prsummer

The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations

2011-08-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-04-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

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:

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

2011-03-12T20:50:00.001-08:00

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

2011-03-04T18:38:00.000-08:00

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

2011-03-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-24T13:22:00.000-08:00

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

Narcotraficantes and Public Relations

2010-11-08T18:24:00.000-08:00

File this under "sad and strange." Apparently the Narcotraficantes who have been terrorizing Northern Mexico have established public relations departments.

Writing in the Global Post, reporter Mike O'Connor writes that the notoriously violent cartels are using rather unorthodox methods of media relations:

[Reporter] said the gang has established its own public relations arm that issues stories the local papers are under orders to run, or else journalists will get hurt.

The drug traffickers, flawed as they are, understand the power of media and public relations.

In addition to pressuring newspapers, the cartels extensively sponsor musicians who play a type of folk music that is dedicated to praising the illegal activities of the cartel. Narcocorrido is a genre in which ballads glorify cartel bosses as modern Robin Hood-types.

This is quite sad. One of the things I wonder about is how public relations can play a role in revitalizing cities like Ciudad Juarez which have been devastated by the narco wars.

Once the drug debacle in Northern Mexico is resolved (I believe it will come to some sort of resolution in 15 years) Mexico will have to convince people to return to cities that have been characterized as no-go zones. It will be interesting how this plays out. It will be a form of post-crisis communication unseen. An interesting clip on Narcocorridos:

Sour Milk and Public Relations

2010-10-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting story out of China. Most readers may recall the tainted baby formula scandal from the past 2 years. It was a public relations nightmare for everyone involved. Well, there is a part 2 to the scandal and this time, it is public relations practitioners taking the hits.

Apparently, a public relations manager at a milk company was under pressure to increase sales. Like most practitioners these days, he decided to hire a pr firm and use social media. The strategy they decided on was, to say the least, very unorthodox. Working with the pr firm, he used social media to spread false rumors that a rival company's baby formula was poisonous.

The result, was of course panic. What was the result of this enterprising strategy:
1. He has been arrested
2. Staff from the public relations firm have been arrested.

The scandal is all over the news:
Article 1
Article 2
Article 3

Here is the interesting quote from the story:

Police told Chinese media that Mr An and BossePR dubbed the alleged campaign the “731 plan”, which aimed to stir up fear that competitors were adding adulterated fish oil to their milk products for children.

A special hello!

2010-10-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

PR at Illinois (part 2)

2010-10-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

My favorite students in the Illinois Public Relations Association were featured in today's edition of the Daily Illini (our main student newspaper). Their enthusiasm about public relations is amazing. The future of public relations is indeed bright:

http://www.dailyillini.com/features/2010/10/13/illini-pra-enables-to-students-to-explore-public-relations-field

Public Relations Night at the University of Illinois

2010-10-09T03:33:00.000-07:00

This year, I organized the first ever Public Relations Night at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. Two of my former pr students who now work in public relations (Liz Sablich at GolinHarris and Stephanie Florence of JSH&A) gave interesting presentations to a packed room.

Public relations is fast growing in the College of Media at the Univ of Illinois (and you thought the Univ. of Illinois was just about Advertising). Yes we do have an excellent advertising program. But the pr side is getting stronger each year. In Spring 2011, students can take:

Advanced Public Relations
PR Writing
Introduction to New Media (my course that will examine social media and pr)

Below are pics from the public relations night. Thanks to Ray and Ms. Bullow for the excellent pics. All the originals are here

Yours truly giving the opening remarks.

Students from the PR Club. Always professional. I am always amazed and impressed.

Liz and Stephanie giving their keynote address.

It was a packed house.

Ruth

2010-10-04T22:55:00.001-07:00

Ruth. In case you are wonder what is Ruth, it is the name of Edelman's new branch. They do "integrated marketing." It will be interesting where this goes and how other firms respond.

