Political App Might Strike Fear Into Advertisers

A smart phone app being released for the US Presidential Election could be the start of something that makes advertisers very nervous in the future.

Using the Super PAC App, US viewers will shortly be able to hold up their smart phones to their TV screens and identify who's behind election commercials.  While watching a political TV ad, they can also rate the ad and learn who and how much money is behind it and the claims it makes.

The app can also link to third party websites where viewers can check to see just how accurate those claims are.

Founders Jennifer Hollett and Dan Siegel hope their app can help viewers make sense of political advertising and bring greater transparency to the 2012 US presidential campaign.

The Super PAC App is being released in time for the Republican Party Convention at which Governor Mitt Romney will be crowned as the Party's Presidential candidate.

Read more here.

Let's see how the app performs on debut in the hothouse of an American election.

Of course if it works for political ads, with a little tweaking here and there it could be made to work for product advertising. 

And with viewers empowered to instantly check the accuracy of what an ad claims, advertisers in Australia and elsewhere are likely to become afraid, very afraid.

  

The Importance of A Single Year

Sometimes a single year can prove a decisive turning point in a life.

1967 seemed to be that pivotal time in Lyndon Shea's life. 

Military man, public servant, activist and poet, Lyndon Shea was buried today after battling with cancer. His funeral was truly a celebration of a life richly lived and obviously loved by those attending his standing room only service.

Prior to 1967 Lyndon had been the sixties poster boy of young, conservative, male Australia.  School captain of one of Australia's most prestigious private schools, ruggedly handsome Lyndon was a  star footballer and athlete with a sharp, incisive mind. 

In 1966 Lyndon was selected to enter the Royal Military College Duntroon, Australia's equivalent of the American West Point.

Like his classmates, Lyndon's Duntroon time was marked by incessant, mindless bullying.  Officially it was designed to prepare him for the role of a junior Army leader in the Vietnam War and beyond. In reality it was profoundly dehumanizing experience that gave no credit to the individual or the institution.

By the end of his first year, whether he quit  or for some other reason, Lyndon moved on.  From that point onwards he was no longer fighting for the system but rather fighting the system over the range of its contemporary injustices.

Throughout his life Lyndon campaigned for Indigenous rights, education reform, the womens' movement, gay rights, the environment and other issues long before they became fashionable. In doing so Lyndon often put himself on the margins working for the marginalized.  

Today his funeral was marked by tributes from people from all walks of life.  Each noted his commitment, strength and single minded determination to shape a fairer community. 

Over the past 100 years the Royal Military College Duntroon has had many luminaries.  However it would be hard to find many like Lyndon who displayed the qualities of fairness, commitment and a fair go the rest of us aspire to.

Vale Lyndon Shea...  mission accomplished and superbly well done.

A Social Media Conversation I Didn't Expect

Old attitudes die hard.

This past I ran a workshop talking  about social media. Most of those attending saw the value of integrating social media into their marketing mix.  However an influential minority remained suspicious of platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

Their opposition was a conversation I fully expected up to two years ago, but not today.  We have shifted to a new communications paradigm, but it seems many in influential positions still don't get it. What are they afraid of?

My concern is those who don't at least try the new technologies may well end up talking to themselves in future, not their audiences.

The Value of Journalism

Emailing The Newsroom With Your Story

An article by Ryan Zuk in a recent edition of PRSA Tactics newspaper shared tips on emailing journalists to pitch a story.

Ryan suggests:

• Creating subject lines that stir interest.
• Limiting the body of your email to two or three sentences.
• Providing links to images, video or additional information.
• Identifying your spokesperson, why they would be good to interview and when they are available.
• Tracking who is opening your emails and when, to learn which date and time works best for the media.

Ryan's advice is timely given local newsrooms are shrinking and journalists are becoming harder to reach by phone.

Stage Fright Is Not Nice But Necessary

In recent years I must have given hundreds of talks to different groups across Australia.

All have been about communications, PR or marketing. I have spoken to groups at workplace seminars, big conferences and, at times around kitchen tables in rural areas.

I still get nervous before each presentation, whether the audience is a group of critical professionals or enthusiastic volunteers eager to learn about the fundamentals of communications.

Over the years I have come to appreciate the value of stage fright before a presentation. It keeps you sharp, focussed and always keen to do your best. Complacency alongside poor preparation ranks among the worst things a speaker can display.

One thing that helps me before a talk is to visualise a happy ending where the audience leaves the room satisfied they now know something new that will help them in the future.

So while I may not like pre-event nerves, I have come to accept them as necessary.

How do you steady your nerves before talking to a group of strangers?

Australia's Olympians Are An Unhappy Lot

Australia's London Olympians are an unhappy lot.

Or so you would think looking at the Qantas signs in Melbourne Airport.

The airline is running a sponsorship promotion wishing our Aussie gold medal hopefuls good luck before they leave for London.

Concourse billboards present a short message of encouragement topped by rather sullen images of athletes representing popular sports.

