March 24, 2014 prnewsonline.com Issue 12 Vol. 70 ▶ Trend Lines PR Managers Diving Into Rapidly Changing Talent Pool Paid media capabilities top the PR agenda Morgan McLintic, executive VP of Lewis PR, has started to reconfigure his radar for PR talent. Again. A few years ago McLintic began to recruit people who were not in the traditional PR mold, such as marketing and advertising execs. However, in the last year or so McLintic has started to broaden DID YOU KNOW 1. The competition for PR talent (outside the box) is starting to heat up. (p. 1) 2. The biggest shift in PR continues to be driven by mobile media. (p.1) 3. For aspiring PR pros in school, networking starts before they graduate. (p. 2) 4. Most reporters think that press releases should contain images. (p. 3) 5. Behavioral diagnostics is getting to be a crucial part of social media. (p. 4) 6. Thought leadership programs begin with a strategic positioning audit. (p. 5) 7. PR shops increasingly need to cater to new clients: the kid kind. (p. 8) his canvas, bringing attorneys and management consultants into the communications fold. “The competition for talent is heating up,” said McLintic, who runs the U.S. operation for Lewis PR. “All PR teams are constantly searching for talent gold. But to succeed, you have to dig your own mine to find the hidden talent. Think which professions have the same skills as those you are looking for, and SPECIAL REPORT: CROWDSOURCING ISSUE The wisdom of the crowd is a catchall phrase, meaning that the collective opinion of a group of individuals holds more weight than a single (and so-called) expert. With this issue of PR News, we’re taking that notion to heart. This entire edition is based on crowdsourcing. We asked our audience about the types of PR stories that they would like to see covered in our premium newsletter, and here is the result. We received more than 50 responses from all corners of the communications field (at the end of each story, we give a shout-out to the person who recommended the topic). Many of the suggestions merit coverage in PR News, and we plan on developing them in the future. The goal is to provide you with insight into PR and marketing issues that are top of mind and reflect your daily challenges in communications. Page 6 ▶ ▶ PR and Technology How to Navigate the Electronic Landscape Using various media to cut through the clutter Video, mobile, social and emerging media continue to force changes in the way PR works, creating both fresh opportunities and new challenges. Traditional media relations, stakeholder communications, crisis management, employee relations and measurement, for example, have to be managed through new kinds of technologies. But PR agencies and brands that are leading the charge are blazing a trail of creativity, creating methods and techniques that others can learn from. In this very broad and everchanging landscape, here is a look at how technological innovation is affecting five critical areas of the PR practice, as well as some perspective on moving your business forward. ▶ The Team. The biggest issue for CMOs today is to reskill their organizations and build new capabilities in areas such as big data/analytics, digital, social, mobile, gamification and design, according to Joe Tripodi, chief marketing and commercial officer of Coca-Cola Co. “This is not just about hiring a few subject-matter experts, but building a team of knowledge leaders and practitioners in these critical new competencies,” he said. “If companies don’t, they will be stuck with traditional 1980s and 1990s brand-building skills in the 21st century world of an ‘always on’ consumer.” One solution, he added, lies in the Millennial marketplace. “Digital natives have a passion for connecting brands with people in new ways,” Tripodi said. ▶ Media Formats. Savvy communicators for years have shunned stale, text-only press releases and instead provide reporters, stakeholders and consumers with multimedia content designed, created and distributed in new ways and through new media channels. Multimedia allows PR professionals to tap into the human factor of visual, auditory and Page 7 ▶ ©2014 Access Intelligence LLC. Federal copyright law prohibits unauthorized reproduction by any means and imposes fines of up to $100,000 for violations. 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Name:____________________________________ Title:______________________________________ Organization:________________________________ Address:___________________________________ City:_______________ State:_____ ZIP:___________ Phone: _________________ Fax:________________ Email:_____________________________________ ❍ ● I want to renew my $1,049 or $1,998 subscription to PR News. My account number is: ______________________________________ Charge my Card No.