journalists are important to you and your public audiences local, regional, national, specialist and BAME press.

Focus on the councils key messages and target key media on the issues that are relevant to their readers. Develop an excellent relationship with key journalists this will help you build trust, float ideas, better understand what stories interest them and find out how they want to receive press releases and briefings.

Be helpful be prepared to give a local comment on national stories.

Plan ahead

Develop one positive story a week that affects real people. Encourage services to tell you their successes. Create a forward planning media calendar to ensure there are no internal clashes, that you are prepared for potentially negative stories and that you have a full programme of positive stories.

Develop key facts around particular services or corporate priorities to ensure that you always have up-to-date information to share with journalists.

Engage interest

Be creative think of unusual visual stories for photographers and TV cameras and interesting sound environments for radio interviews and features.

Bring your press releases to life by finding the human interest, for example, if youre opening a new service or launching a new strategy, find some residents who can talk about what they or the community will get out of it.

Run media campaigns Create ongoing campaigns with a number of media 'hooks', rather than just oneoff stories. Media campaigns can also be used as part of a wider PR or 'marcomms' marketing and communications campaign to soften the blow or change public perceptions on difficult decisions the council has to take for example, a rise in council tax or cuts in services. e-communications and new media Many councils are embracing developments in e-communications and new media as part of their communications mix to engage with their residents and stakeholders. Its as important to set 'specific, measurable, actionable, relevant and timely' (SMART) objectives for this approach as it is for more conventional media tools. Ideas include:

using YouTube for example, Somerset County Council has launched its own YouTube channel to show people the variety of services it provides, and Cambridgeshire County Council used it to appeal for new councillors

using the website to get across important news quickly to a large number of people this came into its own during the recent snow storms, when several councils used the website to update parents on school closures

using social network sites for example, Babergh District Council used Twitter to announce that refuse collections had been cancelled due to extreme weather conditions

using the website to create a shared experience for example, Lichfield District Council used Twitter to appeal for local photographs during the snow storms and then used them to create a special 'snow section' on the councils website

SMS text messaging in campaigns targeted at young people video news releases and audio sound clips for local broadcasters, to encourage them to cover stories they are unable to attend blogging even councillors are getting in on the act, with a rise in the number who tweet.

Take one look around these days and whether in the coffee shop, online or in line at the grocery store, almost everyone is buzzing about social media and blogs, about how individuals, brands, products and companies can and should be promoting themselves through social media. What does it all mean, though, and how does one get started? Is social media the death of PR or is it a complement? Are blogs easy to pitch and approach or are there rules to play by? Social Media As a Communication Vehicle Social media as a concept is big and it's growing larger by the moment. Before companies begin to think about replacing their public relations programs, however, they should bear in mind that it's just one other vehicle to reach the media and a core target audience.

While most experts would agree that organizations of all sizes need a social media component to be successful, very little of social media is customer-facing so it likely won't atrract new business for clients. That said, many analysts, press and others follow companies - or get their information on companies - only via social media. In fact, look around and some industry analysts will admit they follow the companies they are interested in on Twitter or blogs. That's why for many companies, news on their technologies, products or services can be make or break on these social media sites. How Journalists Use Social Media In her recent Mashable.com article, "How Journalists are Using Social Media for Real Results," author Brenna Ehrlich speaks with Brian Dresher, manager of social media and digital partnerships at USA Today, who notes that Twitter is an excellent source for journalists looking for leads. According to Dresher, ...the most vital [aspect of the] tool is the engagement with the audience. To not participate in conversations that are taking place or to avoid monitoring trends is going to result in lost opportunities. [By keeping up with Twitter], journalists are able to take a trend they first spot on Twitter and the real-time Internet and continue to develop it in more detail.

The Value of Blogs Blogs also hold great value in the social media spectrum, and they integrate nicely into a PR program. While a company may only get a minor response when its offerings are mentioned by leading bloggers, it can still be a feather in the cap. The problem becomes, then, gaining the attention of blogs as most do not want to be pitched and many will not accept press releases from companies.

What's a company to do? Find a few blogs that are spot-on in terms of audience, then subscribe to them and comment on relevant posts under a client's name. Like with any form of traditional media, an organization can't be selfpromotional but it's a good way to get a company's name out there, by conveying thought leadership while supporting a favorite blogger. How to Begin a Social Media Campaign The long-term goal of any social media compaign is to create an online social community where like-minded individuals can meet to debate and discuss ideas, products, services, etc. After all, consumers and prospective clients would rather hear from actual users or prospective users than from a company who will likely omit some of the worts of its offerings. In the short term, though, here's where companies can start: 1. Set up a Twitter and Facebook account for the company. Anything that is proactively issued - including awards, press releases, thought leadership and speaking engagements - should be mentioned on these sites. 2. Identify the top five blogs that cover a company's industry. Follow these blogs, monitor for key words and regularly provide intelligence on the current buzz. 3. Create a Facebook fan page for the company's technology. Actively recruit people in the field who are using or beta testing offerings and encourage these people to become fans and make comments. The Bottom Line on Social Media Social media marketing is more than blogger relations but it's a start. In the words of Geoff Livingston, who runs The Buzz Bin, which provides points of view on integrated communications, too much of today's social media promotion focuses on blogger relations tactics instead of true Word of Mouth.

Livingston advises PR and blogger relations professionals to polish up their networking skills in addition to their pitching skills. Instead of just trying to get coverage and impressions, social media stewards need to focus on how they can fit into the community and deliver value.

A media policy is essential to maximising all media opportunities for any type of business, even if you are working from home. The following is an example of a media policy which you can use for your business. It should be treated as one of your key policies/procedures. Example media policy All media calls are to be treated as important calls and we must ensure that we respond to the journalists enquiry and/or interview request in a timely and informative way. It is important not to respond to any questions on the initial call. The person taking the call should say: Im not the best person to talk to, but I will organise for the right person to call you back. OR I am not an expert in this area, but I can get someone to call you back. For spokespeople I am in a meeting at the moment, but will call you back as soon as possible The person taking the call must ask: What is your name? What publication are you calling from? When is your deadline? What information are you looking for or what is the topic of the interview? What is your phone number?