In Ad Age, an Edelman representative had the following to say:

"People have talked about integration for the 30 years I have been in the business, and some have said that it's just not possible, but I don't agree with that," Mr. McGuire said. "It's not easy, and you need a resonant idea that can be interpreted across the media mix while moving people to action. But it also has to be cost efficient, and that's part of what's driving marketers to consolidate resources.

This is a must watch because it can help answer a lot of questions about integration that many have asked but few have had a chance to observe.

Advertising Standards Authority gets online power

2010-09-12T18:41:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting bit of news. In the UK, advertising regulators have now extended their power so they are now monitoring social media/online advertisements. This means that online campaigns that are problematic can expect scrutiny and censure. This quote from the story pretty much sums it up:

"This is a massive step. Consumers don't differentiate between adverts on TV or online and this ensures that claims online will be subject to the same strict scrutiny of those in traditional media," said an ASA spokesman."

Barcelona Principles

2010-09-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

The Barcelona Principles. A new action movie? A new controversial Dan Brown novel? Well not really. They are the recently agreed upon ideas on how to carry out public relations research more effectively. They are at the top of my summer reading (a long list that waits to be finished):

http://www.cipr.co.uk/content/news-opinion/presidents-blog/4912/barcelona-principles-the-end-of-ave-

20PR Grants Available for Not-for-Profit Organizations

2010-09-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

I like this idea. This organization (CyberAlert) is giving monitoring services to non-profits.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100909005970/en

What a unique way to promote public relations research.

Amazing Insight on the "Antennagate" Apple PR scandal

2010-07-19T07:25:00.001-07:00

This video offers funny insight on the Apple faulty antenna crisis. It is done by the same group that did the Tiger Woods crash animation. Funny.

I just won the National Science Foundation's|Public Entity Risk Institute| Swiss Re Dissertation Fellowship (a long title)

2010-06-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

My friends & collegues

I hope you are having a good summer.

Today, I found out I was awarded the National Science Foundation's|Public Entity Risk
Institute| Swiss Re Dissertation Fellowship (a long title).

In summary, its a top award in the field of disaster studies.

More details can be found here:
http://clas.ucdenver.edu/periship/Program.html
http://clas.ucdenver.edu/periship/Fellows.html

A formal press release will be issued in the coming days.

Thank you for your help and support everyone.

A fascinating public relations tactic

2010-05-11T17:32:00.001-07:00

BP is blaming Transocean; Transocean is blaming Halliburton; Halliburton is blaming BP. Publics will blame all three companies. These companies really need to rethink their approach to handling this crisis.

Completed Web Redesign

2010-05-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

I was tired having a Flash site so I have moved everything to Blogger.

With the arrival of the iPad I (like many others) are thinking twice about using Flash. I loved Flash but it does make maintaining things a challenge. Rather than investing in a content management system, I just decided to tweak blogger to my liking.

Plus as a graduate student, paying a hosting amount to Yahoo was getting old.

I hope you like my new site. I will continue tweaking it. Thank you for visiting.

If you are interested in how I made the edits, email me. I will be happy to share them with you.

REDESIGN!!

2010-04-05T00:35:00.000-07:00

This blog is being redesigned. If everything looks a hot mess, it is because I am working on redesigning the look! Under construction

Spotlight: SPINdustry isn’t terrible: An Entertainment PR background perspective

2010-03-05T23:27:00.000-08:00

This post by Lauren Fernandez at http://www.laurenafernandez.com/ is good rebuttal to the points I made in the blog post below (Women, Reality Television, and Public Relations).

She makes good points that highlight the complexity of the entertainment public relations world. A good read:

http://www.laurenafernandez.com/blog/spindustry-isnt-terrible-from-an-entertainment-pr-background/

Women, Reality Television, and Public Relations

2010-02-23T22:25:00.000-08:00

This week, I learned that socialite/gossip magazine favorite Kim Kardashian is producing a documentary on the world of celebrity public relations.

These shows truly fascinate me. Ms. Kardashian's show joins a reality tv marketplace already occupied by another show focusing on celebrity/fashion pr titled Kell on Earth.

