Even those who've been in the business forever can come into an interview unprepared...or at least make it look like they were unprepared. Take this clip from "Larry King Live" where Jerry Seinfeld talks about the end of his show "Seinfeld."
I always wonder how uncomfortable it is in the studio during the commercial breaks.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
The next big food debate
It's not that corn is at the top of everyone's mind these days...especially corn syrup, but there's a recent push making news that may put it at the forefront very soon.
Kraft Foods Inc. has been removing high-fructose corn syrup from several of its most popular products because some consumers believe this ingredient to be dangerous.
According to a story in Chicago Business ("Kraft touts efforts to skip corn syrup," 8/24/09), Basil Maglaris, a spokesperson for Kraft stated: "We saw some consumers were interested in products without high-fructose corn syrup, so we decided as part of this quality improvement to eliminate it."
Other companies are also taking steps to eliminate HFCS such as beverage companies. PepsiCo launched "throwback" versions of Pepsi and Mountain Dew, which are essentially HFCS-free formulations in retro cans.
The Corn Refiners Association has taken notice and staged a full-fledged media assault aimed at what it perceives to be "misinformation" in the media. According to the article, its campaign, from agency DDB, Chicago, depicts people such as mothers in a kitchen, or a young couple on a picnic blanket, talking about whether corn sweeteners are bad for you. "It has the same amount of calories as sugar or honey, and it's fine in moderation," a woman says while handing her boyfriend a popsicle stick.
"It has really been a nationwide multimedia and advertising campaign targeted principally at moms, given the role they play in buying food," Corn Refiners Association President Audrae Erickson said of her group's effort.
But here's what the other side is saying:
"I don't know whether it's laughable or tragic that the corn refiners association is likening its product to sugar," Rory Freedman, co-author of "Skinny Bitch," wrote in an e-mail. "Neither HFCS or refined sugar is good for us. Our bodies simply do not like foods that have been highly processed, especially those which cause spikes in our blood-sugar levels."
The real issue here is money...for both sides. Studies have shown that people are obviously gaining weight from the massive amounts of food they are taking in containing high-fructose corn syrup or sugar. Companies that are producing these foods know they have to change for the sake of potential lawsuits somewhere down the road. The Corn Refiners Association members have do whatever they need to do to put food on their tables. The story here is that there are two sides of an argument where each party is making a compelling case, but the side that's getting the most negative publicity has hired a PR firm to clean up its tarnished reputation and maybe help persuade people that are undecided on the issue or quite possibly on the other side. These types of stories are very common in the PR world, as this is just one recent example.
Kraft Foods Inc. has been removing high-fructose corn syrup from several of its most popular products because some consumers believe this ingredient to be dangerous.
According to a story in Chicago Business ("Kraft touts efforts to skip corn syrup," 8/24/09), Basil Maglaris, a spokesperson for Kraft stated: "We saw some consumers were interested in products without high-fructose corn syrup, so we decided as part of this quality improvement to eliminate it."
Other companies are also taking steps to eliminate HFCS such as beverage companies. PepsiCo launched "throwback" versions of Pepsi and Mountain Dew, which are essentially HFCS-free formulations in retro cans.
The Corn Refiners Association has taken notice and staged a full-fledged media assault aimed at what it perceives to be "misinformation" in the media. According to the article, its campaign, from agency DDB, Chicago, depicts people such as mothers in a kitchen, or a young couple on a picnic blanket, talking about whether corn sweeteners are bad for you. "It has the same amount of calories as sugar or honey, and it's fine in moderation," a woman says while handing her boyfriend a popsicle stick.
"It has really been a nationwide multimedia and advertising campaign targeted principally at moms, given the role they play in buying food," Corn Refiners Association President Audrae Erickson said of her group's effort.
But here's what the other side is saying:
"I don't know whether it's laughable or tragic that the corn refiners association is likening its product to sugar," Rory Freedman, co-author of "Skinny Bitch," wrote in an e-mail. "Neither HFCS or refined sugar is good for us. Our bodies simply do not like foods that have been highly processed, especially those which cause spikes in our blood-sugar levels."
