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The 5 most popular stories on PR Daily this week

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:00:24 GMT

Here are the five most widely read stories this week on PR Daily:

Why marketers choose certain colors

Pixar's 22 rules of storytelling

Social media: The new face of disaster response

6 lessons from 'Scandal' on how to be a rock star professional

5 questions brands should ask before using any social media tool

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What communicators can learn from the armed forces

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:00:58 GMT

On Christmas Day in 1958, my father inched his way to breakfast on his elbows and toes with about 125 other Marines. Popularly known today as a plank position, it’s hard enough to hold for 30 seconds. I can’t imagine being forced to move from barracks to commissary—through who- knows-what—just to eat.

That memorable moment was the beginning of my dad’s 21-year career of proudly serving in the U.S. armed forces. Our military extensively trains people to be their best. As the daughter of a retired military member, I’ve picked up a few lessons along the way.

In honor of Armed Forces Day (May 18), I’d like to share some with you. They circle back to three things: discipline, focus, and excellence.

As a communicator, I have no illusions that my job in any way compares to the duties of our military men and women. Having said that…

Stay focused. The focus required in fixing a helicopter before it heads into a war zone trumps the focus it takes to draft a document without any AP style errors. The accuracy of your work as a communicator might not result in death, but I will argue its importance. When you pitch a press release, answer a media inquiry or design a website, the credibility of your employer is at stake, and so, therefore, are other people’s jobs. If you work in internal communications, the words you craft can create a better work environment. Always keep the bigger picture in view.

No matter what your assignment, take pride in it. In this challenging economy, communication jobs are hard to come by. College graduates from prestigious journalism schools or veteran communicators who’ve faced a layoff might find themselves performing administrative work to get their foot in the door. Always strive for excellence. When you finish a day’s work, make sure it’s something you can be proud of.

Don’t do it for the money. Enlisted personnel do not make much money. My dad joined because he felt it was his duty. Reputable, lucrative positions in communications exist, but be careful not to base career decisions solely on money. Follow your heart and your conscience.

Be respectful. The military chain of command demands respect. Failure to show respect results in swift disciplinary action. As civilians, we enjoy more latitude in sharing our opinions and speaking our mind. But that’s no excuse for being disrespectful to people above or below you in rank.

Be disciplined. Long lists of overwhelming tasks can be tackled with discipline. Establish structure, develop effective processes, and work hard.

My deepest gratitude goes out to all members of our armed forces, past and present. Thank you for your service, your sacrifice, and the infinite number of lessons that could never be captured in a simple blog post.

RELATED: Ragan's new distance-learning site houses the most comprehensive video training library for corporate communicators.

Dee Ann Adams blogs at DAAwriter.com, where a version of this article originally appeared.

How ‘the internship’ has evolved over time

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:59:39 GMT

There are few more formative times in a person’s professional career than the internship.

Sure, you might only be grabbing coffee and picking up dry cleaning by day while eating ramen noodles at night, but it’s a vital first step to getting that coveted first paying job after college.

The internship wasn’t always the glamorous, cushy experience it is today. Its roots are in the apprenticeship. Not until the 1990s did the internship as we know it today start to formalize.

Now, you can complete a virtual internship—33 percent of companies are doing it.

And not all internships are unpaid (or poorly compensated). Apple interns pull down close to $5,000 a month!

These and more fun facts about internships can be found in the infographic below:

RELATED: The ultimate resource guide for PR interns

(via Mashable)

If Chuck Norris was an Internet marketer

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:58:09 GMT

Everybody knows that Chuck Norris, at least the Internet’s idealized version of him, is invincible, right?

His strength makes Superman look like a wimp, and makes Zeus appear to be a mere mortal. Everything he does strikes fear and awe in the hearts of everyone. He can accomplish tasks no other human on Earth could. He’s the only man who can sit in the corner of a round room. He knows the last digit of pi. He can cut through a hot knife with butter. He can slam a revolving door.

With all of these incredible talents in mind, what would happen if Chuck Norris was an Internet Marketer? Below are 12 possibilities.

1. Chuck Norris doesn’t need to track click through or conversion rates. His are always 100 percent.

2. Twitter doesn’t have a 140 character limit. That’s just how many characters Chuck Norris allows.

3. When employees at Google have a question, they “Norris” it.

4. There is no search engine algorithm. Just a list of websites Chuck Norris allows them to rank.

5. Chuck Norris can leave a comment on your Facebook wall using MySpace.

6. Chuck Norris will never be flagged by Google. Google isn’t nearly foolish enough to de-index him.

7. Chuck Norris doesn’t read blogs. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

8. Chuck Norris does not need Twitter. He is already following you.

9. Chuck Norris wrote a blog post and it got over five million tweets before it was published.

10. Bill Gates lives in constant fear that Chuck Norris’s PC will crash.

11. Chuck Norris used MySpace once. That’s why there are no signs of life there anymore.

12. Chuck Norris’s computer has no “backspace” button. Chuck Norris doesn’t make mistakes.

Chuck Norris jokes are like cat videos. They’re a guilty pleasure few admit to, but many consume. If you fall into this category, don’t be embarrassed to leave a Chuck Norris-themed Internet marketing joke in the comments, because if you don’t, Chuck Norris will know.

RELATED: Even Chuck Norris could learn a thing or two on content marketing from the companies attending Ragan’s Content Summit.

A version of this article originally appeared on marketing firm Digital Relevance’s blog. Chad Pollitt is Digital Relevance’s director of marketing.

(h/t Andy Crestodina)

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Lead vs. lede: Does it even matter?

