What’s the Buzz?

Did you take a staycation this year? Maybe you followed a link to an exciting video only to find you’ve been Rickrolled. Have you attended a topless meeting? If so, you’ve been privy to some of the stickiest catch phrases of the past year.

Time Magazine compiled a list of the year’s Top 10 Buzzwords. Read them all here.

Welcome to the Bungle

Like a suckerfish attaching itself to a larger swimmer, PR practitioners sometimes affix their brand to current news stories, thereby gaining added momentum with minimal expenditure. Dr. Pepper recently attempted this by promising consumers a free bottle of their soft drink if the band Guns N’ Roses managed to release their long-awaited CD Chinese Democracy in 2008.

Now connect the dots for the fun part: Album gets released, huge demand for free soda, Web site crashes, consumers disappointed, Guns N’ Roses sues the Doctor.

Read the story here.

To See or Not to See

If you search Google Images for “Tiananmen Square” from a computer in the United States, you will find countless pictures of that young student standing in front of a row of tanks and stopping them in their tracks. This iconic image has become synonymous with both the historic Chinese landmark and the protests that took place there in 1989.

However, if you enter the same image search from a computer in China, the picture does not exist. Instead, you will find scenic images of the Square and the Tiananmen Gate, which dates back to the 1420s.

How and why does Google decide who gets to see what? This interesting question was well covered in a recent New York Times Magazine article.

Read the story here.

From a purely public relations perspective, at least GM is trying to defend its public opinion during the auto mess. One of the hallmarks of PR is that if you don’t define yourself, others will do it for you.

GM introduced a page on their corporate Web site explaining their side of the auto industry meltdown. The site includes bullet points explaining how the demise of the auto industry will affect us all, a section on mobilizing efforts, and a futuristic video set to hypnotic music. Maybe this is what they listened to when they developed the “More SUVs” mantra.

COME FLY WITH ME

Yesterday’s entry, which discussed the ethical high road taken by golfer J.P. Hayes, ended with a tiny barb hurled at the auto industry CEOs who flew to Washington this week in private company jets. Timing Is everything and their little trip will forever more serve as a textbook example of the classic PR blunder.

In response to the uproar, General Motors has decided to stop leasing two of its five corporate planes.

According to GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson, the auto giant (?!?) is "very sensitive" to "the symbolic issue of people showing up in Washington in corporate jets."

Ahhhh hindsight.

WWJPD?

In a move that should trigger discussions of ethics from barrooms to classrooms, golfer J.P. Hayes chose conscience over comfort when he found himself face to face with a moral dilemma.

Is it just me, or does this story take on added impact the day after the heads of the Big Three auto makers all took private jets to DC to cry poor?

Read what went down on and off the golf course.

"Mass" Media

For an institution so steeped in tradition, the Vatican is taking a progressive look at how new technologies and the media can lead to increased readership of the Bible.

Reuters recently reported that an assembly of Catholic bishops has called for the use of mass communications, including the Internet, iPods and DVDs, to help spread the “Divine Word.”

This recent embrace of new technologies is nothing new for the Vatican, which launched one of the first Web sites in Europe. The site, which continues to impress, was introduced under Pope John Paul II, who was considered to be extremely media savvy.

Read the story here.

How Tweet it Is

Whenever I mention Twitter to clients or students, I am usually met with a resounding "huh?" Considering PRWeek has called Twitter one of the most "cost-effective marketing tools available," shouldn't you know the basics of this increasingly popular social networking tool?

Not to worry. PRWeek created a very nice introductory story. Read it here.

GIMME AN F

To paraphrase Napoleon: Glory is fleeting, but obscenity is forever (OK…he said “obscurity” is forever, but you get the point).

While glory may come and go, the US Supreme Court is examining whether fleeting obscenities. The FCC started taking notice (and doling out fines) when U2 front man Bono dropped the F Bomb on live TV at the 2003 Golden Globe Awards.

When singer Cher used the same expletive at the 2004 Billboard Music Awards, the FCC basically said “I got you babe” to FOX which broadcast the event. After several twists and turns, the case landed in front of the Supreme Court Tuesday.

Read the whole story.

Perception Skills Pt. II

A few posts ago, I mentioned how improving your perception skills improves your overall communication skills.

The first steps of the perception process have to do with selecting (choosing what to focus on) and attending (the actual act of focusing). Here’s a funny, and informative, video with which you can test your own perception skills.

Are you voting for James Bond or Jack Bauer?

In a recent article, ADWEEK reports on survey results linking the two major presidential candidates to various brands and fictional characters.

To find out which candidate is AOL and Ford, and which is Google and BMW (the results may surprise you), click here to read the whole story.

