Selling yourself

The other day, I was at work when I googled the name of my company "EnviroMedia" to get to our webpage. I do this a lot, instead of typing the entire url directly into the address bar. Then, an ad on the side of the page caught my eye. It said: "Hey EnviroMedia, I'd like to work for you & help make our world a better place."

Curious, I clicked the ad and saw that it was created by a man named Chris Stiner. He is so interested in working for EnviroMedia that he actually bought a google ad to catch the company's attention. As you can see, it comes up at the very top of the page when searching 'EnviroMedia':

Upon clicking the ad, one sees: "Why I Want to Work for EnviroMedia" in large font. This is followed by a brief paragraph, directed to EnviroMedia's president, explaining the reasons he created the ad and how much he hopes to be considered for a position. Scrolling down, one can see his complete resume.

My initial reaction was, "Who the hell is this guy? Is this for real?" I showed a few people passing by my desk, and they were all equally surprised. We had a good laugh at the fact that he had a typo in the first sentence (not so professional), and also admitted to being "uncreative."

"I hope my approach with the ad you just clicked on is not a turn off. Trying to find a creative way to grab your attention has lead my rather non-creative brain to this method. I tend to Google myself from time-to-time and I was hoping you did the same."

While companies aren't typically looking for uncreative people with bad grammar, I think the ad was a very clever way to capture an employer's attention. I wasn't able to catch anyone from upper management to ask them if they saw the ad, but I can bet if they haven't already, they will soon.

None of my co-workers were eager to give Chris Stiner props when I showed them the ad, but part of me wonders if they were asking themselves, "Why haven't I thought of that?"

AD: http://www.thirtyghostsrecords.com/chris.htm

PR Practitioners Groomed for Corporate Communication in Social Media

Social media has upgraded from being a past time utilized by college students to an intricate part of the communications business strategy for many companies. It has transcended into a must-have rather than a have-not.

In an article from MarketWatch.com, businesses are utlizing social media outlets to engage with stakeholders in a way that will help prevent an online PR crisis. A conference lasting two days named "PR in the Digital Age" will attract companies like conference brings in insights from companies like PepsiCo, Marina Bay Sands, NUS and more. The conference is intended to inform attendees on how corporate communications help provide for online success.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/are-pr-practitioners-losing-their-foothold-in-the-ever-changing-media-landscape-2011-09-28

The way to a consumer's heart is though old-fashioned charm

Kim Kadlec, VP of Marketing at Johnson & Johnson, had some advice for companies as she spoke at the OMMA conference Tuesday. She encouraged companies to "bring back the woo" when developing and maintaing relationships with consumers. She said these days building relationships with consumers should be based on the quality, not quantity. Her advice is good not only for consumer relations, but for people whose relationship is on the rocks. Her points were:

1. Show up

2. Be a creature like no other

3. Be generous

4. Be a good listener

5. Choose your words carefully

6. Create special moments

7. Be the first to apologize

8....Make sure they love you

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=159397

Mexican social media boom: Good v. evil

Internet use in Mexico has doubled in the last six years, including many new members to Twitter. The tables turned when an active blogger contributed to a chat room discussing tips about the drug cartels in Nuevo Laredo. Maria Macias urged others to post tips to help stop the cartels through social media until her mutilated body was found in a busy intersection with her keyboard and a message threatening others who chose to do the same.
Social media gave the community a chance to communicate quickly and what they thought was annonymously. The cartels already have significant control over other media such as local newspapers, television and radio stations. The newspaper Macias worked for wrote a small story about her death, and did not mention her name.
Social media sites offer hotlines for tips going directly to the army or police, and while this gave citizens a way to help stop the problem it also gave the cartels a new target to focus on.
When a country is in turmoil, how can the good members of social media not be silenced by the evil?

Source: Yahoo! New: Tech: Social Media
"Mexican social media boom draws drug cartel attacks"

Carolyn C

Who is stalking your house?

"Gone for vaca.. Be back next week!" "Out to dinner". Any of these statuses sound familiar your house may be the next one robbed. 78 % of burglars said Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare lets them know who is out and what properties are prefect for a robbery. Google Street View shows if anyone is home.

A convicted burglar even said that people are just inviting them to their houses.

So now the next question is, what can social media do to protect the consumers?

http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/social-burglars_b14237

Hilton introduces BizWords iPhone app

There is now a way to make fun of your colleagues and interact with them simultaneously. Go ahead and laugh at your own business jargon usage while you're at it. Yes, there is an app for that. Hilton is expanding the "We Speak Success" branding campaign by adding an iPhone app to the mix. BizWords is targeted toward business travelers which make up the bulk of Hilton Garden Inn's customer base. The app allows users to create a profile and share their favorite business jargon. The app also features a word detail screen that provides a humorous definition of the word and how it could be used in a sentence. Users can "climb the corporate ladder" with the app by contributing content. The most used words are tracked, ranked and organized by region of origin.
The new app also has a link to the Hilton Garden Inn mobile booking app so users can make accommodations on the go. Talk about synergy.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/26/idUS114102+26-Sep-2011+PRN20110926

Do-It-Yourself PR

Have you thought about what kind of public relations practice you might want to get into? I sometimes think about what it would be like to have a solo career in the field. This article from PR Daily discusses the good and bad aspects of solo PR.

I think "creative freedom" is the most interesting and important positive characteristic mentioned in the article. Working for yourself would allow room to see your singular vision for a campaign play out from beginning to end without any interference. However, I believe a lot of great ideas come from brainstorming in a group of differently-minded people, too. Being able to say "no" and "flexibility" were my other two favorite positive attributes.