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:57:19 GMT

Are you ready for a nerdy journalism debate? I sure hope so. What’s the proper spelling: lead or lede?

Credit the great Romenesko (via Bleacher Report) for rehashing this age-old debate on whether to refer to the first sentence of an article as the “lead” or, harkening back to the days of linotype, “lede.”

Howard Owens explains:

“Some years ago, researching the evolution of ‘objective journalism,’ I cracked open many of these old books, and something struck me — in none of these old books did any author spell the word ‘lede.’ They all spell it ‘lead.’

“It was then I realized, there is no historic basis for the spelling of a lead as ‘lede.’ ‘Lede’ is an invention of linotype romanticists, not something used in newsrooms of the linotype era.

“It’s really emblematic of today’s print nostalgia, too — like Desi and Lucy sleeping in separate beds — a longing for an America that never was, or wasn’t quite what you thought it was.”

Perhaps pathetically, I still remember ledes (or leads) that I’m particularly proud of. “In cod they trust” for a story about a husband/wife team of scentless fish oil innovators was a particular favorite.

My advice to fellow writers: Doesn’t matter how you spell the word, as long as the ones you write are good.

RELATED: Become a more efficient writer and editor after one day of training.

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11 rules for hugging at the office

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:56:53 GMT

Hello. My name is Tim Sackett, and I'm a hugger.

Being a hugger can make for some awkward moments. What if the other person isn't expecting a hug, or doesn't want to hug, and you're coming in arms-wide-open?!

Fast Company had an article recently titled "To Hug Or Not To Hug At Work?," that delved into this subject. Here's a piece from the article:

"Awkwardness is … 'the uncomfortable feeling you get when you realize that your concept of your relationship with someone else doesn't match their concept. The intensity of awkwardness roughly corresponds to the magnitude of difference in relationship concepts.' "

'Women will hug anything'

I consider myself to have a number of roles: Husband, dad, coach, boss, friend, co-worker, etc. In each of those roles I've hugged and will continue to hug. Sometimes, though rarely, I'll find someone who isn't a hugger.

The first time I ever met Kris Dunn face-to-face, we'd known each other and talked frequently by phone for a year. At the HR Tech Conference, he was coming out of a session, I recognized him, he recognized me, and I went full "bro-hug" (sideways handshake, other arm hug-back slap combo) on him. I'm pretty sure he was caught off guard, but played along.

Dunn is a closet hugger. Jason Seiden, he's a hugger. So, are Laurie Ruettimann and Dawn Burke. I find Southern folks are huggers, more than Northern, and Western more than Eastern. Canadians hug more than Americans. Men feel much more comfortable hugging women than other men. And, women will hug anything.

I thought it was about time we had some hugging rules for the office, so here goes:

The hugging rules

1. Don't hug those you supervise. The caveats: You can hug a subordinate if it's being supportive in a non-creepy way (major family or personal loss—sideways, kind of arm around the shoulder, you care about them hug); at a wedding and you are congratulating them; it's a hug for a professional win (promotion, giant sale, big project completion, etc.) and it's with a group, not alone in your office with the lights off; or, if you would feel comfortable with your spouse standing next you and watching that specific hug.

2. Hug your external customers or clients when they initiate the hugging sequence. The caveats: Don't hug if it is required to get business (that's not hugging, that's harassment). Don't let the hug last more than a second or two, or it gets creepy; and, don't mention the hug afterwards, that makes you seem creepy!

3. Don't hug the person in the office you're having an affair with (no explanation needed).

4. Hug peers, just not every day. It's all right to hug, but you don't need to do it every day for people you see every day. Save some up and make it special!

5. When you hug, hug for real. Nothing worse than the "fake" hug! A fake hug is worse than a non-hug.

6. Don't whisper "you smell good" when hugging someone professionally. That's creepy; in fact don't whisper anything while hugging!

7. Don't close your eyes while hugging professionally. That's weird and a bit stalker-like.

8. It's all right to announce a hug is coming. Some people will appreciate a "Hey! Come here I'm giving you a hug—it's been a long time!'

9. It's never all right to hug from behind. (Creepier!)

10. Never hug in the restroom. It makes for an awkward moment when other employees walk in and see that.

11. If you're questioning whether it will be all right to hug someone professionally, well, that is your cue that it probably isn't.

Do you have any hugging rules for the office?

RELATED: Embrace Ragan's new distance-learning site houses the most comprehensive video training library for corporate communicators.

Tim Sackett is executive vice president of HRU Technical Resources, a contingent staffing firm in Lansing, Mich. Contact him at sackett.tim@HRU-Tech.com. A version of this article originally appeared on The Tim Sackett Project.

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9 tips for mastering the PR internship interview

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:55:04 GMT

You’ve applied for the job and you finally got a call back from someone who wants to set up an interview. For college students like me, this is where we either shine or falter.

I have had a good many formal and mock interviews with companies within the PR and marketing industries this semester, so I've compiled the following interviewing advice for PR students looking to land that coveted internship:

1. Know the PR field.

You should be able to converse with an interviewer about the public relations field. Survey the job description for keywords that may not sound familiar. Look those words up. Subscribe to PR blogs and websites that cover what is going on in the PR field. It will make you sound good, and it will help you answer interview questions more intelligently and thoroughly.

For example, if an interviewer asks about how you would publicize a new gadget, you need to be able to pinpoint relevant modes of communication and explain why they are relevant to that gadget. Did you mention how you can contact bloggers to review the item? Everyone is going to suggest a press release, but it is important to know emerging trends in the PR industry, such as reaching out to bloggers.