The real issue here is money...for both sides. Studies have shown that people are obviously gaining weight from the massive amounts of food they are taking in containing high-fructose corn syrup or sugar. Companies that are producing these foods know they have to change for the sake of potential lawsuits somewhere down the road. The Corn Refiners Association members have do whatever they need to do to put food on their tables. The story here is that there are two sides of an argument where each party is making a compelling case, but the side that's getting the most negative publicity has hired a PR firm to clean up its tarnished reputation and maybe help persuade people that are undecided on the issue or quite possibly on the other side. These types of stories are very common in the PR world, as this is just one recent example.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
How to right a wrong
Wanna know how to fix a big PR blunder? Take the billboard advertising campaign for Coors Light beer in Toronto, Canada. According to a story in the Aug. 19 edition of the Winnipeg Sun, approximately 30 billboards were scattered throughout Toronto recently that stated: Coors Light is "colder than people from Toronto."
Some citizens of Toronto were offended by the ads, and a handful of emails were sent to Coors; however, when the Toronto newspaper reported on the ads, a backlash brewed (no pun intended), and Coors pulled the ads.
"Sometimes we get it wrong," said Adam Moffat, Molson brand and marketing public relations manager. "This is one instance where we misfired, and we realized that after seeing people's reaction here in Toronto."
The key message here was that a large corporation admitted to being accountable for its own actions and then acted on it rather than let what could have been a potential PR nightmare fester.
Some citizens of Toronto were offended by the ads, and a handful of emails were sent to Coors; however, when the Toronto newspaper reported on the ads, a backlash brewed (no pun intended), and Coors pulled the ads.
"Sometimes we get it wrong," said Adam Moffat, Molson brand and marketing public relations manager. "This is one instance where we misfired, and we realized that after seeing people's reaction here in Toronto."
The key message here was that a large corporation admitted to being accountable for its own actions and then acted on it rather than let what could have been a potential PR nightmare fester.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Interviewing 101
Thursday, August 20, 2009
So is it the money or the students?
According to an Aug. 17, 2009 Wall Street Journal story "Hard-Hit Schools Try Public-Relations Push," many inner-city school districts throughout the country are trying to stem the tide of a mass student exodus to suburban, private and charter schools. These school districts are turning to public relations and marketing firms to help get the word out that their schools aren't so bad while enrollment numbers continue to plummet. Some of the tactics used are billboard, television and radio ads, as well as direct-mail campaigns.
In St. Louis, the urban district's enrollment has plunged 40% in the past decade because of students moving to charter schools and suburban districts. The school district has been through eight superintendents in 10 years and lost its state accreditation. It faces a $53 million deficit and recently closed 14 schools. But administrators have set aside $1 million to pay for publicity that may include bragging about a top-ranked high school and magnet programs in culinary arts, aeronautics and international studies.
Now here is where it gets interesting.
According to the article: A marketing firm will spend the next two months asking residents, "What would it take to get you to send your children to school here?" said Patrick Wallace, a district spokesman. "We're losing 1,500 to 2,000 students a year," Mr. Wallace said. "If we can get those kids to come back, that's a whole lot of money."
Now, I understand school districts need to make money to "stay in business." They have to pay for teacher and administrator salaries, books, supplies and general upkeep and maintenance of the buildings, but the last quote from Mr. Wallace has the completely wrong focus. As a spokesperson for the district, his number one concern should be the quality of education for their students rather than the amount of money they are losing. A better quote might be: "We're losing 1,500 to 2,000 students a year," Mr. Wallace said. "However, our chief concern is providing the best education we possibly can to the students that have remained as we continue to look for new ways to attract new students to the district."
Any qualified public relations professional could have helped hone the message and put the focus where it should be.
In St. Louis, the urban district's enrollment has plunged 40% in the past decade because of students moving to charter schools and suburban districts. The school district has been through eight superintendents in 10 years and lost its state accreditation. It faces a $53 million deficit and recently closed 14 schools. But administrators have set aside $1 million to pay for publicity that may include bragging about a top-ranked high school and magnet programs in culinary arts, aeronautics and international studies.
Now here is where it gets interesting.
According to the article: A marketing firm will spend the next two months asking residents, "What would it take to get you to send your children to school here?" said Patrick Wallace, a district spokesman. "We're losing 1,500 to 2,000 students a year," Mr. Wallace said. "If we can get those kids to come back, that's a whole lot of money."
