The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations

A couple of hours ago, I learned that I (along with 2 excellent professors at Towson University and Montclair University) have won a grant from The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations.

It is an honor to receive this award and to be recognized by experts in the field. I will keep you posted on the project in the weeks to come. Thank you to the Plank Center for giving us the opportunity.

Creating an Android App using Google App Inventor and Placing it on the Android Market

Apps are all the rage these days. Many people with smartphones (iPhone, Android, Windows) have downloaded apps that can be used to book flights, check bank balances, listen to music, and complete other tasks. There is an app for almost anything computer related.

Creating apps, however, remains a hurdle for the ordinary, non-techie person. Creating apps for the iPhone, for example, requires a sophisticated understanding of computer language and coding. In addition, Apple's strict gate-keeping of its app-store (e.g. to block spyware or apps that simply copy what other apps can do) means that a beginner experimenting with creating an app for the iPhone risks spending months working on an app that is ultimately rejected by Apple.

Google has stepped in with its Google App Inventor which it says is meant to bring the task of creating apps to the ordinary, non-techie person. In this post, I will share my thoughts regarding my experience using Google App Inventor and some recommendations if you are thinking about creating an app using Google App Inventor.

Step 1: The first step when using Google App Inventor is to get an invitation to the program. The easiest way is to use your .edu address (if you are an instructor or student). If not, apply anyway. To apply, go this link: http://appinventor.googlelabs.com/about/
It may take a couple of weeks but not too long to get an invitation.

Step 2: If you don't have one already, buy an Android Phone. I would recommend getting a cheap, no contract phone. Currently, the cheapest phone you can get is the LG Optimus http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phones/lg-optimus-v-phone.jsp
Although the price on Virgin Mobile is $199, I bought mine for $140 at Radio Shack. You can even buy it for much cheaper on Ebay: http://bit.ly/lTWMrb

The good thing about this phone: for $25 you get unlimited 3G data (surfing, texting, email) and 300 talking minutes. You can pay when you want and cancel anytime. Virgin has the cheapest plan and Android phone compared to Boost, Cricket, and the prepaid services of the major companies (ATT, Sprint, T-Mobile etc). It has wifi and works perfectly with Google Voice so you can actually just use Google Voice to make free calls without even using your plan minutes.

The negatives: The phone's battery life is poor and Virgin Mobile's 3G network (it piggybacks on the Sprint Network) can be iffy. If you talk a lot, this is not your phone. If you simply want to check email, listen to music, do light surfing, and use/create apps, this is the phone.

Step 3: Follow the tutorial Google App inventor provides on how to learn to create apps. All you will need is a computer (I used the most basic, low-end Compaq laptop) and an Android Phone.

If you don't have a phone, you can use an emulator (a program that runs on your computer and imitates the function of a phone). Unless you have a very fast computer, I would not recommend using the emulator. My computer froze when I attempted to use the emulator and online, many complain that if you don't have the latest machine, you will encounter problems.

Step 4: After completing the tutorial, experiment with creating a simple app. Spend no more than one day doing this. Do not spend weeks creating that dream app for your organization or an app that you think will earn you thousands (if you do, you will regret it).

Step 5: Test your app on your phone and if possible, on another Android Phone.

Step 6: The catch: The reason why you should not spend months creating an app using Google App Inventor is that there is a catch with the program: apps you create it can't be placed on the Android Market.

The whole point of creating an app is placing it on Google's Android Market and Amazon's Android Market where people can easily download it to their phones. Without access to these markets, your app can't be found easily. Of course, there are other alternative app markets but these are not well known to regular users (e.g. Appslib, Slideme)

In addition, there are "gray markets" where pirated apps co-exist with spam apps and apps designed to steal personal information. These gray markets are simply not an option for any organizational creating an app.

A critical limitation: In Google App Inventor, Google has turned off the feature that would allow you to finalize the app and place it on the Android Market. The reason is simple: if Google did not do this, then the market would be flooded with lots of trial, incomplete apps from novices (people already complain that even skilled programmers are flooding app markets with junk apps).

Google App inventor is therefore a trial platform meant to teach you how to create apps. It is not meant for creating apps that can be placed and downloaded through the app market. If you are thinking that you can bypass the app markets and place the app on your website for people to download: that is also not possible. In App Inventor, Google has turned off the feature that could allow you to create a complete app that can be downloaded and used on a phone that is not tied to your Google account. Hence, the only way people can download your app is when they are logged in to your Google account which is impractical for real world app use: you would have to give hundreds of strangers your Google account password which is a probably not a good idea

Step 7: So how can you get your app on the Android Market if you are not technically proficient:

Alternative A. Some people have designed methods to get around the restriction. I am not sure whether Google has approved these work around methods. Before trying them, I would read the App Inventor terms of service carefully.