The "Power Ties" that Bind: Dressing for Success

Nonverbal communication is not limited to eye contact and gestures. What communications scholars call “artifacts” (things we put on our bodies, such as clothes, perfume, piercings, accessories, hairstyles, etc.) may say more about us than any fleeting glance or nod.

According to a story in PR Week, what we wear at work is affected by many factors, including location, corporate culture and client base.

The bottom line is that “business casual” ain’t what it used to be.

Read the Whole Story.

The Prince of All Media: Howard Stern Trades Relevancy for Revenue

The self-proclaimed King of All Media now reigns over a smaller empire. Shock Jock Howard Stern, who left the serfdom of terrestrial airwaves to relish the riches of satellite radio, now plays for a smaller audience at the palace.

According to a story in the LA Times, the move may have cost Stern up to 10 million listeners, and the power and prestige that go with them.

The Times quotes Tom Taylor, executive news editor at Radio-Info.com as saying "It's like Howard went from playing Madison Avenue to playing an upscale off-Broadway concert hall for a lot of money. He got everything he wanted in terms of money and not being bothered by the FCC, but he lost the bulk of his audience."

Of course losing listeners is only the first domino to tumble. What follows is losing movie deals, book deals and quality guests. The story points out that Stern’s one-time stable of A-list celebrity guests has been replaced by reality stars and names from the past.

The story even suggests that Stern might consider a return to the land of regulated airwaves once his current contract expires in 2010.

Stay tuned. Nobody else is.

Read the enitre story by Greg Braxton.

“How’m I Doin’?”

Improving your perception skills is a valuable step towards improving your overall communication skills and, thereby, your employability.

A simple way to do this is with a process called perception checking. With indirect perception checking, you just raise your awareness level and look for nonverbal hints to see if what you think is going on is, in fact, actually going on.

For example, an employee may perceive that his supervisor is upset with him. To asses this, he may watch how the supervisor acts around other employees. With direct perception checking, the employee would approach his supervisor and come right out and ask how he’s doing?

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that younger workers are not only resorting to direct perception checking…they’re embracing it. The Journal states that this shift towards seeking out feedback is “forcing some employers to rethink how they discuss employee performance.”

The story cited a survey that showed 85 percent of Gen Y employees believe their age-group peers want "frequent and candid performance feedback.”

Read the whole story here.

McNews You Can Use

This morning, the Internet was buzzing with images of monkeys waiting on customers in a Japanese sake house. I call this type of story Fast News. Much like fast food, which entices us with lesser versions of homemade fare, Fast News tempts us with easy-to-consume facsimiles of real news. After a while, both leave us feeling empty and wanting for more.

Fast News is appearing everywhere we look and unfortunately many confuse ubiquity with quality, and availability with desire.

In his book “Amusing Ourselves to Death,” Neil Postman maintained that Morse’s telegraph, which removed time and distance issues from the information-sharing process, “erased state lines” and “collapsed regions.” This happened, Postman wrote, at a “considerable cost.”

Postman quotes Henry David Thoreau, who stated in “Walden” that “We are in a great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate.”

In other words, just because we can share information almost instantly over a great many miles, does not mean this information is necessarily worth sharing.

Yet the purveyors of Fast News share away, one after the other. Monkey see, monkey do.

Extra! Extra!

Gawker.com spins an insightful, if depressing, take on landing a job in journalism. While the piece may be a little heavy on the gloom and doom, there are some very practical tips for both new and experienced journalists.
Read all about it.

Citizen Journalism Update #3: Dumb and Dumber

When it comes to citizen journalism, we’ve seen the sordid (cell phone videos of some candid PR blunders), the scandalous (uploads of porn to citizen journalism “news” sites) and now, the stupid.

Apple stock recently took a beating based on an unfounded story that CEO Steve Jobs had suffered a heart attack.

The citizen journalist who posted the story now faces possible jail time (“Dumb”). Much of the outrage is coming from Apple stockholders whose portfolios took a hit based on the fictional story (“Dumber”).

It’s unclear if someone is posting these bogus blurbs for recreation or compensation. Should someone be shorting the stock and manipulating prices via erroneous stories, heads may roll.

Anyone graduating high school must pass basic math and English courses. Can we please add media literacy to that list?

Read more at Wired.

Putting the "Arrr" in PR

The Jolly Roger…bottles of rum…buried treasure. These are the things that come to mind when one hears the word “pirate.” Now it looks like we need to add “spokesperson” to that list.

It seems that pirates pillaging off the coast of Somalia have an actual spokesman to deal with media inquiries. One such flack recently explained the pirate’s mission to a reporter from the NY Times.

To read PR Week’s account, click here.
To learn to talk like a pirate, click here.

Porn to Run

What do CBS and the Broadway musical Avenue Q have in common? They both know that the Internet is for porn.

The musical knew it back when it opened in 2003 (the show contains a song called “The Internet Is for Porn”). CBS discovered it only recently.

