I love research. I love comScore. But seriously, this has got to be the silliest piece of published “tech” research I’ve seen in some time.

comScore Releases Results of Study on Apple iPad and E-Reader Consumer Attitudes, Behaviors and Purchase Intent…iPad Matches Amazon Kindle in Awareness and Purchase Intent

Why? Three reasons!

1. Amazon makes Kindle iPhone/iPod reading software. Barnes & Noble has announced that they will make reader software for iPad. Amazon and Barnes & Nobel want to sell content.  Their products are nice, but in the long run, they launched their devices to sell content. Why wasn’t this surfaced in the research?
2. Comparing an e-ink, eReader to a Tablet PC is like comparing a Ford F150 to a Super Bike (I know not a great analogy, but I am tired!). So iPad can kick ass in the do-everything department — no doubt. But e-ink has a huge advantage as an e-reader — less eye fatigue and better battery life. But then again, that’s all they do!
3. Finally, the research isn’t as much about “Apple iPad and E-Reader Consumer Attitudes” is it is about, well, Apple iPad attitudes. And consumer attitudes seem to show that consumers will purchase the device for Internet, email, and to do a lot of computerlike things on it (aka multitasking). Basically, see point #2. You can’t do these things with Kindle or Nook because they are eReaders, not tablet PCs!!!

So what did the research tell us? Lots of things! Just nothing that’s particularly useful. To paraphrase Dorothy Parker: This research is not to be tossed lightly aside, but hurled with great force…

I was quoted in a PRWeek story by Aarti Shah today (“Google’s China move affirms reputation“). The article focusses on the Google brand and how its decision to “not censor” search and move their operations to a Hong Kong server might impact their brand reputation.

I think the simple answer is: only in good ways. Why? Because they stayed true to their Philosophy and chose to not compromise. Regardless of how you might view Google’s business overall (selling advertising and collecting data about people), you won’t be able to corner them for being hypocrites!

But this does bring up an interesting point not being debated as much right now:  Why go into China in the first place? Did they really think this wasn’t going to be an issue?  Google is a smart company, with some of the smartest people in the world.  Naïve isn’t  a word I would use to describe them. But let me table that for another day (and another blog)!

What I think is most interesting is how this act will impact mobile-focused companies doing business in China that rely on Google to help monazite their products and services.  For example,  OEMs like Motorola are breaking ties with Google in China. This is most likely a pragmatic act of  solidarity with the Chinese Government as Google might not be available in China in the near future anyway…so why not hedge their bets?

But to understand fully the implications here, you have to remember that Google isn’t just a web search being used on LAPTOPs and PCS. Google today is about mobile phones, mobile search, and location based services.  When looking at the global usage numbers these are consistently the big drivers in mobile data traffic. This is why people PAY for data plans.

It seems we are a nation obsessed. In a recent study by Retrevo Gadgetology, people admit that their social media obsession has caused them to interrupt meals, using the bathroom, and even intimacy, to check a message. A staggering 48% of the people surveyed also report they update Facebook or Twitter during the night, or as soon as they wake up. Yikes.

As PR professionals, we’re engaged in social media throughout the day and night, on behalf our clients as well as our own personal accounts.  And although CNET may not be too surprised about these results, I am. Even on days when I feel as if I’m living and breathing social media, I consider myself to be less obsessed than the majority of the survey respondents. So, I have nothing to worry about, right?

Well, apparently heavy use of social media could also make me depressed, as was found in a February study in the UK, as reported by Computerworld. Luckily, the popularity of Tweet-ups in Seattle can serve to off-set any lack of personal interaction that could come as a result of my social media activity, if I start to worry…

What do you think – has your use of social media as a PR pro, or otherwise, significantly changed any of your daily life habits?

In anticipation of Tim Burton’s new blockbuster, Alice in Wonderland,  last Friday the LA Times ran a full front-page ad featuring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. This is believed to be the first of its kind and one estimate has ad space costing $700,000 or more.  

While some would call this brilliant marketing, some experts believe that the tough economy forces newspapers to tear down ethics wall—a so called blurring of commercial and editorial interests. 

Here is some of the commentary surrounding the ad from a variety of news outlets:

• Reuters
• New York Times
• Huffington Post
• Media Week
• Media Buyer Planner

 

Do you think the LA Times sold its soul?

Our own Bob Silver (@Bob_Silver) teamed up with two social media experts Leigh Fatzinger (@lfatzinger), CEO of Nology Media and Jen Joyce (@hotel_max), Social Media & Entertainment Sales Manager at Hotel Max to discuss social media and PR during the MarketMix 2010 event.