There are three articles that discuss these methods in detail. Some are very technical and some are easy to understand. I have not tried these so I can't vouch for them. And since I am not sure what Google's perspectives on these methods, I will wait for an official word from Google before trying them. But I recommend reading them to get an idea of what it entails:

Noobs Guide For Publishing App Inventor Apps To The Android Market

How to Publish a App Inventor Application to the Android Market

Automating conversion of App Inventor apk to Android Market

Alternative B:
I think the best method is to trying programming and coding. First, buy or borrow Beginning Programming with Java For Dummies (this series gives a good basic introduction). This will give you an idea of the programming language behind Android Apps.

After completing that book, move to Android Application Development For Dummies

Although Google App Inventor is good start for those seeking to learn about Android apps, there is currently no good way to create apps besides programming and coding. A business can always outsource the process but for the individual to experiment with into app creation, learning basic programming is simply necessary.

The value of public relations

If you ever encounter someone who questions the value of public relations, have them watch these two videos. Both illustrate the need of having a trained public relations person nearby to help with handling touchy issues:

A. Dick Fleming, Head of the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce
Decided to avoid a television interview by hiding in a kitchen supply room. This video is an excellent example of local, investigative journalism that can significantly embarrass a person/organization:




B. Mike Lazaridis, Research In Motion (Blackberry) Senior Executive
Walking out of an interview when the BBC is profiling your new product (the Blackberry product aimed at countering the unstoppable iPad) is not exactly good pr strategy.



You can read more about these examples at this interesting blog post which contains more examples and advice from experts in media training.
http://www.mrmediatraining.com/index.php/2011/04/29/april-2011-the-5-worst-video-media-disasters/

Why I keep interning?

People who know me (I feel sorry for them) know that this year I have made some major strides:

* I completed my dissertation, will defend it May 18, and will recieve my PhD in Aug. 2011.

* I was hired by University of Oklahoma where starting Aug 23, 2011, i will teach courses in public relations and advertising.

But this summer (May-Aug), I am doing something that I always love: interning. While in grad school, I have interned at UNICEF, Public Welfare Foundation, OECD, UNHCR, Amnesty International, Illinois State Fair, and PRIME Research.

Each experience teaches me something new. In many cases, its like starting all over again in public relations and addressing new challenges. I leave each internship aware of new things and possessing valuable lessons I can share with my students in the future.

This is likely my last internship because once I start the professorship, the pressures of teaching, research, mentoring, community service, and other tasks will leave me with little time.

Therefore, I am quite excited about what this summer will bring.

Donate your airline miles to help Japan tsunami victims

Here are 2 innovative ways to help the people in Japan.

1. Donate your unused airline miles to aid workers. Click the links below for info from the airlines:

Continental

Delta

American Airlines

United Airlines

Alaska Airlines

Air Canada

2. If you have cash, airlines are giving you miles if you donate. For more information on this program, click this Los Angeles Times article:

This picture speaks a 1000 words

This picture, from the BBC, says it all. We have to do what we can to help the people in Japan.

Public Relations & the U.N. International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

I came across this piece of interesting news: U.K. Pulls Plug on United Nations Spending, in Move That is Bound to Hearten U.S. Critics Buried in the story are 2 startling revelations for anyone concerned about disasters. The UK has decided to no longer fund these programs:

1. U.N. International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR): which describes its goals as "to build global awareness of disaster risk reduction benefits."

2. UN-HABITAT: which works to "promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all."

This is troubling because disasters are a growing problem. Scientists have shown that climate change will lead to more powerful disasters that will affect the poorest countries in the world. Millions across the world will need better housing and better preparation for disasters.

One can look at the UK's cuts in 2 ways. First, as an ideological move by the ruling Tories to limit spending on the UN and other international organizations (The Tories and their conservative counterparts in developed countries are wary of international institutions). Second, one can see the cuts as an objective, non-partisan move aimed at improving how the UN spends its money.

To be honest, I don't know what to make of the cuts. I have studied the UK report and it is hard, for an outsider, to ascertain whether its findings are (a) objective, non-partisan critiques of waste or duplication at the UN, or (b) ideological critiques aimed at reducing the UK's foreign aid spending.

What will be interesting to watch are two things:

1. How will other countries (especially European countries that have elected conservative governments) respond to the UN report. Will they follow with their own cuts in UN funding?

2. How will the 8 UN organizations that the UK has labeled as poor respond to the criticism (the picture below shows how various UN agencies were rated by UK analysts).