Once you have this information, tell the journalist that a spokesperson will call them back before their deadline. If you cant locate a spokesperson, contact your PR consultant (provide the number in the policy). If you cant locate a spokesperson or your PR consultant before the deadline time, call the journalist back and explain the situation, saying that a spokesperson will call as soon as possible. Do not to do the interview yourself. Before the official spokespeople undertake the interview they should: Review key messages Write out a game plan what do you want to get across to the journalist? If possible, find out the journalist background and personality.
Tips for dealing with the media Working with the media is an important part of life for many organisations. Its essential to forge a strong relationship of mutual respect. The media comes in for a lot of bad press, some of which may be deserved, but much of which certainly is not. Remember a few basic rules. When a journalist seeks an interview, do not be afraid to ask what topics they would like to cover. Don't think your refusal to respond will kill a negative story. Your choice consists in whether the story appears with or without your side of it, not whether the story appears at all. That choice belongs to the editor. As a general rule, delete the phrase "No Comment" from your vocabulary. Be honest and civil in your dealings with the media. If you can't comment, explain why. Avoid yes/no answers. Besides being incommunicative, you may sound defensive. Use common, everyday words which are readily understood. Avoid jargon. The media love "quotable quotes" - sayings or comments which stand out for their originality, simplicity, and strength - so quote them! Say it with feeling, passion and commitment. Don't assume that the journalist necessarily knows all about your business, organisation or sport. Never provide false information. If you don't know the answer to a question, explain to the journalist that you will get back to them later with the answer. It is much better to be honest than offer misleading information.

 Interviews by telephone are common among radio and print media. One problem, however, is determining when the interview begins. Assume that as soon as the journalist introduces themselves that the interview has started. Contrary to popular opinion, it is not illegal to record what someone says on the telephone. Most journalists will tell you if they are recording a conversation, but are not obliged to do so. Make sure any correspondence contains all your contact information, so if the journalist does want to follow up your release/call/email, he/she knows how to get hold of you. Don't constantly ring/email/fax reporters to check they received your release, especially NOT near deadline time (for a morning newspaper, this is late afternoon/evening, for a nightly news bulletin, this is late afternoon).

Types of Interview There are many different TV and radio interview formats, each with it's own style and techniques. When you are asked to attend an interview make sure you know which format is to be used so you know what to expect. Some of the more common formats (and media jargon) are: In the studio (one-to-one or part of a panel) You are actually there and can see who youre talking to; it could be recorded but may be live and is likely to be shown as live. No rehearsal no editing no chance for a second try. TV Remote booth (down-the-line) They can see you, they can see the interviewer, but you just get to sit and look at a camera sometimes with an earpiece to listen to the other end. Radio telephone interview No one can see anyone, but while the interviewer is in his or her studio you could be in your kitchen. Mobile Location unit (outside broadcast) Could be TV or Radio but it is all a bit ad hoc as everyone involved is away from base Being door stepped Quite nasty this. Could involve you talking through a letterbox or being pursued down the street. TV and radio phone-ins Usually a more relaxed and informal chat but occasionally there will be unplanned and difficult questions thrown in when you are off your guard. Press conference

Usually where you invite them. It will be more on your terms and you will have prepared your message well beforehand. Being Prepared For all the different types of interviews, it is essential that you know what you want to say and spend some time getting your messages clear in your mind. Because of the time restriction and pressure of giving media interviews, try to restrict yourself to three main messages, removing all extraneous and unwanted material so you are left with a headline sentence or 'sound-bite' for each message. A sound bite is a quotable quote: brief, self-contained, phrased in everyday language, and should be colourful or metaphorical, passionate or energetic. Being roughly five seconds long, it will need to be clear, concise and punchy. Think of yourself as doing the journalist's work for them. When you have a couple of sound bites ready - ones that you know you want people to hear or read the journalist just has to extract them from everything else you've said and you've done the job.

Media- "DosandDon'ts" For Dealingwith the Media

1. Do be proactive in your dealings with the news media. Identify three news operations you plan to work with. Introduce yourself and your organization. Find out if there is a specific contact person/person. 2. Do be aware of lead times. Call when you are beginning your planning. 3. Do send (fax if possible) your announcement to appropriate news media. Determine the size of your audience (local, state wide) 4. Don't send out your news release and forget about it. Follow up quickly. Call within a day to make sure the announcement was received. 5. Don't call an editor or reporter when they are on a deadline. When calling, ask the reporter if they have time

to talk. 6. Do be available when a reporter calls. 7. Do tell the news media why your release is important to their readers and viewers. If a photo opportunity is involved, tell the media dates and times the event will occur. Be prepared to give accurate directions to the facility.

Whatdo the media want?

Newspapers and magazines, radio and television companies, receive a vast quantity of material every day of the year. It comes in many different forms. These include announcements from companies, government departments, research institutes and other bodies; material from national and international news agencies (Reuters, for example); and releases from public relations firms representing their clients' interests. The lay media also gain ideas from specialised publications . Sheer pressure on space and broadcasting time means that journalists can use only a tiny proportion of the information they receive through these various channels. How, then, do they choose what to cover? Journalists and their 'gate-keepers' are receptive to novelty. Significant developments in science and technology for example, major advances in the treatment of a particular disease provide many examples of such novelty. As well as developments with concrete applications now or in the future, the media report discoveries that are simply inherently interesting. So while much "normal research" goes unreported, developments with practical implications for, say, medicine or agriculture will attract journalistic attention. The same is true of discoveries that are counter-intuitive or have an element of the unexpected. The general media also feed off each other to a surprising degree, and they work to unwritten menus of topics that appeal to them at any one time. Stories about environmental pollution, for example, may be keenly sought this year but may be less popular with journalists and their editors next year. In engaging the interest of the media, it is helpful to be aware of what subjects are currently favoured on their agenda. Some of the most skillful initiatives in "placing" stories in the media are taken by people who see opportunities for providing new angles on stories that are already running strongly. There is fierce competition within the media. Newspapers, for example,

compete for readers and for advertising revenue. Nevertheless, their science correspondents often work closely together, attending many of the same conferences and discussing what they are planning to report. Many journalists also have an appetite for occasional "exclusive" stories which, if they are considered to be sufficiently important, their competitors will then have to follow up.