It was a lively discussion, covering everything from social media’s impact on customer service, how to engage audiences in a meaningful way and how PR and social media channels can and do work in harmony.  Only one attendee/tweeter thought the presentation was similar to “social media for kindergarteners,” so take a look and let us know if you agree….

How to Mix PR and Social Media

Even if you’ve been living in a cave, you have probably heard of Twitter.

As a person that is somewhat obsessed with travel, the majority of people that I follow on Twitter are companies and influencers in this industry. Twitter has grown to become a major resource for travelers, as it is easily accessible for the ever-expanding number of smart phone users around the world.  The site also offers access to real-time feedback from other travelers and may eventually replace the bulky guidebook.

One category of travel companies on Twitter that is well-represented is the airline industry. Every major carrier, both domestic and international, has a presence on Twitter. As a PR professional, one thing I find to be interesting is looking at how the various domestic airlines communicate to their followers on Twitter.

In my opinion, there are only a few airlines that truly shine on Twitter, injecting humor and fun into their tweets, posting photos, fully engaging with their followers, being a travel industry resource and also a customer service resource for travelers when needed. Virgin America, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue fit in here.

On the other hand, you have other airlines that do what I would consider to be ‘the basics’ – tweet about sales, reply to some customers, and post the occasional industry link – but there is just something missing, that special spark. United Airlines and US Airways come to mind.

To me, the difference that I have found interesting is how the perception of the ‘fun’ airline personality on Twitter seems to be directly related to the airline’s mainstream popularity among travelers.

Last year, both the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2009 and the Condé Nast Traveler 2009 Readers’ Choice Awards ranked Virgin America, JetBlue and Southwest Airlines in the top 10 for domestic airlines. United and US Airways are nowhere to be found on either. Also, as of today in the voting for Budget Travel’s Readers’ Choice Awards, the three airlines in the lead for Favorite Airline are (you guessed it!) JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, and Virgin America.

Perhaps this is a ‘chicken or the egg’ question – are these airlines popular because they’ve communicated a fun brand on Twitter, or were they able to create this fun persona because they were already popular?

Regardless of which is the case, even an airline that is loved by over a million followers can suddenly find itself in the middle of a social media firestorm, as was true in the recent Kevin Smith vs. Southwest Airlines fiasco. As CNET’s Caroline McCarthy points out, this was another example of how communications and customer service departments are finding themselves having to work together to get the message out when social media enters the scenario.

And it’s my belief that since Southwest Airlines was a meaningful part of the conversation about their company before the Kevin Smith drama, the resulting effect was ripples instead of tidal waves.

So the next time you fly, thanks to Twitter, you may pause when considering your airline of choice – proving that Virgin America, JetBlue and Southwest Airlines are solid examples of how brands can communicate with people on Twitter through engagement that creates a sense of personality and, ultimately, increases their overall likability as a company.

Last night, the WTIA held its 15th annual Industry Achievement Awards at Showbox SODO. It was definitely a full house, with event emcee Kevin Joyce poking fun at the geeky tech we all love and were there to celebrate. Our group was particularly proud of two of our clients that were finalists: Picnik, for Consumer Product or Service of the Year; and Hubspan, for Service Provider of the Year. Overall, it was a fantastic event, once again demonstrating how amazing our tech community is in Washington state.

Here’s a glance at some of the highlights of the night:

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to all of the finalists and winners!

The conversation, lead by Forbes magazine publisher Rich Karlgaard, touched upon an eclectic mix of topics one of which included her decision to immediately fire Larry Summers if she were ever to become President (which drew applause from the crowd.) However, Huffington also spent some time discussing sensationalism and the media in regards to the “Balloon Boy” phenomenon.  She admitted she did not allow the story to grace the top pages of The Huff Post in order to challenge the fundamental disconnect between real stories that matter and sensationalism.  “Wasn’t the boy found in the attic? Why are we still calling him the ‘Balloon Boy’ and not the ‘Attic Boy,” Huffington joked.

As PR professionals, it is often expected from us to create splashy headlines and generate hype for our clients – whether that means dumping a hundred body bags in front of a leading tobacco company or having Paris Hilton holding your product in a tiny black bikini. Let’s face it, fear and sex sells, right? Maybe not.  Sensationalism does not sell as many papers as it used to. In the age of Facebook and Twitter, all it takes is a few clicks between friend statuses to see through the cloud of sensationalist headlines to find the real stories that matter.