Now, I understand school districts need to make money to "stay in business." They have to pay for teacher and administrator salaries, books, supplies and general upkeep and maintenance of the buildings, but the last quote from Mr. Wallace has the completely wrong focus. As a spokesperson for the district, his number one concern should be the quality of education for their students rather than the amount of money they are losing. A better quote might be: "We're losing 1,500 to 2,000 students a year," Mr. Wallace said. "However, our chief concern is providing the best education we possibly can to the students that have remained as we continue to look for new ways to attract new students to the district."
Any qualified public relations professional could have helped hone the message and put the focus where it should be.
Understanding the media: Part III
By Brian D. Spano
Brian Spano Communications, LLC
http://www.brianspano.com
Internet
For the Internet, we will look at publication Websites, blogs and the explosion of social media, as these have risen in popularity over the last few years.
Like the broadcast medium, the Internet is an immediate news source with stories posted in a matter of moments, and one difference here over the print medium is that when a mistake is made, it can be corrected within a few seconds. A newspaper may take a day or several days to correct a mistake, while a magazine could take a week or even a month to correct a mistake.
Online stories can reach expansive audiences around the world at lower costs. As technology continues to evolve, experts are calling the Web the major news source for most people. Many times stories from print and broadcast are posted on Web sites.
Almost all newspapers and magazines have their own Website. Some require you to subscribe to the print version before you can access the online version. Then there are publications that are only Web-based and do require a fee to access. An example of this is the mutual fund Web site Ignites.com. It covers the mutual fund industry and investment-related issues and is solely available online for a fee. It is primarily targeted to mutual fund industry insiders; however, it picks up wire stories and mainstream print stories for its site that all relate to its target audience.
Blogs are also on the rise and are written by pretty much anyone with an opinion and a computer these days. They are usually short opinion pieces about an event, news item, person or any particular subject the blogger deems important to them. There are several types of blogs including: personal, media, corporate and genre. Most legitimate blogs are attached to a legitimate news source; however, there are many rogue blogs out there that can say pretty much anything they want about anything they want, and those can be hard to find and track.
Many bloggers, particularly those engaged in participatory journalism, differentiate themselves from the mainstream media, while others are members of that media working through a different channel. Some institutions see blogging as a means of "getting around the filter" and pushing messages directly to the public. Some critics worry that bloggers respect neither copyright nor the role of the mass media in presenting society with credible news. Many mainstream journalists are now writing their own blogs.
Finally, there are the social media sites, i.e. Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Today, many people are getting their “news” from one of these sites because it can be delivered in short, concise bits that doesn’t take the end-user long to read, digest and relate. Nearly every celebrity, politician, news organization, entertainment outlet, etc. is connected through at least Facebook or Twitter, and the follower’s of each site seems to grow by the tens of thousands each day. As these sites continue to grow in popularity, there is no telling where or what it will lead to in the future.
By Brian D. Spano
Brian Spano Communications, LLC
http://www.brianspano.com
Internet
For the Internet, we will look at publication Websites, blogs and the explosion of social media, as these have risen in popularity over the last few years.
Like the broadcast medium, the Internet is an immediate news source with stories posted in a matter of moments, and one difference here over the print medium is that when a mistake is made, it can be corrected within a few seconds. A newspaper may take a day or several days to correct a mistake, while a magazine could take a week or even a month to correct a mistake.
Online stories can reach expansive audiences around the world at lower costs. As technology continues to evolve, experts are calling the Web the major news source for most people. Many times stories from print and broadcast are posted on Web sites.
Almost all newspapers and magazines have their own Website. Some require you to subscribe to the print version before you can access the online version. Then there are publications that are only Web-based and do require a fee to access. An example of this is the mutual fund Web site Ignites.com. It covers the mutual fund industry and investment-related issues and is solely available online for a fee. It is primarily targeted to mutual fund industry insiders; however, it picks up wire stories and mainstream print stories for its site that all relate to its target audience.
Blogs are also on the rise and are written by pretty much anyone with an opinion and a computer these days. They are usually short opinion pieces about an event, news item, person or any particular subject the blogger deems important to them. There are several types of blogs including: personal, media, corporate and genre. Most legitimate blogs are attached to a legitimate news source; however, there are many rogue blogs out there that can say pretty much anything they want about anything they want, and those can be hard to find and track.