Packaging Informationfor the media

We frequently have to interact with members of the media - whether it is newspapers, or radio and TV personnel or other electronic and online media. It may be necessary to highlight an issue that is being advocated, or bring media focus to a controversial issue etc. The key to courting the media is the message - of packaging the issue or blight or action in a way that will attract the attention of the media, and as an extension its readers, listeners and viewers. Here is a quick set of guidelines that help in grabbing the attention. It is very broad based, and of course, depends on the actual message being transmitted - but it gives an idea of the direction that has to be taken: Use wordpicturesthat describethe situation. For example, use comparative ratios like 'three times around the earth' or 'no. of soccer fields'. That is, use measures that are familiar and can be easily visualized or shocked into realization ('equal to three trips to the moon'). Emphasizethe additionalfeatures,effects, benefits, or advantages. What are the interlinkages with other issues or problems? How can communities benefit from the action you are taking? Don't overdoit. Present the plain facts, in a clear and simple outline. Don't assume that journalists know a lot about the topic or issue you are dealing with. Provide a 'handle' with which the story or byline can be built. Workat the appropriatescale. Clearly understand the scale of the problem or issue and work with the media that best addresses that scale. Global/transboundary issues with the appropriate global media, a local river environment problem with the local media. Stressthe humanangle. What ever the issue you are presenting, stress on the human angle - either as the culprits or as the victims. What have humans been doing (or not doing) to result in the situation? Cultivatein-housespokespersons . In order to maintain a

consistent and constant relationship, and to present a message properly, cultivate in-house spokespersons who are comfortable in a public situation and can present a viewpoint clearly and coherently. Createa trendpiece. Why should you be the person advocating the issue or problem? Under what authority or experience are you making the stand? What other similar initiatives, jobs or projects have you handled? Use outsideexpertise. Bring in independent experts and important personalities to highlight and substantiate your point or issue. Admitthingsyouare not doing In order not to create a misunderstood situation that may affect future dealings, admit things you are not doing (yet), or not doing right. Be persistent . Keep the media personnel informed - of breaking issues, progress made and other pertinent details in order to maintain interest.

Tips for Handling Reporters

People who probably never thought they would be giving an interview to a news reporter, may someday soon find themselves facing a camera and microphone or a phone call from a print journalist on deadline. Before you gulp and say no comment, a request for an interview is not always indicative or adversarial or negative circumstances. Even in what may be a crisis situation for you, the media offers the opportunity to reach a vast audience with your own words and images. Dont use jargon. Every industry or profession has its own unique language. Remember who your targeted audience is, and communicate in language they will understand. Your audience may not understand about risk assessment or cost benefit analysis or regulatory relief legislation, but they do understand issues that hit them personally. Dont say no comment. It implies confirmation of the question. Commissioner Smith says you discriminated against Mr. Jones. You reply, No comment. The audience interprets that as guilt or a cover-up. The rule of thumb for responding is to explain why you cant respond and then offer other useful information. I cant respond directly to that because it would violate my tenants right to privacy (or whatever the reason is); however, what I can tell you is that we have an outstanding public record in this area that were proud of, and our clients tell us that theyre very satisfied with our responsiveness and attention to their needs. Be pro-active. Just responding to queries isnt enough. Suggest story ideas to reporters. Help them understand the issues and how they affect the interests of the general public.

Be careful of how you use numbers. They are confusing to the listener unless you help the audience to understand what the numbers mean. Why are the numbers significant? Is it a trend? Are things better or worse? Use an analogy to help the listener grasp the significance of the numbers. Be relentlessly and aggressively positive about your position. Its easy to fall into a defensive position. Your job is to use the media opportunity to sell your position or ideas -- not apologize for them! Look at the question as a jumping-off point, not as a set of limiting parameters. Most people only answer the question. They dont see the question as an opportunity to articulate an agenda. Tell anecdotes. Since the beginning of time, the most effective communicators have been storytellers. Learn how to illustrate your point with an example or anecdote which helps the listener to visualize and empathize with your position. Help the listener to identify with your anecdote. Use your clients as testimonials. Look outside you own organization for third party validation. These testimonials broaden your group of trained spokespersons. Trained and well-briefed individuals who can give compelling interviews should be promoted to the media as industry experts capable of discussing a wide range of timely topics. Although they may be called on by the media to respond to a specific issue, such as a proposed change in a local ordinance, the well-trained spokesperson also promotes the professionalism and role of the community.

The care and feeding of the media

Dealing with the media doesnt have to be a painful process. Often theyre not sure of the subject matter and may feel as intimidated as you are! Here are a few tips: Designate someone to act as the media spokesperson. That may be the Board Chairperson, Director, a principal or some other administrator. This step does not always have to be taken, but its a good idea if the issue is sensitive or controversial and you want one person who can deal with the issues. Choose someone who is well-spoken and knows the facts but speaks in laymans terms. This person does not have to be the top person in charge; the position is not necessarily the most important criterion. When dealing with the media, youll have to answer the basics: Who; what; when; where; why; and how. Be prepared! Know your facts. Try to familiarize yourself with the publication or show youll

be on. When talking to the media, tell only what you want the interviewer to know. Take time to think of your answers. Dont rush to speak and then regret what youve said. Be careful what you say, and remember that EVERYTHING you say can be used. Going off the record is NOT recommended. Its dangerous and there arent any guarantees. Simply say, No, Im not comfortable with that. Dont be defensive or nasty. Be friendly to the media. If possible, try to get to know media people before a crisis situation occurs. Perhaps call and suggest a positive story idea you think would highlight your school or division. On a slow news day, this might be appreciated. WARNING: Dont bother the media incessantly. Dont lie or bend the truth; it will come back to haunt you. Dont say no comment. Its OK to say, "Im not sure how to answer that. Offer documents, charts or other background information if necessary. Talk to the reporter, not the camera. Dont say anything you dont want printed, heard or seen. Dont do an interview unless you feel comfortable with the issues and you know the facts. If you are not expressing the official (board) view, say so. Make it clear if its your personal point of view. Before the interview, try to think of some difficult questions and what youd answer to them. Express yourself concisely and avoid jargon. Youre talking to ordinary people! Talk plainly and candidly. Dont bend the truth or try to mislead the reporter. If you dont know the answer, dont fabricate or guess. Say you dont know, and offer to find out the information. If youre not sure about the question, say so. Be sincere about how you feel. If it upsets you, or you feel happy about it, or youre frustrated, you can say that. Be courteous and diplomatic. Suggest that the reporter call later for clarification if needed. Listen to the questions! Make sure you answer them. You can add other information you think is important later. Smile! Relax!