The focus of Kell on Earth is on a Ms. Cutrone who apparently has made a name for herself due to her aggressive "diva" style to management . According to news reports, she fired (and threatened to sue) an intern for blogging. In addition, some of the show's episodes explore the issue of firing her employees in extensive detail.)

And who can forget the short lived Power Girls on MTV which focused on publicist Lizzie Grubman (who went from representing stars like Puffy Combs & Jay Z to serving jail time for a road rage incident in which she injured 16 people).

In my classes, I make a point of discussing the myths these shows perpetuate:

A. You simply have to be pretty to succeed in public relations.

B. Making a spectacle of yourself and your client are simply what pr is about.

C. Aggressive, type-A careerists with a take no prisoners attitude are those who succeed in pr.

D. PR is simply about partying with socialites

I am not against anyone making a living. Ms. Cutrone and Kardashian have a right to sell whatever vision of public relations they feel is appropriate. And to be honest, what they are portraying is (in some cases) not far from the truth. As my father always warns " Don't be too judgmental of others."

My question, however, is: How can we highlight the numerous women who work in public relations, do good work, and do not engage in any of the "interesting" behaviors the shows portray.

The majority of my bosses in public relations have been women. Whether in Washington DC where I worked with smart women at the American Insurance Association or in Indonesia at UNCEF, I have met some very talented women in pr.

They are hard working, family oriented people who come in, put a long day of work, and go home to work another shift to take care of their families.

I think their stories need to be highlighted. As pr people, we can use our skills to showcase these women because out there in the world, the women of pr people are seeing are not representative of numerous pr professionals I have encountered.

Communicate Magazine

2010-02-18T06:09:00.001-08:00

Currently reading Communicate Magazine which focuses on public relations in the UK. It has an interesting point/counterpoint on the value of public relations education.

Gerald Cassidy of Cassidy & Associates

2010-01-20T18:44:00.000-08:00

This man gave me my first real job. Loved working for his firm.
I truly loved the time I spent at Cassidy & Associates. He is a pioneer in his field and by hearing him talk, you know why.

Branding Nations: Kenya

2010-01-07T10:16:00.000-08:00

My friend Dane Kiambi has written an interesting article on Kenya's efforts to utilize public relations to reshape how it is viewed by outsiders. A good analysis of what public relations can and can't do.

Plank Center 2010 Fellowship for Educators

2010-01-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

This Plank Center is a really innovative place. This year, they are offering a fellowship for pr professors (assistant, associate, professors). If you are a professor, I would recommend applying.

Deadline is early March. Application materials are on the website below.

http://www.plankcenter.ua.edu/

The lady who runs it is very organized and answers questions promptly which is refreshing.

Hence, it is worth spending your time applying.

Good luck in the new year.

Owen

BNC and PMK/HBH to Merge

2009-12-19T16:59:00.000-08:00

Fascinating things I stumble upon online. The firms BNC and PMK/HBH have merged creating the largest public relations firm focused on entertainment. The links tell the story:
http://bit.ly/6OHgcG and http://bit.ly/6LTIbm

The blog article below really goes into detail and calls the merger:

"A nuclear explosion has occurred in the world of Hollywood public relations, atomizing the once-invincible PMK/HBH in the space of two short days."

I imagine that this is a bit of hyperbole but the articles and blog do make some interesting points.

They note that providing pr services to celebrity clients is not exactly lucrative. Although a celebrity can pay a pr firm $4000 to $6000 a month, a corporate client can pay as much as $100,000 a month.

A better strategy, hence, is to combine celebrity representation with corporate clients.

A firm can leverage the celebrity clients it has to win corporate clients.

For example, a firm that represents Angelina Jolie or Jennifer Lopez can argue to a potential corporate client: Hire us and not only we will represent you, we can guarantee Ms. Jolie and Lopez at some of your events or in some of your publicity materials.

It will be interesting to see if the new PMK/HBK can pull this off. The "nuclear" blog post above doesn't think so but I would give it 2 years and see what happens. In my experience, firms merge and people leave.