__________________________ Exp._ _________ Signature:____________________ ■ Check enclosed ❑ (Payable to Access Intelligence, LLC) In MD add 5% tax. Postage and processing add/yr: $20 within U.S., $99 outside U.S. Fax to 301.309.3847 For subscribers only: full access to PR News article archives at www.prnewsonline.com 2 ▶ Future Prospects Handicapping the PR Career Track With so many secular changes in the PR and marketing field, mentoring has become more valuable than ever. This goes both for recent graduates about to enter the PR field and seasoned managers who, let’s face it, can learn a thing a two from younger people conditioned on social channels and digital media. There are several steps that aspiring PR pros need to take in order to develop the kind of relationships that will benefit both sides of the table. First, some things aspiring PR pros should avoid: • Cold calls. If they don’t know you, don’t call them. • Shooting too high. Don’t just focus on the top professionals. • Calling only when you need something. • Not following up after receiving advice or help. • Overselling your experience and talent. • Too much one-way talking. Also known as “Me-Me Syndrome.” To gather some information for this article I spoke with young professionals, recruiters and mentors who are familiar with how to cultivate networking opportunities and develop mentorship relationships. The consensus: Those soon-to-graduate students who have honed their networking skills are able to differentiate themselves from their peers. “Whether you are conducting a job search, actively interviewing, or seeking to enlist a mentor, it is critical to do your homework,” said Tina Dugas, senior associate at communications recruiter Bloom, Gross & Associates. In addition to checking out the prospective mentor, Dugas stressed that recent graduates research prospective mentors to see if they have anything in common. Many students and young professionals understand the balance needed between wanting to learn from their mentors, and providing training (read: social media) in return. 10,000-plus Number of members of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). TWO-WAY STREET Brian Price, a graduate student at Northern Michigan University, is national president of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). When Brian identifies a potential mentor, he makes sure the relationship is a twoway street. Brian said his mentors feel they get as much out of working with him and vice versa. “Brian counted on me to provide meaningful assignments, clear direction and appropriate expectations,” said Rich Jernstedt, senior counselor at Porter Novelli, who mentored Price. “Since he performed at such high levels, it motivated me to perform as a mentor.” University of Alabama senior PR major Andrea Easley, relies on her mentors to provide her with perspective about the profession and notes that her mentors are eager to get her perspective on what makes her generation tick. “We need our mentors’ advice about resumes, job applications, cover letters and leadership,” Easley said. “They, in turn, want to learn from us. They want to know prnewsonline.com | 3.24.13 By Ron Culp how we perceive our industry and how we develop ideas and use social media. ” Asked about his observations from working full-time while attending the graduate PR program at DePaul University, Robert Arredondo emphasized the importance of getting involved in both campus and outside organizations. He pointed to the importance of establishing your own network of friends, colleagues and mentors, adding that his constant networking helped lead to landing a job as account supervisor at Edelman. “Networking isn’t just schmoozing people,” Arredondo said. “It’s about building connections, learning from them, giving back and creating a lasting, favorable impression.” Another actively engaged student who shouldn’t have any trouble finding mentors to support her career goals is Adara Ney, senior public relations major at the University of Florida and president of her PRSSA chapter. Summing up the importance of networks and mentors, Adara said: “Mentorship isn’t about what you can get from someone. It’s about building a genuine long-term relationship.” PRN Special shout-out to Lawvin Hadisi, PR intern, Enterprise Canada, for suggesting this article. CONTACT: Ron Culp is Professional Director of the Graduate Program in PR and Advertising at DePaul University, Chairman at the Plank Center for Leadership in PR and former IPR trustee. His blogs can be read at Culpwrit.com. ▶ Data Points Metrics that are helping to define the communications field. Visual Storytelling Crucial to Online Marketing Strategies Videos on landing pages spike conversions by 86%, according to a recent report covering online marketing. It’s just one trend for PR pros to consider amidst an ever-changing media landscape. ▶ Every company is a media company: Online video may have been just nipping at the margins of your online marketing efforts for the last few years. But now it’s moving toward grabbing a leading role. According to WebDAM, videos on landing pages boost conversations by 86%. It’s one of several channels that will drive business communications in 2014. Here are some of the other stat from the report, many pointing to a much sharper focus on visual communications. PRN • More than two-thirds (73%) of reporters think press releases should