Media - Steps to Getting the Most Out of the Media

1. Develop a media resource inventory. 2. Design an overall media plan. o Outline how your organization can benefit the media resource and vice versa.

Decide what types of coverage will you be interested in (e.g. talk shows or features stories on a news program). 3. Make contact with the right people. o Designate a media specialist(s) in your coalition who will be the main contact person(s) for your coalition. o Find out who are the key people in Radio/TV and Newspaper. o Write a letter of introduction. 4. Keep an organized record of all contact and coverage. o Keep a record of all media contacts in your community.

Media - Media Opportunities

Television Airtime Opportunities Public Service Opportunities Public Service Announcements (PSAs) - Many stations broadcast PSAs for non-profit community organizations Community Calendar Announcements -Stations maintain a special time slot in which community groups can publicize the date, time and location for specific events Editorial Opportunities Community Viewpoint Editorials - Opinion messages delivered by members of the community on issues of public concern may be broadcast under different titles, such as "Point of View" or "Free Speech Message". Management Editorials - A station may regularly take public stands on community issues, and broadcast management editorials. Sometimes these positions can be influenced by members of the community. News and Public Affairs Opportunities Daily News Programs - Coverage of your event or coalition in the news can bring broad exposure and interest. Many TV stations broadcast four or five news programs a day. Weekly Public Affairs Interview Programs - These generally focus on one news issue. It is easy to gain access, but small audience. Entertainment Programming Opportunities Entertainment Talk Programs - These offer a mix of light and serious topics and guests. They can help generate a broad interest and can be easy to access. Entertainment Magazine Programs - Some stations produce weekly or nightly magazine programs that present reports on local community life. Usually these are light and entertaining,

but they sometimes touch on issues of local importance. Radio Airtime Opportunities Public Service Airtime Public Service Announcements (PSAs) - Stations will produce and/or broadcast public service announcements for non-profit agencies. Management Editorials - Some stations take public positions on issues of community importance. You can either get the manager to deliver an editorial on your cause or let a spokesperson from your coalition deliver one. Community Calendar - Like TV Stations, most radio stations will accept announcements of upcoming community events. News and Public Affairs Daily News Reports - Radio stations with an all-news format offer the most opportunities, but most stations at least broadcast short news reports throughout the day. Weekly Public Affairs Programs - These programs are usually in one-on-one or group interview format. They are generally broadcast early or late, to a small audience. Special Programs - Stations with an all-news format may produce special half-hour or longer reports at regular intervals. Entertainment Programming Disc Jockey Shows - Some DJs have guests on their shows, or may incorporate promotional messages and activities in their show if they believe in your cause. Call-In Shows - Call-in hosts can give excellent exposure to any cause they find intriguing, especially if the host invites a member of your coalition to be interviewed on the air. Special Remote Broadcasts - Some stations frequently broadcast "on location" at shopping malls, community centers, and can promote special community events by broadcasting live from the location of the event. Newspaper Opportunities News and News Features News Stories - Have on hand names of editors and reporters for fast coverage of your coalition events. Feature Stories - In-depth stories may appear in weekly or daily papers. Special Series - Daily newspapers are often on the lookout for appropriate subjects for multi-part special reports, which they often promote heavily. Specialized Sections - If special sections such as Business, Food or Health provide appropriate settings for your information, keep names of their editors handy. Thy may accept features or regular columns for your coalition if they

are of a high quality. Editorial Coverage Newspaper Editorial - Editorial writers may be willing to endorse community-wide events or campaigns. On other occasions, they may provide space for interested parties to present rebuttals to positions the paper has taken. Guest Opinion - Daily and weekly papers may accept guest columns on matters of local concern. Columns - Some newspaper columnists reach a wide and loyal readership. Letters to the Editor - Careful and restrained use of letters to the editor can bring issues alive in a community, rebut negative forces and provide a vehicle for thanking those who have helped in your cause. Community Service Space - Newspapers often devote space regularly to news of local non-profit organizations. Although these pages many not have wide readership, they can help your keep your coalition in the public eye and provide a good way of bestowing public recognition on hard-working staff and volunteers. Community Calendars - These will offer free listings of upcoming coalition events. Community News - Many papers have sections giving news of meetings, appointments, past events or future plans.

Dealing with journalists

Journalists, and certainly those dealing with news, are invariably in a hurry. For those working in newspapers and broadcasting, this haste is entirely genuine. They may well be pursuing several stories in a single day, against the clock. But rapidity is also built into the media culture, so that anything (an interview, a photograph...) tends to be wanted instantly. There are also more practical considerations if your story or message is to appear in the media when you want it too and if at all. Newspapers usually have two internal news conferences to determine what will be in the paper the next day. If a press release misses the early evening conference, your story is unlikely to make it to print the next day unless it really is important. The best time of the day to contact a news desk is early to mid morning, yet this may not be suitable for an evening paper or a lunchtime radio or television news bulletin. The shelf life of a story is also painfully short: a long term research project releases its result on a Friday afternoon; by the time of the next possible major news outlet on Monday, it will be considered old news and unlikely to get a place in the schedule. Afternoon press conferences are not a good way of getting communications into the media, and especially not on a Friday. In reality, while journalists greatly appreciate an immediate response,

it is perfectly reasonable that anyone approached by a reporter should ask for time to consider the request and how to respond. If a journalist approaches you, in person or by telephone, make sure from the outset that you really understand what they want, what publication or programme they represent and how they propose to use any comments you make. In the case of radio and television, you should find out whether a proposed interview will be live or recorded, what is the format of the programme and who else will be taking part. Even if you are satisfied on these points, you may want to collect your thoughts. Ask the caller to ring back in 20-30 minutes. Alternatively, say that you will return the call but be absolutely sure that you do so. During the interim, you can also consult colleagues. Press officers in companies, universities and elsewhere can also be invaluable in providing guidance about particular journalists, publications and programmes and their past track-record. In the long-term, some people find it mutually rewarding to become acquainted with individual journalists who deal with scientific issues, whether nationally or locally. While this should certainly not provide automatic channels through which to gain media publicity, such relationships can be of value to both parties and increase mutual confidence.