2. Know about the company.

Public relations professionals are the voice of a company. You’ve got to prepare for that. Set up Google Alerts for the company’s name and read articles about it up until the day of your interview. It is important to know about the company’s communications efforts, financial standing, legal history, and more. Don’t limit yourself to communications.

3. Read up on the industry of the company to which you’re applying.

In addition to knowing about the company itself, you need to know about its competitors and industry trends. The library at your college should provide access to databases—such as IBIS World, Hoover's, Lexis Nexis Academic, and First Research—that house articles offering that information. I recently had a marketing internship interview for which I looked up industry trends and included the findings in my suggestions for the company’s marketing efforts, and it was a big help.

4. Come ready with recommendations for the company.

You need to prove you can think on your toes, and you can do that by having some recommendations for the company ready when you arrive. Find previous public relations, advertising, marketing, and communications campaigns, and evaluate them. Look at the company's social media presence. What can they improve? What are their strengths? Be warned, though: Do not volunteer unsolicited recommendations. Only provide them if asked.

5. Don’t list crucial PR skills as weaknesses.

Be honest in the job application process, but don’t purposely shoot yourself in the foot by listing important PR skills, such as verbal and written communication and time management, as weaknesses. It just won’t help you.

6. Have an elevator pitch.

I’ve been asked quite a few times to “sell” myself with a brief pitch. I would recommend including your name, your year in school, and your major. Emphasize why you want to work for the company and incorporate your knowledge of the company and its industry. State what you can bring to the company. This is where you can outline your previous experience.

7. Ask relevant questions.

When interviewers ask if you have any questions, don’t ask a question just to ask one. Incorporate some of the information you found through your research into your questions. For example, Microsoft has recently been under a lot of heat for Windows 8’s underperformance. A public relations interviewee could ask how they've handled the criticism from a communications perspective. Flip the question in your favor by showing you know your stuff.

8. Send a thank-you email.

This would be valuable advice for any college student applying for an internship. It’s important to thank interviewers for their time. In the email, once again demonstrate your knowledge of the industry and courteously reiterate what you can bring to the position.

9. Even if you’re not an expert, you can sound like one.

Don’t try to sound like a drone. Just use your research to answer the questions you’re asked. It is an easy way of showing knowledge and initiative.

I hope this list has been helpful. For the PR pros out there, what advice would you offer a college student going into an internship interview?

RELATED: Master more than just interview skills. Learn the can't-ignore social media tools after Mark Ragan's one day social media boot camp.

Simone Banna is a journalism and public relations student at the University of Georgia.

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The witness may chillax: Urban Dictionary cited in court

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:54:28 GMT

If you’ve ever had a “nonversation” that made someone “Tiger’s wife mad,” thus leading to someone getting “Zidaned” “like a boss,” chances are you’re familiar with Urban Dictionary. If you’re new to it, don’t worry—The New York Times only just discovered it.

Urban Dictionary, simply put, is the greatest collection of slang on the Internet. Definitions are submitted and voted on by users.

Not only is it wildly popular when it comes to documenting the latest colloquialisms—or, more precisely, what the kids are saying these days—but at least one Urban Dictionary definition has been cited in a court of law.

From The New York Times:

"Last month, Urban Dictionary was cited in a financial restitution case in Wisconsin, where an appeals court was reviewing the term 'jack' because a convicted robber and his companion had referred to themselves as the 'jack boys.'

"The court noted, however, that according to Urban Dictionary, 'jack' means 'to steal, or take from an unsuspecting person or store.' It then rejected the convicted man’s claim that he should not have to make restitution to the owner of a van he stole to use in a robbery."

The article goes on to debate whether it’s a good idea to use a crowdsourced definition of a word in a courtroom setting. After all, there are currently 383 definitions of what a hipster is.

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6 lessons NYC’s Candy Cab can teach you about marketing

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:53:55 GMT

A New York City cab driver has created his own perfect blend of PR, marketing, and social media—all by offering free candy to his passengers.

Known as the Candy Cab, Mansoor Khalid wanted to give New Yorkers a little slice of happiness as a way to help him recover from the loss of his 18-month-old son to a congenital heart condition. By making a cab ride a little bit sweeter, he’s developed a following of happy passengers and created positive buzz in the streets of New York.

In addition to munching on every sort of candy imaginable while weaving through the street of Manhattan, passengers can also plug into Khalid’s sub-woofer system, enjoying their own tunes and a techno light show.

Without the resources of a national brand, the Candy Cab’s experiment in happiness has become a microcosm of successful integrated marketing.

What lessons can we take away from this sweet ride on wheels?

Know your customer: New Yorkers can be a tough crowd, but they do have one thing in common: Finding a vacant cab can be frustrating. By creating an oasis of fun in the confines of his taxi, he makes sure even the most jaded citizens of the Big Apple leave with a smile at the end of the ride.

Believe in your mission: Working in PR, social media, or marketing, we are often faced with a situation that needs to be turned around. In Khalid’s case, he felt he could derive happiness by making others happy. As professionals, if we don’t believe in the mission, we will never sell it to the end user—a customer, a client, or upper management. The Candy Cab’s passion is infectious; his success rate in creating a positive experience is probably high.

Allow for personalization: There’s no magic in transporting a passenger from Point A to Point B, but you can always make a simple product better. Witness the Candy Cabbie’s personalized sound system; simply plug in your device with your own play list, and you’re listening to the music of your choosing. The lesson? Never keep the product experience so rigid that your customer can’t make it their own. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Tumblr do this well.

