Brad Marley's Blog

Five and One With Brian Barthelmes.

I'm excited this morning because I'm finally posting the first entry in what I hope becomes a regular feature on my blog: the "Five and One" series.

It's where I grill people in the communications field with five questions related to the industry, and one random question.

So, without further ado, my first guest is public relations practitioner extraordinaire and colleague, Brian Barthelmes. (On Twitter he's @bdbarth. Go follow him.)

I chose him for two reasons: 

1. He's really good at what he does and all of us in PR could stand to learn from him.

2. He sits on the other side of the cubicle wall from me in our office, so I could easily pester him to stop doing work and answer the questions.

Let's begin!

Q: Why did you decide to pursue a career in public relations?

Brian: I graduated from Michigan State University in 2000 with a degree in advertising. I was always curious about public relations, and signed up for the one and only "public relations concepts" class offered in my sophomore year. I learned two things: (1) public relations is about helping people and organizations communicate a message despite all the "clutter" around them; and (2) writing was the centerpiece of the profession. Not only did I do well in that class, but it made me want to roll up my sleeves and jump from "concepts" to "application" to really get a feel for what the field was all about. As it happened, MSU offered a specialization in public relations during my senior year, and I'm the first "enrollee" in that program. A benefit of being part of the specialization was access to a very substantive advanced writing class. From writing and perfecting a press release with a 10-minute deadline to daily AP Stylebook quizzes to an end-of-class professional portfolio project, it was that class -- and the professor who taught it -- that made me realize a career was for me.

Q: What is the biggest challenge facing PR practitioners in 2010?

Brian: PR professionals will continue to be challenged to leverage -- and stay ahead of -- the pace, manner and methods of communication in the world today. When I graduated 10 years ago, social media didn't exist, and Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn were barely visions in their creators' heads, and even the Internet was in its infancy. After having been successful in the public relations field for more than a decade, it's as though I've got to learn the practice of public relations all over again. All of us as PR professionals owe it to ourselves to roll up our sleeves, learn the social media landscape, understand its value, and be counselors to our clients looking to leverage it strategically.

Q: Why do you get out of bed in the morning?

Brian: At its basic level, PR is about helping people. The uninitiated might say we're not saving lives, but then again, maybe we are. Whether it's a recall of an unsafe product, the discovery of a harmful prescription drug or the response to the aftermath of the massive earthquake in Haiti, somewhere there are professional communicators -- PR people like me -- helping to tell people how to stay safe, how to help, how to get help, and how to prevent. And it's not all about communicating in a crisis. When deciding whether to pursue a career in journalism or public relations, our CEO told me and a roomful of employees that her choice was between reporting or making the news. Like her, I chose the latter, and I haven't looked back.

Q: What's one piece of advice you would give somebody who is exploring a career in PR?

Brian: Invest every minute of your time striving to be a professional who doesn't just write well, but writes well for public relations. What's the difference? The former is about adhering to the rules of grammar and usage, forming proper sentences, writing cohesively and generally following the rules. The latter is about all of that -- plus writing strategically to reinforce a particular message. And when it comes to the written word, more words don't mean half as much as using the right ones strategically.

Q: What is one skill that is imperative for somebody who wants to succeed in PR?

Brian: Commit to continuing your public relations education after graduation. To keep up with the pace, manner and methods of communication, continuing education is essential. The good news is that educational resources are everywhere. Look up your local chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and take advantage of monthly luncheon events that offer the chance to network with professionals and learn from them as well. Sign up for a PRSA committee and work to line up topics that you want to learn more about. For example, I attended a "Social Media in Healthcare" panel discussion through the Detroit Chapter of PRSA last week, led my director-level social media professionals working in hospitals, physician practices and the media. It's this firsthand perspective about the challenges and opportunities associated with social media in healthcare that I'm now able to take back to my clients, which empowers me as a PR professional and a counselor to my clients.