Many bloggers, particularly those engaged in participatory journalism, differentiate themselves from the mainstream media, while others are members of that media working through a different channel. Some institutions see blogging as a means of "getting around the filter" and pushing messages directly to the public. Some critics worry that bloggers respect neither copyright nor the role of the mass media in presenting society with credible news. Many mainstream journalists are now writing their own blogs.
Finally, there are the social media sites, i.e. Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Today, many people are getting their “news” from one of these sites because it can be delivered in short, concise bits that doesn’t take the end-user long to read, digest and relate. Nearly every celebrity, politician, news organization, entertainment outlet, etc. is connected through at least Facebook or Twitter, and the follower’s of each site seems to grow by the tens of thousands each day. As these sites continue to grow in popularity, there is no telling where or what it will lead to in the future.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Understanding the media: Part II
By Brian D. Spano
Brian Spano Communications, LLC
http://www.brianspano.com/
Broadcast
The broadcast medium is television and radio. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but we will look at both and what they have to offer.
One of the major appeals of television is that it can reach a large audience in a matter of seconds. It’s an immediate news source with a faster turnaround than print. Many local networks and stations have expanded their news coverage and now have a larger news hole to fill. They are always looking for story ideas and experts to fill this time, especially when it comes to localizing a national or international story.
The downside to television is that there are time constraints and you may not always get your message across, and just like print, there is the danger of being edited or taken out of context. If it’s a live interview, then the chances of getting your message in are greater; however, the line of questioning may not be to your liking. Whether the interview is live or taped, always try to get an idea of what the questions will be ahead of time so that you have time to prepare. And unless you are ambushed by a reporter, practice as much as you can.
Radio, like television, is an immediate news source with a fast turnaround; however, depending on the format of the radio station, the time constraints may not be as limited to a 10-second sound bite as they would on television. A radio interview could last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, live or taped. There’s still the chance of being a sound bite in a news story, as well, but radio has a little more freedom.
There are still the same downsides of misquoted or taken out of context, and again, the news editor has the final say. The same rule goes here when doing a radio interview: try to get the questions in advance whenever possible. Being prepared for a broadcast interview will make the process go a lot smoother and make for a less nerve-racking experience.
Next up, I'll take a look at what the Web has to offer.
By Brian D. Spano
Brian Spano Communications, LLC
http://www.brianspano.com/
Broadcast
The broadcast medium is television and radio. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but we will look at both and what they have to offer.
One of the major appeals of television is that it can reach a large audience in a matter of seconds. It’s an immediate news source with a faster turnaround than print. Many local networks and stations have expanded their news coverage and now have a larger news hole to fill. They are always looking for story ideas and experts to fill this time, especially when it comes to localizing a national or international story.
The downside to television is that there are time constraints and you may not always get your message across, and just like print, there is the danger of being edited or taken out of context. If it’s a live interview, then the chances of getting your message in are greater; however, the line of questioning may not be to your liking. Whether the interview is live or taped, always try to get an idea of what the questions will be ahead of time so that you have time to prepare. And unless you are ambushed by a reporter, practice as much as you can.
Radio, like television, is an immediate news source with a fast turnaround; however, depending on the format of the radio station, the time constraints may not be as limited to a 10-second sound bite as they would on television. A radio interview could last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, live or taped. There’s still the chance of being a sound bite in a news story, as well, but radio has a little more freedom.
There are still the same downsides of misquoted or taken out of context, and again, the news editor has the final say. The same rule goes here when doing a radio interview: try to get the questions in advance whenever possible. Being prepared for a broadcast interview will make the process go a lot smoother and make for a less nerve-racking experience.
Next up, I'll take a look at what the Web has to offer.
Understanding the media
By Brian D. Spano
Brian Spano Communications, LLC
http://www.brianspano.com
In the world of public relations, there are those who tell the story, and then there are those who relate the story. The two questions here are: How are they different and why?
Well, those who tell the story can be the public relations person themselves. They can be the CEO or president of a company. They can be any designated spokesperson. They can also be the average person off the street. It’s anyone who is on the spotlight side of the pen, camera or microphone. The key is to have the right message and deliver it in the right way.