Quality, not quantity: We’ve all seen Twitter and Instagram profiles with thousands of followers. But how many people can any one person personally connect with to create a meaningful experience? As he builds his brand, Khalid takes candy requests from his 3,000-plus Twitter followers and regularly posts Instagram photos to the delight of the 1,500 people who follow him. His Facebook page is filled with fans sharing their cab ride videos or heartfelt messages on his wall. Creating meaningful connections as a fan base grows is key to any brand’s ongoing success.

Invest in the product: We often counsel clients or colleagues for the need to create room in the budget to leverage the promotion of a property. In the Candy Cabbie’s case, he invested in a light and sound system, as well as $300 worth of candy each month, to enhance his passengers’ experience. Hopefully, the ROI shows up in great tips.

Experiential marketing: With any product, providing a memorable experience for the customer is one of the key goals. If the Candy Cabbie’s customers have a positive experience, you hear about it firsthand, as they create a memory on their personal handheld device and share it—the ultimate compliment. The positive buzz also results in third-party media opportunities. When a strategy fires on all pistons, it can pay off in mass acceptance of a brand.

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5 sources of workplace inspiration

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:52:32 GMT

You’re an artist.

Just because you go into an office every day, or because you sit at a desk or share a cubicle or were relegated to the back of a converted supply closet, it doesn’t detract from that reality.

So, maybe you’re not an artist in the traditional sense, but your job requires creativity. You are often innovating and generating big ideas to inspire people. It’s on you to come up with something where nothing once was. That sounds like artistry to me.

Perhaps you’re the Picasso of publicity, the Sartre of social media, the Kierkegaard of corporate copy. You’re an artist, and artists need good, old-fashioned inspiration—the kind that makes you toss the covers aside and go tearing into your day the moment that alarm goes off. Heck, once you’re really inspired, who even needs an alarm clock?

But where does inspiration come from?

Many famous painters and writers had muses; some people are inspired by places. For Ernest Hemingway, it was the sea and Paris. Georgia O’Keeffe was inspired by the New Mexico desert. Many of us peer out our windows and see other buildings. Depending on where you’re working, that may not be all that inspiring.

If you can’t rely on the landscape or a muse, you’re probably not alone. Inspiration is no less important to us corporate creatives. Though I can’t tell you exactly where to find yours, I’ll share a few of mine, and perhaps you’ll be inspired to look elsewhere for your inspiration sources.

Here are five unlikely sources of inspiration that I draw upon:

1. Rising before the rest of the world wakes up: The best mornings are those when I wake up insanely early, make it to the gym and back home, eat a good breakfast and get ready for my day before most people have even hit the snooze button. It gives me a mental edge that will last at least until right after lunch—when I start yawning and wondering why the hell I got up so early.

2. Fear: Poverty isn’t imminent in my world, and I think I owe that in large part to my healthy fear of it. It seems non-artistic to allow my fear of being penniless serve as inspiration for doing great work, but if it helps me knock out great copy or try extra hard, so be it.

3. Tesla electric vehicles: It isn’t often you find a pure, absolute, undisputable truth in your life, but someday I will own a Tesla automobile. They’re beautiful, incredible cars, and I know the harder I work, the more likely it will be that I can afford one. Simple, electric inspiration. If a material possession can serve as your driving force, set that goal.

4. Things that withstand the test of time: Most of us would like our work to leave a lasting impression. I’m always so impressed with work that holds up over time—whether it’s a centuries-old painting, classic literature, or the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Our art might never win a Pulitzer, but we can create lasting impressions and campaigns that are remembered. Especially with social media, there are so many opportunities to do something no one has ever done; it’s an exciting time to be doing what we do.

5. Working with passionate people: I’ve realized after several years in the professional world that it’s a luxury to work with passionate people. When I’m surrounded by peers who love what they’re doing and want to do great work together, I get rabidly inspired. On the opposite end of the spectrum are dispassionate, disgruntled creatures who just make things difficult for the rest of us. I’ve witnessed collaboration at its best, and that victorious feeling that comes after a great brainstorming session inspires me to keep striving for it.

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10 most valuable brands in the world

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:51:22 GMT

Tech companies are among the world’s most valuable brands again this year, as Apple, Google and IBM claim the top spots in the 2013 rankings from BrandZ, an online clearinghouse for brand data.

Apple remains on top despite a tumultuous year for the brand, which has seen its stock price plummet and Senate investigations into its tax payments in recent months.

Visa replaces Verizon in the top 10, and Microsoft dropped two spots. You can check out last year’s list here.

This year’s top 10 brands are:

1. Apple
2. Google
3. IBM
4. McDonald’s
5. Coca-Cola
6. AT&T
7. Microsoft
8. Marlboro
9. Visa
10. China Mobile

Click here to read the full, 20-entry list of BrandZ’s most valuable brands of 2013.

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Create and curate compelling content

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:50:37 GMT

The most important new development by far in modern PR and marketing?

Content is king.

Join us on June 24-26 for our “Content Summit for PR, Social Media and Marketing Professionals” at the Gleacher Center in Chicago.

See the full agenda here.

17 speakers will discuss the ROI of content marketing, and how to get your staff excited about writing narratives that help employees and customers solve problems and share knowledge.

You’ll walk away with:

· 3 mistakes to avoid when jumping into content marketing;
· Tricks to get employees to adopt new media quicker and easier;
· An understanding of how to use an editorial calendar and its benefits;
· The dos and don’ts of B2B and B2C social sharing;
· Tips to integrate social media into your marketing and sales.