But if you have a good strategy, you can emerge much stronger. Hopefully, this is what happens at this new firm because it will be fascinating to see whether this experiment actually works.

End of Semester Jams

2009-12-11T19:16:00.000-08:00

This is a blog about PR. But this is the end of the semester and I can be excused for blogging about things other than pr. Below is one of my favorite genre of music:
Kwaito. It has a long and complicated history. I don't speak Zulu or Xhosa so I never understand what they are saying. But the beats transcend borders.

TKzee

2009-12-11T00:06:00.000-08:00

Finished the preliminary examinations and will be defending in January. Then the real PhD begins. I guess its time to celebrate. Below is one favorite groups of all of time. Tkzee. Takes me back to 1996 and 1997 back home. A truly fun time at Chanco.

EconPR 2010 6th International Conference

2009-11-28T02:38:00.001-08:00

An interesting and relevant conference:

EconPR 2010 6th International Conference

"Challenges for Communication Management
and Public Relations
in International Mergers and Acquisitions”

April 16–18, 2010
Poznan, POLAND

Dr. Grunig on Youtube! Finally a Youtube Video I can learn something from

2009-11-10T22:13:00.001-08:00

Disaster Preparedness

2009-10-03T01:24:00.000-07:00

This video needs no description. Indonesia is so complex. The time I spent there was a lesson in life in many ways. If I can get an affordable flight to Asia, then I am spending the winter in Padang

Will Google Wave Eliminate the Need for PR as Media Relations?

2009-07-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

Valerie Maltoni at Social Media Today has an interesting post on Google Wave and Public Relations.

If you read this blog regularly (if you do, I strongly recommend you get out more), you know that I don't buy into the whole "social media is replacing pr professionals" sentiment.

In fact, I strongly believe that the US will see the emergence of the "paperless office" and "paperless commode" before social media replaces pr.

However, I do believe that where there is smoke there is fire. Those warning us pr people about social media do have a point.

PR people do need to understand social media better.

Study: Few PR managers, lawyers unemployed

2009-07-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

Another reason why choosing PR as a career is a good idea.
This Baltimore Business Journal article shows that the unemployment rate for PR managers is .1 percent.

Lawyers are at 2.3 percent. Of course, what the unemployment rate for junior account executives in pr is not mentioned but is probably a bit higher.

Tracking online word-of-mouth: The people vs machines debate

2009-07-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

Research, a UK magazine on (you guessed it, Research) has an interesting debate regarding how to measure online consumer generated content (e.g. my blog posts).

Mark Westaby of Spectrum takes the side of automated measurement. Mike Daniels, director of media analysis firm Report International, takes the side of human analysis.

Here is a snippet:

Even if we did want to track every single conversation, [the] assertion that automated analysis can yield accurate and consistent measures of sentiment flies in the face of research we conducted recently among a global sample of developers, practitioners, academics and users of these tools. We found no system capable of delivering reasonable accuracy levels around sentiment – certainly nowhere near the levels needed for making business decisions.

We have found an enduring demand for human-based measurement programmes – humans can discriminate irony and sarcasm, they can interpret rules, not just follow them, and they are flexible in dealing with new topics and issues… certainly not computers’ strong points.

A truly fascinating debate. Read all of it here:

Ketchum merges with Pleon

2009-07-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

The advantage of my fellowship is that I am learning more about the European public relations market.

An interesting development is the recent merger between Ketchum and Pleon.

This creates a firm with a significant presence in western Europe.
It will be interesting to see how the Ketchum-Pleon conglomerate operates.
This is a merger worth watching.

In addition, it will be interesting to see how Huntsworth, the other firm with a significant European presence responds.

These are indeed fascinating times in PR.

A good resource for PR Internships

2009-07-04T17:49:00.000-07:00

I came across this website on jobs in Brussels. Due the presence of several EU institutions, Belgium has many PR jobs. Its definitely worth a look and contains some gems:

http://www.eurobrussels.com/index.php

University of Michigan Library and other interesting stories

2009-06-20T10:39:00.001-07:00

You can tell a person is a "total nerd" when on the second day in a new town, they go to the local university library.