And in the end, does sensationalism help or hurt our cause? When groups like PETA attack people with red paint or dump animal carcasses on cars, the question one must ask is, what message are they really getting across? Do these actions really benefit the ethical treatment of animals?

As PR pros, we need to know when sensational PR strategies will work for our clients and when they won’t. When they do work, they can be rather powerful, but most of the time, taking the sensational road causes more harm than good.

There are plenty of misconceptions floating around about the PR profession and industry in general.  Many of these misconceptions are only altered for PR professionals when they are in school studying PR.  For the rest of the world, these misconceptions may never be addressed.

In my mind, we can thank pop culture for many of the mistaken beliefs about PR.– Samantha was supposedly in PR in “Sex and the City,” but I don’t think I ever saw an episode in which she worked with a member of the media, outside of gossip columnists.  Jessica Biel’s character in “Valentine’s Day” was in PR and we really only saw her in her office running on a treadmill and eating candy.  And of course, right now there are a slew of PR-related reality TV shows on the air including “Kell on Earth” and “Spindustry.”

These shows and movies — good or bad – are certainly a guilty pleasure of mine, but I also think they have begun to beg the question of how much impact pop culture has on my profession and the PR industry in general.  Is there any truth to these shows from a PR perspective?

While I can say that none of these pop culture representations persuaded me to study public relations in college – they have an impact on many students in recent years., We’ve interviewed countless intern candidates hoping to work in the music industry and plan parties, among other things that I rarely — if ever — do as a PR professional at a top-ranked agency.

With this in mind, here are some ways that these shows and movies are creating false understandings of what PR really is and three things others should know about the industry. 

1.) We don’t just plan parties: Yes, Samantha on “Sex and the City” may have done that and yes, there are opportunities to coordinate launch events and parties – look at the iPad launch for example.  When first released, iPad was covered by an outrageous amount of journalists, but the key to such astounding interest wasn’t because Apple threw a raging party, it’s because the company and its PR team had something to say and a new, exciting product to showcase. 

PR is about just this — getting our clients in the news in a positive light in order to generate interest for their target audiences — not just making sure they have a rockin’ party for their newest gadget, product, restaurant, etc.

2.) Part of PR is acting like a salesman:  In Valentine’s Day, a reporter — Jamie Foxx’s character — comes barging down Jessica Biel’s character’s door to get information from her.  I can honestly say that I have never had any reporter banging down the door to my office, demanding information about a client.  In truth, a majority of the time, we’re reaching out to reporters to schedule meetings, bringing our clients to their office.

I was once told that every job has an aspect of sales in it and PR definitely falls under that philosophy.  You’re selling your clients, their products and their story to the media.  PR people make follow up calls to gauge a reporter’s interest on a story angle and there’s always a chance we’ll get hung up on, but it comes with the territory.  The key to being a good PR ‘salesman’ is being smart about what you’re sending to the media and ensuring that 1.) It is relevant to the topic(s) they cover, 2.) Relevant to the media outlet, 3.) Relevant to what is happening in the industry and/or news cycle.  When you don’t follow these rules, that’s when you hear “click.”  Which brings me to my next point—research.

3.) We track news topics and industry trends to get our clients in the news:  This is something you’ll never see in the movies or on TV: We read and follow loads of news outlets.  That means everything from the Wall Street Journal and New York Times to Travel + Leisure and Cosmopolitan. 

Why is this important?  So we can identify the right reporters to pitch our clients’ news to and understand how different news outlets present their news.  For example, the Seattle Times has a regular feature column called “Interface.”  This column regularly features a general overview on local companies and gives us, as PR professionals, an opportunity to suggest our clients for consideration.  If I didn’t regularly read the Seattle Times, I would have no clue about this opportunity for my Seattle-based clients! 

While these shows and movies get some things wrong in my opinion, they do highlight one of the keys to being a successful PR professional – establishing and creating relationships.  That could be with a potential client, a fellow PR person, a reporter and a client. 

“Kell on Earth” is a good example of this.  During a trip to London Fashion Week, Kelly is shown sternly asking people to move out of several front row seats during a fashion show because they were reserved for American press that she had invited.  PR is about creating relationships and for the media, making sure that they have all of the information and resources they need to write a story – whether that means getting a front row seat at a fashion show or providing an interview with a client spokesperson that has expertise on a topic they are writing about.

With all that said, are these shows creating loads of misunderstandings about PR?  I haven’t fully decided, but I know it’ll be refreshing when I tell someone “I work in PR” and they no longer say “Oh yeah, like Samantha Jones, right?”  Sigh.