Presenters include:

· Andrew Davis, author of Brandscaping;
· David Higdon, Managing Director, Integrated Marketing Communications at NASCAR;
· Greg Shea, Content Strategist of DesignKitchen;
· Melissa Rach, co-founder of Dialogue Studios and co-author of Content Strategy for the Web;
· Darrell Jursa, SVP of Emerging Media at Fleishman Hillard.

Understand the power of compelling content and learn how to make it work for you. Reserve your seat today—use your promotional discount here!

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5 journalism habits that brands should avoid

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:49:27 GMT

As a longtime journalist, I’m happy to see so many of my colleagues finding work at brands and agencies as content marketers, as brand journalists, and in other roles and titles.

Marrying communications and marketing with a journalistic approach can result in high-quality content that’s of value to the public, as opposed to purely promotional copy.

But there are some bad habits in newsrooms. Here are five things about journalists that a new generation of content creators should be careful not to emulate.

Circling the wagons

In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, the New York Post splashed two innocent men on its front page and painted them as possible terrorists.

So what did the Post have to say for itself after the cover went down in infamy?

“We stand by our story,” New York Post editor Col Allen said when he finally offered a statement.

Those five words have been the standard reply from newsrooms when the worst happens within journalistic ranks, such as plagiarism or fabrication.

Circling the wagons means refusing to acknowledge obvious failures or to otherwise engage in a discussion about your journalistic practices.

This destroys public trust. It’s long been a habit inside newsrooms, but it’s starting to fade.

So, if you’re working for a brand that publishes content, you need to engage your detractors and openly and publicly respond to requests for corrections. You need to be willing to engage in a conversation about your work, even if that seems like a distraction from your ultimate goal.

View this as an opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to high-quality content and accountability, rather than as a nuisance.

The echo chamber

Journalists get caught in an echo chamber when they spend too much time with the same colleagues covering the same beat in the same way. Views and perspectives begin to coalesce, and they fall victim to groupthink.

The echo chamber is the enemy of fresh ideas. It also leads to blind spots that preclude identifying important developments or oncoming trouble.

How do you escape the echo chamber? Make a conscious effort to read and engage outside your role and industry. Seek out nontraditional sources.

Attend a conference that’s outside of the norm for you. What can you learn from sociology, cognitive psychology, or political science?

Skimping on training

Training budgets were one of the first things to be cut at newspapers when classifieds, display ads, and reader revenue started to crater.

The decline occurred because of fundamental shifts in media and technology. The Internet and its disruptive effects began taking hold and haven’t let go.

Media brands needed to invest in training in order to adapt and thrive in a digital world. But with budgets shrinking and the pace of technological change accelerating, many newsroom staffs found themselves with outdated skill sets, workflows, and technology.

Budgets will rise and fall, and content marketers will feel the effects.

It’s up to you to ensure that you’re always learning and to foster a culture that’s focused on keeping skills and processes up to date.

Creating silos

One media habit that seems to have been replicated in the content marketing world is the separation of writers and editors from technology, product, and business people.

Within newsrooms, this created a culture that was hostile to collaboration and prevented people from coming together to solve problems and develop innovative business models. (I’m not saying that journalists and ad sales people should break down ethical boundaries. Those are crucial to credibility.)

Tearing down walls internally helps blow up echo chambers and gives life to fresh ideas.

Want to know what’s possible when you tear down walls and put a new mix of people in a room?

Have a look at the tremendous, Pulitzer-winning New York Times Snow Fall interactive piece resulting from collaboration by a writer, sports editors, graphics editors, a multimedia producer/designer, a digital designer, a video journalist, and a photographer. All within an organization that has a lot of moving parts, people, departments, and procedures.

If the Gray Lady can break down walls, you can, too.

Ignoring the competition

Companies do a lot of competitive intelligence and tracking. Journalists read and watch their competitors, too, but historically they prefer to not acknowledge their rivals’ existence. This is a horrible, venal tradition in media that’s thankfully starting to go away. It goes like this: If your competitor gets a scoop, you do everything you can to not credit them for the work.

That’s why you’ll sometimes read a news story that refers to “a report today” or “media reports,” without naming the source. The standard operating procedure in newsrooms was to re-report the story just so you could run it without having to note that the crosstown rival got there first.

This tradition carried into the online world to the point where some large news outlets only recently began linking to competitors.

Will you link to it?

Now, imagine one of your competitors writes a great blog post—not something that promotes its product, but a piece about your industry that’s insightful and valuable to your audience. Will you link to it?

I’ll say this: If your relationship with your customers or clients is so tenuous that sending them to a useful link on a competitor’s website will damage your standing, then maybe linking out is the least of your troubles.

Craig Silverman is the director of content for Spundge, a platform that helps professionals and organizations discover, curate, and create engaging content. A version of this post first appeared on SparkSheet.

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T.G.I. Friday’s bars suspected of replacing premium liquors with cheap alcohol

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:48:03 GMT

T.G.I. Friday’s customers know that even if the calendar says Monday, it’s “Friday” inside the restaurant’s doors.

That wink-and-a-nod charade sets a mood, and everyone’s in on it. Not so for allegations of another, far more serious deception.

If an investigation proves some of the chain’s New Jersey locations were selling cheap alcohol and claiming it was high-end liquor, what those customers were told was Grey Goose was really Gordon’s.

Following a yearlong investigation called “Operation Swill,” agents from New Jersey’s Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control raided 29 bars statewide on Wednesday, 13 of which were T.G.I. Friday’s locations, for allegedly filling bottles for expensive liquors with cheaper brands.