Yes that is me. Got up this morning on a sunny Ann Arbor day and
headed for the University of Michigan Graduate Library.

I am afraid I am getting "twitter boring" (no one is interested in the day-to-day details of my life).

Now here is an interesting story that does not involve me getting up in the morning: The Department of Defense is consolidating all its public relations activities into one body: the Defense Media Activity.

This means that the following bodies will be consolidated into one command:
the Soldiers Media Center, Naval Media Center, the Marine Corps News, Air Force News Service and the American Forces Information Service, Stars and Stripes newspaper, the Defense Information School.

Now here is where it gets interesting: all of these entitites (about 600+ people) will be based out of one facility they are building in Maryland (home sweet home).

Wow! That many pr people in one building. That should be a study by itself.

For job seekers, they are hiring:
http://tinyurl.com/ld9258

It is my first day at PRIME Research.

2009-06-19T14:13:00.000-07:00

Lessons learned:
1. PR research in the real world is fast paced. I haven't seen anyone work so hard since my 1st year in the PhD during final exams.
2. The issues are complex: It is not just counting media hits (you know that). It is understanding the client issue to in-depth.
3. It is actually quite fun: Forget your old text book.
4. Downtown Ann Arbor is actually quite nice: Its actually much nicer than Urbana-Champaign (oops).

P.R. company seeks source of fake 'tweets'

2009-06-15T00:54:00.000-07:00

If you have not already done so, I would recommend you secure your name or company name on Twitter. In fact, I would do the same on Facebook and the other social networking sites

Nothing can destroy your reputation faster than a fake social networking account.
This PR company has learned the hard way:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090613/BIZ04/906130331/1013/P.R.-company-seeks-source-of-fake--tweets-

Job of the Day: Communications Coordinator

2009-06-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

Where: Fort Wayne, IN
https://chs.taleo.net/careersection/10001/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=0908773

Don't bite the Social Media Hand that Feeds You

2009-06-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

In public relations, social media is the king in 2009. If you visit any pr blog, you will see extensive discussions on social media. Most of the pr bloggers are twittering and blogging.

Even I, your humble PhD student, is spending the summer researching social media at the Institute for Public Relations.

But in our enthusiasm for social media, we should not forget several things:
1. A large segment of the world lacks rudimentary access to the internet.
2. Even in the US, there are segments where internet access is limited

3. Some parts of the population (e.g. blind, deaf) are not being factored in many social media tools. Ajax, the primary programming language for many social media applications, has been extensively criticized for making it harder for the disabled to access information online.

Social media is viewed as the cure pr needs or the instrument for its demise (depending on which blog you read).

What we need are tools to engage all relevant publics in dialogue. Social media is great if it allows us to have honest conversations with groups were are talking to right now and groups that we have had difficulty engaging before.

The challenge isn't simply to reach the twitterer with his iPhone or the facebooker on her Blackberry. Rather, we should be concerned with engaging all relevant publics (especially the disadvantaged and marginalized).

When we champion social media tools, we should be cognizant of issues such as who has access to these tools and who can't access them.

Public relations can't simply be concerned with the privileged because pr issues do not simply arise from privileged sectors of society.

As we all know, some of the biggest pr challenges of the century(e.g Union Carbide at Bhopal, BHP in Papua New Guinea, conflict diamonds in Sierra Leone) emerged from areas where many households lacked telephones, running water, and electricity.

prstudent.com

2009-06-12T20:18:00.000-07:00

A school in Ireland has created a site advertising all their MA in PR graduates.

http://prstudent.dit.ie/students_mapr.html

An interesting concept. In the US, this is done primarily for
PhD students. Don't know if it could work here (privacy rules).

I think students could band together and create their own site like this.
Maybe use www.ning.com as a platform.

A really interesting concept.

