Your PR Architect

I don't want to talk about Matt, Harvey, Kevin, Charlie, or Bill. Recent headlines have created a Sargasso Sea of sexual misdeeds and dismissed journalists. It's not a great climate in which to send news releases about vague "solutions" and nude cooking. But if you need a break from the misadventures of fallen media giants, the PR world can offer a brief respite. If you're willing to wade through some challenging prose. After reading this one from Gold Stream Solutions -- an agency that includes PR among its areas of expertise -- I'm starting to understand what's killing news releases. Lousy writing. News-free copy. Vague information. Quoting a CEO with no last name. I didn't realize CEOs qualified for the federal witness protection program. If that's not sufficiently amusing, consider this release, received by my friend Tracy Schuhmacher, who writes about food and drink for the Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle. It's from th...

Public relations pros may no longer need consider certain commercial radio stations as viable media outlets. Radio studio, [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Visiting a dental hygienist on a September Saturday, I was treated to a broadcast from a station owned by the Stephens Media Group . The programming -- a purportedly kid-friendly block called "Morning Car-tunes" -- was far more painful than anything the hygienist served up. The music wasn't bad. The in-between banter involved a young DJ and a co-host whom I'll call "Harry the Pirate." It quickly became clear no one had told them this program was actually intended for parents and kids to enjoy. Harry spent a few minutes regaling listeners about a recent visit to a local college, where he said he told communications students that "there are no jobs in media."* Harry, was that the most uplifting thing to tell aspiring broadcasters? Or did you think "media" didn't inc...

My first full-time reporting job came from a small weekly paper on Long Island. Called Suffolk Life, the paper served as the launch pad for the careers of a number of superb journalists and scholars . And me. No one becomes wealthy working at a weekly paper. Because he couldn't pay me very much, the publisher, the late great Dave Wilmott , Jr., allowed me to gas up from the same ancient Esso-esque pump that filled his delivery trucks. A few years later, as a public relations practitioner, I continued my appreciation of weeklies, especially when promoting lifestyle products and how to use them. My rationale: place a story in a daily paper, and that edition will likely be discarded when the next day's paper arrives. Place the same story in a weekly, and that paper lives in readers' homes for a full week before its replacement shows up. I get seven chances to grab your attention, not just one. Local weeklies. (c) DKassnoff, 2016. Today, Suffolk Life is out of busin...

There's a short list of technology companies whose products I will never buy. This isn't a "Buy American" rant, but it has plenty to do with how tech companies manage -- or mismanage -- their reputations. I don't buy Hewlett Packard products. Partly for the shoddy treatment bestowed on former EDS workers (with whom I'm personally acquainted) acquired when H/P bought the company. Partly because H/P's board of trustees engaged in spying on employees and each other. Partly because an H/P CEO was dismissed in 2011 for "fudging expense reports" -- corporate-codetalk for using company funds on an inappropriate relationship . By Etcha (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0  (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL via Wikimedia Commons None of these events means H/P makes poor technology products. To me, however, it's indicative of a company that applies its profits irresponsibly. And I don't want dime one spent in support of a com...

News item provided by the Associated Press, repeated by a local public broadcasting affiliate : "The Russell Station power generation plant, an iconic landmark near the Lake Ontario shoreline outside Rochester, is being torn down." Russell Station photo by RChappo2002, via Flickr (Creative Commons License 2.0).  https://www.flickr.com/photos/rchappo2002/ Really? The "is being torn down" is Exhibit One in the case of the AP tearing down journalistic writing. Passive voice -- leaning on a wobbly "to be" verb instead of an active verb -- weakens any writing. Marketing communications and public relations agencies will cough up the occasional passive-verb hairball in news releases. For example: a release from the Del Prado law firm  relies on "has been serving" instead of "has served." This suggests that neither the agency or MyPRGenie has newswriting skill. AP and other news organizations shouldn't fall into the same trap. I...

News item: Chipotle will hold an all-employee meeting Feb. 8, closing its doors to the public while engaging executives and workers in real time on issues stemming from its recent food-borne illness crisis. Not a bad idea. A food safety crisis crippled Chipotle's business for the fourth quarter of 2015, with mysterious outbreaks in the Pacific Northwest and New England. A month ago, I praised the upfront, take-responsibility approach of co-CEO Steve Ells, who went on network TV  news shows to publicly apologize for the restaurant chain's problems. Getting all employees on the same page, even for an hour, reflects Chipotle's commitment to following through on its promises. And the move has potential PR benefits, as the employee meetings demonstrate that the chain is taking serious steps to address its problems. Will this persuade me to visit the Chipotle eatery in my town? I've only eaten at one Chipotle, years ago, before the chain's rapid growth. And ...

By Theud-bald from Paris, France (Galerie Lafayette - Christmas decoration 4) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons What's the biggest mistake a public relations practitioner can make? Misreading the target audience. Pitching your story to the wrong individual. And I'm not about to do that. It's the last few days before Christmas. You're last-minute shopping. Wrapping gifts, roasting chestnuts, shipping packages, or tipping the postal carrier. You're not chasing down PR tips. Whatever modest audience this blog attracts isn't wondering about some company's PR blunders just now. So, this week, I'm respecting my audience.  Go celebrate your holidays. Hug your loved ones. And Happy Christmas. 