But let’s look at the other side. Who are those that relate the story to the world, and why is it so important to know and understand them? They aren’t the newsmakers, they are the news reporters, and what they say and how they say it can make or break a person’s, company’s or product’s reputation.
A question that has come up so often in my work is, “What is news?” Although there is no right or wrong answer, I’ve learned that there is a main answer: It’s whatever the news editor says it is. It’s whatever piece of information makes it to print, to air or online.
To first indentify the media, you must have a general understanding of the types of media that are available and how each one works. The three main types of media we will focus on are print (newspapers, magazines, etc.), broadcast (radio, television) and Internet (blogs, Websites, etc.).
Print
Print consists of newspapers, magazines, newsletters, etc. There are other forms of print publications, but we will keep it to the mainstream for our purposes.
Most news stories are written in the inverted pyramid style. Think of an upside-down triangle when you read your next story. Most of the information (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How) is near the top, and as you get further down, it becomes filled with less pertinent information. It makes it easier for the editor to edit for content and space. Also, a news story should contain just the facts about what happened with quotes from the parties involved to add color.
Feature stories are more creative and in-depth writing and usually will focus on a person, event or an item. It can bring together people telling stories or giving their opinions about the topic which end up as quotes in the story. A major difference between a feature and news story is that the feature is written in a more narrative format.
Columns or editorial pieces are the writer’s opinion on a topic. That’s it. The author can say pretty much whatever they want about said topic, and these are usually found on the Op-Ed pages of the newspaper.
Tomorrow I'll take a look at the broadcast medium.
By Brian D. Spano
Brian Spano Communications, LLC
http://www.brianspano.com
In the world of public relations, there are those who tell the story, and then there are those who relate the story. The two questions here are: How are they different and why?
Well, those who tell the story can be the public relations person themselves. They can be the CEO or president of a company. They can be any designated spokesperson. They can also be the average person off the street. It’s anyone who is on the spotlight side of the pen, camera or microphone. The key is to have the right message and deliver it in the right way.
But let’s look at the other side. Who are those that relate the story to the world, and why is it so important to know and understand them? They aren’t the newsmakers, they are the news reporters, and what they say and how they say it can make or break a person’s, company’s or product’s reputation.
A question that has come up so often in my work is, “What is news?” Although there is no right or wrong answer, I’ve learned that there is a main answer: It’s whatever the news editor says it is. It’s whatever piece of information makes it to print, to air or online.
To first indentify the media, you must have a general understanding of the types of media that are available and how each one works. The three main types of media we will focus on are print (newspapers, magazines, etc.), broadcast (radio, television) and Internet (blogs, Websites, etc.).
Print consists of newspapers, magazines, newsletters, etc. There are other forms of print publications, but we will keep it to the mainstream for our purposes.
Most news stories are written in the inverted pyramid style. Think of an upside-down triangle when you read your next story. Most of the information (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How) is near the top, and as you get further down, it becomes filled with less pertinent information. It makes it easier for the editor to edit for content and space. Also, a news story should contain just the facts about what happened with quotes from the parties involved to add color.
Feature stories are more creative and in-depth writing and usually will focus on a person, event or an item. It can bring together people telling stories or giving their opinions about the topic which end up as quotes in the story. A major difference between a feature and news story is that the feature is written in a more narrative format.
Columns or editorial pieces are the writer’s opinion on a topic. That’s it. The author can say pretty much whatever they want about said topic, and these are usually found on the Op-Ed pages of the newspaper.
Tomorrow I'll take a look at the broadcast medium.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Come inside, the show's about to start
Welcome to "The PR Picture" a blog that I hope will be an interesting, informative and fun look at the world of public relations. As regularly as I can, I will take a look at PR issues that we all face in our day-to-day lives and try to break them down in a concise and simple manner. I will try to focus on trends that are out there, what works, what doesn't. And I will look at some of the ways people use PR tactics, for better or for worse, what works and what doesn't. I appreciate you coming along for the ride as I will do my best to make it as smooth and enjoyable as I can.
Brian Spano
Owner
Brian Spano Communications, LLC
http://www.brianspano.com
Brian Spano
Owner
Brian Spano Communications, LLC
http://www.brianspano.com
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