Friday’s isn’t the only chain caught up in the investigation. Individual Applebee’s and Ruby Tuesday locations are on the list as well. Still, Friday’s is the only chain with multiple locations raided by authorities.

According to The Star-Ledger, the investigation “began as a result of complaints, confidential informants, and new technology used to test liquor covertly purchased at the establishments by detectives.”

On the T.G.I. Friday’s Facebook page, fans seemed less than pleased with the news It didn’t help matters that the company’s most recent status update, posted Tuesday, touts its spring drink menu, thereby setting up comments such as this one:

“By new drinks you mean cheap liquor advertised as top shelf?”

When PR Daily contacted T.G.I. Friday’s for comment, a spokeswoman offered this statement in response to the investigation:

“TGI Fridays was just made aware of this issue and is working closely with the franchisee and owner of the cited locations to review and investigate these serious allegations. We have one of the most extensive bar and beverage programs in the industry, which sets a very high standard in the quality and service of our beverages.”

Matt Wilson is a staff writer for Ragan.com.

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10 goals for your first 5,000 hours on the job

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:47:54 GMT

If you're lucky enough to be starting a job—a real, career-building job—after you graduate, you probably aren't thinking of when it will end.

The reality is that few people keep their first jobs for long. The average person stays in a job around 4.5 years these days, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but this number is lower for younger people—only 13 percent of 30- to 34-year olds have been with their current employer for 10 years, the bureau reports. The more common story is that people find other opportunities, travel, go to graduate school, and so forth.

So, let's say you'll stay at that first job for two years. Let's say you're also planning on devoting a lot of time to work—maybe 50 hours per week (far more than the average worker puts in). That gives you roughly 2,500 hours per year, or 5,000 work hours over your two-year tenure.

That's a lot of time, but it's also a finite amount of time, and easy to let slip through your fingers. The weekly two-hour meeting that you sleepwalk through will eat up 200 of those 5,000 hours, with little to show for it.

So a better approach is to ask yourself what you hope to do with those 5,000 hours. What would you like to learn? Whom would you like to meet? What can you do to position yourself well for the next 40 years of your career?

Here's a checklist of 10 things you might want to take away from those first 5,000 hours, regardless of what your actual job entails:

1. A portfolio

Manage your time so you leave with a few examples of work you're proud of that you can point to and say, "I did that." In particular, results that can be measured get noticed.

2. Real colleagues

Manage your relationships so that at least a few of your immediate co-workers would like to work with you should your paths meet again (which they probably will).

3. Mentors

Outperform expectations so well that at least three people higher up in the hierarchy not only answer your emails, but like you and will vouch for your competence.

4. Skills

A job is a chance to get paid to learn. Try to leave with an in-demand skill or two that you knew little about coming in.

5. A network

Meet at least 10 people outside your company at industry events, and keep in touch with them regularly. These people are probably the key to landing your next job.

6. Good karma

A volunteer gig in an industry organization introduces you to people who can see that you're eager to help—so they're likely to help you.

7. A career map

Have lunch with people of lots of different tenures so you develop a good sense of your industry and a good sense of the career paths associated with it. This may keep you from earning a degree that doesn't actually help you reach your goals.

8. Self-awareness

Success requires knowledge of the kinds of projects you do well, the kinds you need to work on, and the mistakes you tend to make again and again.

9. Good time-management habits

Not many people make steady progress toward future deadlines and have the discipline to say no to distractions so you can say yes to the things you deeply want. People who do tend to soar.

10. Assets

If your employer offers a retirement account (like a 401k), be sure to set it up and fund it well enough to get any matching funds. If you earn decent returns, any money you stash away now will be worth a mint when you retire. You'll thank yourself later.

What do you plan to take away from your first 5,000 hours on the job?

A version of this article first appeared on Brazen Life, a career blog for young professionals.

New Ragan website offers distance-learning for communicators

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:46:59 GMT

You're sitting in your office salivating at that new conference brochure. You'd love to attend, but you're chained to your desk.

Your boss is stingy with travel expenses, and you can't imagine being gone from the office for three days.

Does this sound like you? If so, you have good company.

Most of our 1.2 million readers at Ragan.com and PR Daily NEVER get to attend our live conferences.

They are either too busy or too broke. Or they live too far away.

Nearly 600,000 readers live in Europe, Australia, Africa, India and the Middle East. Some of you are reading this story hail from London, Melbourne, Bangalore, Sydney, Toronto, and even Lagos, Nigeria.

Well, don't worry. Help is now available.

It's called RaganTraining.com, and it contains more than 200 hours of instructions that you can view from your desk, your tablet, or laptop.

This was our goal when we developed this first-of-a-kind distance-learning portal:

* Deliver conferences to our customers wherever they are;
* Make the platform accessible from home, the office, the bus, or the gym; and
* Offer an affordable and "all you can eat" membership plan for individuals or entire teams.

Once you register, here is what you get:

* 160 hours of HD-quality video presentations from our highest-rated events;
* 18 interactive, learn-on-the-go courses by Ragan trainer Shel Holtz; and
* Unlimited access to our teeming archive of popular webinars.

And, as they say in those infomercials, THERE'S MORE!

Every month you'll receive 20 more hours of content to choose from AND a newsletter telling you what's new.

So what do we cover on RaganTraining.com? Here is a partial list of topics:

* Media Relations
* Social Media
* Crisis Communications
* Public Relations & Marketing
* Intranets
* Video
* SharePoint
* Writing & Editing

There's a lot more, but you get the point. Everything you do as a communicator is covered on this site.