I'm struggling to figure out how Snapchat fits in a public relations strategy. This may be akin to By Snapchat, Inc. (https://twitter.com/Snapchat) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons asking your grandfather to join Instagram. Admission: I'm in learning mode with Snapchat. The app peered into my device's address book, and served up two names of contacts with Snapchat accounts. I haven't spoken to these individuals in more than a year. And neither are people with whom I'd want to share images from my daily life. (Aside: while writing this blog, I had to force my fingers to type "Snapchat" and not "snapshot." Old habits die hard.) But a colleague tells me Snapchat is a viable marketing communications platform for her needs. She works in undergraduate admissions, and is using a version of a university mascot to promote followers for the university on Snapchat. In the battle for hearts of prospective young enrollees, a plush-toy ani...

Thanksgiving's around the corner. I don't wish to stand between you and your Butterball . So I'll be brief. I often tell students that public relations is "doing the right thing and getting credit for it." Other times, I say -- with apologies to Leonard Nimoy -- that PR is "a wreath of pretty flowers which smells bad." But, no matter what I say about PR, Indeed.com says it worse. Much worse. Try searching for a public relations job on Indeed.com. This is what you'd find in Buffalo, NY: Of the "public relations opportunities" served up in this message, only the "Sr. Marketing Analyst/ Communications Specialist position could reasonably include PR duties. (The Public Relations Director job at Superior Group is a paid ad that's been up for weeks, which means Superior Group -- a contract employer -- may have filled it already.) The others? Who knows? The Infant-Toddler Specialist position? The restaurant m...

A few retailers recently gained some media praise for deciding  not to open for pre-Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving Day. Nordstrom, A.C. Moore, Barnes & Noble, and Costco are among those choosing to pass up quick-buck opportunities and rampant doorbuster-ism and allow employees to celebrate Thanksgiving with their loved ones. Bravo to them for choosing family over profits. But REI did them all one better. Recreational Equipment Company -- REI, the big sporting goods retailer -- took it even further: they won't be open on Friday, Nov. 27, actual Black Friday. They earned national TV coverage, telling NBC News among others, that employees would be paid for Nov. 27, even though the stores would be closed. "We're paying our employees to go outside," they said. A great move, earning REI plenty of free publicity. Except when the CEO took his message to social media via the "Ask Me Anything" forum on Reddit.com . While Jerry Stritzke, REI's chi...

Now and then, I have the privilege of leveraging the craft of public relations to do some real-world good. In a few weeks, that opportunity comes around again with our "PR Apprentice" competition -- where we'll ask college students to dive in to the deep end of the PR pool. It's a sink or swim event. This year's program (Oct. 2-3) involves members of the PRSA chapter in Rochester, NY and local media representatives serving as coaches and judges of teams from several colleges and universities in Western New York. Over a 36-hour period, the teams of students will strategize and pitch their best plans to promote a dual-language awareness campaign for Ibero American Action League's Early Childhood Center . View a video and full details on PRSA Rochester's website. Engaging undergraduates in this competition gives them both exposure to a real-world PR challenge, and helps them demonstrate their skills to agency, not-for-profit, and corporate practiti...

This is not a tale about grade school kids, despite the headline. Camille* and I began a conversation at a professional dinner. We hadn't met previously, but I knew the not-for-profit agency she headed. She liked a few things I said about strengthening their external communications, took my business card, and promised to call. Image by Kaz, from Pixabay, via Wikimedia Commons Reaching out to Camille over the next few weeks yielded no response. Then, one night, about eight weeks later, she phoned to ask for ideas to better market her agency's new counseling service. I shared a few thoughts in writing -- it took about an hour -- and she indicated we should meet soon and move toward a working relationship. Nothing happened, even after multiple follow-ups from me. A few months later, around 8 pm on a Friday, Camille called in a panic. An ex-client of the agency was frustrated with its policies, and his unhappy friend posted disparaging remarks on the agency's Facebo...

The county's PR guy had a county-owned car, which he and his wife drove to a wedding in a neighboring county. Alcohol was served. The wife was charged with DWI. The county PR guy -- who tried to strong-arm the traffic stop by playing the "do you know who I am?" card --  got a seven-day suspension, and can't touch his fleet car for 30 days. Not the actual DWI stop. By Highway Patrol Images (BN 201 VE SS  traffic stop), via Wikimedia Commons It's fair to say things didn't end well. That's all we really know about Justin, his wife, and the unnamed third person in the car at the time of the arrest. The Monroe County Executive -- herself a former TV journalist -- has labeled this a personnel matter, and sealed the details from voters. So much for transparency. But it's not about the county executive, who's ending her term-limited stint in the job. It's about the PR guy, and what should pass for judgment when your paycheck comes from local...