Checklist for Media Campaigns

More than 1 month prior to campaign* Organize media lists: contact names, titles, address, phone. Develop media campaign strategies: message, target audience, media to use, alternative media ideas, partners, events, etc. 4 - 8 weeks prior to campaign* Call media to update contact list and alert them about upcoming campaign. Write press releases, media advisory, psa's, other materials 2-6 weeks prior* Send press releases and public service announcements to media. (note: if mailing to a monthly publication, such as organizational newsletters or magazines, send press release at least 4 weeks in advance of publication) 1-4 weeks prior* Send media advisory to request coverage for specific events. Flyers, posters, and other alternative media distributed. 1 week prior Follow-up phone calls to media about press releases and media advisories * The earlier the better!

Journalists are still sought after by PR agencies for their industry contacts and their ability to place stories, but some journalists have a hard time making the leap to the dark side. Here are some of the reasons why and a few pointers to help you make the leap:

Writing a press release is different from writing a news story. Yes, a press release has many of the elements of a news story, but it needs to be considerably shorter. Long and bloated press releases get deleted. Reporters who are used to banging out 1,200-word articles might have a hard time dealing with these new restrictions. Also, a press release has to portray the client in the best light. Reporters are used to quoting people verbatim. A good PR person learns how to pick and shape the quotes to make his client shine. PR practioners also have to master the art of pitch writing. Many PR reps are finding that harried reporters do not have the time to wade through a press release. They just want the nugget of the story, and they will go from there. Wardrobe. This is a touchy subject, but I have noticed that many reporters, especially the male ones, are very casual dressers. This may be due to their finances or the casual nature of many newsrooms. PR requires a more polished image. A PR representative is going to be meeting with CEOs who expect his counsel. He is also expected to be the face of an organization when talking to the media. This means you have to look professional, and a sharp business wardrobe helps convey that image. Communications skills. It is ironic, but some reporters have very poor communications skills. I dont know if this has to do with the nature of their job, which is high stress and requires them to be on deadline all the time, but many reporters come across as gruff. They are also used to demanding information in a confrontational way. PR requires its practioners to have more personable skills when they are dealing with clients and members of the media. Pitching story ideas to the media is a lot like sales and, in my opinion, sales is an area most reporters are not comfortable with. Ability to provide counsel. People hire a PR company, not just to write press releases and get media attention, but also to give them counsel during a time of crisis and input on marketing strategies. The job duties of a PR professional include designing strategic press campaigns that meet and support client objectives, creating strategies to deal with PR crises and crafting official statements for the media. PR is more than writing press releases. When I was a reporter, my job involved writing the story and getting it in on deadline. And providing there werent any errors, once I turned it in on time, my job was done. But in PR there is a lot more to do than just writing the press release. The press release itself may often have to be rewritten and edited several times. Once its completed you still have to create a list of targeted media contacts, distribute the press release, pitch it, and follow

up with phone calls to see if they plan to publish your story. And after that you still have to track the story down and make sure your client gets a copy of it. These tasks require patience and tenacity. 5. Programming and design We all need an understanding of web programming so we can communicate with programmers to get what we need to build a web site and contribute/edit and customize content. It would be ideal to know some coding ourselves, but a lot can be said about having someone who is truly skilled take the lead. As blog platforms continue to evolve and become easier to use, we still need to have an understanding to communicate changes or the ability to make tweaks and changes on our own. 6. Working knowledge of social media distribution platforms - For all of the great elements of social media, one drawback is that the social web has many gather places. I am sure you could name 10 sites right off the top of your head. It has become burdensome to push content onto so many sites. Thankfully, applications for social media publishing continue to evolve and distribution platforms like Shoutlet are coming to the forefront to help communications pros distribute content across many channels (email, Twitter, Facebook, widgets, etc.) instantaneously. We all need to know how to use these tools because they put the true power of the social web at our fingertips. 7. Video creative direction, writing and production - The social web is fueled by engaging and relevant content. One of the most attractive forms of that content is video. The caveat within this element that is interesting is that video for the social web needs to be very good, but it does not have to be great. Frankly, the slicker the video looks the less authentic it feels and the less accepted it will be in the social web. Because of this, we dont need to be super-duper Grade-A class video producers, but we need to be pretty good. There are many programs out there that make video production relatively easy. You might want to look into these, because its more likely than not that you will need to produce a web video before the end of the year. 8. Community gardening Many people refer to this as community management, but a friend of mine recently shared with me that he doesnt think we can fully manage a community. I liked what he had to say. If you think about it, the masses probably dont want to be managed. In this, a PR pro needs to be able to help grow a community and foster activity and conversation within it. 9. Walking the talk - There are many lessons that can only be learned within the art of social public relations by doing it for yourself. There is no better teacher than personal experience. If we arent out there writing blogs, doing podcast/videocasts and growing a community for ourselves or our own agencies/companies, all we can do is talk. And how far will that get us? If we are doing all of these things, we are learning every day and those learnings can then be used to drive strategy for our clients and others.

10. Proving Return on Investment This is an area that I will leave for Sara Meaney to handle as the Left Brain of Comet Branding. All though Im not fully a numbers person, I do understand and value how important they are. If we cant prove to our clients that the programs we are running for them are worth it, then its not worth a heck of a lot. We have to show proof, proof, proof and more proof.
The challenges for communicators are:

Future communicators also need to:

PR and corporate communications are "behind the curve" on social media; slower to adopt more technologically complicated tools The need to change PR and corporate communications from broadcast machine to community participation Greater importance for ethics, CSR and sustainability More and complex demands for communication from 'internal audiences' Need culturally-sensitive communication in a changing world Getting to and operating at C-Level Give proof of PR and corporate communication's contributions to strategy development and realization

Be flexible communicators, capable of adapting quickly (eg. new media) Able to interpret changes and trends in communication practices and technology; guide implementation, but not necessarily as a communication technologist. Have broader analytical and critical thinking skills Become closer to trends and policy-making, especially on CSR/sustainability; often actively participating in the discourse Possess a more inter-disciplinary set of competencies so they can act as advisors with equal standing to senior colleagues in other functions Have negotiation and relationship-building and management skills Coaching and mentor senior management to communicate, manage relationships and deal with changing demands

A study to test these propositions is under way among senior communicators in North America, Europe and other markets. It will report in early 2010. The research is made possible by a grant from Coca-Cola to the Institute for Public Relations.

Case studies:
An in-flight wedding, a star-studded entourage, and plenty of Vegas style how else do you help a provocative airline take flight? Virgin America gets off the ground with a dramatic entrance.