contain visual images. • Nearly two-thirds (65%) of your audience are visual learners. • Visual data is processed 60,000x faster by the brain than text. • Nearly 50% of companies have content marketing strategies. Special shout-out to Elise Sonnenberg, Britches, for suggesting this article. Source: WebDAM June 3, 2014 | Grand Hyatt, NYC In just one day, you’ll get dozens of practical takeaways to help you maximize your Facebook, Twitter, online video, SEO and measurement initiatives and become the top digital communicator (and measurement expert) in your organization. www.socialmediaconf2014.com Sponsored By: Questions? Contact Kristina McHale at kmchale@accessintel.com; 301-354-1609 prnewsonline.com | 3.24.13 23682 sms&tot Strip ad.indd 1 3 3/20/14 11:35 AM ▶ Social Marketing Communicators Start to Don Their Psychological Hats Behavioral diagnostics bigger part of the mix In the movie Field of Dreams, the classic line “If you build it he will come” is delivered from heaven above. But when it comes to social media marketing, communicators may want to try some reverse engineering. As PR executives and communicators play an 33% Percentage of consumers who cite social networks as a way to discover new brands, products and services. eMarketer increasingly important role in creating social media strategies, they need to be careful to first cultivate their audiences—and make sure they’re fully engaged and their interest isn’t half- baked—before they start to seriously ramp up social media spending. Otherwise, they may end up throwing good money after bad. most companies, the journey toward making social media a legitimate marketing tool will require a circuitous path. To take better advantage of the opportunities afforded HUMAN NATURE by social media, “you have to Wendi Leggitt, director of DKC be open-minded,” Leggitt said. Connect, the digital division “You may start at Point A, but of DKC, uses a chicken-egg new tools and brand discovanalogy to describe how social eries in social media can take media marketing is evolving. you down more of an explor“The egg comes first,” said atory and alternative route Leggitt, who manages social before getting to Point B.” media campaigns for consumer She added that gauging brands such as Bazooka Candy behavioral changes is a critical Brands and New York City’s and growing component of South Street Seaport. developing social media mar“You need to build commu- keting programs. nity and engagement around Take Minibar, a new app the brand and then make long- that delivers wine and spirits term investments” into social door-to-door in less than platforms, Leggitt said. “This 60 minutes. The company is contradicts the strategies of catering to people residing in entrepreneurs and new compa- Manhattan and Brooklyn who nies who need to demonstrate don’t want to go to a bar or their value right away.” liquor store and prefer getting But, in many respects, there alcohol on-demand via a few isn’t a huge gap between startups taps on an iPhone. and legacy companies when it Minibar will soon offer comes to how to monetize social up exclusive happy hours for media and make it a profit center media companies, in which rather than a cost center. For Minibar reps visit media out- 3 Ways to Disrupt Your Social Media Strategy Some of the best ways to disrupt your social media strategy involve getting more disciplines involved in their creation and transformation. Here are three ways to disrupt your social media strategy: 1. Get everyone involved. Social isn’t just a function of marketing, communications or sales. It’s customer service. It’s employee engagement. It’s executive visibility. If you want to shake things up, start by involving everyone. Set up stakeholder interviews across the organization to audit how everyone uses social and discover where passion and competencies lie. The better your social strategy can serve your business as a whole, the healthier it will be (you’ll find the budget will be healthier, too). 2. Make your systems work together. After the initial frenzied Gold Rush that saw companies activating social media accounts before sorting out staffing or governance, there came the backlash that social 4 wasn’t capable of producing a meaningful ROI. The problem, however, was the lack of energy given to establishing the necessary measurement foundation in order to properly measure social’s impact. Use the conversations Danny Olson from suggestion No. 1 as a way of getting your company’s systems to better work together—bring social, Web, customer data and other streams together to inform strategy and build the case for more budget and resources. 