Here is a new video tour we produced just for you:

And here again is a link to the site.

You can order an individual membership directly from the site at the special $300 discount we’re giving only to our readers. However, if you're interested in obtaining a multi-user membership for your entire team, send an email to: shallonb@ragan.com.

5 inspiring quotes from Seth Godin

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:45:42 GMT

To my professional detriment, I have not really paid much attention to “business” books. I never really cared who moved my cheese or wanted to break all the rules.

But recently, a friend told me about Seth Godin. I am ashamed to admit that I was only vaguely familiar with the name. For the past 13 years, I’ve been sailing the high seas with Patrick O’Brian, exploring dust with Philip Pullman, and rereading the classics. There has been little time for nonfiction.

Recognizing that I had completely ignored this genre, I decided to start with Godin’s "Linchpin." I am only 62 pages into the book, and I’m wondering where Seth Godin has been all my life. Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

• “Today, the means of production = a laptop computer with Internet connectivity. Three thousand dollars buys a worker an entire factory.”

• “Today, if all you have to offer is that you know a lot of reference book information, you lose, because the Internet knows more than you do.”

• “All the creativity books in the world aren’t going to help you if you’re unwilling to have lousy, lame, and even dangerously bad ideas.”

• “If you seek out critics, bureaucrats, gatekeepers, form-fillers, and by-the-book bosses when you’re looking for feedback, should you be surprised that you end up doing the things that please them?”

And finally . . .

• “You can spend your time on stage pleasing the heckler in the back, or you can devote it to the audience that came to hear you perform.”

PR Daily Readers, care to share any inspiring quotes from business literature?

Laura Hale Brockway is a medical writer and editor from Austin, Texas. Read more of her work at www.impertinentremarks.com.

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Politicians bouncing back after recent disgraces

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:59:26 GMT

A little less than four years ago, then-South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford admitted to cheating on his wife with his Argentine mistress rather than hiking the Appalachian Trail, as he had said publicly.

He didn’t resign and wasn’t removed from office, but he did leave in disgrace.

Now he’s a congressman.

It would appear former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., is trying to work that same magic. Two years after he resigned from Congress over a sexually suggestive picture he tweeted to a follower, he announced Wednesday he is officially vying to be the next mayor of New York City.

He unveiled his first ad, the first image of which is the former congressman with his infant son and wife, Huma Abedin. Later in the ad, he directly addresses the 2011 scandal:

“Look, I made some big mistakes, and I know I let a lot of people down, but I’ve also learned some tough lessons. I’m running for mayor because I’ve been fighting for the middle class and those struggling to make it my entire life, and I hope I get a second chance to work for you.”

You can add a third name to the pile of politicians working their way back into the public eye after lying low in the wake of sex scandals: John Edwards. The former U.S. senator and vice presidential candidate denied accusations he fathered a child with a filmmaker who worked with his 2008 presidential campaign for more than two years until finally admitting to it in 2010.

He hasn’t announced a bid for office, but he has reactivated his law license and started a speaking tour.

How is any of this possible? It wasn’t too long ago that scandals such as the ones that Sanford, Weiner, and Edwards endured were sure career-enders, but all three seem to be bouncing back, not long after scandal knocked them out.

“The news cycle speeds things up in terms of breaking news,” says Mark Arena of the blog The PR Verdict. “The rapid news cycle can also speed up recovery time. What might have taken, say, 10 or 15 years ago, a two- or three-year interval before you could return to public life, now, the news moves so quickly, you can actually go through a crisis, come out the other end, and recover in a faster time.”

Sex scandals just don’t have the impact they once did, either, he says.

“What really, truly scandalizes people?” Arena asks. “The language around what happened has been, ‘unwise,’ ‘letting people down.’ It hasn’t truly been the sort of language that would denote something catastrophic or completely unethical. These are all seen as lapses judgment rather than huge moral failings.”

Even so, Weiner’s campaign faces some rough sledding, Arena says. More than getting over the hurdle of the scandal that ended his political career, Weiner will have to contend with some formidable rivals in the Sept. 10 Democratic primary.

One particularly tough opponent will be New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who has collected about $600,000 in campaign funds, considerably more than any other contender.

Matt Wilson is a staff writer for Ragan.com.

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Ferrero backs off bid to quash ‘World Nutella Day’

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:51:17 GMT

A little more than six years ago, Sara Rosso, an American blogger who lives in Italy, started World Nutella Day, a tribute to the chocolate and hazelnut spread. It’s turned into a popular event, with more than 40,000 “likes” on Facebook.

It seems Ferrero, the Italian company that makes Nutella, wasn’t a big booster of the event, and last week attorneys from the company sent Rosso a cease-and-desist order.

Rosso didn’t post the text of the order, but upon receiving the notice on May 16 she did post a now-deleted message stating that she would be shutting down the World Nutella Day website and all its associated social media presences by May 25.

“The cease-and-desist letter was a bit of a surprise and a disappointment, as over the years I've had contact and positive experiences with several employees of Ferrero, SpA., and with their public relations and brand strategy consultants, and I've always tried to collaborate and work together in the spirit and goodwill of a fan-run celebration of a spread I (to this day) still eat,” she wrote.

World Nutella Day fans on Facebook were less diplomatic in their statements about the company.

“They're crazy,” one commenter wrote. “Do they not know good publicity when they see it? Well — clearly not. Idiots.”

That seemed to be the end of the story until news of Ferrero’s order hit news sources such as Businessweek and Time on Tuesday. Seemingly in response to the publicity, Ferrero reached out to Rosso and released a statement, pretty clearly translated from Italian, stating that it would no longer oppose World Nutella Day.

