Brad Marley

*This post originally ran in September of 2009. I wanted to run it again because I think it’s still relevant and it’s one of my favorite posts.*

When you become a parent, your life becomes exponentially more exciting.

Take me and my wife, for example.

The highlight of our day is watching Dexter after we put our daughter to bed. (We don’t want her exposed to the F word at such an early age.) And watching a show that makes you feel sympathy for a serial killer can cause your brain to go to places it shouldn’t, like where Dexter can teach public relations practitioners to be better at, well, their practice.

Rule #1: Adhere to ‘The Code’. The code of ethics, of course. Just like Dexter has a specific code he follows when choosing his victims, we must follow an ethical code when we go about our day-to-day business. You don’t want to be one of those professionals who thinks nobody will notice if they, I don’t know, misrepresent themselves for one little story. Bad things will happen, man. Bad things.

Rule #2: Pay attention to the spatter. When Dexter tests the blood spatter pattern caused by a candlestick being forced into a victim’s head, the result is a nonsensical pattern that only makes sense to a trained professional. When you’re crafting an e-mail pitch for a large swath of journalists, make sure there is a method to your madness. The results of a mail merge catastrophe can be deadly, and nobody wants to clean up that mess.

Rule #3: Be meticulous. When Dexter kills one of his victims, he makes sure his “kill room” is covered from floor to ceiling in plastic so none of the evidence leaks out, and he can, essentially, take the room with him when he disposes of the body.  In public relations, nothing is worse than being a sloppy professional. Spell check will only get you so far. Even if it’s something as simple as an e-mail to your colleague about a meeting, take the time to check for spelling and grammatical errors. Our words are what make us successful. Don’t disregard them.

Rule #4: Begin a relationship. One way to throw off the scent, if you’re a serial killer, is to have a public relationship, since we all know that’s like at the opposite end of the psychopath spectrum. Same goes in PR. Kind of. While we do write strategy, create campaigns and brainstorm possibilities, coverage is the name of the game. So, striking up relationships with reporters is a no-brainer. Without them, we don’t have a career, so it’s imperative that we deliver what we promise. The quickest way to burning that relationship bridge is if they view you as unreliable. Take the time to nurture it, then add water on a regular basis and watch it grow.

Rule #5: Don’t allow yourself to get caught. This is the most important rule of all — for both serial killers and PR practitioners – and it ties in with Rule #1. The account manager who thinks it’s okay to pay people to write positive reviews for his or her client’s product and post them on-line, or the account supervisor who gathers a stable of Tweeters to draft favorable “tweets” about his client, will always be caught. Yes, there is a time and a place for new tactics, but take a minute to think about what you’re doing before you do it. If the majority says it goes against some societal or professional norm, it probably does.

I've watched approximately seven minutes of college basketball this season, so I am primed to help you be just as mediocre as everybody else when it comes to filling out your bracket.

Take it from me, a one-time bracket champion, when I tell you that only the truly college basketball-addicted can thrive during this once-a-year test of skill.

The rest of us? It's a crap shoot.

Here are five tips to follow if you want to be disappointed.

1. There Is No "I" In Team – I always stay away from the teams that are built around one player. Why? Kevin Durant. I picked his Texas Longhorns as a shoe-in to reach the Final Four in 2007, only to be highly disappointed when they lost in the second round. It seems easier to stop one player than it does five.

Please see: Ohio State

2. Been There, Done That - I have a non-scientific theory that says the experienced teams will proceed deeper into the tournament than the inexperienced teams. (Except for the Fab Five. They are the exception. The only one.) I liken it to the first day on the job. You might do okay, but you don't know that you have to elbow the copy machine in just the right place to make copies; you don't know that the secretary will feign ignorance on your behalf if you take a two-hour lunch if you compliment her new haircut. The veterans do, which gives them an advantage.

Please see: Kansas, Tennessee, Villanova

3. Cinderella, Dressed In Yella' - Cinderella's beauty lies in the fact that nobody sees it right away. It just kind of grows on you. And, before you know it, she's gone, and you're left wondering how you missed her. Similarly, if you can find me one person who predicted George Mason's run in 2006, please introduce me to them, because they squeezed in all they could before the clock struck 12. Nowadays, analysts are too quick to christen the next one, because they want to be the guy who predicted it. If you're called a potential Cinderella in January, you're probably not.

Please see: Northern Iowa, Siena, Cornell  

4. You May Have A Point - Bar non, point guards are the most important player to a team's NCAA tournament success. (I heard that on T.V. last night.) When was the last time a team with a sub par point guard reached the Final Four? How about never? If you're only going to take one piece of advice when you fill out your bracket, it should be this: pick teams with good point guards. 