In an attempt get in on the trend toward citizen journalism, CBS encouraged the public to upload visuals to its grassroots news site CBSeyemobil.com. Upload they did. Taking photojournalism to a whole new level, many of the site’s “reporters” added images of a sexual nature.

"We've been posting user-generated content since April, and this is the first known incident along these lines," a CBS spokesperson told Ad Age. "It was removed promptly and we will redouble our efforts in this regard."

Read the story.

The Sun Also Sets

After a six-and-a-half-year run, the New York Sun will cease publication. The September 30th issue will be the struggling daily’s last.

In remarks to the paper’s staff, the Sun’s Editor, Seth Lipsky praised the publication’s employees, readers and investors.

“They invested in the ideal of the scoop, the notion that news is the spirit of democracy, and in the principles for which we have stood in our editorial pages — limited and honest government, equality under our Constitution and the law, free markets, sound money, and a strong foreign policy in support of freedom and democracy,” Lipsky wrote of the paper’s backers. “They liked the way the Sun reflected the dynamism of our city and spoke for its interests in the national debate.”

Lipsky's words beautifully sum up what we all lose when a newspaper folds. As the poet John Donne wrote:
Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind,

and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

New York Sun

"Craig's" List of Communication Trends

Craig Newmark, the man who put the “Craig” in Craigslist, recently opened up to PRWeek and waxed poetic on a number of topics, including communications, public relations, media and politics.

When asked about the habits of Millennials, Newmark stressed that communications professionals need to focus on peer-to-peer communications, such as Twittering, blogging, and Facebook.

“Trust doesn't come from the top down anymore,” Newmark said. “That was true in [Mad Men's] Don Draper's days, but not now. Truth now comes on a peer-to-peer basis, from the bottom up.”

If you’d like to know Newmark’s suggestions on how communicators can go about engaging these peer-to-peer networks (as well as his thoughts on many other issues), read the interview.

Financial Freefall

Our county’s financial health is in serious trouble, so it amazes me that golden parachutes are one of the sticking points in the Wall Street bail-out debate. The democrat’s proposal to limit the compensation packages of Wall Street executives is meeting some serious opposition.

I disagree with both sides. While I am against padding the pockets of greedy executives, I equally oppose placing restrictions on their salaries. In fact, I oppose their salaries all together.

If anyone I know screwed up their job this badly, they wouldn’t be in negotiations; they’d be out on the street. Perhaps I am running with the wrong crowd, but most people I know would be hitting the bricks searching for new work.

I’m all for bailing out Wall Street, on one condition: We fire the CEOs who got us into this mess.

If you purchased a failing restaurant with the hopes of turning it around, I seriously doubt you’d keep the same manager and chef on staff. When you invest in potential it is essential to separate the wheat from the chaff.

I remember reading about a skydiver who ran into serious trouble when, during his descent, his main chute became tangled and would not open. Being a quick thinker, he prepared to open his auxiliary chute. Being a smart thinker, he realized that the only way his safety chute would open successfully was if he first cut away the malfunctioning parachute.

Our financial markets are in trouble and the best way to soften our landing is to cut away a few golden parachutes.

And the Band Played On

Last weekend, the clash of cymbals was overshadowed by a clash of cultures (due, in part, to the perceived denigration of a cultural symbol). It all happened when Princeton University headed to South Carolina for a football game with The Citadel.

The free-wheeling, irreverent style of Princeton’s marching band did not sit well with the steeped-in-tradition manner of the Citadel cadets. They took particular offense to the fact that the Princeton band marched down the “Avenue of Remembrance,” a highly revered area that honors past cadets killed in action. The cadets taunted the band and there were allegations of pushing and shoving.

When the musicians finally took the field for their halftime performance, they were met with a chorus of boos, jeers and epithets.

That noise you hear is the sound of cultures clashing.

Culture is a learned set of attitudes, values and beliefs that are usually passed down from generation to generation. It takes time for culture to evolve. It takes longer for culture to change. Witness the difficulties in finding a lasting solution to the Middle East crisis.

What any group of people like, dislike, believe and value is engrained deep within them. Instead of trying to change people we would be better suited trying to understand them first.

Read More

Upside-Down Fruitcake

In his insightful book “The Image,” Daniel Boorstin defines a pseudo-event as a happening that:

1. Is not spontaneous,
2. Is planted primarily for the immediate purpose of being reported,
3. Is ambiguous,
4. Is intended to be a self-fulfilling prophecy

In other words, if magician David Blaine packages his hanging upside down for 60 hours as “news” then guess what? It’s news. He may be right. A quick Google search for “David Blaine Upside Down” returned 4,810 results. I think I’ll still file this latest feat of "magic" under Pseudo-(from the Greek word meaning “false”) Event.