It is critical that the agencies respond quickly and accurately to this criticism. They should admit any missteps but at the same time, should be ready to address unfair, ideologically based critiques that may arise from this report.

It is not a coincidence that Fox News is the only US news outlet that is covering this story. The writer knows what makes his audience tick: a story critical of the UN which also shows a possible path for reducing the US commitment to the agency is popular with some isolationists who are fans of the controversial news channel.

In fact, on several message boards that cater to a more radical interpretation of conservative dogma, the funding cuts are being celebrated. On Conservativeforum.com, Freerepublic.com, the news has been greeted with elation by strong critics of the UN. The 900 comments on Fox News express joy and a desire that the US follow in the UK's footsteps. You can scan the comments and you can see that among these groups, the UN is far from popular.

The 8 agencies need to work together and make it clear (to ordinary people in the US and other developed countries) what they do. Many in the US can easily understand what UNICEF does.

However, grasping what UNISDR, ILO, UNESCO, UNIDO, and others on the chopping block do is hard (even for I who has interned at two UN agencies). Constructive cuts based on non-partisan analysis are fine. However, agencies need to guard against reactionary cuts rooted in isolationist and in-ward looking policies.

Specifically, I am looking forward to clear response from the UNISDR in the coming weeks. Currently, it has issued a measured response that I have quoted below:

The secretariat of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) has taken note of the Multilateral Aid Review issued by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and is preparing a formal response based on a thorough review of the report.

UNISDR is cognizant that the decisions contained in the report are based on DFID’s assessment of the effectiveness of its contributions to 43 multilateral organizations; the end objective – to ensure that the United Kingdom gets maximum value for money from its contributions to multilateral organizations.

The secretariat regrets the negative impression conveyed about its work in the DFID report and will carefully review these assessments to learn from the evidence presented.

Notwithstanding, since 2009, UNISDR, aware of the needs to further improve its performance, has taken a number of measures to this end, including independent evaluations from audit mechanisms, from within the United Nations and via an external body.

The secretariat also works closely with a number of countries who have made it possible for UNISDR to invest in improving its performance. UNISDR welcomes the commitment by the Government of the United Kingdom to provide disaster risk reduction support to selected countries where it will have a genuine impact on climate change and poverty reduction.

I understand the need to tread lightly in their response to a major decision. But the statement above is hard to understand.

Future responses should on this issue should be in plain language that the average joe like me can understand. The responses should (a) clearly articulate, to the average person, the valuable work UNISDR does, (b) outline improvements that are being made, (c) defend/counter-argue against unfair, ideology based criticisms.

Chart: How the UK rates various agencies

Mid-East unrest: Arab states seek London PR facelif

Here is an interesting article in the BBC:

Over the past two months, as unrest spread across the Middle East, from Tunisia to Bahrain, many Western journalists were discreetly contacted by PR agencies acting for Arab leaders trying desperately to stem the flow of negative headlines.

This is intriguing. I am a big fan of free speech and believe that organizations/people should get their voices heard in the court of public opinion. Even people or organizations that most despise should get their voices heard some how. It is the American way, as they say.

But some of these governments that pr firms represent are sometimes more trouble than they are worth. Bell Pottinger (a well known UK pr firm) is in hot water for representing the government of Bahrain whose claim to fame was unleashing thugs to shoot its own citizens.

The Huffington Post has a long article describing the various firms that are now finding themselves having to explain why they did pr for future Hague war crimes defendant Colonel Qaddafi.

Here is what i do not understand: If these firms are such respected experts in public relations, why do they take the risk of representing despots, dictators, thugs, and people on the "Most likely to make an appearance at the International War Crimes court" list.

Wouldn't an excellent pr strategist say: "For the reputation of our firm, I really don't think its a good idea to take on as a client a government that is at the bottom of Amnesty International's/Human Rights Watch rankings."

Finding out the human rights record of the government you are about to sign on as a client is not hard. Pr people should be experts at anticipating potential backlashes/crises.

The fact that firms are defending themselves for having signed despots and dictators as clients reveals one important thing: many people in these firms are not experts at pr at all.

An "expert" at pr should be able to see that representing terror regimes will probably backfire in the future and ruin the reputation of a firm. Just my thoughts.

Excellent Interview Regarding Edward Bernays

When I blog, I hope to blog about something truly unique/fascinating. I sometimes succeed, sometimes I don't. Today, I found something truly intriguing.

This interview from Booknotes (CSPAN) is one in which the host interviews the author of The Father of Spin: Edward L. Bernays and The Birth of Public Relations, published by Crown.

It is worth watching for anyone interested in public relations. To view, click the link below

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/SpinE