Please see: Michigan State, Kansas, Villanova, Kentucky

5. Tradi - shunnnnnn..Tradition! - Chances are slim that we'll see another George Mason make a run all the way to the Final Four. That was a fluke. When the smoke clears, the traditional powerhouses — the Kansases, the Michigan States, the Kentuckys — will likely be the ones left standing. If you're scratching your head, looking to make the right pick, be safe. Go with the big guns.

For prosperity's sake, here is my Final Four: Kansas, Pittsburgh, Villanova, West Virginia

(For the record, I have no idea how Pittsburgh got there. It just kind of happened.)

Last week, the popular sports blog Deadspin devoted some space on their site to an idea that Major League Baseball discussed during an internal brainstorm dedicated to solving baseball's parity problem.

Essentially, this "idea" is that teams would be able to make their case to switch divisions on a yearly basis in order to increase their chances of success. It's a horrible idea.

Bud Selig, whether fair or not, has been subjected to harsh criticism during his time as baseball's commissioner. And, thanks to a strike-shortened season in 1994, an All-Star Game in 2002 that ended in a tie, and the steroid issue, he deserves much of it.

But not for an idea that will never see the light of day (I hope.)

It is no more newsworthy than the ideas my firm throws around when we are brainstorming ideas for a new client pitch. The good ones rise to the surface, while the bad ones die, never to be seen again.

This idea should have died a quiet death, but, as well all know, everything counts as news. 

Now, I'm not going to rail against blogs like Deadspin, because I enjoy reading most of their content. But when they started their site under the motto of "Sports News Without Access," they set a dangerous precedent for every blog "Without Access" that came after.

Now, everything has become fair game for the media.

Everything is a potential time bomb, waiting to explode.

There is no such thing as a "non-news story" anymore.

(Shit, ESPN practically collapsed in on itself when Urban Meyer announced that he was taking a leave of absence.)

What wasn't news a decade ago now has the potential to appear on the front page if it's scandalous, or is perceived to be scandalous by the public. Even if it turns out to be false, the rush to report news first will inevitably lead to potentially hazardous false starts.

As the gatekeepers of your client or company's information, it's so important for PR professionals to understand this.

If you haven't done so already, you need to know what is happening within your walls so that  you can be prepared for anything.

If you're not a part of management meetings that discuss organizational decisions, you must become one. Often times, huge decisions are made with no input from the communications department. But in a changing news cycle where news is always breaking, and the next scandal is merely one executive's off-the-cuff comment away, we have to become a part of the discussion.

It wouldn't be the worst idea ever.

This is part four in a never-ending series on how to win at public relations. Read the other posts here.

When you begin your work in the field of public relations, there is a tendency to be terrified of talking to reporters.

Whether it's a direct report who unnecessarily scares you before you pick up the phone to place your first call, or you catch a reporter on a bad day who scars you for a good three weeks, it is their willingness to write about your client that determines your fate.

Your success lies in their ink-stained hands.

But as crazy as it might sound, reporters are not terrible people.

Their main drive in life is not to belittle every single PR person they come in contact with. They have spouses. They have kids. They have interests outside of their job, just like you and I.

But the pressure on them — especially now — is insane. So it's understandable if they get a little ornery with us.

Why we make them ornery in the first place is another blog post on its own, but there is a way to circumvent (or, minimize) the bad retorts: treat them like you would want to be treated.

I know. It's mind-blowing.

With a large percentage of reporters using Twitter to find sources, it's easy to discover their interests, which will help you in your quest for an audience with them.

You will never cross a reporter who doesn't enjoy a little banter through e-mail, as long as it's appropriate. (Duh.) If this is your first time pitching a reporter, perhaps it's a good idea to stick to the pitch. But if you've established a rapport, I encourage something to break the ice; inject some personality into your pitch. 

Not only will it help your e-mail stand out, but they just might e-mail you back.

Hold on to your mice, everyone.

The weekly grab bag streak is now at two.

Of course, it helps when other bloggers and publications push out great content. So, without further ado, check out what captured my attention this week.

1. The Secret to a Lifetime of Productivity — And Five Ways To Find It (TerryStarbucker.com) – I've been on a productivity kick lately, so I'm devouring anything and everything on ways to get more work done strategically. And this hits the sweet spot.

2. 75 Books Every Man Should Read (Esquire) – I'm ashamed to admit that I have read only one of the books on this list (Heart of Darkness). Looks like I have some reading to do.

3. The New News Junkie Is Online and On the Phone (NYTimes.com Bit Blog) – Ninety-nine percent (yes, ninety-nine) of American adults get news each day, according to a new report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. But how they're getting their news is the hook.

4. To Improve Performance, Audit Your Employees' Email (Harvard Business Review) – I'm going to ignore the grammatical faux paus (emails?) and, instead, tell you that I'm in love with this idea of making effective e-mail practice a part of annual reviews. If you've been reading my blog lately, you know that e-mail and I are on the rocks. This idea has the potential to save our relationship.

That's all I have for this week. As always, you can find all of my links on my Delicious page.

What captured your attention this week?