Q: Finally, today's random question comes from Glassdoor.com's Top 25 Oddball Interview Questions Of 2009: What was your best MacGyver moment?

Brian: I once used a LARGE amount of duct tape to keep the bumper of my first car from dragging on the ground. Make no mistake, duct tape is probably the single best (and stickiest) product ever invented. Maybe the duct tape people need PR.

###

 

How To Win at Public Relations: Be Smart (Or, Don't Be Stupid)

This is part three of a never-ending series on how to win at public relations. Read part one and part two.

As a PR person, there's one thing you should take away from Apple's iPad press conference last week: when Apple CEO Steve Jobs appeared on stage to announce the new product, reporters clapped.

Why is this important to you?

Because Apple didn't waste those spray painted invites on media who would not be interested in attending. 

They only invited their fans.

This might seem logical, yet, some firms still employ the strategy of carpet bombing the media, which is the mirror opposite of Apple's tactic.

Here's a made-up example with real world implications.

The client is releasing a new product -- the Snow Blaster 3000 -- just in time for winter.

In an effort to prepare for the media blitz that will accompany the launch, the coordinator on the account is instructed to build the mother of all media lists. This media list includes every single reporter in the United States of America whose past coverage has ever included some combination of the words "snow", "like a hot knife through butter" and "back pain."

At 12:01 a.m. EST on the day of the launch, the release hits thousands of inboxes.

That morning, the technology reporter at the Miami Herald sits down at her desk, logs into her e-mail and sees a press release announcing a snow blower that is going to "change the way you attack snow."

Delete.  

This action repeats itself in newsrooms in various parts of the country.

Meanwhile, the client verbally undresses their account staff because they didn't meet the astronomical metrics.

Everybody involved decries the lazy journalists for covering fluffy news instead and retreats to their cubicles.

We're not yet at the point where we can pronounce the press release dead, but sending out a mass e-mail to reporters hoping one or two will bite certainly is.

(I've recently seen media lists passed around that included defunct newspapers. Try explaining to your client why you didn't land a story in that paper.)

While you cannot control the quality of the product that your client is paying you to promote, you can control the quality of the time you spend pitching the product.

Let's go back in time for a moment.

You get a phone call from your client to talk about the strategy you'll use to pitch the Snow Blaster 3000.

This time, instead of promising 100 stories in metro newspapers all over the country, you suggest to the client that outreach efforts focus on papers and media outlets in cold weather cities. Not only will the odds of positive coverage increase, you say, but from a professional perspective, you're making a name for yourself as somebody who knows their stuff.

In this situation you are managing expectations with your client and helping them to understand why they're paying you good money to do this for them.

Oh, one more thing: reporters are busy people. The reason we monitor coverage is to not only see when our client's coverage runs, but also see what the reporter is writing about on a daily basis. Daily monitoring of our target media gives us a great understanding of their interests and, thus, what they would be interested in writing about.  It also eliminates the erroneous pitches.

I've never been told this by a reporter, but I'm positive they like targeted pitches that are in their sweet spot. Besides, the quickest way to a reporter's black list is heavy use of the mail merge feature found in most e-mail clients.

In fact, pretend I never mentioned those words.

Now go out there and don't be stupid.

What is your productivity secret?

Photo courtesy of Dan Paluska's photostream.

Being busy at work is definitely a good thing.

But there are days where the number of Post-it notes scattered on my desk is in direct correlation with the scattering of tasks in my brain. I find it ironic that we live in such a tech-infused world, yet we rely on such a non-techy item as those little yellow pads.

Obviously, my organization system is broken, so I need a new one.

That's where you guys come in.

I'm in search of a system (or some tips) that will allow me to work smart and effectively in an e-mail driven field, and also get organized so that I'm focusing on the big bets and not getting lost in the small stuff.

If you faced the same problem and beat it down to a bloody pulp, what techniques did you use?