3. Embrace ambiguity. The accelerated pace of business ushered in by the adoption of the social Web demands a greater level of flexibility than ever before. The addition of a new social platform or a new platform feature can ruin your perfectly manicured plans overnight, so building in budget and resource flexibility is critical. This article was written by Danny Olson, director of digital strategy at Weber Shandwick. He can be reached at dolson@webershandwick.com. prnewsonline.com | 3.24.13 lets and treat workers to their favorite drinks. Leggitt said the onus is on communicators to figure out what their fans and followers want (and don’t want) and let that knowledge inform the content developed for social media. Call it the next frontier of psychographics, where PR folks need to figure what’s driving social media engagement from a psychological standpoint, rather than strictly relying on the creative. INTEGRATED PACKAGING Behavioral diagnostics aside, social media marketing is becoming more and more integrated with a brand’s overall communications, as the shelf life for standalone social media programs is fast expiring. “Roles such as community management have to be handled by a team that really embodies the brand,” said Gemma Craven, executive director of social customer engagement at OgilvyOne. Asked how PR pros integrate social media into the company’s overall marketing strategies, Craven stressed that PR execs need to work with key stakeholders and create a “Social Council” encompassing communications, legal, HR, recruitment and other disciplines. This way, Craven said, “each department can understand what it is responsible for, and how the company can continue to grow using social technology to its benefit.” PRN Special shout-out to Amber Conger, doa lottery, for suggesting this article. CONTACT: Gemma Craven, gemma. craven@ogilvy.com; Wendi Leggitt, Wendi_Leggitt@ dkcnews.com. ▶ Business Development Branding Bigger Part of Landing New Accounts What distinguishes an agency from the pack? Or the ones that carry the headline: “We prefer to be judged by the company we keep” and is littered with a host of client logos. I’d like to begin this how-to That type of marketing may exercise by telling you what I make the employees feel good, tell my employees: “PR firms but clients want agencies that are just like baseball managers are focused on bottom-line and football coaches. We’re results, not industry awards. hired to be fired. It isn’t a The second, and far more matter of if, but when.” effective form of agency marSure, there are a few examketing, is thought leadership. ples of decades-long clientThat’s where we focus our eneragency lovefests but, trust me, gies (and our limited marketing they’re scarcer than a longdollars). standing marriage between Any thought leadership A-list movie stars. program should begin with That’s why I’ve always a strategic positioning audit treated Peppercomm as that determines exactly what Peppercomm’s most imporseparates your agency from the tant client. It’s why I insist we competition. Our mantra is: assign a dedicated team with “Listen. Engage. Repeat.” preassigned hours to market The first word is our key our firm. differentiator. Check out the It’s also why I ask the agency websites or ads of other agenmarketing team to craft a year- cies. They also boast about their round proposal that is perfectly ability to engage their clients aligned with our larger, strawith the client’s target audiences. tegic business goals. We do the same thing. But, Before I share a few best first, we listen long and hard to practices, though, I’d like to the target audiences in order to point out the two types of determine how best to engage agency marketing I see today: in conversation. We see ourThe first is chest-thumping selves as equal parts client and nonsense. Think of the selfaudience advocates. congratulatory ads you’ve seen And, thanks to acquisitions proclaiming the number of of smaller firms with a range Silver Anvils an agency has of marketing disciplines, we won. also see ourselves as channelneutral. So, depending upon a client’s audiences’ wants and needs, we might recGenerating publicity ommend an iPhone about having a “comedy/ app and new website workplace culture has... as opposed to a traattracted clients who now ditional media campaign. Or vice versa. pay us to train their We leverage our employees in how to positioning with a host leverage humor as a of tactics ranging from: competitive advantage.” • Including clients and prospects in our outreach. We’ve had clients and prospects By Steve Cody join our podcasts, serve as subject matter experts in opinion pieces and co-byline articles. gaps, but also could provide recommendations and best practices for closing them. • Four different agency blogs. We’ve also done something no other PR agency in • Multiple Twitter, America can lay claim to— Instagram, Facebook and we’ve trained every single LinkedIn posts. employee in the art and craft of stand-up comedy. • Commenting on breaking We do so for two reasons: business stories (especially to help improve their presenthose concerning crisis or tation skills and to build a merger and acquisition). tighter, more collegial workplace culture. • Co-branded surveys with Our “Comedy Experience” credible third parties. has generated amazing publicity, ranging from extensive • Bylined articles in unexfeature articles in human pected media. While we’re resources and business magahonored to appear in PR zines to MSNBC, Taxi TV and trade publications, we spend WNBC-TV. just as