Buzzstream: Application of the Week

2009-06-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

I was reading Venture Beat and came across this:
http://venturebeat.com/2009/06/09/buzzstream-a-contact-manager-for-pr-people-and-bloggers/

They describe it as something that "supercharges your online PR, blogger outreach, and inbound marketing efforts with a a systematic approach to social media engagement and tools that automate the labor-intensive work"

If I can get an invite, I will tell how well it functions. The video explains more:

Job of the Day

2009-06-11T17:46:00.000-07:00

PR Specialist: Rutgers University
Posted: June 11, 2009
To apply:
http://uhr.rutgers.edu/jobpostings/aps/Detail.asp?id=09-000478

PR News All the Time on your iPhone or iTouch

2009-06-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

MWW group has a pretty neat concept:
http://www.mwwpr.com/minsight/

An application that streams Public Relations news 24/7 to your iPhone or iPod.
On my PhD budget, I am definitely not getting an iPhone ($3000+ a year for a phone..ouch).

Maybe an iPod touch. However, I like my shuffle just fine and it was free (won it at Piccadily Circus in the UK).

However, if you have the money for these devices, check the video below:

Is PR Dying (A never ending argument)

2009-06-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

Every couple of months, I come across a news article, blog post, or podcast arguing that PR is dying. Here is an example:

http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2009/06/the_new_rules_i.php

PR is not dying. Old business models are certainly going out of fashion. Traditional PR skills of the past may no longer be relevant. Other sectors (e.g. consulting) are entering the PR field.

The reality, however, is that as long as human beings exist (who knows how long we will be around), there will be a need for a function that facilitates dialogue with an organization's publics.

Human beings communicate and we often do a poor job at it. PR people try to help us communicate better and avoid those mistakes that can cost billions.

It is that simple. Just like there will always be a need for someone to report the news, there will always be a need for someone to facilitate dialogue.

We should not confuse the fact that some skills are no longer relevant with the idea that a whole field is no longer relevant.

When I started at US Airways PR over a decade ago, we compiled news clips by hand. I would literally clip out sections from newspapers, glue them, and present them to the CEO.

A few years later, I was doing this using Factiva and Lexis Nexis. Today, I imagine interns are using other fancier tools. They are using RSS feeds, tracking blogs, and listening to podcasts.

Technology is constantly changing and skills can become obsolete. The need to communicate will not.

End of the Summer Class

2009-06-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

It is the last day of my Summer 2009 class.
My students this summer are truly an excellent group.

They are motivated young men and women who are going to do great things.
When they leave this class, their plans are varied:

Travelling to Europe
Apply to volunteer overseas
Working for a top ranking firm
Interning for advertising firms
Trying to break into the music industry
Tackling one of the hardest tests ever designed
Relaxing (they deserve it)
Taking more classes
Continuing to serve their nation in the armed forces
Refining their portfolios

In the days that follow, I will post links to the projects they designed to give you an idea of caliber of students the U of I produces.

In the meantime, you can listen to some old school Mariah.

When I am happy, I go back to the old school (1997 that is). This song is how I feel for the class. I will miss them greatly.

Good News

2009-05-30T01:34:00.000-07:00

This is the sunny blog so I have some good news:

Today I just learned that Kanako, a good friend of mine and an excellent collegue at the University of Illinois, has just won a distinguished award in Disaster Research.

Read for yourself:

http://www.property-casualty.com/News/2009/5/Pages/PERI-Announces-5-Fellowship-Awards.aspx

This is the best news I have heard for many weeks. If you know her, drop her an email.

Or you can join me by turning up your speakers and dancing to this song like no one is watching:)

Smashing Pumpkins 1979
Uploaded by skinandbones. - See the latest featured music videos.

The Future of PR

2009-05-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Is the practice of public relations in decline. Today, I came across these interesting perspectives on what the authors think are upcoming trends in public relations. Read and make up your mind.

Article 1

Article 2

The authors make fascinating points but overall, I do not believe that pr is decline.

Like journalism, pr is transforming. Just like the decline of newspapers does not mean the end of journalism, the emergence of new technologies does not mean the end of pr.