The problem is the sports stars look positively intimidating and unapproachable in the images.

OK, we expect our athletes to be focussed on the upcoming competition. At the same time we also want them to enjoy the London Olympics which after all are a celebration of sporting achievement.

Which begs the question. Why do marketers routinely choose haughty or sullen images in their advertising?

Disdainful looking models, aggressive looking sportsmen and minor celebrities looking down their noses at the rest of us. They're everywhere in today's advertising.

Why would anybody want to buy or support anything associated with such unfriendly looking and pampered people?

I'd much rather a pleasant looking person conveying my messages. After all a friendly face stands more chances of winning friends, fans and followers any day.

Television and Twitter Twin To Woo Fans

 Right now Twitter seems to be everywhere .... particularly on our television screens.

This recent blogpost offers interesting insights on how popular TV programs and Twitter are twinning to woo fans. 

http://www.phonetvinternet.com/insider/10-ways-tv-shows-have-used-twitter/

Reporting ANZAC Day: Help Wanted

Sometimes it takes a different set of eyes to provide a fresh perspective on something familiar.  

And so it is with ANZAC Day, arguably Australia's most iconic day when Australians around the world gather to commemorate the lives of loved ones lost in war.

I have worked with journalists helping them to report ANZAC Day for five years.  Each year their questions are predictably the same and often their coverage repeats similar themes.  Each crop of young reporters is keen to get basic details right and a lot of effort goes to educating them.

This year Sharon Mascall-Dare, an independent researcher based at the University of South Australia  has produced an ANZAC Day Media Style Guide. Sharon who has worked with the ABC and BBC brings an independent and experienced perspective to ANZAC Day reporting.

The Guide provides journalists with a concise history of Anzac Day, as well as advice on identifying new story angles and avoiding overused clichés, words and phrases. It aims to be an objective resource for journalists throughout Australia.

Sharon's efforts were backed by a highly experienced editorial advisory board that brought together academia and industry.  The Narratives of War Research Group of the University of South Australia, also provided its expertise to the project.

I along with many others was pleased to share some thoughts with Sharon.

This year the Guide has been well received by the media, and as a living document it will become an even more valuable media tool as we head to 2015, the Centenary of the Gallipoli Landings.

Why PR Needs Bob Brown

Recently Australian senator and Greens Leader, Bob Brown, appeared on ABC TV's Q&A program. 

For almost an hour he took questions from the audience in the studio and from people on the net.

Brown, who will soon leave politics, spoke with conviction, clarity and force.  No one watching would have any doubt where he stood on the key issues facing Australia.  

Gone were the usual evasive, qualified and hedged comments which are now so common in public discourse. It was eloquent, straight from the shoulder stuff.

You may or may not like Bob Brown's policies, but you must admire the clear and consistent way he has communicated over his political career, irrespective of who he was talking with.

Good luck in retirement Senator.  Perhaps you should become the PR professor at the University of Tasmania and pass along your skills to the coming generation of young PRs and communicators.

Create Great Events: Podcast

Listen here.


Podcast Powered By Podbean

Last week I ran an events workshop for sporting codes and clubs in the Australian Capital Territory.  

Those attending were planning events ranging from  Australia's national fencing championships to the upcoming hot air balloon launch for a major youth organisation.

The conversation was lively: partly because we all agreed events play an important role in the life of most not for profits. In any given year the calendar of most community groups will feature at least one event. 

That's because events provide opportunities to meet face to face with your audience and impress people with your passion. 

This podcast describes planning essentials, especially how to create innovative events that make your organisation stand out and capture attention.

Next week I'll post tips and techniques on promoting your event.  You can automatically get it by adding your address in the email subscription box to the right.

Word of Mouth Marketing

Podcast Powered By Podbean

 
Word of mouth may be the oldest form of marketing yet encouraging others to share your information with their family, friends and workmates remains the most effective and least expensive form of promotion. 

In this podcast listen in as we talk about how topics, talkers, tools, time and tracking combine to form the five pillars of an effective word of mouth campaign.

Until mid March we will post a new episode each week in our Not For Profit PR podcast series.

Automatically get the next edition by subscribing in the email box to the right.

Not for Profit PR: Starting Out In Social Media

In the latest in our PR audio series, North American broadcaster Wayne Kelly and I talk about how not for profits and community groups can get started on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media platforms.

We outline a very simple four step process for introducing social media into your PR. 

Click on the bar below and enjoy listening.  Let me know if you find this helpful and share your thoughts on what other information I should include in a future podcast on this subject. 

Thanks.

Automatically get updates by adding your email in the subscription box to the right.

 

Beginning The Digital Journey

Recently I met with Parentline ACT, a free confidential telephone service for parents and families in the ACT and surrounding area.

Parentline staff are professionally trained to help families and carers with factual, friendly information and support.

We were discussing how not for profits can use social media alongside existing communications cchannels to reach partner organisations and the public.

There was sense of energy as our group explored the possibilities of engaging key people and important sectors through the new communications channels. 