I want to pick your brains. Virtually, of course.

What Can Jimmy the Greek Teach Us About Public Relations?

 
  
This past Friday night I had some time to myself, so I warmed up the 'ol DVR and watched "The Legend of Jimmy the Greek," one of ESPN's incredible "30 for 30"documentaries that the Worldwide Leader is producing to celebrate its 30th anniversary. The story chronicled the famed NFL analyst/oddsmaker's rise to glory at CBS and his equally stunning crash.

Jimmy's run on "The NFL Today" ended when I was nine, so I didn't grow up with him on my television set because, well, it was broken half of the time and I was playing with Transformers. I knew CBS fired him for some crass comments he made about African-American athletes, but that's where my familiarity with him begins and ends. 

I was surprised to learn he practiced public relations for a short period of time after he was convicted of interstate gambling as a way of showing the authorities he wanted to clean up his act. He represented the billionaire Howard Hughes for a short while and was one of the people instrumental in getting poker televised.

Not bad for somebody who merely dipped their toe in the waters of PR.

So, in light of his successful run, here are some ways Jimmy The Greek can teach us to be better at our craft.

Be innovative.

Jimmy used to pay the kids who worked on the trains that crossed through his hometown of Steubenville, Ohio to pick up the newspapers in other cities and deliver them to Jimmy when they came back through town. This was before the Internet and major sports coverage as we know it today. He  mined valuable tidbits about the games he was laying odds on with information that nobody else had access to. Think about ways to be innovative and stay ahead of the competition.

Act like you own the place.

Whenever Jimmy walked into a casino, it was like he owned the place. Everybody knew his name and everybody craved to hear what he had to say. His knowledge transcended himself. Same goes in public relations. When you can establish that relationship and trust with the media, they will take the time to listen to you.

Do your homework.

Jimmy worked hard at the beginning of his career to separate himself from other oddsmakers. It's what led to the syndication of his newspaper column in the Las Vegas Sun. Like I mentioned above, he made sure he had all of the best information before he opened his mouth. When you're pitching a reporter on behalf of your client, make sure you think about every possible question they'll throw at you. If you have become one with the pitch, it will show, and that will lead to success.

Don't become part of the story.

Jimmy lived and died by his familiarity with his audience. Unfortunately, it got the best of him when he spoke "on the record" about his views on black athletes. Because he was a representative of CBS, they had to fire him. When you're reaching out to the media, it's imperative that you indicate who you are representing. I start every phone pitch by telling the reporter what my name is and who I am calling on behalf of. I don't want to risk being quoted (even though it happens sometimes.) It's not our story; we are merely the conduits.

Decide what you want to be famous for.

It's unlikely that Jimmy, a high school dropout with a propensity for gambling, would have found success if it hadn't been for a few big winning bets. But it's what he did with his winnings that made him famous. He realized early on that there was a market for his skill, so he marketed it. He worked hard at one thing and turned it into a lucrative career. If not for a slip of the tongue, who knows how we would remember him today.

When did public relations become advertising?

Color me naive but there is still some skill involved in successful public relations, is there not?

I ask because I read a post last week in Getting Ink that detailed one PR professional's unsuccessful attempt to convince the blogger to blog about their product if they received compensation. The PR person pitched her twice with two different products with almost the exact same wording.

The blogger refused, citing an obvious disregard for professional courtesy and a potentially low payday, if she was even compensated at all.

After reading it, a few things bothered me.

1. Did I miss something?

This tactic flies in the face of everything we're taught as PR professionals. Placing a client's product shouldn't matter how much money you offer but, instead, how your writing skills, due diligence and knowledge of said product relate to the targeted reporter. One should never, ever offer a reporter/blogger money to write about their product. That's cheating.

2. Are my practices antiquated?

I've sent reporters products and software to review, but we never agreed that the reporter would write a favorable review if I let them keep the product. Believe me, I try to get everything sent back. Some reporters just refuse to return items.