much time placing The comedy/workplace Peppercomm features in culture publicity, in turn, leading vertical industry trade attracted clients who now pay media that cover hedge funds, us to train their employees in insurance, lifestyle and luxury how to leverage humor as a goods, spanning our core competitive advantage. client categories. We also give our marketing efforts an edge that, in some CALLING CARD ways, is a function of having a One of the smartest things comedy-based culture. we’ve ever done was to partner And that edginess has with a major PR trade journal attracted several clients to host a series of co-branded looking to work with strategic breakfast roundtables. thinkers who take business Rather than focus on very seriously but don’t take the issue du jour (i.e. social themselves seriously. media, content creation, etc.), An agency-marketing prowe chose, instead, to discuss gram needs just as much care a much higher-level corpoand counsel as the work you’re rate issue: the very real gaps doing on behalf of your clients. that exists within Fortune 500 Figure out what differentiates corporations between PR and your brand. Then, market the legal, PR and purchasing, and hell out of it. PRN PR and sales. We leveraged the panels Special shout-out to Sarah Rall, to invite clients and prospects BG Communications, for sugrepresenting each occupation gesting this article. and held an open discussion. Our aim: to begin a dialogue that would help close the gaps. The PR trades covered CONTACT: each and every panel, and Steve Cody is managing we used the reprints to posi- partner of Peppercomm. He tion ourselves as an agency can be reached at scody@ that not only understood the peppercomm.com. prnewsonline.com | 3.24.13 5 Trend Lines ▶ Page 1 develop ways to bring them into the communications sector, and get them up to speed.” And while it’s no longer novel for PR agencies and departments to hire journalists who have been downsized because of the erosion in America’s newsrooms, the trend is starting to pick up at breakneck speed. “The fact that the media landscape is shrinking doesn’t negate the fact that there is more and more demand for content,” McLintic added. “That vacuum will be filled with brand journalism.” A rapidly changing talent pool is just one of several key trends in PR and communications. Many of the current PR trends are a function of the explosion in content marketing. It’s no longer sufficient for PR executives to simply produce “content” (in whatever form it takes), distribute it to the appropriate media channels and monitor the results. Content, regardless of where it’s distributed, has to be strategically aligned with an organization’s overall goals, brand architecture and, perhaps most important, financial objectives. Indeed, to better monetize their social media efforts, a growing number of organizations are starting to boost spending on social media advertising and are looking to Percentage of Twitter their PR agencies to allocate users who think that those ad dollars. Twitter ads are effective. “If you’re going to build the content you need to put it out Ask Your there via [social media] adverTarget Market tising to accelerate it,” McLintic. “It’s an area that’s definitely up for grabs, so PR departments and agencies need to build SentiMenter, a sentiment analthose capabilities.” ysis tool that uses an individual’s cell phone to gauge perBEEFING UP RESEARCH sonal reactions to content, and Another trend that’s coming “Reputation Index,” a index that on fast for communicators: measure a company’s standing research that can fuel a PR across 22 various metrics. campaign (as opposed to just “The profession is moving,” tracking the returns). Collender said. “The CEO is “It’s not just metrics, but saying, ‘You’re asking me to using research to create stratespend how much? Why?’ That’s gies and tactics for the campaign encouraging for the profession upfront,” said Stan Collender, because it will enhance its perexecutive VP of Qorvis ceived value.” MSLGROUP. “Clients no longer want to rely on instinct, but take STANDARDIZATION advantage” of research tools The groundswell for more throughout the PR process. sophisticated PR research plays Clarus Research Group, into the growing trend for the a wholly owned subsidiary of industry to develop measureQorvis MSLGROUP, recently ment standards that communibeefed up its staff and started cators can adopt. to offer new tools that go “You need multiple [meabeyond pure research, such as surement] standards to establish 45% reliability for the evaluation of outcomes for communications spending,” said Don Stacks, a professor of Public Relations at the University of Miami School of Communication and Chairman of the Commission on Public Relations Measurement and Evaluation. “If a campaign is implemented and you claim success how do you measure that success?” A handful of brands are now testing new PR measurement standards, including GE, GM, McDonald’s and Southwest Airlines. It may have originated as an art form, but PR is quickly morphing into more of a science, as economic forces alter