After several years of negotiating with federal regulators, Virgin America finally earned its wings in 2007 as the newest U.S. carrier. In true Virgin style, they wanted to celebrate with a series of high-profile events that would capture the interest of Americas jet set. To help get the party started, they called on Ogilvy PR for a strategy that would position Virgin America in a class of its own. Like almost all other Virgin-branded companies, Virgin America was interested in selling its image as much as it is service. Recognized and revered for its provocative blend of quality, fun, and style, Ogilvy PR planned to exploit the power and mystique of the Virgin brand - and its founder Sir Richard Branson - to help Virgin America take flight. To celebrate its first San Francisco to Las Vegas departure, the team devised a Vegas show-stopping event, complete with personalized experiences, luxury amenities, celebrity guests, and the unmistakable Virgin personality. In three short weeks, a series of point-to-point parties, events, and stunts were planned that put Sir Richard Branson at the center of action. It started in San Francisco, with a lavishly staged send-off where Branson carried Kyla Ebbert, once bumped from a Southwest Airlines flight for inappropriate attire, on board and welcomed her with open arms. In flight, the billionaire, ordained as a minister, performed a wedding ceremony in the aisle. After a Vegas-style reception upon arrival at the airport - complete with show tunes, champagne and Elvis - the entourage continued to the Wynn Resort for a VIP celebration at Tryst that included the cast of Showtime's hit series, Dexter, as well as a celebrity poker game hosted by World Series of Poker champ Jamie Gold. Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra, Lauren Conrad, and Audrina Partridge were also part of the excitement. The party paid off. The campaign generated more than 3,600 broadcast and print hits including Martha Stewart, Today Show, CNN, MSNBC, San Francisco Chronicle and Fox News. Thousands of Internet news hits and blog conversations talked about the event including TMZ.com, Us Weekly, People.com, Perez Hilton, E! News, and more. From what the team could capture, it generated at least 97 million impressions with an ad value equivalency of 3 million (and rising). How can bloggers bring a new brand message to consumers?

In 2007, Louis Vuitton asked Ogilvy PR's Digital Influence team in Paris to generate positive word of mouth about the brand among online influencers. The campaign needed to be focused and efficient, because it would not be supported by global marketing nor a traditional public relations launch. Ogilvy PR decided to use the launch of the new French Louis Vuitton web site (featuring Andr Agassi and Stefi Graff) to start a conversation among relevant online influencers. We had three major goals in doing so: to drive users to Louis Vuitton's site via organic search; to lead them to associate the brand with high quality and emotional values; and to gather verbal testimonials and "buzz" for the website, which would in turn generate further interest in Louis Vuitton among key audiences including the media and affluent consumers. Because the Ogilvy-designed website was already very strong, we recommended letting it stand on its own. To increase visits and get people talking, we gave exclusive access to the entire site to forty French bloggers specializing in Fashion, Trends and Communication one week before its launch and asked them to provide feedback that could be integrated into the website before the launch. 326 emails exchanges, countless phone calls, and 28 informal interviews later, we received a flood of positive feedback, including 35 posts in highly influential blogs featuring 100% positive and enthusiastic coverage of the site. Our organic search results improved as well, with the blog posts that resulted from our outreach consistently appearing in the top 20 results for branded and campaign-relevant terms. How do you conquer the fashion scene? In July 2008, the German capital was completely seized by the worlds fashion scene. Attracted by the Berlin Fashion Week, designers, models, celebrities and fashionistas from all over the world celebrated in Berlin. No doubt, that style icon Motorola was not only part of this summers highlight but initiated the hottest event in town!

cpz Ogilvy Public Relations was asked to draw the publics attention to Motorolas high class activity that took place around the Berlin Fashion Week. The main objective was to link Motorola credibly with the fashion scene and to build trustful relationships with Germanys leading fashion and lifestyle journalists. In addition, it was all about pushing the coverage of Motorolas new mobiles MOTORAZR2 V8 Rose Gold, MOTORAZR V9 Tin Silver as fashion accessories. To position the brand in this uniquely fashionable surrounding, Motorola played a central role in three consecutive steps for selected opinion leaders of the fashion and design scene. The must-join event started with an exclusive, privately-held dinner for invited journalists in Berlins famous restaurant Guy. During the dinner, Motorolas new mobiles were presented before every journalist received a Motorola phone as a give away. All in all, eight of the most important German lifestyle and tech journalists joined the dinner. Subsequently, Motorola was impressively integrated into the catwalk show of the designer duo Unrath & Strano. More than 1.000 VIPs, celebrities, designers and key fashion media joined the show that did not only integrate tailor-made MOTO-outfits but also featured the latest mobiles MOTORAZR2 V8 Rose Gold and the MOTORAZR2 V9 Tin Silver. As the evenings final highlight, Motorola invited the party people to the premier of MOTOROLA STYLE NIGHT in Berlins famous club WEEKEND an all night long party format to celebrate fashion and lifestyle. In the forefront, several media cooperations secured attention for the event. Users of the online lifestyle platform of Vanity Fair and listeners of Radio Energy, for example, had the chance to win 3x MOTORAZR2 V8 Rose Gold and tickets for the MOTOROLA STYLE NIGHT. All in all, more than 800 fashion victims such as designers Unrath & Strano and Michael Michalsky as well as TV presenter Ross Antony joined the party and agreed that the MOTOROLA STYLE NIGHT was the highlight of the Berlin Fashion Week 2008.

But can a PR agency really rescue a country from global condemnation or obscurity? Arun Sudhaman and Kate Magee of PRWeek.com have asked six comms experts about the challenges faced by six nation brands: USA, India, China, UK, South Africa and Dubai.