3. Is there a bigger trend at play?

Is this where PR is headed? With metro newspapers dying and digital media coming on strong, is the PR profession suddenly going to become pay-for-play? If that happens, can we really trust that what we're reading is subjective? Or, does it become a case of bloggers blogging about the company that pays them the most money.

So many questions. Do you have the answers?

All The Twitty Girls

 

Every guy who attended high school remembers the popular girls.

Their slow-motion walk down the hallway made the nerds cower in prepubescent fear and the jocks sweaty with anticipation.

Good looks and flawless fashion sense raised their status to rock star levels while we toiled away on the periphery, forever yearning to be in their good graces. A simple nod of acknowledgment was all we asked, but in the back of our minds we knew that we never stood a chance.

From that unattainable goal comes a deep-seated resentment that their outward appearance and popularity will take them places in life we can only dream of going.

- - -

This article in Vanity Fair is exactly why people hate Twitter.

 

Everybody is encouraged to interact, but there is a clearly defined "in" crowd that becomes evident the more you participate.

 

No matter if you follow unofficial Twitter etiquette to a T, you start to see the same people's tweets retweeted and replied to, which gives the impression that most users just want to draw attention to themselves from, to borrow a phrase from the article, the "twilebrities."

 

Compound that idea with the fact that the woman portrayed in the article are young and good-looking, and you start to wonder, "What's the point?"

 

The attractive people are still winning.

It's high school all over again.

 

Nothing has changed.

How To Win at Public Relations: Take Deep Breaths (Often)

This is part two in a never-ending series on how to win at public relations. Here's part one.

Fact: Public relations is demanding.

So for those who want to do it for a living, we salute you.

But before you take the shrink wrap off of your AP Stylebook, run your fingertips over your keyboard and begin pounding out a brilliant pitch that is going to knock off your client's socks, know this: there will be days when you want to rip your AP Stylebook in half.

(Another hint: destroying company property is not a suggested strategy for winning.)

If you work on the agency side, it's not uncommon to balance a handful of clients at once who are  (rightfully) asking for immediate results -- ugh, I hate this phrase -- yesterday.  And it's inevitable that you will encounter one who doesn't understand why they are paying you a large chunk of their fiscal year budget.

To them, this might be a valid question.

They haven't seen a cover story in the Wall Street Journal (or an equally impressive piece of coverage) so they want to know what you've been doing.

Assuming you have been doing something, this is a perfect opportunity to show your value.

Are you building the client's reputation on their family of social media sites?

Put it in PowerPoint!

Are you changing customer perception through strategically placed op-ed articles?

Wow them with your words!

Are you consistently placing local executives on smaller but oh-so-important radio shows in key markets?

Numb them with numbers!

The first reaction we tend to exhibit when faced with a challenging inquiry is anger. The accusation that we're not adding value is one that can rattle even the most experienced PR person. But if you don't handle it properly and see it for what it is, you risk placing yourself on your client's bad side. And trust me when I say that nobody wants to be there. It can be impossible to dig yourself out.

So take a deep breath, assess what you've done, and show your client the nuts and bolts of the program. Assure them that the small steps you're taking today will mean long strides in the future, and maybe even that Wall Street Journal article, if newspapers are still around. 

(On second thought, don't say that.)

Six New Year's Resolutions

It seems every single blog I read over the holiday contained some form of new year's resolution.  Since I like to pick up fads at the tail end of their popularity, I thought now is the best time to share my resolutions.

Six of them, to be precise.

1. Be myself.

They say the hardest part about blogging is finding your voice. I've been at this for almost eleven months and there are still times when I click to publish and it looks like somebody else wrote the post. I plan to nip that in the bud in twenty ten.

2. Start watching Mad Men.

Okay. There has to be a reason why everybody I know on Facebook watches this show. Like I said above, I like grabbing onto fads as they flame out, so getting up to speed before season 4 starts should be par for the course. [Editor's note: He started watching last night.]