the nature of the business. “You need the science,” Stacks said, “beneath the art to show that you’re moving the needle.” PRN Special shout-out to Neta Yoffe, NetaPR, for suggesting this article. CONTACT: Stan Collender, scollender@qorvis. com; Morgan McLintic, Morgan. McLintic@lewispr.com; Don Stacks, don.stacks@miami.edu. Social Media as Part of Workflow This is the year that social media spreads across the enterprise. It’s no longer the domain of a single department. Data from indeed.com shows that jobs with social media in the title are growing slower than jobs with social media in the description. In other words, a PR executive might use social media to listen and measure reach; a marketing manager might use social to drive lead generation; and a customer service department might use social media to provide customer care. Without the right resources, commitment and leadership in place, this 6 cross-departmental undertaking will fail, risking your customer relationships and leaving your brand open to a serious crisis. Complaints, reactions and rumors spread more quickly than ever. Offer the social experience your customer expects by publicly resolving issues in the same channel from which they sought help. Not only will customer appreciate the quick response, but your fans and followers will also observe your dedication to providing excellent service. Here are a few other ways to use social channels more effectively: 1. Join the conversation. Not only can you have a real impact on the discussion if you’re a part of it, but you can also increase your customer value and customer satisfaction, reduce costs and improve your business processes. 2. Integrate social across your business. It’s not a matter of one department surrendering ownership of social, but rather an opportunity to create clear processes for how each part of the business can work together. 3. Spend time choosing the right tools. An all-in-one social prnewsonline.com | 3.24.13 media management tool might be an easy choice but comes Josh March with a number of significant drawbacks. Since smooth integrations are a reality in the era of software as a service (SaaS), choose social media tools that meet the different requirements of each of your departments. This sidebar was written by Josh March, founder and CEO of Conversocial. He can be reached at josh@conversocial.com. PR and Technology ▶ Page 1 kinesthetic communications. Not everyone is a great writer, but multimedia includes a variety of communication methods that can grab the attention of your audiences. Attention—otherwise known as “engagement”—is a hot commodity that can be amplified by effective PR. Deciphering the signal from the noise reminds practitioners to focus on messaging. Tellabs, a global provider of network technologies for companies such as AT&T and Verizon, is committed to new forms of storytelling. George Stenitzer, VP of communications for Tellabs, said his team distributes everything from enriched news releases featuring links to videos, infographics and studies. “We are fighting a battle to first win a little bit of attention, and then build on it over time,” he said. He added: “In part, we do it to ourselves, as users. I seldom watch TV without a tablet in my lap. When the TV loses my attention for a second, I use my tablet, and vice versa. We all do it. It means your message has to break through the noise, either through sound or picture, and be able to convey a complete story, even if it’s on the TV without sound, or if the sound is on and I’m in the next room and I only hear the message.” ▶ Pitches and relationships. If stakeholder communications is now done through many channels—with traditional methods by no means the most important or effective pitch anymore—then the same applies to media pitching and developing relationships with reporters and editors. PR pros are, essentially, in the relationship business, according to Tim Marklein, CEO of Big Valley Marketing, a Silicon Valley consultancy that leverages data to forge marketing and communications strategies for tech companies. But Marklein stressed that most practitioners are ineffective at managing relationships From Engagement to Conversion Monitoring online conversations and website activity is the norm these days, but how are large companies turning these conversations into customers? George Stenitzer, VP of communications at Tellabs, a global provider of network technologies, stressed that his communications department uses a three-step soft conversion process: 1.We want Web visitors to read a blog, read an article from our magazine, watch a video or read a white paper. What we measure is the percentage of site visitors that do one of these four things. For example in a recent month, close to half of our website visitors did what we wanted them to do. In particular, with white papers, we use Marketo, a marketing automation tool. 2. In order to have access to our most valuable white papers, visitors have to register and give us information about themselves, such as company name, job title, contact information, etc. 3.That brings