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 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?

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.)

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?

If this was a lemon, I'd build a lemonade stand.

The thing about public relations is that you have to be really passionate about something, have a compelling story to tell, or have a damn good product to promote if you want to get the most out of your PR investment.

The majority of PR folk are solid wordsmiths who can get even the most uninterested reporter to raise an eyebrow when the e-mail pitch hits their inbox. But if you are selling crap, your money would be better spent developing the product, rather than promoting it.

Then there are times when we encounter something so bodacious, you want to tell everyone about it, free of charge.

Like, this:

There are no mulligans for poor public relations.

At some point in the future, a public relations student will open their crisis communications textbook and turn to the chapter titled, "How Bad PR Ruined Tiger Woods' Career."

Within that chapter, they will learn that letting the other side tell your story first is not the best way to control the message.

They'll learn that the longer a person or company hides behind Web site statements and controlled messages, the more guilty they will become in the eyes of the public, even if they aren't guilty.

They'll learn that, if the accusations are serious enough, the best way to ward off mounting criticism is to address the allegations in person, no matter what.

And, lastly, they'll learn that no entity or person, no matter how powerful they think they are, is invincible.

Tiger Woods' ongoing mistake -- aside from the alleged infidelity -- is hiding behind his public statements. His desire for a private life is understandable, but he gave up all expectation of that ideal when he won his first golf tournament.

The longer he waits to add the all-important human element, the more tarnished his brand will become. If his publicist is worth his salt, they will force Woods to appear in person to apologize, even if it means bringing down the carefully built wall he has spent his career building. 

Otherwise, this will define his career, not the number of trophies on his mantle.

For somebody who had the skill and determination to become the greatest ever at his sport, that would be the greatest transgression of all.

Like it or not, PR professionals abound.

When I began writing this blog way back in February, the second thing I wrote was a post about how, outside of a few friends and my wife, nobody really knows what I do for a living.

Public relations? Oh, you mean advertising?

Nobody ever talks to me about my job at get-togethers and family functions because, well, they don't know how I spend my days at work.

But, like I said, that was way back in February.

I'm happy to report that nine months later, nothing has changed.

***

Earlier this week, I finally arrived: I was quoted by mistake in a story.

Hey, it happens.

After I read the article, I opened my instant messenger application and shot the link to my cousin, who was on-line. (Both of us were the best man at each other's wedding. We're tight. We know things about each other nobody else does.)

"Scroll halfway down and look who the spokesperson is," I typed.

"Cool!" he replied.

I smacked my forehead with the palm of my hand.

"Actually, it's not cool. We are paid to get our client's quotes in print, not our own."

"Oh, well, maybe you could market your interview skills."

After a few minutes elapsed, I replied.

"Don't worry. You're not the only person who doesn't know what I do for a living."

***

When it comes right down to it, I would much rather sit on the couch at a family event and watch football than I would like to talk about how my advances were rejected by seven reporters last week.

But public relations is not some fly-by-night profession.  Like lawyers and doctors, we studied the craft in specialized college programs before venturing out into the world. Just because there is no such thing as a public relations store does not mean we are invisible. You would be amazed by the affect we have on your daily routine.

Do you read the newspaper? Chances are, a PR professional helped a journalist with one (or more) of the articles.

Do you watch the morning news? The consumer reporter hawking the latest mobile device likely worked with one of us to get that phone to show you, the viewer.

Did you listen to the radio on your way home from work? We probably pitched the interview with the best-selling author.

I'm not saying we are important as lawyers and doctors, but we're everywhere. You just don't see us.

So, at your next major family gathering, take a minute to talk to the resident PR person about their work. It might be the highlight of their week.

Or, they might give you a short answer and go watch football.

But at least you can say you tried.

The BCS should have spent its public relations budget on something other than public relations.

College football fans in the United States who think a playoff system to determine a true national championship is a bad idea are few and far between.

So the gents who run the Bowl Championship Series(BCS) brought in outside publicists to try and sway all of those naysayers with some old fashioned PR.

What did the publicists do?

They opened a Twitter account, naturally.

At first glance, one might think it's satirical in nature.  Sadly, it's not.

Contained within the tweets is a wealth of examples of how not to run a PR campaign.

Let's review.

Rule: Do not make up terms.

 
It's never a good idea to pretend your words have always been a part of the popular lexicon.

Rule: Do not fuel the fire.

 
This snarky answer was made in response to a snarky question. Obviously, the Snark Meter is now broken. Would you coach your executives to respond like this to a reporter?

Rule: Do not act dumb.  

 
There are a number of logical alternatives to the current BCS system that involve a playoff. (Like this one.) Pretending they don't exist is just ignorant.

Rule: Do not defeat your own purpose by being unintentionally hilarious.

 

For their second-ever tweet, the fine folks behind the Twitter feed used a quote by University of Florida football coach, Urban Meyer, to convey a sense that the system is better than the alternative, I guess. Easy for him to say when his team is consistently nationally ranked in the top ten and, thus, afforded an inside track to the national championship game. Now, if the quote came from Boise State head football coach, Chris Peterson, that might have opened some eyes.

***

Naturally, I believe public relations is something all companies should consider if they don't already have a plan in place.

But there are exceptions to every rule and, in this case, the BCS is one.

Due to an already overwhelming negative public perception, they lost the battle before the first shot was fired. Their attempt at swaying the deeply rooted opinion of a passionate public was ill-advised. Somebody should have killed this idea before the check was written.

But now the damage is done, and no amount of PR will fix it.

How ironic.