Good luck to the Parentline team as they continue their digital journey.

Secrets Of Not For Profit Media Success

Podcast Powered By Podbean

In the third of our nine part podcast series PR for Not For Profits, North American broadcaster Wayne Kelly and I explore the secrets of how not for profits can successfully work with local newspapers, radio stations and TV  networks.

We investigate how to to make media outlets want to cover your story, how to become newsworthy and the three documents that get media attention:

Each week we post a fresh episode in our podcast series.  Automatically get the next one by adding your address in the email subscription box to the right.

Not For Profit PR Podcast: PR Must Be In Your DNA

Podcast Powered By Podbean

This second episode in our Not For Profit PR series explores why planning must be in the DNA of every not for profit.

It talks about planning and the importance of communications objectives, understanding your audiences and crafting convincing messages.

North American broadcaster Wayne Kelly and I finish by outlining three effective marketing strategies that cost less than $500 a year.

(Automatically get the next episode by filling in the email subscription box to the right.)

Most advertisers pay Twitter $1 to $4 per new follower | Poynter.

Most advertisers pay Twitter $1 to $4 per new follower | Poynter.

January 2012 is 21st Century Statecraft Month

Led by Secretary Hillary Clinton, the US State Department has invested heavily in social media and moved it front and centre into its diplomatic outreach.  

The US State Department has over 190 social media accounts with more than half owned by individual embassies. The State department also uses Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, and YouTube.

It has designated January 2012 as 21^st Century Statecraft month.

Twenty-first Century Statecraft complements traditional foreign policy by harnessing and adapting today's digital networks and technologies.

State's efforts are comprehensive and impressive. Read more at Leveraging the Tools of 21st Century Statecraft | U.S. Department of State Blog

PR Podcasts Now Available For Download

 

Our new podcast series Not for Profit PR is now available for download from ITunes. 

 

Go to http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/not-for-profit-pr/id493813481

Not for Profit PR: Why You Need PR Now

This year we are launching a podcast series of nine episodes on Not for Profit PR.
(Click audio bar below.)

It explores how not for profits, charities and community groups can win the attention they deserve, on a budget they can afford. 

The idea came from the free communications workshops which we have been running for eight years and have been attended by 300 organisations.

Each episode will share ideas for getting attention on a tiny budget in areas such as:
 

• Episode #1: Why not for profits need PR .
• Episode #2: Fundamentals.
• Episode #3: Working with the media.
• Episode #4: Social media.
• Episode #5: Word of mouth marketing.
• Episode #6: Running a successful event: Part 1.
• Episode #7: Running a successful event: Part 2.
• Episode #8: Budgets, timetables and other essentials.
• Episode #9: The people behind your PR.

Listen to Episode #1 for insights on the importance of PR for a not for profit like yours.

You can automatically get new episodes by adding your address in the email subscription box to the right. 

Why do you think community groups need to focus on marketing in 2012?

Social Wire: Learning All Things Social Media With Brian Solis - Video - KITV Honolulu

Social Wire: Learning All Things Social Media With Brian Solis - Video - KITV Honolulu

How To Tell A Story The World Will Listen To

Have a good cause, issue or product, convert it to a simple, well told story and the world will listen.

Over Christmas I have been reading books on storytelling by former World Bank executive and Australian author, Stephen Denning.  Recently I blogged about Denning's thoughts on  corporate storytelling and change.  

So how do you construct an effective story that can stimulate people's willingness to change?

A springboard story is one designed to take listeners to a new level of understanding about a change. This type of story can be used to inform, educate or to shake the skeptics out of their complacency or hostility to your new idea. 

According to Denning an effective springboard narrative has seven  parts:

A strong idea	The change idea you communicate is clear and worthwhile aiming for.
The story is about on a real example of success	It can be from a program that tested a new idea, a successful case study from another part of your  organisation, or one from the same industry or a different but nevertheless relevant environment.
Single protagonist	Tell the story from the viewpoint of an individual the audience can relate to.
Date, time and place	Set the boundaries of your success example so people readily see your story’s authenticity.
Detail	You only need minimal detail because listeners need mental space to make the leap between what they are hearing  and their own situation.
Ending	Have a genuinely happy ending: one that illustrates success in terms of improved outcomes, team work, health, sales, production efficiency or other measures your audience relates to.
Purpose	End with a visible link back to your central change idea.

Perhaps we should take a leaf from the history books and use stories, as well as the facts and figures of business logic, as we set out to encourage people to accept change.

A PR New Year Wish

Best wishes to my communications friends for 2012.

If you are a PR or marketing professional, may all your campaigns succeed beyond your wildest dreams and your hard work be rewarded.

If you are a not for profit, may your cause be blessed with the community awareness it so richly deserves. Keep going in the coming months.  Your neighbourhoods, towns, cities and suburbs depend on you.

And if you're like me you'll probably become obsessed with your PR and marketing efforts. Let's hope we can all strike the right balance between self, career, business and family.  

Wishing you and yours every happiness and best health for the coming 12 months.