3. Learn how to play the guitar.

Because everybody needs one resolution they will give up halfway through the year, if not sooner.

4. Invent the first brain-to-PC thought processing software.

My best blog ideas always hit when I'm in the shower or driving to work, never when I'm sitting in front of my computer. The only way to fix this problem is if I implant something in my brain that allows me to send a blog entry back to my computer via my brain waves. Sounds simple.

5. Create "The List" with my wife.

It's a proven fact that every couple has a secret list of celebrities -- usually five-- that they would leave their spouse for, written jointly with the understanding that if a celeb on that list propositions your spouse, they are free to run away with no strings attached. My wife and I don't have one but it's high time we do. After all, 2010 could be the year I bump into Jenna Fischer at Trader Joe's.

6. Post at least 2x a week.

The blogging rules dictate you have to blog at least three times per week to stay relevant, but I think that's reserved for people who want to become professional bloggers (whatever that means.) I'm not here to make a living. Unless, of course, you're an agent who likes what you've read so far and you think "The Life of Brad Marley: The True Story Of a Newbie Blogger" has "blockbuster" written all over it. In that case, send me an e-mail. If not, know that I will strive to provide something twice weekly, even if I let my daughter pound the keyboard for 20 minutes.

What are your resolutions that will inevitably be broken?

I don't know Zooey Deschanel in real life, but I kind of want to.

Two nights ago I chose convenience over browsability with my foray into the world of downloadable movies.

There are certain luxuries you are forced to give up when you have kids and one of them is driving to the nearest movie store and spending a leisurely 30 minutes picking out a movie.

Luckily, I knew I wanted to see (500) Days of Summer, so the choice was easy.

The movie is about a guy named Tom who falls in love with a woman named Summer who doesn't reciprocate his love, and all similarities to any romantic comedy you've ever seen stop right there.

Theirs is a relationship that she won't let him define, so he is forced to wade in a sea of uncertainty; all-the-time wondering if she will wake up one day and make a decision that will impact his life in one way or another. 

Why does he do it? Because he loves her, of course.

Remember that punched-in-the-gut feeling you got when that certain someone -- that someone you knew was the one because you treaded so carefully so as not to crack the fragile veneer that covered whatever it was the two of you were engaged in -- ripped out the emotional IV that you had subsisted on since you met them?

This movie captures the essence of that predicament.

If you do watch it, and I suggest you do, be warned: you will walk away less sure in your belief about love and fate and the idea of "The One," but I think that's the point.

The best stuff I read in 2009.

Like most of you, I'm sure, I did a lot of reading in 2009.

Whether it was a book, a newspaper article, or "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," 'the complex cognitive process of decoding symbols for the intention of deriving meaning and/or constructing meaning' was something I partook in daily. My fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Hill, would be so proud.

So as I bid good riddance to the year that brought us four-hour waits for flu vaccinations, the advent of TMZ.com as a legitimate news source (because they were the only media outlet unscrupulous enough to run a report of Michael Jackson's death before it was confirmed) and teenybopper vampire romance trilogies, I want to take one more look at my favorite blog posts and articles from 2009.

• NHL: Brand Resurrected (MarketingDaily)

• How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live (Time.com)

• How Social Media is Radically Changing the Newsroom (Mashable)

• Could Twitter destroy real journalism? (ESPN.com)

• PR People: Stop Being Bad at Stuff and Read This (Bad Pitch Blog)

• An Epidemic of Fear: How Panicked Parents Skipping Shots Endangers Us All (WIRED)

• How To Be Interesting (Copyblogger)

• Apocalypse Then: a two-part series on the lessons of Y2K. Part 1. Part 2. (Slate.com)

• Anything Jeff Pearlman writes about on his blog.

There you have it. Those are mine.

What captured your fancy in 2009?