engaged visitors into our demand generation process. If we see someone downloaded a white paper and hit 15 other pages on our site, we figure they are serious, so we forward their information on to sales for follow-up. with reporters and bloggers. “This is a very Percentage of senior individualized activity, so if you were accusexecutives who worry that tomed to having three complacency keeps the channels to engage pace of technology change people—email, phone in their companies too slow. or in-person—we now we have 20 channels,” MIT Sloan Management he said. “It makes it Review and Capgemini more complicated, but Consulting we can’t make it any easier....We need to know what reporters prefer. We need a full view of deep into a process-driven the relationships we’re mandiscipline called “Business aging.” Intelligence.” It’s a place typically ▶ Breaking News: The occupied by IT and human biggest shift in PR revolves resources executives, and around mobile communicacommunicators are reluctant tions, with consumers hyperto venture into BI because it connected, Tellabs’ Stenitzer pushes wordsmiths and soft said. “Everyone is reporting all skills-type people out of their of the time. In social media, comfort zones. there’s no particular editorial It’s about business operastandard. It’s more of a ‘Wild tions and revenue margins West,’ because it’s unfiltered,” more than communications he said. techniques. But fast and unfiltered The good news, Marklein can spell trouble for PR pros. said, is that every PR person The instinct of PR execs is to doesn’t need to be an analyst; react to things very quickly. they merely need access to Stenitzer suggested that prac- one. “PR and marketing comtitioners be patient when munications need a full-time news hits Twitter and other dedicated data jockey who social channels. really understands what’s “It used to be that the going on in the data and of wire services were filing every the data,” he said. minute, newspapers had one The bottom line: day, and the 6 o’clock news had Technology can solve all kinds a 4 p.m. deadline,” Stenitzer of problems. But for his part, said. He added: “In the end, Stenitzer said technology can’t even if the response is not fix a broken strategy or a weak immediate, PR pros still have to message. PRN be able to at least make a decision about whether to respond Special shout-out to Emma to what’s posted in social media Carey, AxiCom, for suggesting or what the news media are this article. reporting.” 63% ▶ Measurement. Connecting the PR function with business outcomes will move the industry prnewsonline.com | 3.24.13 CONTACT: This article was written by Susan Young, a freelance journalist covering PR and marketing. 7 ▶ Work-Life Balance Measuring a Different Kind of Return in PR on your iPhone. And, oh, you actually want to spend some time with your child. In a recent survey, fewer than 3% of women felt they The public relations industry is had enough hours in the day to fast-paced and can be extremely do what they had to do while demanding. It’s even been rated 97% said they felt stressed, as one of the most stressful jobs according to a survey by in America, right behind jobs Working Mother. where there is actual physical What’s a parent who wants danger, including military per- to maintain a successful public sonnel, firefighters and airline relations career to do? Join a pilots. Just when you think you mom’s work/life balance group? might have mastered the skills Probably not, because that just to anticipate and effectively takes more time. address most any public relaIn talking with some of the tions situation and have kept most successful professional the stress level under control, working moms who I know, you add a new client or two to here are six tips: the mix—the kid kind. Suddenly you are doing an ▶ Stop trying to have already demanding job on little work/life balance—think of sleep. You wake up on the day each day as a work/life penof an important presentation dulum. Some days we need to to a sweet little person who has give more time to our families a double ear infection, and the and personal lives. Some days only pediatrician appointment we need to give more time to that’s available is during the work. Trust yourself to make time you’re supposed to have a the right decision for that day. status meeting with your boss. You have to work against ▶ It takes two. No parent can the clock each day to get to do it all, and you have to expect daycare. You feel guilty that you and allow the other parent to should be spending more time help. Moms tend to think that on your child’s development if they aren’t doing more of the because that other kid at daycaretaking, they are failing. And care is saying 52 new words. for goodness sake, other moms Putting together that spec- should not talk about those tacular baby book has been moms negatively; they should on the list for 10 months and support them no matter, even if all of your pictures are still you’ve made a different choice. Helping new parents stay on an even keel ▶ Let go of the guilt. We actually spend more time with our