The Maddow of King Larry

MSNBC has a new hit on its hands and her name is Rachel Maddow. In just its second week, her program finished #2 in cable news in both Total Viewers and the 25 - 54 age demographic, topping CNN’s Larry King.

The good news? The openly gay Maddow is fresh, funny and gutsy. The bad news? Her success may lead to even more crowing from her #1 supporter, the increasingly annoying Keith Olbermann. Media Bistro

Citizen Journalism Update

The cell phone camera strikes again. A new online video shows Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard disrespecting the National Anthem before a charity football game. In the video, which can be found (where else?) on YouTube, Howard looks into the camera and says “’The Star Spangled Banner' is going on now. I don’t even celebrate that (bleep).”

FYI, Francis Scott Key penned the song 194 years ago this month.

Read My Lips: Lip-Synching and the MTV VMAs

Remember Milli Vanilli? The famous recording act that fell from grace in 1990 after they were caught lip-synching at a “live” concert? Remember Ashley Simpson and the embarrassment that followed her bungled attempt at lip-synching on Saturday Night Live (in the ultimate revenge, Miss Simpson now actually sings live during her performances)? These events were followed by weeks (well, maybe days) of outrage from “serious” performers. You know…the type of musicians that reach the pinnacle of their careers by performing at the ultimate pseudo-event, The MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs).

Pot, meet kettle.

Well, guess what the majority of performers at this year’s VMAs were doing? I might be mistaken, but it seemed to me that most of the big stars were either mouthing it or singing along to a prerecorded tape.

There were some of today’s big names: Rihanna, the Jonas Brothers and Kate Perry (who not only lip-synchs, but shamelessly rips off the very talented Jill Sobule with her song “I Kissed a Girl”) mouthing away. But where was the outrage? If this was a real event, there would be plenty. But in the world of pseudo-events, everyone lets it slide. Except for my new hero.

As Kid Rock took the stage at the VMAs, he shouted “There’s no lyp-synching…this is all real!” Could this bad-boy rapper from Detroit be the voice of reason? Might actual musicians rise up and shout down the lip-synchers? As Milli Vanilli (or someone) once said, “Girl, you know it’s true.”

Less is More: Nonverbal Cues and Customer Service

I am slightly obsessed with the dying art of customer service and recently had a minor epiphany: The appearance of customer service is more important than actual customer service itself.

If you’ve ever spent hours navigating voice mail (which would surely be Dante’s 10th Circle of Hell), wandered aimlessly through a box store searching for assistance, or polished off three magazines and a Diet Coke while on line at the supermarket, you know my pain.

Sadly, I have learned to accept bad service due to the absence of a live person. What irritates me; however, are the visual cues that often accompany a sub-par shopping experience. You know what I mean: Four associates on the floor, but only one register is open. Waiters who refuse to make eye contact, bypassing your table. The list is endless.

As Beebe, Beebe and Ivy point out in their text Communication Principles for a Lifetime, nonverbal cues often make a stronger impact than verbal messages. I can still enjoy a less-than satisfactory meal, as long as the server appears apologetic. A long line at the bank? No problem, as long as the teller gives me an empathetic smile once I get to the counter.

Consider a few of my recent adventures in customer service:

At a Rite Aid drug store, a long line formed at the check-out counter as one of the cashiers took her break. Unfortunately, the young lady decided to spend her 10 minutes sitting on the floor behind the counter, in view of all the customers standing on line.

Two nights later, I dined at a local restaurant. After our water glasses had been bone dry for several minutes, I looked around for our server and immediately found her…sitting at a nearby table drinking coffee and sharing a dessert with several other waitresses. I felt bad interrupting her bites of tiramisu, but assuaged my guilt by reminding myself that the main function of a server is to serve.

The next day, I went to a Sport’s Authority store to pick up a new golf glove (it did not help my game). To help pass the time during the many hours I have seemingly spent on check-out lines at Sport’s Authority, I have taken up the habit of counting the number of employees I can spot who are not helping customers.

On this particular day, there were seven employees gathered around the store’s front end. Two of them were running registers, one of them was running to her break (at least she did not sit on the floor), and four others gathered around a closed register, deep in discussion (a move believed to be originated by employees of Staples).

I think the bottom line here is that I can tolerate inadequate service, provided I don't see employees who could improve that service simply by doing some work. If the Rite Aid clerk spent her break on her cell phone in the parking lot, the extended line would be bearable. If the waitress snacked in the kitchen, I would have managed to live without water (well, for a short while). And had the “Sports Authority Four” shared their laughs in the stock room, my wait on line would not have seemed so unavoidable.

Finding employees who truly care about pleasing the customer is becoming the Holy Grail of the shopping experience. This explains why many businesses, especially in large cities, gladly hire unemployed actors. These out-of-work thespians may not really care about the customer, but at least they can act like they care. And that’s good enough for me.