. USA Marian Salzman, President, Euro RSCG Worldwide PR BACK STORY: In my mind, 2 October was the day the world realised the United States was no longer the dominant power. When Chicago lost its bid for the 2016 Olympics, it was a reality check and a reflection of larger issues. It made me wonder, what will this mean for American bravado? Well, American bravado is one reason for the image problems we have today. Global confidence in our country has been climbing since President Obama took office, but so far we only seem to have elected a new account manager for Brand USA. PR CHALLENGES: The main ones are unwelcome involvement in the Middle East, faltering financial markets and slow movement on climate change. Wed need to juggle a mind-boggling abundance of topics in devising a strategic PR plan for Brand USA. The first phase must be about diplomacy and governmental communications, both internal and external. And Americans need to invest more in the global community. Worldwide confidence in Brand USA must continue to rise. SUGGESTED STRATEGY: Government The President should call on private-sector talent to develop a campaign strategy for public diplomacy, Keith Reinhard, president of Business for Diplomatic Action and chairman emeritus of DDB Worldwide, suggested to me. Start a national tourism board to draw foreigners to the real US, not just major attractions. Explain climate justice. Offer transparent messaging beginning locally, with sensitivity training by expats to Americans about attainable dreams, so we Yankees can understand why were considered insensitive. People Through an integrated public/private programme, launch a social media and school-based campaign to show Americans what the rest of the world thinks is a solid meal, a nice home, a fun weekend and the meaning of justice. Called Make an Acquaintance, it should teach us to put ourselves in other peoples shoes. The American way isnt the Western way, let alone the global way. Once we learn more, well likely use our wealth and know-how to be a force for doing good. To measure our success, various polls will show how were doing. Theres also the ageold anecdotal survey of momentum: Do more people want their children to marry Americans? It would be the true measure of our worth. 2. INDIA

Ashwani Singla, Chief Executive Officer, Genesis Burson-Marsteller BACK STORY: Since 2003, India has been a resurgent economy. A number of acquisitions of international brands such as Tetley, Corus and Jaguar have happened since then. Before that, the country was insular, and poverty was the predominant perception. Prior to Resurgent India, there were two phases of the brands evolution: Colonial India, which remained the land of the snake charmer, and Independent India agrarian, austere and largely socialist. PR CHALLENGES:The natural reaction to a growing economic power is fear and scepticism. Suddenly there is a perception of arrogance, and a backlash against outsourcing services. There is coherence in terms of the overall brand goals, but perhaps the government does not do an effective job of communicating that. SUGGESTED STRATEGY: Brand India should strive to be a soft power with a focus on equitable and measured growth and diversity. It must balance economic power with deft yet firm geopolitics. It needs more co-ordinated action in terms of public diplomacy. We are a large investment market when you look at trade as an instrument of policy, there is an opportunity. We need to upgrade the tourism infrastructure and the facilities. If we do that, we can create a vibrant tourism market. The international diaspora also has a tremendous role to play in advocating the brand and attracting investment. Ideally, the country needs to emulate its key role model, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, by being confident of its expertise, fiercely competitive, yet a picture of dignity and humility. Displays of arrogance will invite suspicion. The countrys cultural strengths should also be leveraged, particularly given the way they have been adopted into international fashion and cinema. Slumdog Millionaire should not be taken as a representation of India but it is a story of triumph. The real measure of success for brand Incredible India would be how Indians in general are valued and welcomed around the world while India takes its place as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. 3. CHINA Christoper Graves, CEO, Ogilvy PR & Scott Kronick, President, Ogilvy PR China BACK STORY: Many saw the 2008 Olympics as Chinas coming out party. Viewers marvelled at the precision and co-ordination on a massive scale. And while that mass precision and physical prowess of Chinese medal winners may have played into the

stereotype of a faceless, disciplined China, the creativity of the opening and closing ceremonies and of the edgy, playful architecture of the Birds Nest and Water Cube were the game changers. PR CHALLENGES: Nation brands struggle with overturning outdated, negative images, or reputations created through fear and ignorance. China suffers from both in parts of the West in particular, where it is often seen as a threat to economic security and Western power, an irresponsible, polluting, grow-at-any-cost emerging superpower sucking up the planets resources. SUGGESTED STRATEGY: First, foster and promote soft power engagement, export and exchange of contemporary art and architecture. At times satirical, humorous or haunting, Chinese contemporary art is stealing the limelight at auctions around the world. Second, reduce demonization of a faceless country by fostering warmth and understanding via exchanges of students, thinkers and artists. Personal experience is the best remedy for overturning unfair stereotyping. Create friendly faces of China ambassadors to appear regularly in Western media. Measure success by media appearances and perception research. Third, for foreign direct investment and portfolio investment, craft a narrative of a land that is forging world-changing technologies through leap-frogging and not copying. China, according to author Tom Friedman, will lead in cleantech and climate-friendly advances. Surprising? Surely. Believable? No not without proof-point stories, which do exist from the BYD electric auto to the Broad Air Conditioning breakthrough that reduces energy consumption by two-thirds. Measure success by increased investment flows. Fourth, for tourism branding, China must avoid equating development with uniformity. Tourists will cherish the differences between Yunnan and Pudong. Measure success by tourist arrivals and by positive word-of-mouth and social media mentions. 4. UK Matt Neale, Co-MD Europe, Golin Harris BACK STORY: One could write an essay here so lets just focus on two metrics; political power and cultural clout. When I started as a graduate trainee at Shandwick in 1997, Vanity Fair proclaimed London to be the hippest place on the planet. Cool Britannia reigned on a wave of patriotic enlightenment. Noels Union Jack guitar adorned magazine covers around the world and Blair had put Britain back on the political map. Despite Iraq, we persuaded the world to bring the Olympics to Britain,

causing the French to ask: Why doesnt the world like us? Fast-forward to 2009: the Gallaghers have split up and Gordon Brown finds securing a meeting with Obama harder than an 8pm table at The Ivy. Has anything gone wrong? PR CHALLENGES: After emailing my fellow MDs around the world, consulting with FutureBrand and even poking around on Radian 6, two key insights keep showing up. Firstly that we are politically seen as followers, not leaders, and secondly that our creative industries define our national brand. The two biggest stories that have dominated foreign media this year are Susan Boyle and MPs expenses. Culturally, we can still occasionally capture the worlds imagination. Politically we have some work to do. We also need to move out of Americas shadow. The brand goal for Britain is to be the number one country known for independent thought, international power and creative excellence. SUGGESTED STRATEGY: Focus on three things and communicate them relentlessly: the British sense of fair play, a strong international power and reinforcing our reputation as a cultural world leader. To do this, we should use the Olympics as a single platform to re-enforce our brand, much as Germany did with the World Cup in 2006. Ask Britains Got Talent to choose the line-up for the opening of the Games, with The Rolling Stones headlining. Hold a young persons peace summit in London before the Games begin. This activity would be measured by: Moving one place up the most visited country index, from sixth to fifth Securing more inward investment growth in 2010 than our European neighbours Tony Blair becoming president of Europe Britain winning the 2018 World Cup bid. 5. SOUTH AFRICA Lucien Vallun, MD, Fleishman-Hillard London BACK STORY: It is inevitable that countries that have transformed on the scale South Africa has over the past two decades will have undergone reputational stress. Change is stressful and seldom uneventful. Issues such as the high incidence of crime and the errant behaviour of its neighbour Zimbabwe have tarnished the reputation of the region. However, as the host of the 2010 FIFA World Cup next June, this is the countrys best opportunity yet to raise its profile to new heights by encouraging as many foreign tourists as possible to visit its shores. A carefully crafted and well resourced global initiative to achieve this needs to be launched as a matter of urgency and the South African government needs to take the lead.