kids now than moms did 20 years ago. In 1995, mothers spent an average of 12 hours a week actively attending to their children, not including regular time “around” their kids (e.g., dinner). By 2007, that number rose to 21 hours. That’s a 43% increase in parenting every week, per a University of California, San Diego study. Dads remain behind moms in terms of the amount of child care they provide, but in that same time period they also doubled their hours of handson parenting. ▶ Get some help. A successful public relations professional who is also a mom mentioned to me that she was, “not sure I can do this anymore.” I asked her what her main source of stress was. She said it was leaving work with incomplete projects on the table to get to daycare pick-up on time. I suggested she hire a nanny to take her son home two or three days a week and make those her later days to catch up or get ahead. The amount of stress it relieved was huge. And her son is learning new things from his part-time nanny. ▶ Rely on your fellow moms. My colleagues and I cover for each other when By Julie Batliner one of us has a preschool play or parent-teacher conference during the workday. Parents will support other parents because they know they’ll need a favor returned. ▶ Stay in the race. A young woman once said to me that she was going to change careers because she might be having kids in the next few years. What? Give yourself time to show yourself what you can do. You can always change later, if you need to, but don’t become so focused on what might happen that you don’t make what is right in front of you happen. After all, being a parent brings newfound creativity to ideas while allowing you to reach your efficiency potential. And you’re setting a great example for your children, demonstrating how they (or the women in their lives) can be successful. PRN Special shout-out to Angela Byrne, Cognito, for suggesting this article. CONTACT: Julie Batliner is managing director at Carmichael Lynch Spong. She can be reached at julie.batliner@clynch.com. AWARDS LUNCHEON April 7, 2014 | 12 - 2 p.m. National Press Club | Washington, D.C. Join PR News as we salute the winners and honorable mentions of our annual CSR Awards program and CSR A-List program. Questions? Contact Kristina McHale at kmchale@accessintel.com. Register today at www.prnewsonline.com/CSR-Luncheon2014 8 prnewsonline.com | 3.24.13 23566 April 8, 2014 | National Press Club, Washington D.C. Join us on April 8 for PR News’ annual, essential PR Measurement Conference, taking place at the historic National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Commit now to grounding all of your PR efforts in metrics that connect to organizational goals and prove the crucial role that communications makes in thriving b2c and b2b companies, nonprofits and professional associations. Speakers Include: Conference Sessions: • Wake-Up Call: The State of Measurement • How—and When—to Report Measurement Results • Measuring and Reporting User Engagement in Social Media • What Your Measurement Dashboard Should Look Like GE • Case Study: PR Measurement at Work in the Real World MasterCard • Keynote Presentation: The Path to Being Brilliant in Business AICPA • Circles, a division of Sodexo Social Media ROI Mythbusting: What You Need to Do to Truly Prove Social’s Value • PR Measurement Clinic: Assessing the Success of a Communications Strategy • How to Tie PR to Sales • Ask the Experts: Your Must-Know Measurement Questions Answered Pennsylvania State University Carrie Schum Assistant Professor of Public Relations, College of Communications EVP, Strategic Planning, Analytics and Research Katie Paine Measurement Consultant Paine Publishing, LLC David Hebert Internal Communications Chief Director, Digital Communications & Media Relations SR VP Corporate and Digital Communications Manager of Digital and Social Media Marketing VP Communications, Advertising and Brand Mgt General Manager, Marketing and Operations EVP, Measurement, Analytics and Insights Director, Global Business Communications Director of North America Communications U.S. Geological Survey Marcia DiStaso Sebastien Duchamp Andrew Bowins Stephanie L. Schierholz Cheryl Reynolds Marla Bace Allyson Hugley Dwayne Roark Therese Van Ryne Porter Novelli Raytheon Weber Shandwick Dow Chemical Company Motorola Solutions Sponsored By: www.prmeasurementconf.com Contact: Saun Sayamongkhun at saun@accessintel.com; 301-354-1694 23483 PROVE YOUR WEIGHT IN PLATINUM ENTER TODAY! Entry Deadline: May 9 | Final Deadline: May 16 PR News’ Platinum PR Awards salute the year’s most outstanding communications initiatives and programs in the highly competitive and dynamic PR arena. The coveted awards set the industry benchmark for excellence across all areas of PR. The winners of the Platinum PR Awards are from corporations, agencies and nonprofits large and small that took chances, made tremendous strides and understand the power of public relations. Your hard work is done – now it’s time for you and your team to get recognized for it! 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