Our canal boat. (c) DKassnoff, 2012. A couple of years ago, I rented a boat and cruised for a few days on the Erie Canal. Some of the communities we saw on our voyage were charming. Others offered all the allure of a miniature Rust Belt refinery. There's more to the Erie Canal than most people realize. Communities like Fairport and Brockport in upstate New York have built substantial attractions around the canal. Others have more modest setups: a small park or a boat launch. But if your community has invested anything in its waterfront in hopes of drawing tourism, you'd be wise to tell someone about it. Here's an example: This is what TripAdvisor.com has to say about things to do in Newark, New York: Even at full size, it doesn't say much. There was a movie theatre, but it apparently closed in 2014. And nothing else. When I visited on my voyage, however, here's what I found: A comfortable, clean canalside park with moorings, free WiFi, and a lau...

Scenario: You build a $50 million transit center where commuters can change buses in the warmth of a modern, heated terminal. And you have an $11 million contract with the city school district to transport students on your transit authority buses, often via the transit center. RTS Transit Center, Rochester, NY. Photo by David Kassnoff. Something disturbing takes place. There's a fight between students. And another. Then, an assault. And a stabbing. Some of these injure taxpaying commuters who indirectly helped build your $50 million wrestling/transit center. Perception: your transit center is a dangerous place. Even the mayor says so. Publicly. Your response? If you're the transit company, you blame the offending high school students. If you're the school superintendent, you keep repeating: "We can't fix it alone. Parents need to be involved." My response? You both were absent when the class on "Leadership" took place. Ther...

For many organizations, diversity is a nice-to-do function. When resources get tight, however, efforts to grow a diverse workforce can lose top-of-mind status. But a quick look at many PR departments and agencies’ staff rosters – and the cheery photos accompanying them – leave the impression that few communications organizations pay much attention to diversity. One example: an agency in upstate New York features a slick video reel on its website with quick clips of its employees leading meetings and brainstorming. There’s not a person of color in that montage. By The Conmunity - Pop Culture Geek from Los Angeles,  CA, USA (Anime Expo 2011 - the crowd) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)],  via Wikimedia Commons We all talk about engagement. When will we do more than talk about it among ourselves? You’ll hear abundant reasons to bring diversity to a PR or marketing communications workplace. The one I advocate is the need for diversity in innovation...

Social media and public relations can work quite well together. If you know what you're doing. Trouble is, if Kelly Brady’s your expert on the topic, grab a parachute. Now. Your plane's on autopilot and you’re about to smack a mountaintop.  Howcast.com posted a 2013 video with Ms.Brady expounding on the value of social media in PR. And very little of it has any basis in how social media really works for most PR pros. Publicist Kelly Brady Note: Ms. Brady believes landing a story in the New York Post is a good PR hit. If that's your paper of record, then her advice might be worth following -- if your client loves Page Six. (Learn more about Ms. Brady here .) Here are excerpts of her pearls of wisdom: “Social media is relatively a new tool in public relations.” Sure, if you’ve been living the hard-partying life since 2009. By then, Facebook had more than 100 million users. Today, it’s close to 1.4 billion users. “Creating a buzz about the account...

Paraphrasing Ferris Bueller: this business changes pretty fast. And staying relevant is a big challenge, whether you're driving communications for a not-for-profit or a corporate organization. In that spirit, I've launched a daily e-newspaper, PR Nomad, on the paper.li platform. This comes out of a class I teach at St. Bonaventure University, so it's something of an experiment. The idea is to let paper.li aggregate content relevant to public relations, and see if it resonates. PR Nomad is free. I invite you to check it out here, and if you find it worthwhile, please consider subscribing, and sharing your opinions. Thanks.

Somehow the title "editor" has become a dirty word. The daily newspaper here (and other Gannett dailies ) recently reorganized its news staff. Titles with words like "news" and "editor" disappeared. That's a problem for public relations people who practice good media relations. If I want to pitch a particular story to a reporter covering the town of Brighton, I could look at a page of newsroom contacts , and find the right individual. Or an editor who'd be interested. Newsroom, By Thomas Schmidt (NetAction) (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa /3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Today, it's a murky search. "Editors" have been replaced by Content Strategists. Audience Analysts. Consumer Experience Directors. And Storytelling Content Coaches. One staff member's new job title is Problem Solver. I'm not kidding. In the real world, that job was formerly "Consumer Advocate." And i...

I coach and advise students about careers in public relations. So I see my share of online job postings for PR positions. Too often, they read like this: By Esra / Esra (http://www.sxc.hu/photo/230083)  [see page for license], via Wikimedia Commons [Headline:] Entry-Level Public Relations/Sales/Marketing In Your Eye  Marketing Inc   is currently offering entry level sales and marketing positions that include comprehensive training. No prior sales or marketing experience is necessary, and we will train you at the entry level to learn a variety of skills from sales and marketing to management and mentor-ship. (sic -- mentorship is seldom hyphenated) Responsibilities in Entry Level Include: Assisting in the daily growth and development of our company Assisting with efforts of new business acquisition Expertly managing the needs of external customers Developing strong leadership and interpersonal skills Face to face sales of services to new busi...