The most intriguing downside to solo PR was the "lack of legitimacy." Without something bigger than yourself backing you, I suppose it would be very difficult to achieve credibility in a short amount of time. This places more stress on your personal brand and reputation. The lack of legitimacy would require the solo practitioner to be consistent and handle any personal mistakes as quickly and neatly as possible.

What do you think? Would you like to try solo PR? Would you prefer it over working for someone else? Why or why not?

PR Agency Hired to Avoid the Media

Usually when someone hires a pr agency they are seeking attention which is frequently gained through the press. In this article, Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5W Public Relations, tells about clients who actually pay to be kept out of the media. Torrossian explains that "loudest isn't always best," because not all media attention is always good. Some related instances where businesses choose to stay quite are listed in the article and include:

- Mark Birnbaum, owner of many high end nightclubs, trains his staff not to release any details regarding the high profile guest list.

- Moshe Lax is partners with Ivanka Trump in their diamond stores but his name hardly ever appears because he isn't the celebrity.

- Benjamin Wey owns New York Global Group which is a leading China and US investment bank. Apparently he has tremendous success in China and privacy is vital.


http://www.businessinsider.com/hiring-a-pr-agency-to-not-appear-in-the-media-ask-moshe-lax-mark-birnbaum-and-benjamin-wey-why-2011-9

‘Two and a Half Men’ Gets Ratings, Charlie Sheen’s Roast Gets Tweets

Two and a Half Men had a record breaking 27.7 million people tune into the premier on September 19, 2011. The show killed off Charlie Sheen's character and introduced Walden Schmidt, Ashton Kutcher's character.

The same night, Comedy Central hosted the Charlie Sheen roast. Sheen seems to be trying to make a comeback with recent appearances on Leno, the Emmys and tweets promoting the roast.

Social media was on full blast the night of both premiers. Whether the Tweets about the roast were positive, negative or neutral, they more than doubled those for the Two and a Half Men premier. Apparently, Sheen has still managed to keep the birdies chirping.

http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/two-and-a-half-men-gets-ratings-charlie-sheens-roast-gets-tweets_b27538

New survey names LinkedIn top social media network for journalists

Social media is taking the journalist world by storm. Many journalists are turning to social media because it is making it a lot easier for reporters to track down or find sources for their stories on social networks.

Over 90% of journalists now have a LinkedIn account up more than 5% from 2009. While LinkedIn tops the charts, journalists on Facebook has soared from just 55% presence in 2009 up to 85% in 2011.

So, don't be caught off guard, you now need to be prepared and available for jounalists' inquiries on social networks.

I think social media is an important tool for journalists and PR practioners alike, it puts sources and contacts at the click of a button. It saves time when you usually had to call for a meeting, though old practices shouldn't completely be forgotten, the turn to social media is an important one.

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/9354.aspx

Netflix expands it's streaming service

Two days after it announced the split of it's dvd and streaming services, Netflix announced that it has expanded it's licensing deal with Discovery Communications in order to expand it's catalog of shows.

It can now stream shows like Man vs Wild and How it's made. But as long as the show is 18 months old.

I think it's an obvious move to try and stop the bleeding here for netflix. This isn't the greatest news since the announcement of the price hike or the split. But since they just lost Starz, any addition to their already faltering selection is good news for them. Honestly, I didn't notice the Starz selection until very recently. Hulu and Amazon Prime are beefing up their online selection too, so i'm hoping an alternative is on the way.

Here is the article.

Launching Google Wallet

Google launched their first version of the wallet app to Sprint on Monday. It was introduced in May but due to extensive testing it was recently released. The idea is to have electronic versions of your credit cards on our phone so you just have to swipe your phone near the field communication and it takes the money from your account.

people at Google say it is safer than carrying a wallet because in order to access the cards you must first put in a PIN number. I'm not sure if now putting the final piece of people's lives on a phone that could potentially be stolen is a good thing, but Google says they have taken the safety measure needed. Aside from the PIN number, there is a separate chip in the phone for the credit card file so it can not be accessible even if the phone is hacked into.

It seems like a cool idea, but I'm not sure it would be that beneficial considering you still have to carry your ID around and sometimes cash, so where now do you put those?

http://www.google.com/wallet/vision.html

New Set of "House Rules" for Distilled Alcohol Promotion

Bacardi's new look on Facebook.

The Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS) is enforcing a new set of self-regulatory guidelines for promoting their products on the web. Starting September 30, 2011 the social networking pages of alcoholic brands will restrict access to customers over 21 years old and promoters will be required to monitor the page for inappropriate posts in order to promote responsible drinking. 

Among six other basic principles in the Digital Communications Guidelines, DISCUS suggests that at least 71.6% of a medium's audience be of The United States' legal drinking age. According to Nielsen data the most popular social networking sites, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, this requirement is satisfied by 80%. These social networking pages will resemble official brand websites by requiring viewers to enter their date of birth before entering the page. 

In order to aid brands in staying within the guidelines a list of six "Definition and Guidance to Implement Principles" is provided. One of the most important is the disclaimer concerning the removal of inappropriate user generated content. In public relations it's important communication remains a two-way street and explain to participants why their content may be removed. 


The real question is, how successful will these guidelines really be in an environment that is constantly changing at an exponential rate? There are easy ways for minors to get around the age restrictions and monitoring UGC can be time consuming tedious task. Overall, DISCUS' main focus is to represent  "America's leading distillers" and the new self-regulatory guidelines is a PR move to enhance their social responsibility image.