The PR of Changing PMs

This past week has has been history making in Australian politics. In a late night party coup Kevin Rudd was dumped as Prime Minister and within 24 hours his deputy Julia Gillard became Australia's first female Prime Minister.

In public relations actions always speak louder than words, so it will be instructive to see the impact of these events in the minds and attitudes of ordinary citizens ... in the lead-up to the next election and beyond.

Most likely we will see self referential communications come into play.  For those who like Mr Rudd last week's events will be seen as dastardly and disloyal.  To those who support Ms  Gillard they will have been necessary actions to get the Government and Australia back on track. 

However the rest of us - the so called silent majority - may feel a little queasy about the way Mr Rudd met his fate.  Australians pride themselves on giving everyone a "fair go".  In the workplace or market place the treatment Mr Rudd received - instant dismissal - is usually  reserved for those who commit criminal offences or whose performance seriously endangers the safety of others.

In the long run and in public relations terms the "Rudd dismissal" may have more impact on shaping how people view the character of politicians than on any changes it causes in government.

Blogging Tips: 52 Different Ideas | The Fight Against Destructive Spin

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Here Comes Everyone

I am half way through reading Clay Shirky's book Here Comes Everyone.  This is a book well worth reading.  It was published two years ago and I'm uncertain if it achieved best seller status but neither fact detracts from its significance.

The book is about how social media empowers people to self organise around their issues and interests.  

In tightly argued prose it asserts that social media has collapsed the costs of communication and created an entirely communication ecosystem which is as historically significant as when printing presses first replaced the medieval scribe.

Today social media have smashed the economics of communication and the entry fee to create, manage and create content is negligible for most of us.  This has allowed the mass amateurisation of communications particularly in the traditional media process. As it embeds in our culture social media has moved the news cycle away from  publishers and producers towards individual citizens, consumers and communities.  
 

The professional class of editors, producers, reporters, photographers and film crews are no longer the gatekeepers of the information that reaches our communities. We now have other ways to learn about our world.

Yes I can hear the old guard saying that so much of the information that passes through social media channels is inane and banal.  

But doesn't that reflect more on the quality of our conversations than the intrinsic value of these exciting new tools? Although they give us opportunity they are only as worthwhile as we make them.

Thank You Notes Work

I'm a great believer in thank you notes as a communications tool.

So I was delighted to come across this article from the latest IABC Communications World.  It talks about about the power of thank you notes and when to use them 

SeeThanks and No-Thanks: Write letters that make a difference by Claire Meirowitz.

Three Tips For Not For Profit Advertising

We don't cover advertising much in this blog and many PR people shy

away from it. But it is one channel that should always be considered

and never overlooked in your advertising planning.

True advertising in the mainstream media can be expensive, but it
remains a partcularly powerful way to quickly raise awareness while
keeping total control over how your information is presented.

Three ways to contain what can otherwise be an expensive undertaking
are to:

• Consider working with smaller start up advertising agencies to
develop your creative copy. "Newbie" companies can often be leaner and
hungrier than their larger counterparts and more eager to make a name.
They are more likely to go the extra mile for your limited budget.
Alternatively work with advertising students who may need to bulk out
their post graduation resumes. These "juniors" can often surprise and
delight with the freshness and energy with which they approach your
issue.

• Most of us want our ads on the front page or at least in the
earlier section of a print publication. But specialist sections - such
as a motoring supplement or the school pages - often attract "rusted on" and loyal
readers. Although they may not be as obvious as the early general
news (ENG) option, at the end of the day they might be prove more
effective in reaching the people you need to engage.

• The advertising world is replete with all kinds of special deals
such as distress space, last minute offers and discounts for multiple
placements. So before handing over your cheque ensure you inquire
about the current deals on offer.

Advertising is among the more costly communication options available
to you but it can also be one of the most effective to create instant
impact.