In 15 years from now, journalism and pr will be very different fields. They will still be around just very different. As long as there is a desire for information, pr and journalism will be there playing their respective roles.

Welcome to Summer ADV 410 Website

2009-04-22T22:02:00.000-07:00

Thank you for visiting this blog. If you are visiting, I assume that you are interested in taking the course which runs from May 18, 2009 to June 12, 2009.

On this site, I will give additional details on the course and keep interested people updated as the semester goes on.

If you are interested in registering, you can find the official details here:
http://courses.illinois.edu/cis/2009/summer/schedule/all/ADV/410.html?skinId=2169

Or you can email me directly at owendk@gmail.com

A different approach to the summer course

2009-04-22T21:58:00.001-07:00

I have been teaching public relations since 2006 and have worked in public relations since 2003 (my personal website). And last week, I won this award. So lets say I am an "old head" at this PR thing.

However, this is the first time I have taught in the summer and I thought we should do things differently.

Summer is more fun because the time spent time in class is less (only 6 weeks) and we can be more creative with a class because the weather is nice so less grouchiness (from students and instructors).

As part of learning how to plan, implement, and execute public relations campaigns, we will be designing campaigns for 4 real clients. Not fake ones. Real ones.

After emails and conference calls, I have managed to convince 4 fascinating companies to allow us to design campaigns for their firms.

In the course, we will conduct research on the challenges they face, craft campaigns to address them, and at the end of the semester they will give us input of what they think.

I think this should be a fun way to learn about public relations in the classroom while also getting a chance to interact with people in the "real" world.

Our First Summer Client

2009-04-22T00:16:00.000-07:00

It is a scenario most of us dread. We just bought a new iPod, iPhone, or smartphone (e.g. blackberry, sidekick, etc). Yes, it put a huge dent in our wallet but hey, priorities are priorities. The water bill can wait. Plus hey, I can always shower at CRCE.

Lets get back to our scenario. We are playing with it and bam! it falls downs. Screen is cracked. Our electronic best friend is gone. Now it means that we actually have to talk to people on the 22 Illini, can't check the important texts, and have to walk around without our own "mood" music. A nightmarish scenario indeed.
Personally, if I don't listen to this on my daily ride to campus, I am can't get through the day.

Here is where our first client comes in. They design cases to protect our most valuable assets.

As part of the class, we will explore how to promote name=brand cases in an environment inundated with cases.

How can we convince fickle college students to choose a brand specific case instead of the no-name cases found at the dollar store and plenty other places.

This should be an interesting project because most of us have experience with cases and can bring valuable input to the project. And you might learn more about how to protect your electronic BFF.

Our Second Summer Client

2009-04-21T23:59:00.000-07:00

Illinois students love their T-Shirts. Whether its bright orange ones worn daily to class, multicolored ones with greek letters, one-off t-shirts celebrating special events, or expensive ones from the fancy stores in the mall, the t-shirt is the mainstay on campus.

So how does a custom t-shirt supplier stand out on a large campus where the choices are numerous. Those wanting customized t-shirst have many choices. Even Google has gotten in the business of custom t-shirts (is there a business they won't enter).

Our second summer client is a leader in the world of custom t-shirts. They have designed t-shirts for the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, and various other events.

This summer, our class will be investigating how they use pr to stay ahead in a very competitive market. We will design a special pr campaign and gain their input whether our ideas make sense or need fixing.

The company was formed by college entrepreneurs so hopefully they can also give us tips on how to start our own businesses in this "interesting" job market.

Our Third Summer Client

2009-04-21T23:41:00.001-07:00

Imagine having to compete with Nike, Reebok, and Adidas to reach the market of female athletes.

This is the challenge our third client faces. They have designed a shoe that is specifically suited for the unique body structure of women athletes.

As part of our summer class, we will examine what is the best way to reach these athletes. The challenge includes how to convince coaches and athletes that the shoes;
* work
* are cost-competitive
* are stylish.