“The case arose from a routine brand defense procedure that was activated as a result of some misuse of the Nutella brand on the fan page,” the statement said. “Ferrero is pleased to announce that today, after contacting Sara Rosso and finding together the appropriate solutions, it immediately stopped the previous action.”

Rosso quickly deleted her post about the possible end of World Nutella Day and replaced it with a post stating that the observance would continue in 2014. She even said she’s not mad at Ferrero.

“I wish it hadn’t happened in the first place, but I’m pleased at the speed of resolution and that the site and holiday will continue,” she wrote.

Facebook commenters were mostly celebratory in regards to the turnaround, though some griped that the cease-and-desist order should have never gone out in the first place, and that Ferrero should have linked the World Nutella Day website in its statement.

The big lesson from all this, according to Jonathan Bernstein of Bernstein Crisis Management, is that corporate attorneys just shouldn’t threaten private citizens without considering the PR outcomes. Robert Holland of Holland Communication Solutions adds that it’s a sign of a changing media landscape.

“Ten years ago, World Nutella Day probably wouldn't have gained such traction and this matter wouldn't be news,” he says.

Likewise, the story proves that relationships between customers and brands are changing, too, Holland says.

“The automatic legal response triggered by Rosso's use of the Nutella name and images just doesn't cut it today,” he says. “If someone at Nutella had been aware of what Rosso was doing, this embarrassing situation for the brand probably would not have happened.”

That said, Bernstein posits that Ferrero pulling back its order for the holiday to end will likely prevent the company’s reputation from being hurt too badly.

“Nutella's amends-making message and action with Rosso were quite appropriate and I don't believe there will be any long-term damage to their brand,” he says.

Matt Wilson is a staff writer for Ragan.com.

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5 things not to expect from an unpaid intern

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:49:23 GMT

Ah, the PR internship.

That much-maligned rite of passage for anyone hoping to make their way in the communications world.

It’s a bit like that inevitable bin-dunking you get on your first day of junior school (just me, then?) or learning to drive: Painful and a bit degrading at the same time.

Hopefully you emerge from the whole sorry mess a better, more enlightened person (or, alternatively, a sniveling shadow of your former self).

Those bewildering weeks spent shackled to the photocopier, the tea-making, the media-list compiling, the general skivvying—and without being paid—that’s all a massive favor, isn’t it? No, not on the intern’s part, silly! It’s an act of kindness from PR agencies, giving career-thirsty 20-somethings extremely valuable lessons in the workings of the illustrious communications industry (and hot beverage-making too, of course).

If anything, these interns should pay PR agencies for such an enlightening induction into public relations, right?

Wrong.

My cheekiness aside, unpaid internships can potentially be harmful to your business. At the very least, you’re probably not going to get the very best. And they could prove detrimental to your business.

Unpaid interns can’t do it all

Here are five things you can’t expect from an unpaid intern.

1. They get out of bed on time. We aren’t all morning people. It takes a wildly irritating alarm clock and the comforting reassurance that Starbucks will be open to get me out of bed on time each morning—and I love my job. If you’re not paying someone to get to work on time every day, chances are they won’t.

While punctuality may seem nitpicky to some, rocking through the office door at 9:15 a.m. just isn’t cool; it massively de-motivates everyone on your team. Hitting the ground running at 9 a.m. sharp is crucial if you want to maintain a professional working environment.

2. They give it their all. Okay, so your new intern might start out all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but anyone who seriously expects them to arrive with a smile on their face, ready to bust a gut every morning when they’re not getting a dime in return, probably needs their head examined.

If you’re not offering your intern money or job stability for their efforts, you can’t really complain when they dedicate some of their working hours to finding someone else who will. When you pay interns, it’s not unreasonable to expect they’ll put a decent amount of effort in. The result? You’ve got someone who’s genuinely adding value to your business rather than sitting twiddling their thumbs.

3. They're a team player. Your intern might be as altruistic as Robin Hood, but working day-in and day-out with people who are getting paid when they’re not earning a cent isn’t going to make them feel like part of the team. No matter how much they smile and laugh when you give them another media list to compile, chances are they’ll resent you. When everyone’s hard work is recognized and remunerated, they’ll feel more team-spirited and you’ll be free of office bad vibes.

4. They’ll hit the ground running. Having an "extra pair of hands" around the office sounds nice, but an intern is another person to manage (this is particularly true if they haven’t been through the company’s full selection process). I’ve said enough about how paying your interns will encourage them to work harder. It’s inevitable any intern will cost you in management time. Why not invest this time in someone who brings value to your business rather than someone who doesn’t feel like they owe you anything?

5. They’ll be the best of the best. Unpaid internships make the PR industry silly and elitist. Effectively they say: “You can only work for me if you (or your parents) are willing to fork out for food.” That's nearly as absurd as saying: “You can only work for me if your surname begins with Q and your dad’s called Nigel.”

You’re shooting yourself and your business in the foot because, as we all know, being rich or influential doesn’t make one good at managing public reputation. Justin Bieber is walking proof of this. Give your interns enough to live off and you'll likely attract the talented ones—not the ones whose mommy and daddy own a home in the countryside and let them crash at the penthouse in the city rent-free.

Not paying your interns is tempting, but will ultimately damage your business and prevent you from finding those hidden gems who could prove to be your best next hire. What are your thoughts? Are you pro or con paid internships?

Hannah Stacey is an account manager at integrated B2B marketing agency TopLine Communications. A version of this post first appeared on Spin Sucks.

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