 PR CHALLENGES: I am concerned at the apparent absence of an integrated, strategically driven national communications initiative that addresses the above question credibly and convincingly. The vast scale of this initiative demands input from both the public and private sectors, but it is the government that must act as the catalyst in mobilising a public/private partnership to achieve this. The unity and sense of purpose that would be reflected would be essential to ensuring all South Africans act as ambassadors for their country and that overwhelmingly good news emanates from within its borders. SUGGESTED STRATEGY: The campaign should focus on two of South Africas greatest assets: its natural beauty and the warmth and hospitality of its people. Few visitors return unimpressed by these virtues and most extol them far and wide. The campaign also needs to reassure the world that South Africa will be ready for the tournament, and publicise the enormous infrastructural development taking place. Success will be easily measurable in terms of packed football stadiums, crowded hotels, tourist resorts and public transport, and the boost to the domestic economy. Most of all, it will be reflected in the positive reputational equity generated by staging a successful global event. The time to act is now. 6. DUBAI Dave Robinson, CEO Middle East, Turkey & Africa, Hill & Knowlton BACK STORY: A year ago Dubai was at the centre of the shifting global economy. A year on and this Gulf emirate has been battered by the tsunami of the downturn with a real estate crash, large-scale debt and negative coverage across the front pages. Nemesis for the hubris of years gone by, perhaps, but Dubais reputation was built through great PR and it will be rebuilt through great PR again. PR CHALLENGES: Restoring trust, re-establishing credibility and building on the learnings from the global crisis are imperative in the reconstruction of Dubais reputation. While it would be naive to say PR alone will see Dubais phoenix rise from the flames of the crisis and it will rise it will certainly contribute a great deal to the speed of Dubais return to greatness. The newly created Dubai Media Affairs Office now sits at the heart of the citys administration and co-ordinates messaging, media response and media outreach. This will be a key step forward in re-engaging audiences internationally, as well as supporting other entities to do the same. Dubais engagement with audiences will need to move on from a tendency towards a

transactional approach to relationship-based engagement that will build knowledge, understanding and support. SUGGESTED STRATEGY: International media outreach needs to be balanced with discreet campaigns to key stakeholders for Dubai in the financial, political and business communities. Geographically the focus should be on key European markets, the US, the Sub-Continent to a degree, and key markets in Asia. In terms of support, Dubai already has a roster of international PR agencies working for both the Dubai Media Affairs Office and other Dubai government entities charged with representing the emirate. Success should be measured through media sentiment and opinionformer tracking, as well as tracking campaigns alongside indices such as FDI inflows, bank lending, tourism inflow and so on. And in the face of some of the juvenile Dubai bashing in the UK media in particular, just some old-fashioned good coverage would be welcome.

Were often asked, Are you a PR agency or a Social Media agency? We suggest that thats immaterial. We do both. The disciplines are merging. SHIFT offers a hybrid approach in which a Facebook Group Admin is treated with the same respect and thoughtfulness as a New York Times reporter. It makes a difference. How about a case study to illustrate how PR and Social Media can work in tandem? On June 23, 2009, online homegoods service Alice.com officially went live and before long ranked as among one of SHIFTs favorite and most successful launches. Alice.com is the fourth start-up cofounders Marc McGuire and Brian Wiegand created together. Having had great success with their last venture, Jellyfish.com which sold to Microsoft after little more than a year we determined to make Alice.com an even greater triumph for the young entrepreneurs. Adopting the Forrester POST Methodology for our planning purposes, SHIFT first advised McGuire and Wiegand to build a community of loyalists; in this case, we all agreed to target mom- and frugal bloggers, whose input during the pre-launch phase would help bring improvements, attention and grassroots credibility to the service.

Understanding the reach and influence mombloggers have achieved over the past few years, SHIFT worked with our internal Alice.com contact, the inimitable Rebecca Thorman (@modite), to send invitations to several pre-identified bloggers, offering early trial of the site and inviting honest feedback. The Alice team also offered extra discounts and coupons to select bloggers, so they could extend incentives to their readers to try the service. Finally, SHIFT consulted on a series of contests and giveaways via Twitter, which continued on a weekly basis. On the traditional media front, SHIFT accompanied the Alice co-founders on a press tour the week before the launch, briefing tier-one targets such the New York Times, BusinessWeek, Financial Times and Reuters. The journalists published their stories the day of the launch, along with hundreds of blogger loyalists causing a media storm online, in print, in blogs, and on Twitter. In one week, Alice received 110 pieces of unique coverage and nearly 70,000 tweets. As of this writing, Alice also garnered nearly 70 broadcast hits in local markets such as CBS Boston, NBC Phoenix and ABC Philadelphia. Better yet, national broadcast coverage included segments on CNN, the TODAY Show and Rachael Ray! In early June, the pre-launch Alice.com site had 170,000 site visits before anyone could even use the service. At launch time in July, Alice.coms traffic jumped to nearly 400,000 site visits. Today, according to Compete.com, Alice.com boasted over 2.5M visits as of October 2009. Alice does not invest in advertising this was all grassroots Social Media and PR efforts, operating in tandem against a carefully orchestrated plan. Note how the shape of this launch mapped to the Awareness Scale discussed last month. A grassroots Social Media effort significantly boosted and subsequently amplified the success of the mainstream media effort, which fed back into the netroots. Moving into the future, as revenues and strategy allow, Alice.com might consider an advertising strategy to solidify and defend their lead in consumers minds.

Its not either PR or Social Media or Advertising. Its a continuum. Its all of the above. Its about force multipliers. The successful plan requires a host of partners, skillsets and of course, savvy and trusting clients like the folks at Alice.com.