Brands know the power of social media

Public Relations, Social Media No Responses »

Apr 152012

It’s why Facebook friends and Twitter followers matter as much as sales figures. The enigmatic, Lady Gaga, has become the first to acquire 20 million followers on Twitter, she can do a great amount of good, and damage, to her image, based on how she uses those 140 characters to which a ‘tweet’ is limited. This is the power of social media: immediate, measurable, incremental.

Immediate: PR is about reflexes. How quickly to we react and act to crises, exploit opportunities or support consistent messaging? Long before SM came to be, these questions mattered. But now we have tools that enhance our trade.
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What’s in a name?

How to, Public Relations No Responses »

Apr 122012

The Last Man in Europe

Catch 18

Atticus

First Impressions

Mistress Mary

Do any of those titles ring a bell? At least sound a little familiar? Think favourite or classic novels!

Nothing, no clue?

Well, let me introduce you to 1984, Catch 22, To Kill a Mocking Bird, The Pride and Prejudice, and The Secret Garden! They are the very same books – revamped and renamed – to sell (I know, imagine, they weren’t sold out when they were first published)
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No point being the expert if you’re not creative

Public Relations, Social Media, Uncategorized No Responses »

Apr 112012

You can’t study social media, you live and learn it. But even then, what makes one more socially savvy than the other?

Creativity.

Sure you can post, reTweet and pin; but if you don’t have some defining quality that’s distinctly you, well, you’re just making a lot of noise.

How do you get creative? I think it’s something you’re born with, but if you haven’t been bestowed this gift, here’s how you can try to attain it.
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Not the time for your Poker Face

Do's and Don'ts, How to, Public Relations No Responses »

Apr 102012

Oh no, not when you’re trying to communicate with your client.

Body language. We’ve talked about it before, but you just can’t talk enough about how important it is when dealing with those you deal with. Your eye movements, gestures, even the way you stand, can emit such different messages to what comes out from your mouth.

In PR, this is important. What you wear, to what you say and how you say it makes a difference in whether you nail that pitch or not.
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In-house VS Outsourcing Social Media Services

How to, Public Relations, Social Media No Responses »

Apr 092012

The question of whether to outsource a social media company or manage it in-house has been going around for some time now. Some start-up companies’ concerns are budgets and some don’t even know what social media is all about. I personally believe that in-house social media management is more effective, but this does not mean outsourcing is a bad idea. It all depends on where the brand stands. The points below will help you decide whether you should be outsourcing social media or not.
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Facebook Timeline: Making the Switch

Public Relations, Social Media, Uncategorized 1 Response »

Apr 082012

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I’m a traditionalist. I simply don’t like change and particularly when it’s not out of choice. So as the time for all Facebook users to make the change from the traditional profile layout to the shiny new ‘Timeline’ looms on the horizon, it’s understandable that this isn’t something that I’m entirely in favour of.

A short excerpt from Roberto Baldwin’s article on Gadget Lab, describes the new format as:
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Client – PR relationship is like…

How to, Public Relations No Responses »

Apr 042012

When you work in a PR agency, one of the most important things that you learn how to deal with is clients, and that can be one or ten. Whether you enjoy working on the account or it literally becomes a task, depends on the relationship between you and your clients.

A statement that I recently read online best describes the ideal relationship, “Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction”.
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In PR, Presentation is everything

Public Relations, Uncategorized No Responses »

Apr 032012

The 20^th World PR Congress took place recently in Dubai and all credit to Sunil John Sunil John, Chairman of the Organising Committee and his team for pulling together an excellent event.

Forty plus regional and international speakers, including some of the most respected names in the industry graced us with their presence. Some of the highlights can be found here.

Client work meant that I missed one of the highlights of the two days and that was , ‘An Hour with a Living Legend,’ in the form Harold Burson, a pioneer of modern Public Relations and the Founder Chairman of Burson-Marsteller.
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We’re lovin’ Public Relations

How to, Public Relations No Responses »

Apr 022012

Oh Public Relations, why do I love you so?

Could it be the clients; the events; the attention?

We’ve talked about the stress and the deadlines and the crises, so isn’t it going against everything we say, when we say we love public relations?

No.

The pressure is what adds to the rush when everything goes off without a hitch.

It’s Exciting

We can honestly say that a day in the life of a PR professional is never boring. It’ll be calm and easy on Sunday and then all of a sudden you have a press conference on Thursday and you have to invite international media from all over.
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So I’m a Mad Man and not ashamed to admit it.

Advertising Vs. PR, How to, Public Relations No Responses »

Apr 012012

Of course I’m talking about my passion for the very popular series Mad Men, featuring fictional ad man, Donald Draper, about to premiere its 5th season. If you’re a fan then you share my enthusiasm.

I love this show. Not just because of its poignant depictions and complicated characters, but because it takes us into a world we, ad practitioners, are very familiar with. It depicts the raw effort, creativity and ambition of a self-made guru of his art. Moral failings aside, there’s something in Draper every professional admires – his confidence, his instinct, his charisma.
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